Dear Subscribers,

The idea of being caught up is both enticing and elusive. There are a heap of posts that are incomplete, but the big day is nearly upon us so I will announce the new product that will symbolize this day. Like most special days on our calendars, there are various accounts of the history, often conflicting. In the case of St. Valentine, one of the stories is that the Roman Emperor Claudius II discouraged marriage in order to swell the troops, in the belief that single men make better soldiers than married men. If this is true, vive l'amour!

Not having the power to canonize martyrs, the best I can do is elevate plants to a new level of wonder and awe. If fact, some of you will enjoy this very short video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16916474

I confess it has been troubling to me since being a vegetarian now seems soft but not soft enough. In a kind of a way, I already knew this because kahunas in Hawaii told me that when they look for medicinal plants, they ask the plants if any are prepared to volunteer to become medicine. Surely, we should be trying to communicate more with our plants and forming the kind of relationship that fosters mutual love and respect.

The "new" herb is not exactly new since it was there with another label with the name Amor Rico™ which, as you see, appears to be trademarked. We are calling Desmodium adscendens Amor do Campo, Portuguese for Love Field or Field of Love. It is an addition to the Rain Forest line, but this tropical to semi-tropical vine is found from South America to MezoAmerica and the Caribbean to Africa and parts of Asia. Like many plants with a wide distribution and varied traditions of medicinal uses, Desmodium adscendens has quite a number of uses. For many years, I was emphasizing the detoxifying effects and suggesting it as an alternative to other herbs that help to remove environmental pollutants, including heavy metals. However, there is a lot of research on Amor do Campo, including its antispasmodic properties that have earned it the nickname "Strong Back" because it relieves back pain that is caused by spasms. Not surprisingly, it has similar benefits for the bronchial passages and is therefore, for some shamans and witch doctors, it is the herb of choice for asthma. It has some chemicals that work in a manner similar to antihistamines. Studies done on laboratory animals show that the relaxation of smooth muscles begins within one to two minutes. Amor do Campo is also often used for menstrual cramps.

The connection to the heart is a little indirect. People who were at risk of congestive heart failure were treated with Amor do Campo and showed decisive improvement.

Amor do Campo has an interesting chemistry. It has astragalin, the same as found in the famous Chinese immune herb, astragalus, and is hence used for a many infections, everything from venereal diseases to iatrogenic hepatitis. Amor do Campo supports normalization of liver enzymes. Though antiparasitic and antibacterial, no antiviral properties have been identified so this effect is attributed to herbal constituents that aid liver repair, including damage due to cirrhosis. Finally, this herb is used by some tribes to rekindle romance when the fires seem to be waning. There we have the direct connection.

Obviously, I could not resist the temptation of giving this extract its Brazilian name!

After reading everything I could find on Desmodium adscendens, I am convinced that its value was understated in my previous online description. I had, at the time, relied on the producer's literature, but, in fact, the studies now cover just about every continent and include ethnobotanical and well as sophisticated European research. Amor do Campo is antimalarial, vermicidal, and evidently also effective against spirochetes since it is used for treatment of syphilis in quite a number of countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. So, this once again raises the question of the interrelatedness of various conditions and why spasm, heart weakness, loose bowels, parasites, STDs, and even cancer can often have a single cause and relate to a specific herb.

After reading more and more studies, in several languages, I feel completely confident in recommending this herb. It will begin shipping on Valentine's Day and have our new Rain Forest label along with another addition to our line, the famous Peruvian Maca, a major stamina herb.

So, to celebrate, these two products will have an introductory price of $18, below our normal pricing for 2 oz. bottles. In addition, from today through the 14th, all herbs for the heart as well as male and female tonic herbs will be 15% off. This includes Ashwagandha and Shatavari as well as all the Ayurvedic formulas and American herbs, everything from Black Cohosh to Suma for women and Saw Palmetto and Gokshura for men, even Chaste Berries, for those who prefer celibacy. The code is "love" (without quotation marks).

Many blessings,

Ingrid
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