The use of different foods, herbs, and spices to treat or prevent disease has been recorded for thousands of years. Egyptian papyrus, hieroglyphics and ancient texts from the Middle East have described the cultivation and preparations of herbs and botanicals to “cure the sick.” There are even older records from China and India. Some ancient scripts describe the use of medicinal plants which have never been seen within European cultures. Indeed, all ancient civilizations have pictorial records of different foods, herbs, and spices being used for medical purposes. However, there are fundamental questions and issues pertaining to the scientific evidence for the use of these agents or their extracts in modern medicine. These issues are explored in Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in the Middle East. Features · Describes uses and applications of plant-based materials from different countries of the Middle East. · Each chapter has unique cross references to foods, herbs, spices and botanicals · Bridges molecular biology, physiology and medical sciences · Coverage includes herbal medicines, supplements, lifestyle patterns, nutrition, and plant-based diets · Each chapter describes usage and applications of traditional foods and botanicals; historical background; toxicity; cautionary notes; and summary points There have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional usage. Written by international experts, this is an essential read for food researchers, food scientists, and nutritionists, researchers and health professionals with an interest in the potential therapeutic value of Middle Eastern food components. The book will also be of relevance to physicians and pharmacologists.

The use of different foods, herbs, and spices to treat or prevent disease has been recorded for thousands of years. Egyptian papyrus, hieroglyphics and ancient texts from the Middle East have described the cultivation and preparations of herbs and botanicals to “cure the sick.” There are even older records from China and India. Some ancient scripts describe the use of medicinal plants which have never been seen within European cultures. Indeed, all ancient civilizations have pictorial records of different foods, herbs, and spices being used for medical purposes. However, there are fundamental questions pertaining to the scientific evidence for the use of these agents or their extracts in modern medicine. There have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional usage. For example, plants which have been used for “digestion” or “medical ills” since time immemorial are now being investigated for anti-cancer properties or their toxicity, using high throughput screening. Techniques also include molecular biology, cellular biochemistry, physiology, endocrinology and even medical imaging. However, much of the material relating to the scientific basis or applications of traditional foods, herbs, spices and botanicals is scattered among various sources. The widespread applicability of foods or botanicals is rarely described and cautionary notes on toxicity are often ignored. These questions are explored in Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in Cancer. Features · Provides an evidenced-based approach in describing usage and applications of traditional foods and botanicals in prevention and treatment of cancer · Contains chapters on biomedical research related to cancer studies · Discusses extraction and analysis of active agents, in vitro studies, pre-clinical investigations in animals, and clinical studies · Bridges modern day sciences with historical backgrounds related to foods and plants With contributions from leading international experts including those from world renowned institutions, this book is a reference for oncologists, physicians, health scientists, healthcare workers, pharmacologists, and research scientists.

The use of different foods, herbs, and spices to treat or prevent disease has been recorded for thousands of years. Egyptian papyrus, hieroglyphics and ancient texts from the Middle East have described the cultivation and preparations of herbs and botanicals to “cure the sick.” There are even older records from China and India. Some ancient scripts describe the use of medicinal plants which have never been seen within European cultures. Indeed, all ancient civilizations have pictorial records of different foods, herbs, and spices being used for medical purposes. However, there are fundamental issues pertaining to the scientific evidence for the use of these agents or their extracts in modern medicine. These issues are explored in Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices Used in Diabetes. Features · Investigates alternative healthcare paradigms that use traditional dietary foods, plant-derived materials, and extracts to treat diabetes · Describes scientific studies using modern day biomedical techniques · Provides information on diets, specific agents, extracts and resources. · Many chapters focus on plant-derived material, providing a historical background, uses, toxicity, and cautionary notes and summary points. There have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional usage. Diabetes is one of the most common diseases worldwide, with over 400 million people with the illness. With chapter contributions by an international panel of contributors, this book is useful for researchers in the area of functional foods. Diabetologists, nutritionists, endocrinologists, healthcare workers, and pharmacologists will also find this book extremely valuable.

