Ancient historians have described the export of ointments from the Judean Desert throughout the Roman empire and beyond, at least until the 2nd century BCE. Now the modern company, Herbs of Kedem, has revived the historical use of these herbs for medicinal uses.

Amazed by their extraordinary success, researchers at Rambam hospital in Haifa have even begun a scientific study of one of their products.

In addition to cosmetics, Herbs of Kedem sells creams to heal various skin problems such as eczema, acne, fungus, and scar healing, allergy and respiratory problems, pain relief, oral care such as gingivitis, immune system problems and chronic fatigue, and more.

In fact, doctors in one department at Tel HaShomer hospital were so impressed with an ointment to help prevent gangrene in diabetics, they now recommend it to many of their patients.

The effectiveness of these desert herbs is due to their unique location between the hot, dry Dead Sea (the lowest place on earth at 400m below sea level), and the Judean Hills, with a rainier climate and an elevation of 1000m above sea level.

These two climatic extremes in such close proximity put an enormous stress level on the herbs of the Judean Desert. The hardy plants adapt through production of various natural chemicals called phytosteroids, which are extremely useful for medicinal purposes.Herbs of Kedem bases its remedies on four basic principles:

1. Using materials from the whole plant, instead of just isolating one chemical. Many modern medicines are based on one chemical, meaning you have to use a higher concentration of the chemical, making the product more toxic. 

2. Many products contain materials from more than 10 types of plants, preventing resistance (as happens with antibiotics).

3. Refraining from using dangerous oils, even when they also have medicinal uses. This decreases the toxicity of the products.

4. The counter-effect principle: sometimes your body reacts well at first to a new medicine, but then becomes resistant to it. Using a broader content of the plant instead of isolated chemicals help to counter this effect — the varying components sometimes slightly counteract each other, thus neutralizing the body’s resistance.

For more information about these intriguing remedies, ask at your local health products store, or visit the company’s website:::Herbs of Kedem

Why is it more expensive to buy ‘clean’ food than food containing additives and pesticide residues?Many people who would like to eat naturally, are forced to eat commercially-produced food containing pesticide residues and preservatives because natural food is beyond their budget.

This seems counterintuitive.

Every person regardless of income level should have the basic right to eat healthy food. While about 1.5% of total agricultural production in Israel is organic, over 80% is exported for sale abroad. This low demand for organic in Israel contributes to higher prices. Hopefully increased awareness and demand will bring prices down in the future.

In the meantime, some farmers are willing to sell food directly to consumers, cutting out the middle men. This slightly reduces the cost of eating organic, and for those who have never tasted the difference between freshly-picked veggies and cold-storage veggies, you won’t believe the difference!

Here is a list of good deals or farmers who sell directly to consumers. Post those you know about so we can create a comprehensive list.