Wild Thyme: What Do We Really Know?

Wild thyme has a strong traditional reputation, but modern clinical research on this particular species is still at an early stage. The most promising human evidence for wild thyme extract currently concerns gastrointestinal symptoms and gut health. Laboratory and...

Elder: What Do We Really Know?

Elder provides an excellent example of why traditional knowledge and modern clinical evidence should be distinguished carefully. The most convincing human research concerns standardized elderberry preparations used for cold, influenza and other upper respiratory...

Where Does Elder Have the Strongest Evidence?

The strongest clinical evidence for Sambucus nigra concerns elderberry fruit extracts and upper respiratory symptoms. Randomized controlled trials have investigated standardized elderberry preparations in people with influenza and cold-like illnesses. Some studies...

Calendula: What Do We Really Know?

Calendula provides a good example of why we should distinguish between traditional use, laboratory findings and evidence from human studies. The strongest clinical support currently concerns topical calendula preparations, particularly creams and ointments used on the...

Nettle in Feed for Chicks and Ducklings

We didn’t know nettle only as a tea. Grandma chopped it finely, mixed it with cornmeal, and fed it to the chicks and ducklings. As a child, this seemed just as natural to me as the fact that every plant in the garden had its own place.