Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a distinctive mushroom known for its health benefits and unique appearance. The word itself, tschaga, is of Russian origin, borrowed from northeastern dialect called Komi and it simply means “mushroom”. Chaga grows primarily on birch trees in cold climates, such as Siberia, northern Europe, and parts of North America. Chaga has a hard, […]
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All Posts in Category: Ancient Medicine
Galen: 1,500 years of dominance of Medicine
If you study the history of medicine, it’s impossible not to be fascinated by the influence and authority of Galen and the length of his dominance in Medicine: more then 1,500 years! This is unprecedented, there is no other scholar that could compare with him. At least, not in Medicine. To come close to describing […]
From ancient medicines and witches to modern drugs
I think everyone is familiar with the images of the Medieval time witches flying on a broomstick or the witches making magical potions by stirring some awful looking substances in a boiling cauldron….these images are associated with Halloween nowadays… but, to your surprise (as well as mine), some of the brews these witches made were […]
Licorice: a sweet tale
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza plants, usually the Glabra species) have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to a long time for various digestive and health problems, and as a general vitality promoting agent. People know Licorice mostly as a candy product, and is inherently a functional food rather than just a candy (as the oil containing the […]
Astragalus: strength and longevity
Astragalus (latin name Astragalus membraneceus) also commonly known as Milk Vetch, is a plant native to Mongolia and northeast China and Tibet with remarkable properties and has been used by the Chinese as a tonic/adaptogen for more than 2000 years. The ancient understanding of Astragalus was that it strengthened the ‘Wei Chi” the defensive energy […]
Mistletoe
Mistletoe (in latin: Viscum album) grows in Europe, northwest Africa, and central Asia and Japan. It is called interchangeably Mistletoe or Viscum, or in other parts of the world Druid’s herb, Holy Wood or The Kissing Bush. Mistletoe is an evergreen displayed during the Christmas season and symbolic of the eventual rebirth of vegetation that […]
Castor oil: the myth and mystery
Castor oil, derived from the castor seed, has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide variety of health conditions, although scientific studies are sparse. Introduction and historical use Castor oil comes from the castorbean seed, binomial name Ricinus communis, and has a chemical composition consisting of mostly triglycerides (40-60 % fatty acids) […]
Cordyceps: the killer fungus!
Cordyceps sinensis is a very interesting medicinal mushroom that has been used for medicinal purposes in Asia for centuries. It is used mainly to restore lost energy and vigor and to stimulate a fatigued immune system acting like a general tonic for the body. In addition to the English term “caterpillar fungus” there are other […]
Immunotherapy in Cancer: a new concept?
Cancer. A dreadful word. People shrug in dislike when they hear it. For some it evokes the closeness of death and the fear of the great unknown. For others it is just a word that need to be fought against and conquered. Where did this word, by the way, cancer, come from? It means crab, […]
Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms are awesome and a fascinating life form! They belong neither to the plant nor animal kingdoms, and they actually share more DNA with animals that they do with plants. Adding to their strangeness, the largest organism ever discovered on the planet is a network of mushroom mycelium that weaves across a colossal 2,200 acres […]