Nature's Pharmacy

Here are the materials for the SMART Goal 6-week activity:

Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, CNN Champion for Change, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of The National Academies Award for Excellence in Science Communication, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as Professor and Herbarium Director at Emory University, where she leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription to Nature’s Pharmacy or donation to her lab research.

Summer Wrap-Up

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:00:59 GMT

I captured this moment of our horses relaxing beneath a lovely rainbow after a rain storm this summer in Mongolia.

Hello dear readers,

What a summer! Some days, with so much going on, it felt like I squeezed multiple days into one! I have some fun updates to share.

Also, read to the bottom for a new 6-week program on SMART goals I’m offering for paid and founding subscribers to the newsletter!

Field Research in Mongolia

Left: Dr. Quave horseback riding. Right: Collecting plant specimens for herbarium deposit.

My summer field collections in the Arkhangai province of Mongolia went incredibly well! I fell in love with the plants, the landscape, the food, the people, and the culture. Plus, horses! Many of my days were spent on horseback, riding across the steppes and forest-steppes to reach sites where I collected wild medicinal and food plants, plus an interesting poisonous (Aconitum) species!

The best, and most unexpected, part of this trip is that it reawakened my deep childhood love of horseback riding. For long days in the saddle, I found that riding without my prosthetic leg was actually the most comfortable. One of my new fitness goals is to try to get back in the saddle more often at home and take some lessons on adaptive riding for amputees. If you’d like to see more photos and videos from the trip, I’ve been posting some on my instagram page (handle: QuaveEthnobot).

Foodie Pharmacology Season 8

If you’re a fan of the Foodie Pharmacology podcast, we have the second half of season 8 coming very soon! I’ve been busy this month recording with some incredible guests and we’ll start airing again on Mondays, the week after Labor Day (Sept. 14th). You can listen anywhere you stream podcasts. If you’d like to watch the video version of episodes, you can find them at the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube channel. Some of our most popular episodes this season so far have included:

Coming soon: I just recorded two fascinating episodes to air soon on the topics of:

Development of the gut microbiome in the first 1000 days of life with gastroenterologist Dr. Savita Srivastava; and
How computational models can be used to discover new medicines from nature for the treatment of anxiety disorders with Dr. Jacob Hooker.

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you stream podcasts! If you love the podcast, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. That goes a long way in getting the word out on the show!

Conference Presentations

Left: Dr. Lewis Marquez presenting his poster on the use of MicroED to discover novel antifungal molecules from nature. Right: Dr. Will Crtnadall presenting his talk on new applications of mass spectrometry to differentiate closely related chemical structures.

Along with postdocs Dr. Lewis Marquez and Dr. Will Crandall from my lab team, I traveled to the American Society of Pharmacognosy meeting held in Denver, Colorado to present some of our latest work in the lab. The meeting was full with inspiring science, showcasing research pushing frontiers into the new era of drug discovery from nature. I do have some new speaking events coming up, I’ll share more about those in a future post.

Funding News

I am honored to have been selected as a recipient of one of Emory’s Disruptive Discovery Seed Program grants (supported by Emory's Office of the Provost) for our project entitled “Structure-Resolved Metabolomics: A New Paradigm for Definitive Metabolite Discovery”. This award will support my lab’s emerging work in solving structures of drug metabolites detectible in tiny quantities with a year-long pilot project.

Project description: Modern metabolomics and drug metabolism workflows can detect thousands of metabolic products, yet metabolite identification and definitive structural characterization remains a major bottleneck. Current approaches rely heavily on mass spectrometry and computational prediction to infer metabolite identities, but these methods often fail to distinguish low-abundance metabolites, regioisomers, stereoisomers, and unexpected biotransformation products. As a result, much of biologically relevant small molecule chemistry remains structurally unresolved. This project addresses a fundamental challenge in small-molecule science: the inability to directly determine the structures of many metabolites that govern drug action and human health. By integrating advanced metabolite discovery workflows with atomic-resolution structure determination by Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED), we seek to make previously invisible metabolic chemistry experimentally observable. This capability eliminates longstanding dependence on synthetic reference standards, large-scale metabolite production, and inference-based structural assignment.

We are also excited to share that our collaborator, Emory Winship oncologist Dr. Pamela Allen, received her first National Institutes of Health R21 (two year project) grant as PI for the project “Microbial Drivers of Radiation Resistance and Large Cell Transformation in Mycosis Fungoides and Sezary Syndrome”. As co-investigator on the project, my lab will oversee the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria from clinical samples collected from cancer patients and will characterize the virulence factors (toxins) made by these bacteria for this project.

Project description: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), and its most common variants, mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome (MF/SS) are incurable skin lymphomas in which progression to large cell transformation (LCT) and resistance to radiation therapy lead to poor outcomes. This project will investigate how an imbalance between pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and protective commensals such as S. epidermidis alters the tumor immune microenvironment and tumor signaling, driving transformation and radiation resistance. Findings will guide development of microbiome-targeted therapies to improve radiation response and extend survival in high-risk patients.

Professional Development

This week, my lab and the herbarium team is at the Jones Center at Ichauway for our research group retreat! We’ve been so fortunate to partner with the Jones Center over the past decade on research and educational initiatives. Our research group retreat will focus on four core conceptual goals:

CONNECT: Build trust, connection & community
GROW: Develop skills for excellent and sustainable careers
EXPLORE: Encounter new tools, technologies & ways of thinking
CREATE: Generate ideas together that none of us would reach alone

In addition to our planned activities in field methods training (plant collections, drone operation, environmental sampling), introductory mass spectrometry and MicroED lessons, team-building activities, and scientific presentations from all team members, a large portion of the retreat is focused on professional development. Topics will include goal setting, time management, grant writing and science communication, with different team members leading various workshop sessions.

I’ll be leading the session on setting SMART goals. I’ve used this approach with my team over the years, and we’ve found it extremely helpful for prioritizing and achieving the goals that matter most—including both personal wellness and health goals, as well as research and professional goals.

This round, each member of the lab (including me) will be setting SMART goals to work toward over the next 6 weeks (August 22-October 2). We’ll be using a SMART goal guide that I’ve crafted for this purpose, with weekly check-ins to assess progress. We’ll also be covering time management techqniques to ensure that a healthy balance is found, with time for goals protected.

A New Opportunity for Paid & Founding Subscribers

A goal without a plan is just a wish!

“How does she do it all?” This is seriously one of the most common questions I get from people. My secret is simple! I use SMART goals and time management skills! And these are very teachable skills anyone can pick up with practice and reflection.

While I developed this activity guide with my team of scientists in mind, you don’t have to be a scientist to find SMART goals useful! SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework can help all of us turn broad ambitions into clear, actionable goals with concrete steps and a defined timeline for success. For example, if I want to get in better shape by swimming more regularly, I have to define and execute a plan to get there. If I want to submit a new grant proposal by the deadline in October, I need to sort out all of the steps required to meet that target while producing quality work!

The opportunity: I’m offering this training exercise to any of my Paid and Founding Subscribers to participate in. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to access the PDF of the 43 page activity guide, the time management slide deck, and access the zoom links for the meeting dates. Each step in the guide also includes examples to facilitate brainstorming as we work through the process together. I encourage participants to print it out and we’ll work through it together with check-ins every week.

Here’s the meeting schedule to be held on Zoom (PT: Pacific Time; ET: Eastern time; CEST: Central Europe):

Wednesday, 8/19 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 11 PM CEST (1 Hour): SMART Goal Setting. We will review the workbook, set SMART goals, and map out our week 1 plans for meeting these goals. To be recorded.
Friday, 8/21 at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM CEST: Time management. The behaviors that make reaching SMART goals possible. To be recorded.
Fridays 8/28, 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2 at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM CEST: (30 min): Weekly SMART goal check-ins. These sessions will be an opportunity for the group to discuss their progress and share tips on what did or didn’t work for them. The will NOT be recorded.

What if you can’t make all the sessions? No worries.