The use of different foods, herbs, and spices to treat or prevent disease has been recorded for thousands of years. Egyptian papyrus, hieroglyphics and ancient texts from the Middle East have described the cultivation and preparations of herbs and botanicals to "cure the sick". There are even older records from China and India. Some ancient scripts describe the use of medicinal plants which have never been seen within European cultures. Indeed, all ancient civilizations have pictorial records of different foods, herbs, and spices being used for medical purposes. However, there are fundamental issues pertaining to the scientific evidence for the use of these agents or their extracts in modern medicine. There have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional usage. For example, plants which have been used for “digestion” or “medical ills” since time immemorial are now being investigated for anti-cancer properties or their toxicity, using high throughput screening. Techniques also include molecular biology, cellular biochemistry, physiology, endocrinology and even medical imaging. However, much of the material relating to the scientific basis or applications of traditional foods, herbs, spices and botanicals is scattered among various sources. The widespread applicability of foods or botanicals are rarely described and cautionary notes on toxicity are often ignored. These issues are explored in Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in Cardiovascular Health and Disease. Features: Investigates alternative healthcare paradigms that use traditional dietary foods, plant-derived materials, and extracts to treat cardiovascular diseases Provides information on diets, specific agents, and extracts Many chapters focus on plant-derived material, providing a historical background, uses, toxicity and cautionary notes and summary points With contributions from leading international experts, this book is useful for cardiologists, nutritionists, physicians, healthcare workers, food scientists and those working in the food industry, pharmacologists, and research scientists.

For centuries herbs and spices have been an integral part of many of the world’s great cuisines. But spices have a history of doing much more than adding life to bland foods. They have been the inspiration for, among other things, trade, exploration, and poetry. Priests employed them in worship, incantations, and rituals, and shamans used them as charms to ward off evil spirits. Nations fought over access to and monopoly of certain spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, when they were rare commodities. Not only were many men’s fortunes made in the pursuit of spices, spices at many periods throughout history literally served as currency. In Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World, Ben-Erik van Wyk offers the first fully illustrated, scientific guide to nearly all commercial herbs and spices in existence. Van Wyk covers more than 150 species—from black pepper and blackcurrant to white mustard and white ginger—detailing the propagation, cultivation, and culinary uses of each. Introductory chapters capture the essence of culinary traditions, traditional herb and spice mixtures, preservation, presentation, and the chemistry of flavors, and individual entries include the chemical compounds and structures responsible for each spice or herb’s characteristic flavor. Many of the herbs and spices van Wyk covers are familiar fixtures in our own spice racks, but a few—especially those from Africa and China—will be introduced for the first time to American audiences. Van Wyk also offers a global view of the most famous use or signature dish for each herb or spice, satisfying the gourmand’s curiosity for more information about new dishes from little-known culinary traditions. People all over the world are becoming more sophisticated and demanding about what they eat and how it is prepared. Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World will appeal to those inquisitive foodies in addition to gardeners and botanists.

The current volume, "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East" brings together chapters on selected, unique medicinal plants of this region, known to man since biblical times. Written by leading researchers and scientists, this volume covers both domesticated crops and wild plants with great potential for cultivation. Some of these plants are well-known medicinally, such as opium poppy and khat, while others such as apharsemon and citron have both ritual and medicinal uses. All have specific and valuable uses in modern society. As such, it is an important contribution to the growing field of medicinal and aromatic plants. This volume is intended to bring the latest research to the attention of the broad range of botanists, ethnopharmacists, biochemists, plant and animal physiologists and others who will benefit from the information gathered therein. Plants know no political boundaries, and bringing specific folklore to general medical awareness can only be for the benefit of all.

Robert Lebling and Donna Pepperdine have completed a rigorous study of the health remedies traditionally recognized across Arabia--an ambitious project executed with conscientious attention to detail. The result is an impressive body of research, combining a thorough text with good pictorial coverage --a unique approach to a subject that will be of widespread interest. This timely volume comes just as the age-old regional knowledge of the remedies naturally available--encapsulated in an oral tradition carrying hundreds of years of empirical knowledge--is being allowed to drift from contemporary consciousness, replaced by a new blind faith in the remedies widely promoted by the major pharmaceutical companies.