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Steven Foster |
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Remembering Steven Foster: 1957–2022 Botanist, author, photographer, and herbal community icon Steven Foster died on January 15, 2022. Foster was an integral part of the American herbal community since his start at a Shaker herb farm at age 17. His photography and consultant work took him around the world, and he experienced the herbal medicine trade from the workers in the field to the highest-level executives. He generously lent his time and extensive knowledge to organizations, including the American Botanical Council (ABC). At ABC, he served on the Board of Trustees for 23 years, 10 of which he was the president of the board. His photography appeared in every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 and he was contributing editor to the journal. His influence spread throughout the herbal community in ways large and small and will continue to be felt for decades after his death. Read more >> |
ABC has created a place to honor Steven’s life and work and allow others from the community to share their remembrances.
ABC News:
ABC Announces the Passing of Medicinal Plant Scientist Dennis Awang. February 14, 2022.
Herbal Medicine Community Mourns Death of Steven Foster. January 17, 2022.
Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program News:
ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program Publishes Bulletin on Adulteration of Eleuthero Root and Extracts. January 18, 2022.
Sustainable Herbs Program News:
Traditional Medicinals Book Club. February 11, 2022.
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Herb Profile:
Asian Holly Oak Gall
World News:
Three Convicted in Death of Maya Healer
Research Review:
Ivy Gourd Leaf and Diabetes
Book Review:
The Business of Botanicals
Did you know? HerbalGram is available in three digital formats: PDF, page-flip, and HTML. Check them out!
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The International Herb Association designated parsley as its Herb of the Year™ for 2021 and produced this text that celebrates this valuable and versatile herb. This compilation of essays covers various topics: botany and cultivation, history and harvest, lore, recipes, and medicinal uses. The text also includes illustrations, photos, and poetry that take parsley beyond a garnish and explore the plant’s use in other culinary and medicinal applications. This celebration of parsley encourages readers to rediscover this symbol of festivity and its uses in the kitchen and garden.
Parsley can be purchased from the publisher. ©2022 International Herb Association. This material is reprinted with permission from the publisher and may not be used for any other purpose.
Traditional Knowledge of Plant Foods and Medicines. LabManager. February 15, 2022. A new special issue of the journal Botany features open-access articles about Indigenous plant knowledge in the Americas and the relationships among Indigenous peoples and the plants around them.
Researchers Clear Early Hurdles with Urology Seed Grants. The University of Arizona Health Sciences. February 14, 2022. A project investigating the androgenic effects of a compound found in nightshade groundcherry, a plant native to Arizona and northern Mexico, hopes to find a new, naturally derived class of cancer drugs.
Men’s Health Supplement Ingredients. Natural Products Insider. February 8, 2022. Pumpkin seeds, lycopene, and fenugreek are ingredients that may help support the specific health needs of men.
Chimpanzees May Use Insects as Medicine to Treat Wounds, Study Finds. CBC. February 6, 2022. While chimpanzees and great apes have been observed using plants as medicine, a new study observing chimps in the wild has reported that they may also use flying insects in a similar fashion, though the benefits of the practice have yet to be identified.
BMC Journal Launches Investigation of 2013 Newmaster Paper That Sparked NY AG Affair. NutraIngredients-USA. February 4, 2022. An article published in Science alleges fraud against Steven Newmaster, PhD, a botanist at the University of Guelph in Canada, and again calls into question the 2013 paper on which the flawed but damaging NY Attorney General’s investigation of herbal supplements was based.
Dried Goji Berries May Provide Protection Against Age-Related Vision Loss. ScienceDaily. January 13, 2022. Regularly eating a small serving of dried goji berries may provide protection against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in seniors.
Higher Olive Oil Intake Associated with Lower Risk of CVD Mortality. EurekAlert! January 10, 2022. Consuming more than seven grams of olive oil per day is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disease mortality, and respiratory disease mortality, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Study: Tocotrienols May Help Reduce Bone Loss, Oxidative Stress in Postmenopausal Women. WholeFoods Magazine. January 10, 2022. A recent study linked supplementation with a proprietary annatto-derived tocotrienol ingredient with significant metabolic changes, including increased antioxidant levels, in participants with low bone density.
Read more Herbal MediaWatch headlines here.
FDA Decommissions ‘Poisonous Plant Database.’ American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). February 10, 2022.
AOAC International Announces Paula N. Brown as 2022 Wiley Award Winner. AOAC International. February 10, 2022.
MAPS and MAPS PBC Publish Patient Bill of Rights for Psychedelic Therapy. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Science. February 10, 2022.
Wisconsin Passes Law to License Naturopathic Doctors. National University of Health Sciences. February 9, 2022.
CSPI Seeks Update from FDA on Poppy Petition. Center for Science in the Public Interest. February 7, 2022.
Survey: Cannabis Companies Cite Lack of Banking Access as the ‘Top Issue’ Facing the Industry. NORML. February 3, 2022.
Dietary Supplement Label Database Adds Thousands of Labels. AHPA. February 1, 2022.
Jim Turner — In Memoriam. AHPA. January 28, 2022.
California Assembly Votes to Restrict Access to Supplements. Natural Products Association. January 27, 2022.
Longitudinal Study: Cannabis’ Impact on Lung Health Distinct from Tobacco. NORML. January 27, 2022.
Untangling the Roots of Plant Genomes: Supporting a ‘Moonshot’ for Botany. Botanical Research Institute of Texas. January 19, 2022.
A Snapshot of the Shakers as Herb Traders by Steven Foster. United Plant Savers. January 17, 2022.
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Natural Products Expo West. Anaheim, California. March 8–12, 2022. This annual meeting will bring together all sectors of the natural products industry to network, view exhibits from more than 2,000 companies, participate in talks, and attend an organic marketplace. Register here.
2022 International Spice Conference. Kochia, India, and Online. March 2–4, 2022.
International Conference on the Science of Botanicals. Oxford, Mississippi. March 28–31, 2022.
SupplySide East. Secaucus, New Jersey. April 12–13, 2022.
Nutraceuticals Europe. Barcelona, Spain. June 15–16, 2022.
More event listings can be found on ABC’s website.
The most expensive spice in the world has shown benefits for mood and cognitive health and has a history of use as an aphrodisiac. Learn more about it here.