I’ll record the first two lectures (8/19 and 8/21) and will make them available to all Paid/Founding subscribers. I will not record the weekly check-ins following these two didactic sessions because I want participants to feel comfortable talking about their goal progress if they wish to.
We will also have a special chat thread in Substack for this group to post in if you wish to engage with the community as we go over our progress and weekly reflections.

I hope you’ll join us in setting SMART goals to make your goals come to fruition!

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Here are the materials for the SMART Goal 6-week activity:

Liquid Gold from Immortal Trees

Cassandra Quave — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:02:25 GMT

After France, I traveled to Italy to recollect plants for ongoing research in my lab, restocking our herbarium collections and supplies for phytochemical analysis. During our field work in Puglia, I was blown away by the size of the olive trees lining the rural roads.

Ancient olive trees planted during the Roman empire dot the rural landscape around Fasano, Puglia.

Puglia is home to tens of millions of olive trees, including millions of legally protected “monumental” olives, generally defined as trees more than 250 years old. Many are individually cataloged and protected under regional law, recognizing them not simply as agricultural crops but as living monuments to the region’s cultural and ecological heritage.

Curious to learn more about the region’s extraordinary olive heritage, my family and I visited Azienda Agricola Savoia, a family-owned olive farm surrounded by one of the greatest concentrations of ancient olive trees in the Mediterranean.

As we walked beneath the silvery-green canopy, grateful for the shade from the hot southern Italian sun, our guide stopped beside an enormous olive tree with a trunk so twisted and hollow that it resembled a sculpture more than a living plant. She asked us to guess its age. Five hundred years? Eight hundred? Perhaps fifteen hundred?

We were stunned when she revealed the answer: approximately 2,000 years old. Standing beneath a tree believed to have been planted during the Roman Empire has a way of changing your sense of time.

Left: Hugging an ancient olive tree near the archaeological site of Egnazia. Right: The long, slender leaves of the Olearola Salentina cultivar, an ancient olive variety cultivated in southern Puglia since Roman times and traditionally grown for olive oil production.

The Immortal Trees

Many of the farm’s oldest olives belong to Olearola Salentina, an ancient cultivar that has been grown in southern Puglia for centuries. Historical writings by the Roman agronomist Columella describe olive groves in this very region nearly two millennia ago, and scientific studies have supported the remarkable age of some of these monumental trees.

Just 15 miles from the farm lies the ancient port city of Egnazia, first settled during the Bronze Age before flourishing under Messapian and later Roman rule. Given olive oil’s importance as both a food and trade commodity throughout antiquity, it’s easy to imagine these groves supplying generations of merchants traveling through this ancient port.

As she described the history of the region, our guide affectionately called them “immortal trees,” and there is real biology behind such a name.

Unlike many fruit trees, olives naturally produce shoots, or suckers, from their base. Farmers usually remove these because they divert energy from fruit production. But when an ancient tree declines or is damaged, a single sucker can be allowed to grow into a new trunk while remaining attached to the same ancient root system. The visible trunk may split, hollow, or eventually die, but the roots endure.

Many of the oldest trunks have become miniature ecosystems, providing shelter for birds, insects, fungi, and reptiles. What first appears to be an aging tree is, in reality, a thriving community of life.

Liquid Gold of the Roman World

Today we associate olive oil with healthy cooking, but for much of history it was far more than a simple culinary ingredient.

Long before petroleum or electricity, olive oil illuminated homes, workshops, and temples throughout the Roman Empire. It was a valuable commodity that fueled daily life, earning its reputation as “liquid gold.”

To protect this precious resource, producers often worked in underground limestone mills. Descending into the restored cave beneath the farm felt like stepping back in time. Donkeys once turned massive stone wheels that crushed olives into a paste. That paste was packed into woven fiber mats and pressed, allowing the oil and vegetation water to flow into settling tanks before being stored in ceramic amphorae for transport across the Mediterranean.

Historic underground frantoio (olive mill). Left: Stone wheels, powered by donkeys, crushed olives into a paste. Right: The paste was loaded into woven fiber mats and pressed, releasing olive oil and vegetation water into connected stone settling basins. The oil naturally floated to the surface, where it was collected for storage in large amphora for sale.

Harvest season was an intense period. Workers and animals lived underground for months, taking advantage of the cave’s stable temperatures while keeping production hidden from thieves.

From Ancient Presses to Modern Methods

While the technology has evolved dramatically, the goal remains the same: preserve the chemistry of the fruit. Unlike refined vegetable oils, extra virgin olive oil retains hundreds of naturally occurring compounds beyond its fatty acids, including phenolics, pigments, volatile aroma molecules, tocopherols, and phytosterols.

Modern extra virgin olive oil is produced solely through mechanical extraction, without chemical solvents or excessive heat. After washing, the olives are crushed and the oil is separated using centrifuges rather than presses. Throughout the process, temperatures are carefully maintained below about 27°C (80.6°F), a standard known as cold extraction (though not as cold as the name implies). Keeping temperatures low helps preserve the delicate aroma compounds and phenolic molecules that contribute both flavor and health-promoting properties.

One lesson that surprised me was how much harvest timing influences the final product. Green, unripe olives yield less oil, but they produce intensely aromatic oils that are grassy, bitter, and peppery because they contain higher concentrations of polyphenols (the health-benefiting molecules in olive oil). As olives ripen and darken, oil yield increases while many of those compounds decline, producing a sweeter, milder oil without the rich polyphenol content.

Also, unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age! It is at its finest when fresh, best consumed within a year of harvest.

Learning to Taste Olive Oil

Our visit concluded with a professional olive oil tasting, an experience that forever changed how I’ll evaluate a bottle of olive oil.

Olive oil tasting at Azienda Agricola Savoia. Left: Blue tasting glasses concealed the color of each oil, allowing us to evaluate the samples using only aroma and flavor. Right: The olive oils featured in the tasting, each produced from a different cultivar. My favorite was the second bottle, a robust Coratina variety, and I brought home a 5-liter jug to enjoy back in the United States. I also purchased several smaller bottles of the estate's delicious prestige oil, produced from the early-harvest green olives of its monumental olive trees, some of which are believed to be nearly 2,000 years old!

The oils were served in blue tasting glasses so we couldn’t judge them by color alone. Instead, we were encouraged to focus on aroma and flavor. We sampled several varieties grown on the farm, including the mild Leccino, intensely peppery Coratina, fruity Peranzana, and the ancient Olearola Salentina. Each expressed a remarkably different aroma profile despite coming from the same landscape, with notes ranging from fresh-cut grass and tomato leaves to herbs, almonds, and green vegetables.

Our host demonstrated how to take a small sip of the oil and then breathe in through our teeth in rapid bursts, spreading the volatile aroma compounds throughout the mouth before swallowing.

Then came the peppery finish...and a good deal of coughing!

High-quality extra virgin olive oil often produces a distinctive tickle in the back of the throat. That sensation is linked in part to oleocanthal, a naturally occurring phenolic compound with well-documented anti-inflammatory activity. Along with other polyphenols, it contributes to both the bitterness of exceptional olive oil and many of the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet.

There is a local saying that beautifully captured this relationship between flavor and function: if an olive oil makes you cough once, it’s good. Twice, it’s very good. Three times, it’s almost medicine.

If you’d like to try one of these extra virgin olive oil varieties, the farm does ship internationally. You can check out their online shop: https://www.extraverginesavoia.com/shop/

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

From Soil to Cellar: How Biodynamic Wines are Made

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:33 GMT

Display of biodynamic wines produced at Clos Systey in Saint-Émilion, France.

In early June, I joined Dr. Maria Fadiman on a trip through Bordeaux, France, with the goal of developing a better understanding of the interconnections between plants and people in this region. After wrapping up our interviews in the city of Bordeaux, we drove into the surrounding countryside to explore the viticultural and enological traditions that have shaped one of the world's most celebrated wine regions. Our first stop was the small, family-owned vineyard, Clos Systey, nestled in the heart of Saint-Émilion.

