Tag: Digestive System

Dulse (Palmaria palmata) is a red sea vegetable traditionally harvested from cold North Atlantic waters and valued for its naturally salty, savory taste. Unlike...

Acacia (Acacia senegal) is best known today not as a leaf or flower “herb,” but as the source of gum arabic—a natural sap that...

Mountain lovage, botanically known as Ligusticum mutellina, is a fragrant alpine herb from the parsley family that has long occupied a quiet place between...

Mint is one of the most familiar medicinal herbs in the world, but “mint” is not just one plant. Mentha is a broad genus...

Manna grass is a wetland grass with a surprisingly layered story. Botanically known as Glyceria maxima, it is better known to ecologists, foragers, and...

Malabar spinach is not a true spinach, but it earns its place in the kitchen and the garden just as easily. Known botanically as...

Mahleb, often spelled mahlab or mahaleb, is the aromatic seed kernel of Prunus mahaleb, a small cherry tree also called St. Lucie cherry. Most...

Magnolia is one of those plant names that sounds simple until you look closely. In older botanical writing, Magnolia glauca often refers to sweetbay...

Macela, also called marcela, is a South American aromatic herb traditionally used as a tea for digestive discomfort, cramping, mild inflammatory complaints, and seasonal...

Mace is the delicate, reddish-orange aril that wraps around the seed of Myristica fragrans, the same tropical tree that gives us nutmeg. Although the...

Linseed, also widely known as flaxseed, is one of the rare plant foods that comfortably belongs in both the kitchen and the medicine cabinet....

Lettuce is often treated as a simple salad base, yet it is more interesting than its mild flavor suggests. Botanically known as Lactuca sativa,...

Lemon clover is an unusual title for this plant. In botanical and agricultural literature, Trifolium fragiferum is much more often called strawberry clover, a...

Leek is one of those plants that quietly bridges the kitchen and the apothecary. Mild, sweet, and deeply aromatic when cooked, it belongs to...

Lavender mint is one of those herbs that seems instantly familiar and slightly mysterious at the same time. It is usually sold as a...

Kamut is best understood as an ancient wheat, not a medicinal herb in the classic sense. It is the common consumer name often used...

Kale is one of the most studied leafy greens in the modern diet, yet it still feels surprisingly down to earth. It is inexpensive,...

Job’s tears, botanically known as Coix lacryma-jobi, is an unusual plant that sits at the border of food and herbal medicine. In one context,...

Jimbu is a high-Himalayan herb from the onion family that has long been used in Nepal and nearby mountain regions as both a seasoning...

Jicama is a crisp, mildly sweet root vegetable from the legume family, prized for its refreshing texture and its unusual nutritional profile. While it...

Javanese cinnamon, also called Indonesian cinnamon or Korintje cinnamon, comes from the bark of Cinnamomum burmannii. It is one of the most common cinnamons...

Japanese sweet flag, identified here as Acorus calamus, is an aromatic wetland herb whose rhizome has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. It...

Jalap is one of herbal medicine’s older and more forceful bowel remedies. Traditionally prepared from a dried tuberous root linked with Mexican morning glory...

Jaboticaba is a dark purple Brazilian fruit best known for an unusual trait: it grows directly on the trunk and larger branches of the...