The recent revelations that more than 24,000 industrial livestock farms now operate across Europe should come as a wake-up call to European policymakers. In the UK alone, the number of megafarms grew by over 200 between 2017 and 2023. France, Germany and Spain are not far behind. Far from being an outlier, the European food system is becoming more intensive, more environmentally damaging, and more consolidated. Yet the EU continues to invest political capital in the wrong tools.

One of those tools is front-of-pack labelling, most notably Nutri-Score, the colour-coded system first developed in France and, at a certain point, promoted by the European Commission as a solution to rising obesity. It is, by now, abundantly clear that it isn’t working. Not only has Nutri-Score failed to produce any measurable reduction in obesity rates, but it has also encouraged producers to prioritise nutrient “tweaks” over meaningful food system change. The result is a rise in industrialised, uniform food that fits perfectly with factory farming conditions.

An outdated model in a collapsing system

The European food model is at a crossroads. On one side, we hear ambitious rhetoric about agroecology, biodiversity, and healthy diets. On the other side, we see the rapid expansion of intensive livestock farms, producing tens of millions of animals under conditions that routinely breach environmental regulations, pollute protected areas, and contribute to collapsing wildlife populations.

This contradiction is not accidental. It is the direct result of a policy approach that prioritises reformulation over reform, and labelling over systemic change. Nutrition labelling, for all its visibility, has not delivered improved health outcomes in any of the countries where it has been implemented. What it has delivered is a new layer of complexity. Traditional producers are disadvantaged, while industrial production systems benefit from standardisation and scalability.

The Nutri-Score illusion

Nutri-Score is emblematic of this failure. Built on a simplistic algorithm that assigns grades based on fats, sugars, and salt per 100 grams, it ignores where food comes from, how it’s produced, or how it fits into real-world diets. This kind of labelling rewards processed uniformity and penalises diversity. It pushes producers toward nutritionally “optimised” products that suit industrial supply chains rather than sustainable food systems.

More importantly, it misleads consumers into thinking that food can be reduced to a single letter or colour. This illusion of simplicity may serve marketing objectives, but it does nothing to support meaningful dietary change. If it did, we would have seen results by now. Yet obesity rates continue to rise, including in France, the birthplace of Nutri-Score.

Even the industry is walking away

Even some of the food industry’s biggest players are now distancing themselves from the system. In May, Nestlé announced it would withdraw Nutri-Score from its products in Switzerland, its home country, even before Nestlé’s decision, Swiss food giants Migros and Emmi had already withdrawn Nutri-Score from their products. Their reasoning was simple: the system is no longer credible.

When Europe’s largest food manufacturer abandons a label it once promoted—and does so in the country where it is headquartered—it sends a clear signal. Industry sees what policymakers are reluctant to admit: that nutrition labelling is a dead end. It does not shift consumer behaviour at scale. It does not support sustainable production, nor does it build public trust.

A distraction from real reform

The continued focus on front-of-pack labelling reflects a broader institutional failure: the preference for symbolic gestures over structural reform. Labels are easy to promote. They’re visually appealing. They create the appearance of action. But in practice, they distract from deeper policy questions about subsidies, trade, and the true cost of food.

Worse, they reinforce the incentives of industrial-scale production. Labelling schemes reward products based on narrow nutrient profiles while ignoring production methods, ecological impact, or cultural value. This encourages the very trends—efficiency, uniformity, and scale—that underpin the factory farm boom.

The evidence isn’t there. It never was.

Proponents of labelling often cite behavioural studies suggesting that front-of-pack systems can influence consumer choices. But these are short-term, tightly controlled experiments. In the real world, the evidence tells a different story. Countries with the most aggressive labelling strategies continue to experience rising obesity, increasing rates of diet-related illness, and ongoing environmental degradation. For example, in Chile—one of the most aggressive countries in Latin America with mandatory black-octagon labels since 2016—obesity prevalence rose from roughly 68% of adults in 2010 to about 79% by 2022, despite the labelling and other health measures.  If labelling worked, the data would reflect that.

The truth is, nutrition cannot be reduced to a traffic light or an algorithm. Eating habits are shaped by culture, price, availability, education, and social norms. The idea that better consumer “information” alone can drive public health outcomes is not just simplistic. It has been repeatedly disproven.

If Europe is serious about fixing its food system, it needs to let go of the illusion that labelling is a shortcut to health. Real solutions lie elsewhere: in supporting sustainable farming, reforming subsidies, regulating marketing to children, improving access to nutritious food, and investing in public health. These are the interventions that work, not stickers on packages.

Lessons from a broken system

The Guardian’s recent reporting on Europe’s megafarms highlights what happens when policy drifts away from reality. The rise of factory farming is not a coincidence. It is the logical outcome of a system built around scale, standardisation, and superficial metrics. Nutri-Score helps prop up those sorts of systems.

The EU must stop pretending that labelling is a public health strategy. It isn’t. It’s a communications tool—and one that has failed to deliver. The sooner Brussels moves past this failed model, the sooner it can begin the serious work of building a food system that serves people, protects animals, and restores the planet.

The post Nutri-Score and the Factory Farm Illusion appeared first on Green Prophet.