Clos Systey

Vineyard views at Clos Systey.

Clos Systey is, in many ways, the opposite of what many visitors imagine when they think of Bordeaux. Rather than an expansive château surrounded by hundreds of acres of vines, the estate encompasses just two hectares (about five acres). Established in 2015 by oenologist Sylvie Dulong and Stéphan Grawitz, the vineyard was founded on a simple but ambitious vision: to produce exceptional wine while respecting biodiversity and the living systems that support it.

As Clos Systey celebrated its tenth vintage in 2025, another milestone unfolded as the estate was passed on to a new generation. Fanny Dulong, and her husband, Juan Moretti, took over day-to-day management of the vineyard, while Fanny’s brothers contribute their expertise in architecture and digital technology. Sylvie remains actively involved as the estate’s consulting oenologist, guiding winemaking and blending while mentoring the family’s next generation of vintners.

Maria and I so enjoyed our day spent at Clos Systey with mother (Sylvie Dulong ) and daughter (Fanny Dulong ) team at Clos Systey! Left to right: Fanny, Cassandra, Maria, Sylvie.

During our visit, we spent several hours chatting with Sylvie and Fanny, learning not only how their wines are made, but also how their philosophy of winemaking has evolved.

Understanding the Geography of Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion

Before diving into the different forms of viticulture (conventional, organic, and biodynamic), it helps to understand where Clos Systey fits within one of the world’s most famous wine-producing landscapes.

The Bordeaux region lies in southwestern France, where the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers converge before flowing into the Gironde Estuary. The maritime climate of the region with mild winters, warm summers, and well-drained gravel, limestone, and clay soils has made Bordeaux synonymous with fine wine for centuries. Today, the region encompasses thousands of vineyards producing a remarkable diversity of wines, from bold reds to crisp whites and sparkling wines known as Cremant de Bordeaux (a personal favorite).

Map of the Bordeaux wine region showcasing different the appellations. Image source.

Within Bordeaux, there are more than 50 legally defined appellations, or protected geographic wine-growing areas. An appellation is much more than just a place on a map. It’s a regulatory designation that defines where grapes may be grown, which grape varieties are permitted, vineyard practices allowed (e.g., irrigation is commonly prohibitied), yield limits, and, in many cases, minimum aging requirements before a wine can be sold. These rules are designed to preserve the identity and reputation of wines from a particular place.

Saint-Émilion is one of the most celebrated of these appellations. It is renowned for its limestone-rich soils and wines dominated by Merlot, often blended with Cabernet Franc and smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Saint-Émilion contains roughly 800 wineries, the appellation occupies only a small portion of the larger Bordeaux region, making its name especially valuable.

Interpreting Bottle Labels

Understanding this geographical hierarchy also helps decipher a wine label. A bottle labeled simply “Bordeaux” may contain grapes sourced from across the broader Bordeaux region, provided it meets the requirements of that appellation. A bottle labeled Saint-Émilion indicates that the grapes were grown within the boundaries of the Saint-Émilion appellation under its stricter production rules. Within Saint-Émilion are additional quality classifications, including Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, which requires lower yields, extended aging, and sensory evaluation before release, and the prestigious (and much pricier) Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, a classification awarded to a select group of estates and periodically re-evaluated. Clos Systey carries the designation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, reflecting both its geographic origin and adherence to these more rigorous production standards.

This sense of place in vitculture is captured by the French word, “terroir”, that can be a bit challenging to translate. While terroir may be interpreted by some people as a simple reference to the soil, Sylvie explained that terroir encompasses far more. She described it as the interaction of the soil, climate, surrounding plants, the people who care for the vines, and the history of the landscape itself. In her view, great wine emerges not from a single factor, but from the relationships among all of them.

That philosophy became deeply personal as she transformed the vineyard she purchased from conventional viticulture to organic and ultimately biodynamic. As synthetic pesticides disappeared from the vineyard, she began noticing changes in the landscape. Wildlife returned. Wildflowers reappeared between the rows. The vineyard became more biologically diverse, and, in her experience, the grapes and their resulting wines changed as well. Those observations sparked a curiosity that ultimately led her to embrace biodynamic agriculture.

Biodynamic farming takes the concept of organic agriculture a step further. Developed in the 1920s by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, it shares many principles with organic agriculture. Biodynamic vineyards prohibit synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, encourage biodiversity, and focus on building healthy soils. In fact, a vineyard must first be certified organic before it can become biodynamic. Certified biodynamic products may be noted by the presence of the international Demeter label.

Comparison of conventional, organic, and biodynamic viticulture. Biodynamic viticulture builds upon certified organic practices by emphasizing ecosystem function, biodiversity, and specialized biodynamic preparations.

The differences emerge in how biodynamic growers attempt to support the vineyard ecosystem. At Clos Systey, grasses and cover crops grow between vineyard rows. Legumes are planted after harvest and incorporated into the soil to add organic matter. Vineyard managers pay close attention to soil biology, especially mycorrhizal fungi that form beneficial partnerships with plant roots. During recent droughts, the family observed that their biodynamic vines appeared more resilient than neighboring vineyards managed with bare soils.

Many of these practices overlap with ideas now promoted under regenerative agriculture. Both approaches emphasize living soils, biodiversity, water retention, and long-term ecosystem health. Where biodynamics becomes more distinctive is in its use of specialized preparations and agricultural calendars and preparation of homeopathic-like treatments for the vines.

Cow Horns and Special Formulas

Biodynamic viticulture relies on the preparation of special formulas for treating the vines and soil. Left: Preparation 500 is stored in thick wooden boxes after cow manure stuffed horns are removed from the ground. Middle top: Cow horns are stuffed with fresh cow manure and then buried to age between the equinoxes. Middle bottom: Close up image of Preparation 500. Right: A preparation of silica that has been aged underground in cow horns.

Perhaps the most surprising element of biodynamic viticulture is the preparation and use of specialized formulas made from local herbs, cow manure, silica, and other natural materials. Biodynamic ag views the whole vineyard as a living organism whose health depends on maintaining balanced relationships among soil, plants, animals, microorganisms, seasonal cycles, and the people who steward the land. Today, biodynamic growers around the world continue to prepare and apply a series of numbered formulations intended to support different aspects of vineyard health.

The most commonly cited one we encountered in our interviews of biodynamic vitners was Preparation 500, often called horn manure. Each autumn, fresh manure collected from organically raised cows is packed into cleaned cow horns and buried in the soil around the autumn equinox. Over the winter months, the material transforms into a dark, humus-like compost. In spring, the horns are unearthed and only a small quantity, approximately 100 grams per hectare at Clos Systey, is mixed into rainwater in a large copper barrel through a “dynamization” process before application to the vineyard. Sylvie explained that this preparation is intended to stimulate soil life and encourage healthy root development. She also noted that studies comparing conventional, organic, and biodynamic vineyards have reported greater abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in biodynamic systems, an observation she believes reflects improvements in overall soil biology.

The companion formulation, Preparation 501, follows the opposite seasonal rhythm. Finely ground silica (ground up quartz crystal) is packed into cow horns during the spring and buried through the summer before being removed in autumn. After mixing with water, this preparation is sprayed onto the vine leaves rather than the soil. Growers believe it supports photosynthesis, fruit development, and overall plant vitality.

You may be wondering about the dynamization process. This step is essential in preparing the preparations for application to the vineyard. A small amount of the preparation is vigorously stirred in water, traditionally for about an hour, alternating between creating a deep vortex and abruptly reversing the direction of stirring. Biodynamic practitioners believe this process evenly distributes the preparation throughout the water while imparting beneficial energetic properties before the solution is sprayed across the vineyard. Below is a short video of Sylvie demonstrating the dynamization process (just with rain water, no preparation 500 or 501 added).

Beyond these horn preparations, biodynamic viticulture also incorporates a suite of herbal formulations made from medicinal plants including chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as teas or macerations for application to the vines.

