Cordyceps - zombies in reality

Cordyceps sinensis – this is our zombie predator. In China, they call it "winter insect, summer herb". Imagine a fungus that shoots out its spores (seeds) during reproduction in summer, which then attach themselves to the body of an insect. It gradually overgrows the insect's body and parasitises it, literally eating it from the inside, while the insect continues to live, changing its external appearance but continuing to hunt for food until it burrows underground, where it dies and mummifies. The fungus can survive in it for a long time. The fungus literally takes over the host's body, growing out of it in the summer and forming slender "sticks" 5-20 cm high. This inspired the Last of Us video game series, where the Cordyceps fungus turns humans into zombies. In real life, this video game takes place in the real life of insects. The victims are butterfly larvae, large ants, spiders...

Vitamin B3 Niacinamide

Vitamin B3 - niacin, perhaps also known to the elderly as P. It belongs to the group of B vitamins found in the multiform B-complex. It is a very important group that you need for the proper function of eyesight, mucous membranes, skin, heart... You need it for the proper functioning of heart, muscle and nerve activity.

Health

Ashwagandha - Withania Somnifera

Health

“Ashwa” (horse) “gandha” (root smell), the name itself hints at the plant's ability to grant strength and vitality (the strength of the animal hidden in the root). Known as “Indian ginseng” (similar shape), and “winter cherry root” (fruits resemble cherries). From the small shrub with yellow flowers, the root is mainly used in traditional medicine. Due to its calming effects, it's significantly known as the Sleep or Dream Berry. The Latin name somnifera also reveals its property ; invoking sleep.

Alchemilka - female cloak

Lady's mantle is a perennial herb that originates from England but has spread throughout the world. Its leaves and flower tops have been used for centuries to relieve menstrual problems, which is why it is often called "woman's cloak". However, it is also suitable for men, effectively helping with pain, laryngitis, bleeding gums or as a gargle for laryngitis. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-khimia. Alchemists tried to make gold from various metals, but also to discover ordinary things. One of the secret ingredients in the production of gold was water captured in the leaves of this plant. As far as we know, it didn't help...

Vitamin A - and I see...

Vitamin A - Retinol, was discovered in 1916. But only 15 years later its chemical structure was determined. And it took another 15 years before we learned to produce it synthetically (in the form of acetate). It's quite rare in dietary supplement stores, which is odd because a lack of it can lead to even gray-blindness.

Health

Omega 3, precious message of the sea

Health

Do you long to wake up with ease in the morning, look fresher, not feel joint pain, have more energy, be able to focus, and feel better in your body? We could find the solution from fishermen who got up earlier than the sun each morning, went out to the sea, and greeted the new day with a smile. These were men who never knew the doctor, had sharp minds even in old age, their hands still firmly held the fishing nets and they lived functional longevity, often working into their 90s. The fishermen's treasure was exactly fish oil, which works similarly to a lubricant for our body: it helps the heart pump blood, keeps the mind fresh, and joints flexible, without it, the joints would be like an old creaking ship. The message that the sea gives us what we need was conveyed to future generations because some gifts of health are too precious to keep to oneself.