Proper nutrition is crucial for babies. It helps to grow muscle, and bone, and develop the brain correctly. Many baby formulas incorporate various ingredients that help to power up the brains of infants as well as nourish them as they grow up. Probably the most important ingredients that provide vital cognitive progress are omega-3 and omega-6. For example, the famous HiPP organic formula always includes them in its composition. Thus, it’s one of the crucial reasons why this very brand is so popular. We’ll review the role of omega-3 and omega-6 in baby formulas and how they impact brain development.

What Are Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and omega-6 are also called fatty acids or simply fats. They come in different forms, which are:

• Saturated
• Monounsaturated
• Polyunsaturated
• Trans fats, and others

Their primary health benefit is fostering the overall development of the growing brain. Mind that there are some other vital health benefits every child can reap. The EU baby formulas always include fatty acids in their compositions.

Development of Cognitive Functions

The primary health benefit for the brain of infants is the development of cognition. In fact, the main nutritional benefits of fatty acids come to infants during the mother’s pregnancy. So, it’s vital for every pregnant mom to take omega-3 and omega-6. Yet, the intake of these fatty acids is crucial after the child is born and continues to grow. They positively impact the development of various cognitive functions, such as:

• Thinking
• Moving
• Speaking
• Focusing
• Memorizing, etc.

As a result, fatty acids contribute to improved attention and planning. Children can focus on various details and plan their next moves logically. Omega also helps to maintain impulse control.

Improvement of Sleep

Several studies showed that omega-3 and omega-6 can potentially improve sleep in children. The studies showed clear progress in some infants. So, the administering of fatty acids may become a vital solution to all moms and dads whose children have violations in sleep regimes.

Possible Improvement of ADHD Symptoms

ADHD is a common condition affecting many children, characterized by problems with maintaining concentration on something for a long time. Such children are hyperactive and impulsive. Thanks to omega-3 and omega-6, there is a chance to reduce these symptoms or even stop them entirely.

Over 16 studies were carried out to investigate this theory, and the findings are quite promising. Fatty acids helped children:

• Enhance memory
• Stimulate attention
• Reduce hyperactivity
• Control impulsiveness

The evidence is clear. Fatty acids cannot be the only therapy for ADHD. Yet, they can be as a supplement to handle this mental deviation faster and more effectively.

Potential for Improved School Performance

As fatty acids have outstanding benefits for brain development, it’s no wonder scientists decided to check how they help children in learning. Thus, a study conducted in 2014 proved that the increase in memory, attention, thinking, and decision-making helped schoolers outperform their peers who did not take any fatty acids.

Can Help Avoid Allergies

As you know, allergic reactions are triggered in the human brain. Several studies proved that the use of fatty acids can help avoid various kinds of allergies because they block the negative impact of the allergens on our system and brain.

The Bottom Line

In summary, the evidence gathered from multiple studies proves the positive impact of omega-3 and omega-6 on the human brain. That is why all renowned EU baby formula makers add them to the composition of their products. They really help to develop the brain in newborns.

The post Brain Food for Babies: The Role of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in Baby Formulas appeared first on Green Prophet.

New research shows humans possess surprising nutritional intelligence: they “know” how to pair food for the right micronutrient combinations. The new research started out as a disagreement between food researchers. 

Pioneering research has shed new light on what drives people’s basic food preferences, indicating our choices may be smarter than previously thought and influenced by the specific nutrients, as opposed to just calories, we need.

The international study, led by the University of Bristol, set out to re-examine and test the widely-held view that humans evolved to favour energy dense foods and our diets are balanced simply by eating a variety of different foods.

Contrary to this belief, its findings revealed people seem to have “nutritional wisdom,” whereby foods are selected in part to meet our need for vitamins and minerals and avoid nutritional deficiencies.  

 “The results of our studies are hugely significant and rather surprising,” says lead author Jeff Brunstrom, Professor of Experimental Psychology. “For the first time in almost a century, we’ve shown humans are more sophisticated in their food choices, and appear to select based on specific micronutrients rather than simply eating everything and getting what they need by default.”

The paper, published in the journal Appetite, gives renewed weight to bold research carried out in the 1930s by an American paediatrician, Dr Clara Davis, who put a group of 15 babies on a diet which allowed them to “self-select”, in other words eat whatever they wanted, from 33 different food items. While no child ate the same combination of foods, they all achieved and maintained a good state of health, which was taken as evidence of “nutritional wisdom.”

What about the Dorito effect?

Its findings were later scrutinised and criticised, but replicating Davis’ research was not possible because this form of experimentation on babies would today be considered unethical. As a result, it has been nearly a century since any scientist has attempted to find evidence for nutritional wisdom in humans – a faculty which has also been found in other animals, such as sheep and rodents.

To overcome these barriers, Professor Brunstrom’s team developed a novel technique which involved measuring preference by showing people images of different fruit and vegetable pairings so their choices could be analysed without putting their health or wellbeing at risk.

In total 128 adults participated in two experiments. The first study showed people prefer certain food combinations more than others. For example, apple and banana might be chosen slightly more often than apple and blackberries. Remarkably, these preferences appear to be predicted by the amounts of micronutrients in a pair and whether their combination provides a balance of different micronutrients. To confirm this, they ran a second experiment with different foods and ruled out other explanations. 

