Banana is very popular widely spread soft and desert fruit. Bananas vary in color, size and shape. Banana tree is the largest flowering herbaceous plant; presently it is growing in more than 100 countries around the world. According to historians, banana first grew in...
Apple tree originally came from Eastern Europe and southwestern Asia and later was spread all over the world. This beautiful fruit was cultivated during centuries and nowadays there are about 7000 types of apple. Apple have long been associated with the biblical story...
Saffron is native to the Mediterranean, it is one of the highly valued spices known since antiquity (dates back to ancient Egypt) – it was prized for its color, flavor and medicinal properties. Saffron health benefits were appreciated by Mediterranean culture. In X...
Cumin (Cuminum Cyminum) is well known spice (herb) native to China, Mexico, India and the Mediterranean – yellow-brown seeds which provide peppery flavor. Cumin health benefits were mentioned in ancient medical books. Cumin was particularly favored by the ancient...
More and more health experts recommend developing healthy eating habits based on age, health indicators and physical status. Longer life foods can be different for different persons. The only essential and common step is to eat mostly foods derived from plants...
Cardamom (so called “queen of spices”) is a well known spice originated in India, Nepal and Bhutan – it is most popular in India, China, Bhutan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Korea and Japan. According to historian papers, cardamom was known as early as 4th century BC in the...
Mustard is a well known cruciferous vegetable which was cultivated by ancient Greeks and Romans. Thousand years ago mustard has been quite popularly cultivated in North Africa, Asia and Europe. Mustard seeds are widely used in Indian cooking, providing very rich taste...
Human body utilizes oxygen to metabolize and use all nutrients in order to produce energy for survival. Actually oxygen is a vital for living. In the body oxygen initiates chemical reactions that metabolize fats, proteins and carbohydrates to produce energy. At the...
Melon belongs to Cucurbitaceae family which also includes squash, cucumber, pumpkin and gourd. Melon originated in Africa and southwest Asia. Most popular varieties of melon include watermelon, honeydew melon, musk melon and cantaloupe. Melon has several valuable...
Pear is one of the oldest fruit trees cultivated by man – it was mentioned in ancient Chinese manuscripts. Pear was also mentioned by Homer in the “Odyssey”, where the author describes the excellent fruit which grew in gardens of Persian king. Homer called...
Corn (maize) is one of oldest known crops – it was domesticated 7-12 thousand years ago on the territory of modern Mexico. Corn health benefits are appreciated all over the world. This plant is widely used not only in cooking but also in natural medicine. Corn...
Plums health benefits cannot be underestimated. Plums belong to the genus Prunus (Rosaceae family). Plums are members of big family including peaches, apricots and nectarines. Plums’ color could vary considerably from yellow or dark red to purple or black. Plums were...
Longevity always was a subject of interest of philosophers, health experts, social workers and scientists. During last decade a new concept “Eating for longevity” was introduced by food experts – they recommend the list of “ longer life foods ” which can keep heart,...
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon has been known from remote antiquity originated from China. It was imported to Egypt in 2000 BC. In ancient centuries the cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient...
Watermelon health benefits were known in ancient times. Ancient Hebrew texts and Egyptian tomb paintings reveal the origin of watermelon. Homeland of watermelon is considered to be South Africa where it is found growing wild. In the 19th century famous French-Swiss...
