[This week, we bring you a special FEATURE LENGTH article on an amazing encyclopedia collection!] The closing of a spring semester evokes a new persona in typical study-crazed college students.  Before attempting to successfully complete course finals while sleep deprived or participating in annual...

Over the course of 20 years, I have witnessed my mother prepare some odd homemade remedy for an illness that my siblings or I had contracted. When young, I never really thought to question the effectiveness of these treatments, because I always believed that mother knew best. But now, I often wonder...

St. John’s wort, a plant widely known for relieving symptoms of depression, may have more curative properties than originally thought. St. John’s wort can refer to any species in the plant genus Hypericum, which persists throughout the entire Northern Hemisphere, and researchers at the Agricultural...

Asthma and allergies afflict over 60 million people in the United States, making it the most prevalent chronic disease in the nation. Many people visit their local allergists to be treated, and treatment can often include the prescription of an inhaler that relaxes the muscles of constricted airways....

When I hear the word “morphine” or “codeine,” the first thought that comes to mind is not that of a flower.  Although these two drugs may fall under the classification of some of the strongest pain medications on the market, people often fail to acknowledge the source of morphine and codeine:...

Sceletium tortuosum is a plant native to South Africa that has been used for a few hundred years with a variety of purposes. Also known as Kanna, Channa, and Kougoed, the plant has been known to enhance mood, reduce anxiety, relax the user, and even cause euphoria when taken in large amounts. The plant,...

Have you ever thought about the evolution of pharmaceutical drugs? When I watch Grey’s Anatomy or House, I constantly feel amazed by far humans have come, how much we understand about the human body, and how many drugs and procedures have been procured to help us live longer. However, while the contemporary...

Southern Africans have used native plants for hundreds of years to treat a slew of different illnesses in a wide variety of animals. Researchers at Kansas State University are just beginning to document the 506 herbal remedies that have been used in 18 different areas of Southern Africa. While gathering...

For thousands of years, tribes and villagers worldwide have looked to nature for solutions to their medical problems. Even today, researchers continue to look into traditional remedies to discover if they are truly successful. One such natural treatment stems from (pun intended) the kava plant, found...

Traditional Chinese medicine provides of a wide variety of homemade remedies for a wide variety of illnesses, even illnesses that modern technology’s pharmaceuticals have failed to treat. Of course, traditional Chinese medicine is not as widely accepted as the medicine that comes in the form of a pill...

[All this week, GS is covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. This is our final installment of Marijuana Special Topic Week.] Legalization of Marijuana has been a hot topic in this nation since it was outlawed in 1937. In the...

[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] The word “marijuana” has undoubtedly earned its fair share of criticisms...

[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] Cannabis: a word that has undoubtedly struck a different emotional chord...

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that illustrates a parent-child relationship excellently. The epic struggle to teach one’s child what to eat and what not to eat is one that has spanned generations. We never learn the importance of our parents’ attempts until we grow up and realize the value of...

Over the past few years, my trips to the grocery store have evolved from pleasant outings into maddening chores. While browsing down the food aisles I constantly notice new and improved items scattered among the original product, thus turning my thirty-minute trip to the store into a two-hour hunt for...

It’s no secret that blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and plums are rich in antioxidants. However, many people don’t know that the reason for the abundant antioxidants is mainly due to high levels of anthocyanins, chemicals that are responsible for the fruits’ vibrant colors,...

After centuries in existence, garlic has attained its fair share of myths and certainties. While this pungently flavored vegetable may have the ability to ward off vampires and fight the plague, garlic also has many associated health benefits, one of which includes containing one the world’s most...

Blueberries seem to be the fashionable, healthy snack to eat. How many times have you watched a movie and the characters go out to pick some blueberries? More than likely, you’ve seen more of those movies than movies where the actors go around picking plums. However, though blueberries seem to have...

Considered one of the most daunting diseases of our time, HIV/AIDS has killed more than 20 million people worldwide since the epidemic first penetrated our species. Finally, after years of studying the ever evasive virus, researchers at the UCLA AIDS Institute have discovered that a chemical from a plant...

Being diagnosed with cancer never sits well in a patient’s stomach, especially if they don’t have the money or the health insurance coverage to pay for it. Fortunately, there may be a cheaper alternative through traditional Chinese medicine. Researchers have shown that Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula...

Cranberries are all the rave these days, it seems. Consumer demand for cranberries has never been as high as it is today, and the main reason for this demand stems (this is bad plant humor) from the fact that cranberries are incredibly beneficial to the human body. What exactly do cranberries do for...