To complement and cross-check these findings, real-world meal combinations as reported in the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey were studied. Similarly, these data demonstrated people combine meals in a way that increases exposure to micronutrients in their diet. 

Specifically, components of popular UK meals, for example ‘fish and chips’ or ‘curry and rice’, seem to offer a wider range of micronutrients than meal combinations generated randomly, such as ‘chips and curry’. 

The study is also notable as it features an unusual collaboration. Professor Brunstrom’s co-author is Mark Schatzker, a journalist and author, who is also the writer-in-residence at the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, affiliated with Yale University. In 2018, the two met in Florida at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, where Schatzker delivered a talk about his book, The Dorito Effect, which examines how the flavour of whole foods and processed foods has changed, and the implications for health and wellness. 

Interestingly, Professor Brunstrom and Mark Schatzker’s research originated from a disagreement.

Professor Brunstrom explained: “I watched Mark give a fascinating talk which challenged the received view among behavioural nutrition scientists that humans only really seek calories in food. He pointed out, for example, that fine wine, rare spices, and wild mushrooms are highly sought after but are a poor source of calories.

Fast food is turning nutritional wisdom against sus

“This was all very intriguing, so I went to see him at the end and basically said: ‘Great talk, but I think you’re probably wrong. Do you want to test it?’ That marked the start of this wonderful journey, which ultimately suggests I was wrong. Far from being a somewhat simple-minded generalist, as previously believed, humans seem to possess a discerning intelligence when it comes to selecting a nutritious diet.”

Mark Schatzker added: “The research throws up important questions, especially in the modern food environment. For example, does our cultural fixation with fad diets, which limit or forbid consumption of certain types of foods, disrupt or disturb this dietary “intelligence” in ways we do not understand?”

“Studies have shown animals use flavour as a guide to the vitamins and minerals they require. If flavour serves a similar role for humans, then we may be imbuing junk foods such as potato chips and fizzy drinks with a false ‘sheen’ of nutrition by adding flavourings to them. In other words, the food industry may be turning our nutritional wisdom against us, making us eat food we would normally avoid and thus contributing to the obesity epidemic.” 

The post Humans possess intelligence when it comes to selecting a nutritious diet appeared first on Green Prophet.

With so much health news circulating around about the health benefits of eating at least one average sized banana per day, the big question that arises is just how beneficial is this long, yellow fruit that when eaten green more resembles a vegetable and when ripe is more like a fruit?

This question is particularly important for people suffering from depression, which may be at least partially caused by lack of enough sleep and not eating a proper diet.

Regarding eating bananas to help combat symptoms of depression, the old saying: “a healthy mind in a healthy body” is especially relevant regarding bananas that contain many B vitamins, including vitamins B₁, B₂, B₃, B₆, B₉, as well as C.

The fruit also contains beneficial  amounts of potassium or vitamin K  as well as beneficial amounts of  magnesium and a certain amount of dietary fiber. For depression sufferers, whose bodies are often worn down from lack of proper nutrients, the vitamin B6   found in bananas contains the amino acid tryptophan that helps the body make serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates moods.

But despite this, one cannot say that bananas themselves will cure a person who is suffering from depression; even a mild form of this all too common ailment. Bananas are very beneficial anyway as they also provide certain nutrients and antioxidants to help protect the body against ailments such as heart disease.

Bananas are cultivated in various parts of the Middle East; including the Jordan Valley, the Nile River valley, Israel’s Carmel mountain side (western slopes) and in the Tigress River valley regions in Iraq.

It should not be construed though  that due to bananas containing these healthful ingredients they will cure people of conditions like depression. In reality,  eating bananas themselves is not a cure-all for conditions like depression. What eating bananas can do is provide essential nutrients to help our bodies fight conditions like depression.

Protect Your Heart With Bananas
Going Bananas Over Food Miles: Putting the Eco Back Into Economics
10 Ways to Eat More Halal
Cold Tarator Soups for the Nine Meatless Days before the Ninth of Av

Image of banana blossoms from Shutterstock

The post Bananas to Cure Our Minds and Bodies? appeared first on Green Prophet.

November is Impotence Education Month in the US, and with a large segment of readers at Greenprophet from the States, we thought we’d share some eco-sexy news with regards to genital health and a man’s diet.

“The link between the Mediterranean diet and improved sexual function has been scientifically established,’ said Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego,” in a feature article on WebMD.com. In other words, fella’s who eat a Mediterranean diet are less likely than their burger-munching buddies to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).

For more on the specifics, we turned to the experts at the Mayo Clinic for this two-part segment on men, diet and impotence (read part II on diet and impotence here). In part I of this series, we cover the benefits of the med diet with regards to proteins. Part II will take us to the land of fats and carbs – foods some of you might shy away from – but not after you read about all the sex-bennies that come from this Eco-Sexy food affair.

Eat, Drink and Be Frisky the Mediterranean Way

The Mediterranean food affair – which is a blend of how the southern Italians and French, the Greeks and some of the communities in the Middle East – emphasizes getting plenty of exercise and eating a plant-based diet. This includes 7-11 servings a day of fruits and vegetables a day, plus reasonable amounts of pasta and rice, whole grain breads, olive and canola oils and fats from nutritious sources like nuts dominate the menu.