Many biodynamic growers also consult a specialized agricultural calendar that categorizes days as root, leaf, flower, or fruit days based on the position of the moon relative to the constellations. Certain vineyard activities, including pruning, spraying preparations, harvesting, bottling, and even wine tasting, are scheduled according to these cycles. At Clos Systey, Sylvie explained that the estate bottles its wines on designated fruit days, when biodynamic practitioners believe the wines best express their aromas and flavors.

Left: Biodynamic agriculture calendar and guide. Right: French oak barrels used to age the wine.

Even the barrels reflected this holistic philosophy. During our tour of the cellar, Fanny described the estate’s use of biodynamic French oak barrels crafted by a cooper who carefully aligns each stave according to the tree’s original direction of growth. The belief is that preserving the natural orientation of the wood maintains the integrity of the tree’s internal structure throughout the barrel. While this practice is not required for biodynamic certification and has not been scientifically evaluated, it illustrates how some producers extend biodynamic principles beyond the vineyard and into the cellar itself.

Whether viewed through the lens of ecology, tradition, or philosophy, these preparations and practices reflect a common theme that emerged throughout our conversations at Clos Systey. The vineyard is managed not simply as a field of grapevines, but as a living ecosystem whose health depends on the relationships among soil, plants, animals, microbes, people, and the rhythms of the natural world.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this natural winemaking process! If you’d like to taste a wonderful biodynamic wine, note that Clos Systey ships worldwide. Learn more about their vintages and access contact information for ordering at the Clos Systey website.

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

A vegan crème brûlée in Bordeaux? Count me in.

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 11:01:05 GMT

The table setting was a perfect complement to the meal.

One of the highlights of our time in Bordeaux was a cooking lesson with cookbook author Sarala Terpstra. An American expat who’s fluent in French, Sarala prepared a delightful vegetarian menu for us to cook together, including one of the tastiest versions of crème brûlée I’ve ever tried!

I’ll admit, I was skeptical before I tasted it. Crème brûlée is one of those desserts that seems fairly inseparable from cream and eggs. Yet somehow, with thoughtfully chosen plant-based ingredients and a bit of culinary chemistry, we ended up with the silky custard, delicate vanilla aroma, satisfying crack of caramelized sugar, and all the elegance of the classic dessert. Here’s the recipe:

Not only was this so simple to make, but firing the sugar top was a lot of fun!

If you’d like to try more of Sarala’s recipes, check out her cookbook: Vegan French Favorites: 30 Beloved French Recipes Reimagined. And if you ever find yourself in Bordeaux, reach out to Sarala for a cooking class or market tour! She has different options available on her website. You can also follow her work in France on Instagram.

Left: Our dinner party for the evening. Right: Isabella torching her sugar crust.

Sometimes the best souvenirs from travel aren’t things you can pack in a suitcase. They’re recipes, conversations shared over a special meal, and new ways of experiencing familiar ingredients.

Have you ever had a vegan version of a classic dish that completely changed your expectations?

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

A visit to Le Droguier

Cassandra Quave — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:01:45 GMT

Views from inside Le Drogiuer in Montpellier, France.

I’ve always been a museum lover, especially when it comes to historic collections of materia medica. There is something just magical (to me, at least!) about standing in front of shelves filled with dried plants, roots, resins, minerals, and handwritten labels that have survived for centuries. These collections are more than cabinets of curiosities, though. They represent snapshots of how people understood health, disease, and the healing power of nature long before modern pharmaceuticals existed.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy behind-the-scenes visits to some extraordinary collections, including the herbarium and ethnobotanical collections at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands where I marveled at jars of nutmeg from the Banda Islands, and the renowned Economic Botany Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London where some of the oldest samples of quinine bark are stored. This summer, another longstanding wish came true with a visit to Le Droguier at the University of Montpellier.

A Living Library of Medicinal Knowledge

One of my own professional dreams has long been to expand the Emory Herbarium beyond a traditional collection of preserved plants into a biocultural collection that also preserves medicinal materials and the stories surrounding their use. The challenge, as with so many academic endeavors, comes down to space, staffing, and funding. Collections require careful stewardship, specialized storage, and long-term institutional commitment.

If I ever have the opportunity to build such a collection, one of the first resources I’d reach for is Curating Biocultural Collections: A Handbook, edited by Jan Salick, Katie Konchar, and Mark Nesbitt. The book highlights how biocultural collections preserve not only biological specimens, but also the cultural knowledge, historical context, and human relationships that give those specimens meaning. A dried medicinal plant tells only part of the story. Knowing who used it, how it was prepared, what ailments it treated, and how that knowledge was passed through generations transforms a specimen into a living record of human ingenuity.

That philosophy comes to life in the Montpellier collection. Let me tell you a bit about it.

Centuries of Medical History

Historic collection of medicinal materials at Le Droguier.

Montpellier, France has long been recognized as one of Europe’s great centers of medical education. In the sixteenth century, physician Guillaume de Rondelet established one of France’s earliest botanical gardens to support the study of medicinal plants. Soon afterward, in 1588, the apothecary Bernardin II Duranc assembled a teaching collection of medicinal substances where students could learn to identify the plants and materials used to prepare medicines of the day.

That early teaching collection evolved into what is now known as Le Droguier de Montpellier. Over the centuries the collection expanded through exploration, scientific exchange, donations, and research. It was revitalized after the establishment of the School of Pharmacy in 1803 and today resides within the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montpellier. Recognized as a Historic Monument since 2009, it remains one of the last great surviving collections documenting the history of the European pharmacopoeia. In fact, it ranks second in France only to the famous collection in Paris.

The museum is filled with medical materials, such as Simarouba officinalis (right image, right jar) known for its traditional uses as an antimicrobial and antiinflammatory agent.

Walking through the museum, I was surrounded by shelves filled with hundreds of glass jars and carefully preserved specimens representing medicinal plants, minerals, fungi, resins, and animal-derived medicines. Some are instantly recognizable, while others hint at therapeutic traditions that have long since faded from modern practice. Together they represent roughly 10,000 medicinal specimens collected over more than four centuries.

A sample of luffa sponge, Cucurbitaceae.

Nearby, the Montpellier Herbarium preserves another remarkable treasure: around 4 million dried specimens of vascular plants, algae, mosses, and fungi. It’s the second largest herbarium in France after the Muséum de Paris, and features specimens gathered through centuries of exploration, collaboration, research, and exchange with botanists around the world. These collections continue to grow today through ongoing research and donations. These are not static archives but evolving scientific resources.

Where History Meets Modern Science

What impressed me most about Le Droguier is that it is not simply a museum preserving old medical relics. It is also an active center for education and research in the field of ethnopharmacology.

The bowl on the left is filled with Chrysobalanus orbicularis leaves, known for their traditional use against diabetes. In the middle is a sample of indigo from Senegal collected in 1905. In the bowl to the right we find the fruits of Dialium guineense, including notes on their astringent/antidiarrheal properties.

Ethnopharmacology explores traditional knowledge surrounding medicinal plants and seeks to understand how those practices can inform modern science.

Preserving the Future

As biodiversity declines and traditional ecological knowledge disappears in many parts of the world, preserving these collections becomes increasingly important. Every carefully labeled specimen preserves information that can never be recreated if it is lost. Historical labels record names that have changed, collection sites that may no longer exist, and medicinal uses that might otherwise be forgotten or even extinct today.

Perhaps most exciting is that these centuries-old specimens continue to reveal new discoveries. Modern techniques such as metabolomics, genomics, and advanced structural biology allow scientists to ask questions that the original collectors could never have imagined. A specimen collected hundreds of years ago can still contribute to new research, helping us understand plant chemistry, evolution, biodiversity, and even the search for future medicines.

Have you ever seen a materia medica collection before? What types of questions might you ask about these specimens?

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Summer Updates from Europe

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:30:30 GMT

Hello friends,

The past month has been a whirlwind! Since the end of May, I’ve been traveling across Europe for a conference, fieldwork, and research collaborations, while also racing to complete one of the biggest milestones for my lab this year—our competitive NIH grant renewal application to support the next five years of research developing new methods to rapidly identify bioactive natural products using microelectron diffraction. With the proposal almost ready to submit, I have just enough time to catch my breath before heading off on my next expedition.

