BITTER Until The END

Featured i ngredient: c inchona Bark

s cientific Name: c inchona officinalis

Cinchona is a genus of flowering plants in the family r ubiaceae containing at least 23 species of trees and shrubs. All are native to the tropical Andean forests of western s outh America. A few species are reportedly naturalized in Central America, Jamaica, French Polynesia, s ulawesi, s aint h elena in the s outh Atlantic, and s ão Tomé and Príncipe off the coast of tropical Africa, and others have been cultivated in i ndia and Java, where they have formed hybrids.

Cinchona has been historically sought after for its medicinal value, as the bark of several species yields quinine and other alkaloids. These were the only effective treatments against malaria during the height of e uropean colonialism, which made them of great economic and political importance. Trees in the genus are also known as fever trees because of their antimalarial properties.

The birth of homeopathy was based on cinchona bark testing. The founder of homeopathy, s amuel h ahnemann, when translating w illiam Cullen’s m ateria medica, noticed Cullen had written that Peruvian bark was known to cure intermittent fevers.[35] h ahnemann took daily a large, rather than homeopathic, dose of Peruvian bark. After two weeks, he said he felt malaria-like symptoms. This idea of “like cures like” was the starting point of his writings on homeopathy.

( s ource: https://www.wikipedia.com)

Did you Know t hat . . .

• Cinchona is used for increasing appetite; promoting the release of digestive juices; and treating bloating, fullness, and other stomach problems. i t is also used for blood vessel disorders including hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and leg cramps.

• s ome people use cinchona for mild influenza, swine flu, the common cold, malaria, and fever. o ther uses are for cancer, mouth and throat diseases, enlarged spleen, and muscle cramps.

• Cinchona is also used in eye lotions to numb pain, kill germs, and as an astringent. Cinchona extract is also applied to the skin for hemorrhoids, ulcers, stimulating hair growth, and managing varicose veins.

• i n foods, cinchona is used as a bitter flavoring in tonic water and alcoholic beverages.

( s ource: https://www.webmd.com)