In general, those who follow this meal plan obtain their calories in the following proportion: 50% to 60% from carbohydrates, 30% from fats, and 10% from proteins. But it’s the specifics in each group that distinguish this lifestyle, sexually speaking.

The meat of the matter: Specific fish and poultry are eaten a few times a week, with red meat making the cut only once or twice a month. Protein is also obtained from legumes, beans and nuts.

From a sexual health point of view, it’s true that juicy steak may make a man salivate, but eaten more than twice a month, and he’s likely to see his pecker putter. All those trans-fats are bad for the heart, and since a vigorous erection depends on a strong pump, you don’t want to interfere with blood flow to your love muscle.

Nuts deserve some special attention in this discussion, especially since people may avoid them because they are high in calories and fat. The good news is that it is good fat, the kind that nourishes the brain, for instance. Even better from his gherkin’s point of view: certain nuts are genuine aphrodisiacs.

Great bets for male libido include almonds, pistachios and pine nuts for their high level of protein (energy in the bedroom), healthy fat (the precursor to testosterone) and zinc (critical to a man’s sexual performance). A handful a day keeps Mr. Limpy at bay…

One added benefit: these sources are cheaper than red meat, and the production is often less harmful to the environment. Be smart and sexy, and go for organic, locally produced, and sustainable.

Continue reading more about the facts and friction of healthy fats, wine and more in Part II of this series, to be published Friday, November 12, called Do These Fats Make My Handle Look Big? Eco-Sexy Nutrition for a Man’s Erection (here).

More eco-sexuality and sexual health news:

Birth-Rate in Middle East Bad News for Mother Earth

The Ecology of Sustainable Love

How Vegetarians can Solve the Middle East Water Crisis

Tinamarie is a regular contributor to Greenprophet.com. You can follow her on @ModernLoveMuse and facebook. She blogs at www.tinamariebernard.com.

The post Med Diet the Eco-Sexy Way to Protect Your Erection, Part I appeared first on Green Prophet.

There are many issues with food that people are aware of, and try hard to control, such as high sugar levels and excess salt in processed foods. A less understood dietary issue is cholesterol. This is a substance which is often thought to be entirely negative, but there is more to cholesterol than harmful side effects.

Cholesterol is actually an essential type of fat carried by the blood, which is needed for internal and external membranes. The majority of the cholesterol in your system is produced by your body with only a smaller percentage coming from your diet. The cholesterol you eat comes solely from animal fats, so it is this which needs to be controlled.

While cholesterol is needed, there are both good forms and bad forms, and it is the level of bad forms which needs to be monitored. The “good” cholesterol, known as HDL (High Density Lipoproteins), is what controls the “bad” cholesterol, known as LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins). HDL keeps the LDL from sticking to artery walls, which in turns prevents heart attack and stroke.

One of the problems with cholesterol is that there are usually no symptoms of high cholesterol, meaning it is necessary to be tested in order to know what your levels are. Being aware of the level of LDL in your blood allows you to control your diet to avoid future issues.

Dietary Changes

Cholesterol foods are all animal products, however there are some products which have higher levels of cholesterol than others, such as egg yolks and liver. Other foods to wary of include whole milk dairy products, duck, goose and shrimp.

A warm bowl of oatmeal in the morning is a healthier option than last night’s greasy leftover pizza

While it is important to be aware of the foods which can raise your LDL levels, it is equally important to include in your diet certain foods which can actually lower your LDL. High fibre foods such as oatmeal, pears, barley and prunes can help reduce your LDL just as much as the omega-3 in fish.

There are also certain types of nuts such as pistachio which are high in polyunsaturated fats. These nuts can help keep the blood vessels of the body healthy, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Just be careful with the amount you eat since nuts are high in calories and you don’t want to add to your waistline while reducing your LDL level.

Just like any other major dietary change, it takes time to adjust, however it is well worth the effort. If you have a history of high cholesterol in your family, then you should be that much more aware of your cholesterol level. The good news is that the changes are simple: add some good food and lower the amount of potentially unhealthy food in your daily diet.

First image via Rene Ehrhardt, Second image via thebittenword.com

Other foods which can help with cholesterol:
Recipe: Reap Your Wild Oats To Make Nourishing Oatstraw Tea
4 Reasons To Eat Pomegranate During the Jewish New Year
PART II: The ABCs of Middle-Eastern Spice Medicines from Dill to Ginger

The post Keep Your Arteries Clean With These Dietary Tips appeared first on Green Prophet.

How many names do you have? Three, four, five? Scientists have discovered that not only do tomatoes have 790 names – what name do we give to Israel’s shriveled tomatoes? – but Oak trees and their relatives have 600. In fact, of the nearly one million flowering plants on record, at least 600,000 are duplicates. From an organizational point of view, this is an absolute nightmare. Like the cook who needs order in the kitchen, scientists need their names to be orderly too. A new study conducted in West London (with cooperation from throughout the world) will ensure more accurate access to information about species that are important economic sources as food.Scientists from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew sifted through the Dictionary of Life for 3 years in order to determine that the 600,000 species are duplicates. Their results will not be published until the end of the year, since according to The Telegraph, there are 240,000 species that still need to be assessed.

The scientists received input and assistance from 200 governments.

