The story behind Chios tears…
Chios mastic gum, often simply referred to as “mastiha” or “mastika”, is the resin that comes from the mastica tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Greek island of Chios. The production of Chios mastic gum to this day remains true to the original traditional cultivation practices, and is protected by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece. Dr. Carrie Decker discusses the many stages of mastiha production and its use in Greece, part of which she was able to experience in her travel to the island of Chios. The traditional medicinal uses and its current use as a dietary supplement will also be visited, as well as some interesting factoids about mastiha ice cream.
The Tradition of Chios Mastiha
The intangible cultural heritage of Chios mastiha (mastic) gum production Oftentimes, we take our nutritional supplements without so much as a thought to how they happen to come to the powder that fills the capsule. Others of us, who also probably are mesmerized by television shows like “How It’s Made,” the Discovery channel documentary…
Big Pharma Banks on Fatty Liver Disease
Where there’s a buck to be made… With rapidly increasing rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common causes of chronic liver disease in Western countries.[1] NAFLD affects 10 to 46% of the United States population, with a worldwide prevalence of 6 to 35%.[2] Actual numbers,…
The Broccoli Remedy: DIM for Hormone Health
Supporting female AND male hormonal health with 3,3′-diindolylmethane The healing power of Brassica vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale comes in large part from the phytochemical indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which naturally breaks down in the gut to a constituent known as 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) (pronounced “dim”).[1] Consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with…