A family milestone in the Netherlands

May was filled with graduations and family celebrations. One of the biggest milestones was helping my daughter, Isabella, prepare for college. This fall she’ll be heading to the Netherlands to study Applied Mathematics, so we made a quick trip to Groningen en route to a conference in France to secure housing—not a small feat since Dutch universities don’t have campus dorm housing quite like we do in the United States.

The charming city of Groningen. Left: City streets are lined with bicycles and flowerbeds. Middle: A very planty houseboat on a local canale. Right: The Bernoulliborg Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Luckily, we found her a room in a shared apartment, and in the process completely fell in love with Groningen. It’s a beautiful city of canals, houseboats, overflowing flower boxes, and bicycle paths that make it one of the most bike-friendly places I’ve ever visited.

Sharing science in Montpellier

From the Netherlands, we traveled to southern France for the annual meeting of the Society of Ethnobotany, hosted by the Botanical Institute of Montpellier and the Faculty of Pharmacy, MSH Sud.

The Quave Research Group was wonderfully represented. I presented a talk on our latest work on integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with bioactivity-guided fractionation and rapid structural elucidation of natural products. Dr. Ella Vardeman delivered an outstanding lecture on medicinal plants for women’s health, with a focus on the vaginal microbiome. Former lab member, Dr. Airy Gras, presented exciting new work on Spanish ethnobotany.

Left: Dr. Ella Vardeman presenting her work at the conference. Middle: Dr. Airy Gras and I at the poster session. Right: Dr. Godwin Anwar and I at the opening reception.

One of my favorite parts of any conference is reconnecting with colleagues from around the world. It was great to catch up with Dr. Godwin Anwar, whose students’ research on medicinal plants supporting lactation and women’s health in Uganda is truly inspiring.

While in Montpellier, I also celebrated another birthday—number 48! I started off my day with a visit to the local market lining the street beneath the ancient aquaduct of the historic city. The market was filled with a delightful diversity of fresh produce, bread, meats, and cheeses.

Produce, meats, herbs, and cheese on display at the Montpellier market.

I ended the evening with a wonderful French meal with fellow ethnobotanists I've known since graduate school. There was plenty of incredible cheese...and, yes, a few interesting duck dishes on the menu. To my surprise, sautéed duck hearts are actually pretty tasty, if you can get past their shape and texture!

Bordeaux cityscapes and countryside vineyards

My next stop was Bordeaux, where my friend and longtime collaborator, National Geographic Explorer and FAU Geography Professor Dr. Maria Fadiman, invited me to participate in pilot research exploring the agricultural and ethnobotanical traditions of the region.

We met with community leaders transforming Bordeaux’s urban landscape by replacing concrete with trees, establishing microforests, developing school garden programs, and weaving fragrant jasmine throughout the city.

Bordeaux is being transformed into a greener city, with plants and nature replacing concrete lawns.

From there we traveled into the vineyards of Saint-Émilion, where we interviewed winemakers managing everything from small family vineyards of just a few acres to much larger estate operations. We explored the differences between conventional, organic, biodynamic, and natural wine production, learning how each philosophy shapes both the landscape and the final bottle.

Left: Vineyard lanscapes of Saint Emillion, Bordeaux, France. Right: Close-up image of a vine.

Fieldwork in southern Italy

After France, it was on to southern Italy to visit family and conduct fieldwork across the provinces of Basilicata and Puglia.

My lab maintains an extensive collection of extracts derived from Mediterranean medicinal and food plants, and many of the species we study need to be recollected periodically as our research consumes existing material. This year’s expedition targets approximately 50 species that are running low in our collections and are needed for ongoing phytochemical and antimicrobial discovery projects.

During our time in Puglia, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit one of the ancient olive groves surrounding the archaeological site of Egnazia. Originally founded by the Messapians centuries before the rise of Rome, Egnazia later became a thriving Roman port along the Via Traiana. Today, the surrounding landscape remains dominated by monumental olive trees (>250 years old to be deemed a monument), some believed to trace their origins to Roman-era cultivation—a remarkable reminder that agriculture can shape both cultures and landscapes across millennia.

Left: Archeological remains of the ancient city of Egnazia. Right: Me with a 2,000 year old monumental olive tree, planted in the era of the Roman Empire for lamp oil production.

Between collecting plants, processing specimens, and preparing shipments back to Emory under USDA permits, I’ve been camped out in my in-laws’ home finishing that major grant proposal. Certainly not a vacation! The European heat wave has been intense, so we’ve shifted our fieldwork to the slightly cooler hours of early morning and evening, spending the hottest part of each day indoors processing samples and grant writing.

Needless to say, hitting “submit” on that proposal tomorrow will be an enormous relief!

Next stop: Mongolia

The adventure isn’t over yet. On Wednesday I leave for Mongolia while Marco and the kids remain in Italy to finish our plant collections here. I’ll be on a two-week pilot expedition focused on collecting herbarium specimens for the Emory Herbarium and exploring the Mongolian flora.

Thanks to a mutual collaborator, I’ve connected with an outstanding Mongolian botanist who has already assembled a stack of regional flora books for me to pick up in Ulaanbaatar before we head into the field. Dr. Maria Fadiman will once again be joining me, this time studying plants used in material culture—everything from construction materials to tools and traditional crafts—while I’ll focus on medicinal and wild food plants.

I have to laugh a little at how our collaborations work. Maria’s research invitation took me through the vineyards of Bordeaux and each day featured a lovely tasting of local wines. My invitation, on the other hand, required updating our typhoid and tick-borne encephalitis vaccines and preparing for long stretches of horseback riding and camping with no showers, ha!

See you in a couple weeks

For the next two weeks I’ll be completely off the grid—no cell service or internet—until I return to Atlanta in mid-July. I am bringing a solar panel to charge my camera and a new mini drone I’m testing, so stay tuned next month for some amazing imagery and stories!

I’ve prescheduled some posts highlighting some of the fascinating things I’ve learned during this summer’s fieldwork in France and Italy, so I hope you’ll continue the conversation while I’m away. Please leave your thoughts and questions in the comments. I can’t wait to catch up with everyone when I’m back.

As for Foodie Pharmacology, we’re on a short break. I don’t record new episodes during summer field seasons because reliable internet is always a gamble. The good news is that we’ve already lined up some fantastic guests for the fall, and new episodes should begin returning in August.

In the meantime, there are hundreds of episodes waiting for you if you’re new to the show. And if you know a farmer, chef, scientist, physician, or scholar whose story deserves to be shared, I’d love to hear your suggestions—leave them in the comments below.

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Alpha-gal Syndrome (Red Meat Allergy) with Gary Falcetano

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:01:39 GMT

Foodie Pharmacology episode cover for “Alpha-gal Syndrome (Red Meat Allergy) with Gary Falcetano”.

We’d once again like to thank Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated for their sponsorship of this episode.

What if a single tick bite could change the way you eat forever? In this episode, I sit down with allergy expert Gary Falcetano to explore alpha-gal syndrome, a strange and increasingly recognized condition triggered by tick bites that can lead to delayed allergic reactions to red meat and other mammalian products. We unpack the science behind this unusual immune response, why symptoms can emerge hours after eating, and why many cases go undiagnosed for years. From hidden sources of alpha-gal in foods and medications to the growing spread of tick species linked to the condition, this conversation reveals how a tiny bite can have surprisingly large consequences. We also share practical tips for prevention, diagnosis, and staying safe outdoors, whether you’re hiking in your backyard or heading out on your next adventure.

This Foodie Pharmacology podcast episode is part of a special two-part series sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated. The views and opinions in this podcast are those of the presenters and represent the synthesis of the science.

About Gary

Gary Falcetano, PA-C, AE-C, is Senior Manager of Global Medical & Scientific Affairs, Allergy at Thermo Fisher Scientific. A seasoned clinician and medical communications professional, he has dedicated his career to advancing education in asthma, allergy, and immunologic disorders.