“Alan Paton, assistant keeper of the herbarium at Kew, said the information will be vital for any organisation or researcher looking at “economically important” plants, such as those for food and nutrition or medicine,” according to the newspaper.

He also told The Telegraph that “On average, one plant might have between two and three names, which doesn’t sound a great deal, but if you’re trying to find information on a plant, you might not find all [of it] because you’re only looking at one name.”

Those plants that are used frequently – because of their economic importance – especially tend to have several different names.

:: The Telegraph

More travel and nature news:

Are Bedouins Cutting Down Trees As A Form of Political Protest?

Climbing God’s Mountain in Sinai

Lebanon’s Five Biggest Environmental Headaches

image via Wombok

The post The Tomato Has 790 Names! Scientists Have Culled A Few appeared first on Green Prophet.

In our guide to male sexual stimulants, we created an eco-sexy list of non-pharmacological supplements purported to increase a man’s libido and overall sexual well-being and performance. Here, we focus on natural ways to get a woman’s love-gears in motion. With a partner or without. And we looked to women around the world and their ancient traditions for some clues. Where science is yet to catch up, folk wisdom will carry us.

First, it’s important to note that female desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction are complex and subject to a myriad of emotional, physical and psychological factors. And while finding ways to tickle the feminine fancy is a hot topic amongst eco-sexuals searching for natural ways to enhance pleasure, it’s also seen as a huge, untapped market by big pharma companies seeking profit.

This past June, the FDA gave a thumbs down to Boehringer Ingelheim’s drug for female arousal disorder, Flibanserin. Known as “female Viagra” the drug was Intended to enhance desire in women (hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)), but Flibanserin suffered from mixed results in clinical trials, most notably an effect not much better than placebo.

This ruling underscores an issue facing women in the Middle East as well, where the use of nutritional aids is popular.  Even as industry is intent on generating a need for medical intervention – by shaping our concept of what constitutes female sexual arousal, and defining it in such a way to garner a larger percentage of potential users – eco-sexperts know that overall well-being improves sexual health and performance, often for far less than pharmacological agents.

A word of caution: the information provided here is not meant to be a substitute for visiting your medical health professional, especially if you believe you suffer from low libido, or other disorders such as sexually transmitted diseases, or pain during intercourse. Reasons for decreasing desire, arousal, or ability to reach orgasm can be attributed to many factors, including hormonal changes, menopause, drug therapy, pregnancy, or other health conditions that indirectly effect sexual well-being. These absolutely require medical attention.

And remember, be your own personal eco-sexpert and choose only organic and sustainably harvested supplements.

Herbal and vitamin supplements for women:

Arginine

Higher blood flow makes clitoral and vaginal tissues more sensitive and responsive to sexual stimulation and helps increase the possibility of reaching orgasm. Although there haven’t been nearly as many studies done on arginine supplementation in women as in men, one study found that postmenopausal women who took a supplement including L-Arginine experienced heightened sexual response.

The study involving women of all ages found that after four weeks, 73.5% of the women who took a supplement including L-Arginine experienced greater sexual satisfaction, including heightened desire and clitoral sensation, frequency of intercourse and orgasm, and less vaginal dryness.”

Natural arginine sources include:

• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Pecans
• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Brazil Nuts

But if you are prone to cold sores or the Herpes virus, you should avoid arginine. There are other options below.

Bishop’s Hat

Bishop’s Hat: Also known as Epimedium, Rowdy Lamb Herb, Barrenwort, Fairy Wings, Horny Goat Weed, or Yin Yang Huo, it is probably the most famous of all natural aphrodisiacs. It has been used to treat erectile dysfunction in men in China for centuries. There is little evidence that it might work for women in published science journals. Ask in your circles.

Horny goat weed contains chemicals that might help increase blood flow and improve sexual function. It also contains phytoestrogens, chemicals that act somewhat like the hormone estrogen.

It’s a potent PDE-5 inhibitor, that works by the same method of action as viagra and will increase blood flow to the genitals and increase the sensitivity of the sexual nerves, as well as increasing a woman’s desire for sexual gratification.

Black cohosh

Black Cohosh: Also known as squawroot, it may imitate the effects of the female hormone estrogen and help to balance hormone levels in menopasusal women. Black cohosh is purported to treat some of the most common symptoms of menopause including low libido, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and mood swings.

Israeli women use black cohosh for labor. Possibly for feminine health in general?

It’s given by midwives to induce labor and it worked, according to Green Prophet’s editor Karin Kloosterman who reported starting active labor an hour after taking black cohosh.

Boron

There is nothing boring about Boron: Boron is vital for reducing excretion of both calcium and magnesium.

This in turn assists in maintaining healthy bones. It is also essential for estrogen production, and can have a rapid effect in helping menopausal women. Sex drive may return within just a few days sometimes after it has been absent for years, and a rapid reduction in hot flushes. Boron raises the level of natural sex hormones in the body.

