Category: Na Mana’o

Diabetes mellitus has become a significant public health concern in the modern era. It is considered to be a lifestyle disease that can be moderated by dietary and lifestyle changes. Studies have shown long-term and acute consumption of berries, high in polyphenols and fiber, may have positive effects on glucose metabolism and glucose-regulation. The objective of this randomized cross-over study was to evaluate the glucoregulatory benefits of mixed berries containing an array of anthocyanins to determine whether flavonoids/anthocyanins and/or fiber proved beneficial.

The study was conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland between January 2018 and March 2019. Participants were recruited through emails sent to the Beltsville Nutrition Center volunteer database, local federal agencies, and the University of Maryland in the Baltimore and Washington DC geographical area. Participants were included between the ages of 21 and 75 years with a body mass…

Forest botanicals are a subset of medicinal herbs that require special considerations in regard to sustainability, based on their unique growth patterns, supply chains, and trade history, and the complex and sensitive ecosystems in which they grow. This article introduces sustainability concepts and definitions in the context of the herbal products industry, and forest herbs in particular, and discusses the general trends and issues of forest-derived medicinal products in the eastern United States. Particular focus is given to Appalachia and several herbs native to the region that illustrate important concepts and factors affecting the sustainability of the forest herb supply chain. The authors outline key requirements for sustainable production and introduce forest farming as a potential solution to many of the challenges faced within the current forest herb supply chain.

Introduction

Forests are some of the most life-abundant and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and humans have a long, rich…

HerbalGram issue 81, published in 2009, featured an extensive article by then-Managing Editor Courtney Cavaliere about the effects of climate change on medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs).¹ In the decade since then, the situation has intensified, and new insights have emerged.

In the face of climate change, plants, including MAPs, may move, adapt, or go extinct. Indeed, large-scale changes in plant distributions, flowering times, and community assemblages are occurring across the globe due to climate change. For now, there is little evidence of plant extinctions caused by climate change, but extinctions are expected to occur if plants cannot move or adapt quickly enough and current trends continue.² A recent report found that 1 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction, with climate change listed as the third biggest driver of “change in nature.”³

Levels of carbon dioxide, a prevalent, heat-trapping greenhouse gas, are higher now…