What is Chia Seed? Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) are the small, oval-shaped edible seeds of a flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Cultivated for over 5,000 years, chia was a dietary staple for the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations,
What is Chaparral? Chaparral (Larrea tridentata) is a resinous, aromatic evergreen shrub native to the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Despite sharing its name with the broader California desert plant community, chaparral refers specifically to the creosote bush, a rugged plant that can live for
What is Celery Seed? Celery seed (Apium graveolens L.) is the small, aromatic seed of the celery plant, a member of the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family that includes parsley, carrots, and fennel. While most people know celery as a crunchy stalk vegetable, the seeds are where the plant concentrates its most
What is Catnip? Catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) is an aromatic perennial herb belonging to the Lamiaceae (mint) family, native to central Europe and now naturalized across much of North America, Asia, and beyond. While most people know catnip for the euphoric reaction it triggers in cats, this herb has a
What is Camu Camu? Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is an Amazonian superfruit that holds the distinction of being one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C on the planet, containing up to 60 times more vitamin C than an orange per serving. This small, cherry-sized berry grows on a
What is Buchu? Buchu (Agathosma betulina) is an aromatic evergreen shrub native to the mountainous Western Cape region of South Africa. It belongs to the Rutaceae (citrus) family and has been used medicinally for centuries by the indigenous Khoisan people, who considered it one of their most prized healing plants.
What is Brahmi? Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) is a medicinal creeping perennial plant in the Scrophulariaceae family, with small oblong leaves and white to purple flowers. It has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a cognitive enhancer, anxiolytic (anti-anxiety agent), memory booster, and nerve tonic. The name "
What is Boneset? Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum L.) is a perennial herb native to eastern North America, belonging to the Asteraceae (daisy/composite) family. The plant grows up to 1.5 meters tall in wet meadows, marshes, and along streams from Canada to Florida and west to Texas and Nebraska. Its
What is Blue Vervain? Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) is a tall, slender perennial wildflower native to North America, belonging to the Verbenaceae (Vervain) family. Recognizable by its candelabra-like spikes of small, deep blue-violet flowers and serrated lance-shaped leaves, it grows wild across meadows, wet ditches, stream banks, and prairies throughout
What is Bladderwrack? Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) is a brown seaweed found along the rocky coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea. Named for the small, air-filled bladders along its fronds that help it float toward sunlight, this marine algae has been used as
What is Black Walnut Hull? Black walnut hull comes from Juglans nigra, a hardwood tree native to eastern North America. The hull is the green outer husk that surrounds the hard-shelled nut, and it is harvested in late summer to early fall before it ripens and turns black. This green,
What is Black Cumin? Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is an annual flowering herb belonging to the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family, native to Southwest Asia and now cultivated throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe and India. The plant produces small black seeds that have been used
What is Bitter Melon? Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is a tropical and subtropical climbing vine belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family (the same family as cucumbers, squash, and gourds). The plant produces a distinctive warty, oblong fruit that is one of the most bitter foods in the human diet, hence
What is Bee Propolis? Bee propolis, often called "bee glue," is a resinous, sticky substance that honeybees create by combining plant resins and saps with their own beeswax and saliva. Bees use propolis to seal cracks in the hive, smooth interior surfaces, embalm intruders, and protect the colony
What is Bee Pollen? Bee pollen is a hive product made up of flower pollen grains, nectar, and bee salivary secretions, collected by foraging honeybees and packed into small granules for transport back to the hive. Beekeepers gather it using specialized traps placed at hive entrances, harvesting it without damaging
What is Bamboo Extract? Bamboo extract is a concentrated supplement derived primarily from the leaves and stems of Bambusa vulgaris and related bamboo species (Bambusa bambos, Phyllostachys edulis, and others). Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on earth, with some species growing up to three feet per day, a feat largely
What is Baical Skullcap? Baical Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) is a perennial flowering herb belonging to the Lamiaceae (mint) family, native to East Asia, Russia, and Mongolia. It grows at elevations of 60-2,000 meters in sandy, sun-exposed hillside soil. The dried root of this plant, known as "Huang-Qin&
What is Annatto? Annatto (Bixa orellana) is a tropical shrub native to Central and South America, best known for its vibrant brick-red seeds that have been used for centuries as a natural food colorant, spice, body paint, and traditional medicine. Also called achiote, achiotillo, bija, or urucum, the plant produces
What is Angelica Root? Angelica Root refers to the roots of plants in the Angelica genus, a group of roughly 60-90 aromatic biennial and perennial herbs belonging to the Apiaceae (carrot/parsley) family. Two species dominate the supplement market: Angelica archangelica (European angelica) and Angelica sinensis (dong quai or Chinese
What is Amla? Amla (Phyllanthus emblica L.), also known as Indian gooseberry, is a small, sour, pale green fruit from an ephemeral tree belonging to the Phyllanthaceae family (formerly classified under Euphorbiaceae). Native to South Asia and widely cultivated throughout India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, amla has been one
What is Agrimony? Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Rosaceae (rose) family, native to Europe, temperate Asia, and North America. It grows commonly in grasslands, hedge-banks, field edges, and dry thickets, producing slender spikes of small, star-shaped yellow flowers from June through early September.
What is Agaricus Blazei? Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) is a medicinal mushroom native to the Piedade region of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, where it has been used traditionally as a remedy for longevity and disease prevention. Scientifically also classified as Agaricus subrufescens and Agaricus brasiliensis, this mushroom belongs
What is Zeaxanthin? Zeaxanthin (pronounced zee-uh-ZAN-thin) is a yellow-orange carotenoid pigment found naturally in many fruits, vegetables, and egg yolks. It belongs to the xanthophyll family, a subclass of carotenoids that contain oxygen in their molecular structure. Along with its closely related isomer lutein, zeaxanthin is one of only two
What is Yohimbe? Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe) is an evergreen tree native to the tropical forests of central and western Africa, primarily found in Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo. The bark of this tree contains over 55 different indole alkaloids, the most notable and pharmacologically active being yohimbine, which