Natural sources of boron:

• apples
• coffee
• dried beans
• milk
• potatoes

Calcium

Calcium: “Calcium supplementation can relieve the physical and emotional toll of PMS by almost 50%. At least half of the 497 women she studied who took 1,200 mg. of calcium supplements experienced fewer mood swings, depression/sadness, anxiety/nervousness; breast tenderness, bloating and other aches and pains.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D. reported similar results after studying 10 women with PMS who spent half the study period on a daily diet containing 600 mg. of calcium, the other half upped to1300 mg. Women on the high calcium diet were less irritable, weepy, and depressed and averted backaches, cramping, and bloating.” (source)

Damiana

Damiana, also known as Mexico’s natural Viagra: “Damiana is a herb used traditionally by the Mayan people of Central America to enhance sexual function in men and women.

“It is reported to be an aphrodisiac, stimulant, mood enhancer, and a tonic….The use of damiana as an aphrodisiac is somewhat controversial because there is no scientific evidence that it works and yet it has been widely promoted as a sexual stimulant.” (source)

Fennel Seed

Fennel Seed: “Fennel seeds contain a compound called phytoestrogen, which acts like a mild form of estrogen. This property makes it an effective remedy for regulating menstruation, relieving the symptoms of menopause and helping nursing mothers to increase their milk production.” (source)

Ginger

Ginger: “Ginger has been used for Centuries as a highly effective aid to digestion. But its classification as a natural aphrodisiac comes from its ability to increase circulation. Served pickled, candied or in the raw, ginger increases sensitivity in the erogenous zones.” (source)

Asian Ginger

Asian ginseng is purported to have estrogen-like effects on the female reproductive tissues and may prevent vaginal atrophy. Traditional Chinese medicine suggests ginseng can improve strength and promote longevity. Asian ginseng contains compounds known as ginsenosides that are thought to give ginseng its medicinal properties…

It is especially good over the long term, because it helps the body secrete moisture. [However,] the University of Maryland Medical Center says there is little research to support widespread beliefs that Asian ginseng can improve sexual desire.

Maca

Maca root may help to balance and encourage the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. These effects may improve vaginal dryness in women and help restore sexual desire. Maca root contains a number of vitamins along with calcium, zinc and iron.

Maca is a sacred medicinal root vegetable that belongs to the Brassicaceae family and only grows around 4000m above sea level in a remote part of the Peruvian Andes.

The Incan people call maca the “food of the brain” and consider it their most sacred plant that brings happiness and balance back to their body during stress. What is unique about maca is that it comes in 3 colours, with seeds from any colour producing all 3 colours again, according to Little Bird Organics.

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for regulating the flow of calcium between cells and is essential for adequate calcium uptake, which can lead to fewer PMS symptoms such as irritability, depression, headaches, backaches and menstrual cramps.

Foods with magnesium?

• Pumpkin seed – kernels: Serving Size 1 oz, 168 mg.
• Almonds, dry roasted: Serving Size 1 oz, 80 mg.
• Spinach, boiled: Serving Size ½ cup, 78 mg.
• Cashews, dry roasted: Serving Size 1 oz, 74 mg.
• Pumpkin seeds in shell: Serving Size 1 oz, 74 mg.
• Peanuts, oil roasted: Serving Size ¼ cup, 63 mg.

Labisa Pumila

Labisa Pumila or Kacip Fatimah is a small woody and leafy plant that grows and can be found widely in the shade of forest floors in Malaysia that has been traditionally used as a tea by women who experience a loss of libido for over 500 years.

Kacip Fatimah is known to rejuvenate the vagina, by tightening the walls and skin, increase blood flow to the clitoris and vagina, increase the length and quantity of orgasms, and above all greatly increase sexual desire.

Rose root

Rhodiola rosea appears to work by influencing key central nervous system chemicals–neurotransmitters called monoamines (dopamine and serotonin are examples). An imbalance of monoamines is believed to be involved in several hard-to-treat illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD); some herbalists believe taking rhodiola rosea to normalize monoamine levels may benefit these ailments.

Other studies on rhodiola rosea have shown benefits in such varied areas as increased learning capacity and memory enhancement, regulation of menstrual periods and infertility, reduction of side effects from cancer chemotherapy, increased sexual libido and erectile dysfunction, enhancement of thyroid gland function, increased capacity for work and endurance, and protection from environmental toxins.

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3, also called niacin, niacinamide, or nicotinic acid, is an essential nutrient required by all humans for the proper metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as for the production of hydrochloric acid for digestion.

Aadequate levels of B-3 are vital for the proper synthesis of insulin and the sex hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C influences a good sex life with its role in the absorption of iron, the formation of blood cells and the metabolism of the adrenal gland, all processes that affect your sex life.

The adrenal gland produces lots of hormones that influence your sex life, including a hormone that helps to stimulate orgasm. In addition, vitamin C also strengthens your immune system, protects against stress and helps keep your joints limber and active.

White Kwao Krua

White kwao krua (purearia mirifica) White kwao krua has been traditionally used by Thai women to enhance sexual health and libido. superba, locally named as red Kwao Krua is widely distributed in the Thai deciduous forest. mirifica is a Thai indigenous plant with a well-known local name as the white Kwao Krua.

Red Kwao Krua does not cure the body, but rather helps the body cure itself or helps the human body rejuvenate itself. Red Kwao Krua is suitable for men as a tonic, longevity drug in restoring sexual ability and relieving fatigue, hypertension and cholesterol in blood.

More sustainable sensual health:

Male Sexual Enhancements: Eco-Sexy Nutrition or Expensive Gimmicks?

