Jungle Jewels

“Natural medicines are going to play a huge role in humanity’s future”

Being in the business of African Moringa—in its own way the ultimate natural treatment—I always try to keep an eye on what else is happening in this field, and pass that information along.

In that vein, I recently watched Jewels of the Jungle, a documentary about the work and life of Dr.Gary Strobel, a plant scientist helping design medicines of the future by looking to our past. Just as a work of inspiration, I recommend the film to everyone, but for me it has a personal resonance.

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I used to follow a similar approach in my day to day life—looking for natural alternatives whenever possible—but somewhere along the way I lost that mentality. Got a headache? There’s a painkiller in the medicine cabinet. Tummy hurting? Pop a pill, maybe two. This is the modern world, after all, and everything is FDA-approved, so just say yes to drugs.
But I’ve also been finding my way back. As a former bio-chemistry student and current entrepreneur, I’ve done extensive research into natural solutions. This is what led me to turn to yoga and meditation to relax, to eat more alkaline foods, to incorporate homeopathic treatments, get a massage whenever possible, and so on.
I am absolutely not urging anyone to avoid medicine—if you’re sick, go to the doctor and do what’s recommended. But I know from personal experience that too many of us turn to synthetic drugs when we really don’t need to, and far too many of us get addicted in the process. The insta-fix can be as dangerous as it is helpful.
In Jewels, it’s so inspiring to see science is getting a natural “make over” of sorts. I have complete faith that the merging of these two worlds will lead to much better things for all of us. Dr. Strobel’s discovery that some endophytes (the bacteria that live in plant cells) have a symbiotic relationship with the plant and protect the plant from fungi, ‘bad’ bacteria and even cancer is nothing short of astonishing. Many ancient cultures seem to have known about this, and some indigenous tribes were key contributors to Dr. Strobel’s research. They’ve always used the plants around them as medicine, and modern science—backed up by thorough research—is starting to agree.
The Smithsonian has a replica of the little red hat Dr. Strobel always wears (it doubles as a holder for his plant specimens) in honor of his achievements. Hats off to Dr. Gary Strobel—he’s showing us the way to a healthy future.

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