Tag: Traditional uses

While traditionally used for its medicinal properties, consuming the leaves of the plant known as Leaf of Life (*Kalanchoe pinnata*) is generally considered unsafe for internal consumption due to its cardiac glycoside content. This article explores the important safety risks and discusses the traditional ways people have utilized this plant's leaves.

Bitter kola, also known as *Garcinia kola*, has a long history of traditional use in West Africa for various purposes. For those interested in this herb, understanding how many bitter kola can one take in a day is a common question, focusing on safety and traditional practices.

For over 8,000 years, Andean peoples have chewed or brewed the leaves of the *Erythroxylum coca* plant for medicinal, social, and religious purposes. But what do coca leaves do, and how does this traditional use differ so profoundly from its notorious derivative, cocaine?

For over 8,000 years, Andean cultures have utilized coca leaves for their medicinal, nutritional, and spiritual properties. A central part of indigenous life in countries like Peru and Bolivia, a distinction must be made between the traditional use of the whole, natural plant and the powerful, addictive drug cocaine that is chemically extracted from it.

In the mid-20th century, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras in foods and beverages after studies indicated that safrole, its primary volatile oil, was potentially carcinogenic. This action followed centuries of sassafras tea being a popular folk remedy and flavoring agent.

Traditionally used for centuries in various cultures, prickly sow thistle (Sonchus asper) is a wild plant with recorded uses as both a food source and a remedy for a wide range of ailments. Often mistaken for its more famous cousin, the dandelion, this versatile herb is a common sight in gardens and fields globally.

The Kigelia africana, or sausage tree, produces large, woody, sausage-shaped fruits, leading many to wonder about their edibility. While these dramatic fruits are a food source for African wildlife like elephants and baboons, the raw and unripe fruit is highly poisonous to humans.

Licorice root contains the compound glycyrrhizin, which can be up to 50 times sweeter than sucrose. The concentration of this active ingredient in licorice root is not uniform and can vary widely, impacting both the herb's flavor and its effects on the body.

Native Americans have historically used slippery elm for both medicinal purposes and as a survival food source. This practice involves consuming the inner bark, which, when mixed with water, becomes a gelatinous substance known as mucilage. While widely used in supplements today, it's crucial to understand the proper way to consume this unique tree product safely.

Used for over 2,500 years in Ayurvedic medicine, the Arjuna tree (Terminalia arjuna) is primarily known for its cardioprotective bark. With many people seeking natural health remedies, a common question arises: Is the fruit of Arjuna tree edible? This article explores the fruit's edibility, traditional applications, and necessary safety considerations.