Islamic Websites Offer Halal Adult Sexual Aids

Recipe: Eco-Sexy Natural Lip-Balm

The post The natural herbs guide to female sensual health appeared first on Green Prophet.

We know that kids in Gaza and Cairo aren’t getting enough high quality nutrients. And many other oil-less nations, like Syria, suffer agricultural hardships from drought; or from conflict like in Yemen. But “Green Cakes” made from algae (spirulina) could be the wonder food that could provide the missing link to nutrition in developing regions of the world.

“It’s as close as we will get to a miracle food,” said Mahamat Sorto, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) officer managing the green cakes cultivation project in Chad. He and other aid agencies see the plant as a possible cheap solution to global malnutrition.

Donors to the project indeed hope that spirulina, a blue-green, protein-packed algae, labelled a “wonderful future food source” 45 years ago by the International Association of Microbiology, will deliver on its promise by the time a $1.7 million USD cultivation project in Chad, funded by the European Union, ends in December 2010. We can imagine these “wonder cakes” will appeal to vegans and vegetarians the world over, as well.

The plant’s dry weight contains up to 70 percent of protein matter, based on chemical analyses from the French Oil Institute, university research laboratories in Malaysia and Bangladesh, and the Siam Algae company, a Thai commercial group. And imagine how many cow farts can be saved from cultivating and eating such a product?

Health food stores in rich countries have promoted spirulina as an energy-enhancing supplement, but it has been eaten for centuries in various parts of the world.

Easily digestible, with high protein levels, high levels of B-carotene, vitamin B12, iron and trace minerals, and the rare essential fatty acid y-linolenic acid [also called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), or omega-6], these green cakes do sound like a wonder.

Good news for the greens: a small environmental footprint with low water needs, production could take place in salty conditions that would kill other crops, and there were no “obvious negative cultural or religious issues associated with its consumption,” finds a recent report.

One drawback. In Chad’s northern Kanem region, spirulina grower Hereta Taher told IRIN that some people found the taste jarring. “It might seem bitter at first, but you get used to it.”

The bitterness could be solved with garlic, a dash of cumin or sage, so why is it not spilling out of market stalls?

Grower Hereta Taher “Lack of political interest,” said Alessandro Manini, secretary general of the Italy-based group, “Convention for the use of food micro-algae, intergovernmental institutional spirulina programme”, which promotes using the algae to combat malnutrition.

A review of seven studies on the impact of spirulina supplements on malnourished children, by researchers at the national hospital in Niamey, capital of Niger, was published in December 2008 in the French medical journal, Revue d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique.

The review concluded that although spirulina had a positive impact on the children’s weight, the studies were methodologically poor and had included too few people. The authors called for a larger “double-blind controlled clinical trial” – where neither the patients nor the researchers knew which patients were given spirulina – and longer follow-up period.

“It is a miracle,” said Ousmane Issa Mara, village chief of Barkadressou in the north of Kanem region, pointing to the rain-fed oasis where spirulina typically grows. “It gives you energy. After eating spirulina cakes, our sub-prefect did not have any more health problems. It restores appetite to children who lose it.”

Barkadressou is one of 14 EU-funded sites growing spirulina near Lake Chad and in the Kanem region.

Almost one in five children measured by height, weight and arm circumference in November 2009 by Action Against Hunger, an NGO working in the region, were acutely malnourished. The governor, Djari Ngamai, told IRIN that conditions in northern Kanem, 300km north of Mao, the regional capital, were the most arid in the area.

“It is lamentable how dry and barren the area is. It borders the northern BET [Borkou, Ennedi, Tibesti] regions and shares the same agricultural conditions and difficulties.”

Algae friendly oasis in Kanem region in Chad There were 1,581 women across the country participating in the EU spirulina cultivation project, and hundreds of women in Barkadressou had been packaging spirulina as dried cakes to sell to people who drove up to six hours by car from the capital to buy it. Similar climates and conditions for growing green cakes can also be found in the Middle East and in North Africa.

Need for boosting irrigation

Village chief Mara told IRIN that Barkadressou needed a motorised pump to boost irrigation because a drought in 2009 had halted the local spirulina cottage industry. Each family sold up to 100kg in the annual harvest and the income was critical.

China and India are among the top commercial producers of spirulina, with China’s production doubling from 19,000 tons in 2003 to 41,570 tons in 2004. Yet very little was produced for humanitarian purposes.

::IRIN

The post Could Spirulina cakes solve hunger? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Scientists say after seven or so years your body’s bones and organs regenerate, meaning most of us are a lot younger than we think, and that we truly do become what we eat over a short period of time. So those of us who live in the Middle East are eventually built from the amazing variety of fresh food one finds here. Among which is the magical and versatile eggplant, one of the most consumed vegetables in the Middle East, which like the tomato, is actually a fruit.

If we are going to be made of eggplant, it might as well be the best eggplant out there. And if you are looking for the king of all eggplant dip recipes, go no further. This one, I’ve developed over a few years is sure to make your guests salivating and waiting for an invitation to dinner, no matter how informal. The trick is in the oven, the eggplant and the tehini (tehina), you use. And take it from this lazy vegewarian, it’s one of the simplest things you can do in the kitchen.

