Herbs in History: Flax & Ginger

• By: AHPA
• On: 01/17/2023 06:13:09
• In: AHPA News

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.

We kick off 2023 with entries on flax and ginger. Preview the entries below and visit Herbs in History online to read more.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

The Making of a Superfood

Flax seed is now in high demand as a superfood. As per a definition, foods in this new category “are traditional and minimally processed functional foods with their distinct property as being “traditionally used.” Superfoods have the common feature of being part of restricted culinary and medicinal use, often in distant regions. Therefore, they are in the spotlight not only with their extreme and naturally functional health benefits …, but also with their common features of being part of a remote, authentic, or exotic community ... It has also been proposed that superfoods should be classified, not as foods or medicinal plants only, but as both, on the grounds that they provide “an abundance of synergistic elements.” | Read more...

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

From the Land of Spices

Probably native to Malaysia and Indonesia and now encountered from the southern islands of Japan to New Guinea, the genus Zingiber (Ginger) in the family of the Zingiberaceae is made up of ca. 60 species. One of them, Z. officinale Roscoe, made its way slowly into the therapeutic arsenal of the Mediterranean World despite a promising start. . | 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.