Plants Used as Food and Medicine Continue to Intertwine
Assaults on physical and mental health are compounding the toll already taken on an aging yet active population

Stressful times are driving a surge in consumer demand for herbals, florals, mushrooms, and other botanical ingredients.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: Pulp Culture Co. (www. pulpculture.la)

Research not only is supporting traditional botanical lore but uncovering new benefits, like duckweed being the only known plant source rich in bioavailable vitamin B12.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: HINOMAN, LTD. (WWW.HINOMAN.COM)

Sales of elderberry extracts, promoted for suspected antiviral capacity, shot up during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, with growth expected to continue well into 2021.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: HYDRALYTE, LLC (WWW.HYDRALYTE.COM)

Whole-plant investigations are discovering bioactive components throughout plants already known to bear benefits in other parts.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: FRUTAROM HEALTH/IFF, INC.(WWW.FRUTAROM.COM)



