Black seed in plain English: kalonji, capsules and care
Kalonji on your bread, black seed oil at the chemist: what is really in the bottle, what the small trials found, and when to take care.
The AIP Blog
Herbs in plain English
Short, jargon-free editions of the research articles in our Journal, written for anyone who uses herbs and never sat a chemistry exam. Same plants, same evidence, without the Latin you don't need. Each one links back to the full article if you want the studies.
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Cat’s claw in plain English: joints, safety and the label
Cat's claw sits in Australian joint capsules. What its one good arthritis trial found, who should avoid it, and what to check on the box.
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Saffron, in plain English: the spice and the mood capsule
Saffron sits in the spice rack and the mood aisle. What the capsule trials found, who paid for them, and what to check before you take it.
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Guayusa in plain English: the Amazon’s dawn caffeine tea
Guayusa is sold here as clean energy. What is in the cup, what the studies found, who should go carefully, and where the law sits.
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Cold percolation explained: the drip behind your herb bottle
Why the brown dropper bottle from your herbalist may have been made by a slow, cold drip, what heat takes out, and how good the evidence is.
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Kava in plain English: the cup, the liver and the law
Kava powder, drinks and capsules in Australia: what the root is, what the anxiety trials found, the rare liver risk and the rules.
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Echinacea, in plain English: what’s left on the shelf
Andrographis is off the permitted list for cold tablets. Echinacea is still there. What the trials say, who should ask first, and why the label matters.
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Sangre de grado, in plain English
A bottle of dragon's blood could hold Amazon tree sap or Asian resin. What the red sap is used for, what it has shown, and who should skip it.
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Greek mountain tea, in plain English
That bunch of silver stems from Greece: which plant you have, what the two trials tested, who should go carefully, and the border rules.
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Sasha Shulgin in plain English: the spice-rack chemist
He began with nutmeg and a cactus. Now a drug he championed is prescribed in Australia. What that means for you, and the mix to avoid.
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Sutherlandia, the cancer bush, in plain English
Sutherlandia seed is sold in Australia as cancer bush. What the name means, what its one real trial found, and which medicines it can clash with.
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Ashwagandha and your liver, in plain English
Taking ashwagandha for stress or sleep? What the TGA's liver warning means, the eight signs to watch for, and who should skip it.