The best baba ghanoush in the world – the recipe:

Ingredients:
Eggplants
Lemon juice
Tehina
Garlic
Salt
Olive oil
Parsley (optional)
Bread for dipping

Choosing your eggplant:

When choosing your eggplant, find one that’s firm, heavy in the hand, and which has a shiny skin. If you are lucky enough to lay your hands on a “wrinkled” variety, known in some parts of the Levant as baladi eggplant, meaning ‘wild’ or ‘from the land’ in Arabic, then you are almost guaranteed the best eggplant dip in the world. If you do lay your hands on the baladi variety (see my picture above), buy more than one.

They are not always in season, and most chefs would argue that these make the most splendid dip. Big thick grooves, a deep purple color, and a wide rather than a long fruit is what defines the baladi. Their cooked meat tends to be darker, and with fewer seeds and less water. Find them in markets, ones that tend to cater either to the gourmand or to the average working class person.

Smokin’ eggplants that sometimes explode

Now that you have your eggplant/s in hand, you want to cook it. Throw it in the oven at pretty much the highest temperature your oven can go. There is no need to prick the eggplant, but you may want to put a bit of tin foil under it, or a tray to catch the juice that might spill out. This is one of the rare moments when lazy chefs like myself can burn the food, and say that I’ve done it on purpose when the family complains of the smoke.

And you want the eggplant to smoke. So whether you are cooking in C or Fahrenheit, let the oven blast. If you are energy-saving conscious, cook the eggplants with other foods that need high heat, like potatoes or a casserole.

There is no set time for cooking. It depends on how much water is in the eggplant, and how high you want to go. I estimate an hour of high temp cooking will do the job. Keep the door closed. Having a convection oven can keep away the smoke. Small toaster ovens don’t really work well, but if you don’t have a fancy high-powered German oven like I do, you could try tossing them on the barbecue or into the coals of a fire (wrapped in tinfoil) to achieve the same, if not better, effect. The smoke is what adds to the flavor.

After adequate baking (you also have to make sure that the eggplants don’t totally dry up), take them out of them oven and sit on a plate to cool. You can also serve the dip hot or warm if you can’t wait, so up to you.

Putting the eggplant dip together

Slice open the eggplant with a knife. If the innards looks a bit deflated with some brownish broth swirling around, you’ve probably done a good job cooking. If the meat of the eggplant is tough and really juicy, light green, and hasn’t deflated, chances are you need to cook it longer. You need to be the judge of that.

Baladi eggplant innards straight from the oven.

Scoop out all the eggplant innards, scraping even some darkened caramelized bits from the inside. Place it all in a medium sized bowl, leaving the hard skin behind. I’d drain the liquid. It’s bitter.

Now depending on how rich you want the dip to be, you add tehina, or tehini, however you call it, to taste. Don’t use tehina already prepared as a dip. But the raw unmixed variety that comes in a jar, plastic or glass. Tehina is a sesame seed paste which can be bought throughout the Middle East, and in health food stores or the ethnic sections of most grocery stores in America, the UK, and Canada.

Sometimes I pour half a 350 ml jar into the eggplant innards, or sometimes – like in the hotter weather when you want it to be more light – I add in only a few tablespoons. Whole, organic tehina tastes best, especially when there are crunchy bits in there, and make sure you stir it before you add it in. Don’t just pour in the oil that tends to collect on top of the tehina jar.

The trick to a good baba ghanoush is fresh, high quality ingredients. Organic and local if you can get them.

Now you want to add lemon juice. Real lemon juice. The bottled variety doesn’t cut it. Neither does vinegar. Again depending on taste, add in a half lemon or up to two whole lemons (the juice) depending on how much eggplant you have and how much juice is in the lemon. One part of my family likes it sour, the other part less so. I make it both ways to please all, at least some of the time. Half to one whole lemon per medium sized eggplant is a good estimate.

Now add in fresh garlic. Again, dried or frozen garlic doesn’t work. You can add two or three teeth per eggplant with a garlic press. Add in some rough sea salt to taste, a few tablespoons of high grade olive oil, and some *fresh* parsley to garnish. The parsley is optional.

Mix it all together with a big spoon. No need to blenderize it as Hamutal suggests in another baba ghanoush recipe we’re featured.

If you’ve added a lot of tehina paste you might want to thin out the dip by adding some water. Go for dip which has the consistency of porridge, or a bit thinner than hummous spread, depending on your reference point. The more often you make this dip, the better it gets. At least that’s what my family tells me. Try it yourself. It’s pretty much a recipe that you can’t go wrong by. The key here is not in the precise quantity of ingredients you use, but how fresh they are.

Baba ghanoush, or eggplant dip, ready for devouring.

When your baba ghanoush dip is ready, serve it on crusty bread, on your home made pita, serve it on crackers, dollop it on pasta, or just scoop it into your mouth. It can store in the fridge for about a week. But it’s usually gobbled up well before the due date.

Want some more vegetarian recipes?

More baba ganoush
Shakshuka Tunisian Tomato Eggs Recipe
Za’atar-topped Pita
Moroccan Stuffed Artichoke Hearts
Apricot Chutney

The post The Best Baba Ghanoush Recipe in the World appeared first on Green Prophet.