Gary began his healthcare career as an EMS professional and paramedic before becoming a hospital administrator and educator. He later earned his Physician Assistant degree with high honors from the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University and went on to practice emergency and primary care in both rural and urban settings across the United States, often serving as the sole provider in remote emergency departments.

He also served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, providing care in emergency and urgent care settings, and contributed to national response efforts as part of the NJ Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

With more than 20 years in medical publishing and education, Gary has held leadership roles and founded multiple medical communications companies. He is a Certified Asthma Educator and an active contributor to professional education, including prior service on the National Asthma Education Certification Board. He also has authored numerous articles and textbook chapters on Asthma and Molecular Allergy Diagnosis.”

Q&A Highlights from the Interview

What is alpha-gal syndrome?

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an unusual food allergy triggered by a tick bite. The name comes from galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), a sugar molecule found in most mammals but not in humans. After a tick bite introduces alpha-gal into the body, the immune system can begin producing antibodies against it. Later, eating red meat or other mammalian products may trigger allergic reactions ranging from hives and digestive distress to severe anaphylaxis.

Why is alpha-gal syndrome so difficult to diagnose?

Most food allergies trigger symptoms within minutes, but alpha-gal reactions are delayed. Symptoms often emerge four to eight hours after eating, which means people may wake up in the middle of the night with hives, abdominal pain, or even anaphylaxis. Early researchers even nicknamed it “midnight anaphylaxis.”

Is red meat the only thing people with alpha-gal need to avoid?

Not necessarily. Alpha-gal can hide in unexpected places beyond beef and pork, including dairy products, gelatin capsules, certain medications and vaccines, and even natural flavorings. Reactions vary greatly from person to person, making diagnosis and management highly individualized.

How can you reduce your risk of developing alpha-gal syndrome?

Prevention starts with avoiding tick bites in the first place. Strategies like wearing long pants, using permethrin-treated clothing, performing regular tick checks, and removing ticks properly can help reduce exposure. Unlike Lyme disease, even short tick attachment times may be enough to trigger sensitization.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Listen to the podcast on any of your favorite podcast streaming services. Subscribe to Foodie Pharmacology to access new episodes! If you enjoy this and other episodes, let me know! Give is a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts so others can find it and enjoy!

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Pregnancy, Nutrition, and the Science of the Placenta with Dr. Cheryl Rosenfeld

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:01:19 GMT

Episode cover for Foodie Pharmacology “Pregnancy, nutrition, and the science of the placenta with Dr. Cheryl Rosenfeld.”

Did you know that one of the most important organs shaping lifelong health is only temporary? In this episode of Foodie Pharmacology, I sit down with developmental biologist Dr. Cheryl Rosenfeld to explore the fascinating science of the placenta and its role as the communication hub between mother and developing baby. We discuss the emerging concept of the placenta-brain axis and discuss how maternal diet, the gut microbiome, environmental exposures, and even tiny molecular signals can influence fetal development long before birth. From serotonin and the microbiome to probiotics, inflammation, and the hidden impacts of modern life, this conversation reveals how the earliest environment we experience may shape health outcomes for years to come.

About Cheryl

Dr. Cheryl Rosenfeld was awarded her BS and DVM degrees with high honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Shen then earned her PhD degree from the University of Missouri Columbia with an emphasis on endocrinology and reproductive biology. Currently, she is a Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. She was the first women president for the United States Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease (DOHaD) Society. Dr. Rosenfeld edited and co-authored the foundational textbook, The Epigenome and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, which won the 2016 British Medical Association (BMA) Book Award for Basic and Clinical Sciences. Dr. Rosenfeld is internationally recognized for her distinguished contributions into the links between maternal nutritional changes, placental pathologies, and how these can impact long-term risk for neurobehavioral disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her laboratory has done pioneering work establishing how changes in the placenta brought upon by the mother can influence fetal brain development. In 2021, she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Medical Sciences. Dr. Rosenfeld also continues to serve on weekends and holidays as an emergency veterinarian in Illinois.

Q&A Highlights from the Interview

What exactly is the placenta, and why is it so important?

The placenta may be temporary, but it is one of the most important organs we ever have. It acts as the communication hub between mother and fetus, delivering oxygen and nutrients, removing waste, producing hormones, and helping guide development. According to Dr. Rosenfeld, it is also a biological record of what happens during pregnancy and may hold clues to future health outcomes.

What is the placenta-brain axis?

We often think of the placenta as simply a delivery system for nutrients, but it does much more than that. The placenta also sends biological signals that help shape the developing brain. Dr. Rosenfeld’s work suggests the placenta communicates through hormones, neurotransmitters like serotonin, and even tiny molecular packages that may influence fetal brain development.

Can a mother’s diet affect fetal brain development?

Yes. Research shows that changes in maternal nutrition can alter placental function, which can in turn influence the developing fetus. Even subtle changes in specific nutrients may matter. Dr. Rosenfeld described studies showing that reducing a single amino acid, tryptophan, led to significant effects on placental biology.

How does the gut microbiome fit into pregnancy?

Emerging research suggests that a mother’s gut microbiome may influence the placenta and fetal development in surprising ways. Studies from Dr. Rosenfeld’s lab found that altering maternal gut microbes changed placental gene expression and affected the fetal brain, highlighting an unexpected connection between microbes and early development.

What environmental exposures should we pay attention to during pregnancy?

Chemicals like BPA, BPS, PFAS, alcohol, and other environmental exposures can cross the placenta and reach the developing fetus. While avoiding all exposures is nearly impossible, understanding these risks helps researchers identify practical ways to reduce harm and support healthier development.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

The Ethnobotany of Candomblé with Dr. Bob Voeks

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:02:56 GMT

Episode cover for “The Ethnobotany of Candomblé with Dr. Bob Voeks”.

Journey to Brazil to uncover the hidden roots of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian spiritual tradition shaped by African plant knowledge, resilience, and cultural memory. In this episode, I speak with ethnobotanist Dr. Bob Voeks to explore how enslaved Africans preserved sacred healing traditions and foodways across the Atlantic, transforming plants into powerful symbols of identity and survival. From spiritual cleansing rituals with sacred leaves to the fascinating story of caruru, a revered okra dish tied to twin deities, we trace the remarkable journey of African plants through the diaspora. Along the way, we uncover surprising connections linking Candomblé, callaloo, and even Southern gumbo, revealing how food can carry history, spirituality, and culture across continents and generations.

About Bob

Dr. Robert Voeks is a Professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at California State University, Fullerton, where his work explores the relationships between people and plants across tropical landscapes. He earned his PhD in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley, and previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Economic Botany from 2008–2022. His research has taken him around the world, including Brazil, Malaysia, Brunei, Mozambique, Mexico, and the United States, with a particular focus on the movement of African plants and cultural traditions throughout Latin America. Dr. Voeks has authored more than 70 scholarly publications and several influential books, including Sacred Leaves of Candomblé: African Magic, Medicine and Religion in Brazil, African Ethnobotany in the Americas, and The Ethnobotany of Eden: Rethinking the Jungle Medicine Narrative. His current work examines the connections between food, spirituality, and traditional societies, including his forthcoming book, Dining with God: In Search of Seven Sacred Foods.

Q&A Highlights from the Interview

What is Candomblé, and how did it emerge in Brazil?

Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian spiritual tradition with roots in the Yoruba cultures of West Africa that arrived in Brazil during the transatlantic slave trade. Despite extraordinary violence and oppression, enslaved Africans preserved their deities, rituals, and plant traditions, often blending them with Catholic practices to survive. Today, it remains a vibrant tradition deeply connected to healing, identity, and community.

How did sacred plants become so central to Candomblé?

Plants are at the heart of spiritual practice in Candomblé. Different deities, known as Orixás, are associated with specific plants used in rituals and healing traditions. Sacred baths made from carefully selected leaves are used for spiritual cleansing and wellbeing, reflecting a worldview where plants serve as bridges between physical and spiritual health.

