Aloe vera is an aloe specy grown since ancient times in the Mediterranean region and North Africa. Aloe vera has been adopted in the traditional medicines of many hot regions of the world, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa first, then India, China and Asia mainly after Xth century. Aloe vera is a succulent plant (it stores water in its leaves) that grows on arid soils in colonies…
acai is a slender palm tree which can grow up to 20 meters, it grows only in South America, in the tropics, mostly swamp. The Açai berries grow in clusters at the base of the palms, they are dark red to purple, and are 1 to 2 cm in diameter. The volume of the seed is about 80% of the fruit. The pulp contains an exceptional proportion of vegetable fats (about 55%). The Açai berry…
Acerola is a shrub that grows in South America and the Caribbean tropics. The fruit, also called Barbados cherry for its resemblance to the cherry, is edible and sour, it is considered a "superfruit" as it is one of the richest fruit in vitamin C with the Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia).
camu-camu is a shrub native of the Peruvian rainforest, of the same family as guava. The fruit is edible and commonly used in Peruvian cuisine. It is 2 to 4 cm in diameter, has an orange-red color and a sour taste, it is considered a "superfruit" as it is one of the richest in vitamin C fruit with Acerola (Malpighia emarginata, Malpighia glabra).
Uncaria tomentosa, called "Peruvian liane", is a vine native of the Amazonia. It is called in Spanish "Uña de gato" (cat's claw) because of small stipules claw at the base of its leaves. The plant grows on trees 20 to 40 feet high. It is a medicinal herb : bark, leaves and roots are traditionally used to treat different diseases.
Guarana is a shrub native of the Brazilian Amazonia. Guarana is now grown in the states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso and Bahia. The seed contains a high concentration of caffeine that makes Guarana the known plant containing the highest levels of caffeine in the world. Traditionally the seed is consumed by tribes of Amazonian Indians for its stimulant properties, as a powder diluted in water, the…
Pouteria lucuma is a tree native to the Peruvian Andes. Lucuma is popular in desserts, particularly in the form of ice or cake.
Maca is a plant with a taproot that is cultivated as a food and for its therapeutic properties since the Neolithic in the High Andes of Peru from 3500 to 4,200 meters (remnants of maca have been identified in a prehistoric cave and its culture was confirmed by several chronics during the Spanish conquest).
Maca is one of very few plants that can survive in extreme climatic conditions…
mate or yerba mate is a South American native species whose leaves, which are roasted and pulverized, provide, infused in hot water, a stimulating drink, similar to the coffee or tea effects. The Jesuits developed its culture in the seventeenth century and spread to neighboring countries : Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and the southern provinces of Brazil. Mate word used in…
Moringa oleifera is a tree native to India, grown in tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The highly nutritious leaves are used in cooking and in medicine traditional.
the sacred lotus or oriental lotus is a sacred flower in oriental religions (Buddhism, Brahmanism) and the national flower of India. It is an aquatic plant native to tropical Asia, with its perennial spongy rhizome stem, thick, branched tuber-bearing fixed in the bottom of the pond. The rounded leaves are up to 50 cm in diameter, flowers are white and light pink. The sacred lotus is cultivated…
Noni is a tropical shrub native of India, and now widely cultivated in tropical regions over the world. Its fruits have the size of an apple with a battered shape, its color is green and yellow, and turn whitish when ripe, they have a peculiar odor and bitter taste. The tree and its fruit are used as a medicinal plant in traditional Polynesian culture. The oldest reference comes from Indian…
Passiflora incarnata is a vine of the Passifloras family (Passifloraceae ) native of the southeastern United States and Mexico. It is grown in many parts of the world for ornamental or medicinal purposes. The fruit of Passiflora incarnata can be used as a substitute for a South American relative, Passiflora edulis.
annatto is a tree native of tropical South American regions. It is also called urucum in Brazil and achiote in Spanish speaking countries. It is also grown in southern Asia. Its fruits are red and prickly, mature they open and leave theire red seeds appear. The fruits are harvested and dried to extract the wax that surrounds the seeds, very rich in carotenoids. The Indians of South America and…
Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant that has been used for more than 1,500 years by the Guaraní peoples of South America. The leaves have been traditionally used for hundreds of years in both Brazil and Paraguay to sweeten local teas and medicines.
The legal status of stevia extracts as food additives and…