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Archive May 2023
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AHPA Herbs We Love: Pacific Yew (with love from Bighorn Botanicals)
May 25, 2023
Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)
Documented ethnobotany records Native Americans used Yew medicinally for many health ailments and to stimulate strength, endurance and longevity.
Bighorn Botanicals Inc. is the first and only company in the world providing a complete line of herbal supplements and cosmetics made from the legendary Yew tree for 29 years and has been an AHPA member for 27 years. Our sustainable harvest protocols, backed by scientific research, are a model for responsible wildcrafting recognized by the U.S. Forest Service. We control all harvesting and manufacturing of our Montana YewTip products, which are the natural taxane source for the health of people and animals worldwide.
Visit bighornbotanicals.com to learn more!
Share the Love
Do you want to celebrate an herb you love for AHPA’s 40th anniversary? Contact Amber Bennett to learn more about sponsoring your favorite herb!
Herbs in History: Hawthorn & Foxglove
May 24, 2023
In an effort to preserve and share the fascinating histories of medicinal plants and herbs that have been used around the world for ages, the AHPA Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals (AHPA-ERB Foundation) is honored to partner with Alain Touwaide, Ph.D., and Emanuela Appetiti of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions to tell the stories of Herbs in History.
The histories of hawthorn and foxglove are explored next. Preview the entries below and visit Herbs in History online to read more.
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
Mysteries of a Tree
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) is well known, as either a single, majestic almost sovereign high tree in vast open pieces of grassland or lower hedgerows that cuts the landscape in the countryside as a jigsaw puzzle or orderly rhythm rural towns gardens and orchards. Despite this presence in the environment and its familiarity—and also its current reputation as The plant for the heart—, it entered pharmacopoeia only recently if we consider the long-term history, having been mysterious for centuries. | Read more...
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.)
The Making of a Medicinal Plant
The history of Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L. [Plantaginaceae]) is well known at first glance. In 1785, the British physician William Withering (1741-1799) published An account of the foxglove and some of its medical uses; with practical remarks on the dropsy, and some other diseases (Birmingham: Swinney). As the story goes, Withering knew of a healer who successfully treated cases of dropsy by administering an herbal tea to her patients. He went to know the plants that were used to prepare tea and discovered later that the major active ingredient was Digitalis. Thanks to its cardio-tonic action, Foxglove was increasing cardiac activity and, as a consequence, drained the body. | Read more...
About the Project
Herbs in History is made possible by funding from the AHPA-ERB Foundation, as part of the nonprofit foundation’s mission promote education and research on medicinal, therapeutic, and health-promoting herbs. Tune in monthly for thoughtfully detailed historical accounts of herbs you know and love, and learn more about the origins of medicinal plants that have stood the test of time.
IADSA Newsflash for May 2023
AHPA is an active member of IADSA, an association focused on the globalization of food supplement markets and regulatory challenges. AHPA distributes the IADSA Newsflash This issue covers:
- India has provided a website listing foreign food facilities that have registered under a regulation that became effective February 1, 2023, including facilities producing nutraceuticals.
- Hong Kong has listed cannabidiol (CBD) as a dangerous drug effective February 1, with penalties (imprisonment and fines) for trafficking, possession, and use.
- Korea is implementing a new registration scheme for foreign food facilities, with functional foods being the first category that will be subject to the new scheme.
- The European Commission (EC) has issued a statement to member states that no authorizations of CBD or other cannabinoid containing products have been made under European Union (EU) law, and of the states’ responsibility for enforcement of EU legislation.
- The EU has adopted a Directive on green claims to target “greenwashing” and the proliferation of environmental labels.
- The EU has issued clarification on the analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) allowing for correction based on recovery and expanded measurement uncertainty. This clarification relates to batch release criteria for compliance with the EU PAs regulation.
- The EU Court of Justice has issued a ruling intended to clarify the differentiation between food supplements and foods for special medical purposes.
- France has published a list of plants under scrutiny for the presence of hydroxyanthracene derivative (HADs) – this list appears to be more expansive than the list included in the EU HADs regulation. Products made from the botanicals in question must include certain cautionary warnings on their labels.
- EU CITES regulation has been updated to include Rhodiola spp., which is now listed in CITES Appendix II.
- The EU plans to increase identity and physical checks on certain consignments of botanicals that have been found to be non-compliant with pesticide residue rules, including ethylene oxide.
- Finland is considering a ban on ashwagandha, based on a ban already instituted in Denmark.
- New Zealand and South Africa have both made progress on developing new regulatory frameworks for supplement products.
- Brazil is working to update its novel food authorization processes, including the safety assessment.
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