Presentation of sacred foods central to Candomblé traditions.

Why is okra considered a sacred food in Candomblé?

Okra is the key ingredient in caruru, a sacred dish associated with the twin deities known as Ibeji. More than just a meal, caruru serves as an offering, a celebration, and a reminder of ancestral connections. Through ritual foods like this, ordinary ingredients become vessels of memory and spiritual meaning.

What do gumbo, callaloo, and Brazilian caruru have in common?

They may all be branches of the same African culinary story. Dr. Voeks traces fascinating links connecting okra-based dishes across Brazil, the Caribbean, West Africa, and the American South. A simple ingredient like okra reveals a hidden map of migration, cultural exchange, and resilience across the Black Atlantic.

Map showcasing the trans-Atlantic variation in caruru.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Hometown Bookstore Event Saturday, May 23

Cassandra Quave — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:17:05 GMT

Meet the author event at Dragon’s Dens Books in Arcadia, FL tomorrow May 23 from 11 am - 3 pm.

Hey friends and readers in Southwest Florida! Join me tomorrow, Saturday May 23, in the charming antique district along Arcadia’s historic Main Street! Located in DeSoto County, Florida, this special corner of the Florida heartland is just about an hour from Sarasota or Fort Myers and roughly two hours from Tampa or Orlando.

This event feels especially meaningful to me because Arcadia is my hometown. So much of who I am today was shaped by growing up here. Returning to meet readers, reconnect with familiar faces, and share this chapter of my journey in the place where my own story began feels truly special.

📍 Dragon’s Den Bookshop
101 W Oak St, Arcadia, FL 34266

I’ll be there from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. meeting readers, signing books, chatting about the Foodie Pharmacology podcast, sharing updates on my upcoming field research season, and talking about current writing projects.

Come by and say hello! Bring your copy of The Plant Hunter for a signing, or pick one up at the shop while you’re there.

And make a day of it: grab a coffee at the cute café (Florida Farmhouse Coffee) next door, stroll along Arcadia’s historic Main Street, and explore the many antique shops along the way. You never know what treasures you might uncover!

Free street and public lot parking is available nearby. I’d love to see friends old and new there 💚

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

How Pet Food Went Wrong with Dr. Judy Morgan

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 18 May 2026 11:01:45 GMT

Cover image for Foodie Pharmacology episode “How Pet Food Went Wrong with Dr. Judy Morgan.”

Pet nutrition has undergone a dramatic shift over the past century, moving from whole foods to highly processed convenience diets, and not always for the better. This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with Dr. Judy Morgan, a veterinarian with over 40 years of experience in integrative and holistic care, about what’s gone wrong in the modern pet food industry and how to rethink what we feed our animals. The conversation explores the rise of ultra-processed kibble, gaps in regulation, and the health consequences linked to highly processed diets, while offering practical guidance on incorporating fresher, more species-appropriate foods. From understanding ingredient labels to simple additions like eggs, sardines, and fresh produce, this episode provides a grounded, accessible framework for pet owners looking to support long-term health and longevity in their animals.

LISTENER OFFER: Use discount code PHARMACOLOGY50 for 50% off Dr. Judy authored Books found on https://drjudymorgan.com/

About Judy

Dr. Judy Morgan DVM, CVA, CVCP, CVFT has over 40-years-experience as an integrative veterinarian, acupuncturist, chiropractor, food therapist, best-selling author, international speaker, podcast host and owner of Dr. Judy Morgan’s Naturally Healthy Pets. Her goal is to change the lives of pets by educating and empowering pet parents worldwide in the use of natural healing therapies, and minimizing the use of chemicals, vaccinations, and poor-quality processed food.

Q&A Highlights from the Interview

What’s gone wrong with the modern pet food industry?

Over the past century, pet diets shifted from whole foods to highly processed, shelf-stable products designed for convenience. Many of these foods rely on lower-quality ingredients and intensive processing methods that can degrade nutrients. The result is a diet that may meet minimum standards on paper but does not necessarily support long-term health.

Why is ultra-processed kibble a concern for pet health?

Kibble is produced through high-heat extrusion, a process that can destroy sensitive nutrients and create harmful byproducts like advanced glycation end products. To compensate, synthetic vitamins and minerals are added back in, but these may not function the same way as nutrients from whole foods. Over time, this type of diet may contribute to inflammation, chronic disease, and reduced lifespan.

What is a more “species-appropriate” diet for pets?

Dogs are facultative carnivores and cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their nutritional needs are best met through diets rich in animal-based proteins and fats. Whole foods like meats, eggs, and certain vegetables can better reflect what their bodies are adapted to process. Incorporating fresh, minimally processed ingredients can support more balanced nutrition and overall health.

What are simple ways pet owners can improve their pet’s diet?

Even small changes can make a difference, such as adding fresh foods like eggs, sardines, or vegetables to a commercial diet. Choosing less processed options, like gently cooked or freeze-dried foods, can also help reduce exposure to degraded nutrients and additives. The goal is not perfection, but gradually moving toward more whole, nutrient-dense ingredients.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Genome Mining and the Quest for New Antibiotics with Dr. Nadine Ziemert

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 11 May 2026 11:01:52 GMT

Cover image for Foodie Pharmacology podcast episode “Genome Mining and the Quest for New Antibiotics.”

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine, raising the risk of a return to a pre-antibiotic era where common infections become life-threatening. This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with Dr. Nadine Ziemert about how scientists are turning to microbial genomes to discover the next generation of antibiotics. A professor of translational genome mining at the University of Tübingen, Nadine explains how bacteria themselves are prolific chemists, producing complex natural products that can be harnessed to fight infection. The conversation explores why traditional discovery methods have slowed, how genome mining reveals hidden “chemical dark matter” in the environment, and how computational tools are helping researchers predict new molecules before they are even isolated in the lab. From the vast, untapped diversity of soil microbes to the future potential of AI-driven discovery pipelines, this episode offers a hopeful look at how science is working to stay ahead in the race against antibiotic resistance. Learn more about Dr. Ziemert’s research on her lab’s YouTube channel.

About Nadine

Dr. Nadine Ziemert is Professor of Translational Genome Mining at the University of Tübingen, where she works at the interface of microbiology, bioinformatics, and natural product research. She studied biology in Berlin and has built her career around understanding the diversity, distribution, and function of microbial secondary metabolites. Her research focuses on developing computational methods and large-scale data resources to explore microbial genomes and biosynthetic gene clusters, and to better understand microbial chemical diversity and its relevance for antibiotic research.

She has contributed widely used bioinformatics tools and resources for natural product discovery, including ARTS, FunARTS, ARTS-DB, and the BGC Atlas. Through this work, she has helped advance genome-guided and computational strategies for studying natural products across bacterial and fungal diversity. Nadine is also committed to open science, interdisciplinary collaboration, and supportive leadership in academia.

Why is antibiotic resistance such an urgent global issue?

Antibiotics have transformed modern medicine, but their effectiveness is steadily declining as more bacteria evolve resistance. This means infections that were once easily treatable could become life-threatening again. Without new antibiotics, routine procedures like surgery or childbirth could carry much higher risks. Addressing this challenge requires both better stewardship of existing drugs and the discovery of new ones.

Where do most antibiotics come from?

Many of our most important antibiotics are actually produced by microbes, especially bacteria living in soil. These organisms naturally make chemical compounds to compete with other microbes for space and resources. Scientists have learned to isolate and use these compounds as medicines. In a sense, we are using bacteria’s own chemical defenses to fight harmful pathogens.

Why has it become harder to discover new antibiotics?

Traditional discovery methods often lead to rediscovering known compounds rather than finding truly new ones. Researchers grow microbes in the lab, extract their chemicals, and test for activity, but this process is time-consuming and inefficient. Because many microbes only produce certain compounds under specific conditions, valuable molecules can remain hidden. As a result, the pipeline for new antibiotics has slowed significantly.

What is genome mining, and how does it change the search for antibiotics?

Genome mining involves analyzing the DNA of microbes to identify biosynthetic gene clusters, which are groups of genes responsible for producing specific chemical compounds. By studying these genetic blueprints, scientists can predict what kinds of molecules a microbe is capable of making. This allows researchers to prioritize the most promising candidates before doing extensive lab work. It shifts the process from trial-and-error to a more targeted, data-driven approach.

What is “chemical dark matter” in the microbial world?

Chemical dark matter refers to the vast number of natural compounds that microbes have the potential to produce but that have not yet been discovered or characterized. Estimates suggest that only a small fraction of microbial chemical diversity is currently known. This hidden reservoir represents a major opportunity for finding new antibiotics and other therapeutics. Unlocking it requires new tools and approaches to access previously invisible chemistry.

Why is soil such an important source of new compounds?

Soil is one of the most diverse microbial environments on Earth, containing countless species that have yet to be studied. Even within small geographic areas, different soil types can host completely distinct microbial communities. This diversity translates into a wide range of chemical capabilities. As a result, soil remains one of the richest and most promising sources for discovering new bioactive molecules.

How are computational tools and AI shaping the future of antibiotic discovery?

Advances in computational biology allow scientists to analyze massive genomic datasets and predict which microbes might produce useful compounds. While AI is still developing in this space, it has the potential to accelerate discovery by identifying promising molecules and even predicting their biological activity. Combined with improved databases and collaborative efforts, these tools could streamline the path from genome to drug candidate. The long-term vision is a more efficient pipeline that can respond quickly to emerging threats.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Order an Autographed Copy

The Plant Hunter is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and e-book formats!

📦 Available for shipment via USPS media mail within the USA only.
✨ Order your signed copy here.

Legal Action for Nature with Dr. Jacob Phelps

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 04 May 2026 11:02:59 GMT

Cover image for Foodie Pharmacology episode “Legal Action for Nature with Dr. Jacob Phelps.”

The health of our environment underpins everything from food systems to future medicines, yet much of the damage done to nature goes unaddressed. This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with Jacob Phelps about a new approach to conservation that brings science into the courtroom. Together, they explore how environmental litigation can move beyond small fines and toward holding offenders accountable for restoring damaged ecosystems, from illegal mining and deforestation to wildlife trafficking. The conversation highlights the gap between strong environmental laws on paper and their limited use in practice, and how interdisciplinary teams of scientists and lawyers are working to change that. From protecting biodiversity and safeguarding food systems to preserving resources that may hold future therapeutic value, this episode offers a powerful look at how legal action can be used as a tool to defend and repair the natural world. Learn more at https://www.conservation-litigation.org/

About Jacob

Dr. Jacob Phelps is an environmental scientist and conservationist at the Lancaster Environment Center at Lancaster University in the UK. Originally from Costa Rica, he holds a PhD from the National University of Singapore, an MPhil. From the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University. He is a Harry S. Truman Scholar, two-time Morris Udall Scholar, and Wang Gungwu Medal holder. He has published widely on environmental governance and topical biodiversity conservation, and actively helped to shape policy across countries and contexts.

Alongside his academic trajectory, Jacob’s passion lies with environmental action and justice. He is Executive Director of Conservation-Litigation.org – a global network of scientists and lawyers who use the law to defend and remedy nature. They support precedent-setting cases around the world, holding people and companies meaningfully responsible for remedying the harms they cause to nature.

If strong environmental laws already exist, why aren’t they being used?

One of the most surprising findings is that many countries already have robust environmental protections written into law. The challenge is not always a lack of legal tools, but a lack of precedent and confidence in using them. Legal systems can be hesitant to pursue novel cases, especially when they involve complex scientific evidence or unfamiliar legal pathways. Without prior examples to follow, prosecutors, judges, and advocates may be unsure how to proceed. This creates a cycle where laws remain underutilized simply because they have not yet been tested in practice.

How do scientists contribute to environmental legal cases?

Scientists play a critical role in defining and quantifying harm in ways that can be used in court. This includes documenting environmental damage, tracing its causes, and identifying downstream impacts on ecosystems, human health, and food systems. Their work helps translate complex ecological changes into evidence that can support legal claims. In many cases, this involves not only measuring direct damage, but also understanding cascading effects, such as how the loss of a single species can disrupt entire ecosystems. This integration of science into legal strategy is essential for building strong, credible cases.

Can legal action really change environmental behavior?

Legal action has the potential to shift incentives in powerful ways, particularly when it goes beyond symbolic penalties. When companies and individuals are required to restore ecosystems or compensate for long-term damage, the true cost of environmental harm becomes much harder to ignore. Over time, this can influence business practices, regulatory enforcement, and public expectations. In regions where environmental litigation has been used consistently, there is evidence that it can drive investment in better practices and technologies. Establishing legal precedent also creates a ripple effect, making it easier for future cases to move forward.

How is environmental harm connected to food systems and human health?

Environmental damage has direct and often immediate consequences for food systems and human health. Pollution, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss can disrupt fisheries, agriculture, and access to clean water, affecting both nutrition and livelihoods. Beyond these immediate impacts, there is also the loss of genetic diversity in crops and wild species, which plays a critical role in resilience and future food security. Ecosystems also serve as sources of medicinal compounds, meaning that their degradation can limit future opportunities for drug discovery and public health innovation.

What role do communities play in these legal efforts?

Local communities are often the first to experience the impacts of environmental harm, from contaminated water to loss of land and resources. Their lived experiences provide essential insight into the true scale and nature of the damage, complementing scientific data. In many cases, communities are also central to bringing legal actions forward, advocating for their rights and the restoration of their environment. Ensuring that remedies reflect their needs is critical, as environmental harm is not only ecological but social, cultural, and economic in its consequences.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Nature’s Clues to Clearer Skin

Cassandra Quave — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:02:13 GMT

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a native shrub of the southeastern United States with a long history of use in traditional medicine.

Hello, my dear Nature’s Pharmacy community! Before we dive into today’s research update, I have some exciting news to share. Nature’s Pharmacy was recently featured in this month’s issue of Atlanta Magazine in an article titled “Five Atlanta Substacks Worth Checking Out.

Atlanta Magazine ran a feature in their Well Read section: “Five Atlanta Substacks Worth Checking Out.” Nature’s Pharmacy was featured, along with Nick Valencia News, The Half Marathoner by Terrell Johnson, Assembley Notes by Stacey Abrams, and The Atlanta Objective by George Chidi.

It’s an honor to see this work recognized, and I’m deeply grateful to all of you who read, share, and support this newsletter! This community makes it possible to translate complex science into stories that connect.

And speaking of new stories from the lab, I have something special to share…

Our latest paper from the Quave Research Group was just published yesterday via open access in ACS Infectious Diseases!

Read the Article

Kittleson B, Woo S, Marquez L, Zeiler MJ, Daher I, Melander C, Quave CL. Growth-Inhibitory Activity of a Clerodane Diterpene from Callicarpa americana Leaf Extracts and Its Derivatives against Cutibacterium acnes. ACS Infect Dis. 2026 Apr 27. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5c01116. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42045119.

There’s a lot of detailed chemistry and microbiology in this one, so I’ll walk you through the key highlights and why this work matters.

Why new solutions for acne are needed

Our new research tackles a growing problem in dermatology: antibiotic resistance in acne-causing bacteria. Acne vulgaris affects nearly 10% of the global population and, while often dismissed as a cosmetic issue, can actually carry significant psychological and social burdens.

At the center of this condition is Cutibacterium acnes, a bacterium that normally lives on our skin but can trigger inflammation and lesions under the right conditions. Many current treatments rely on antibiotics, and resistance is becoming increasingly common. That reality is pushing researchers to search for new solutions.

For this study, we turned to a plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine: American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L., Lamiaceae), a member of the mint family. Indigenous communities across the southeastern United States have used this plant for generations to treat a variety of ailments, including skin conditions. [Tip: Check out this great resource, The Native American Ethnobotany Database, for a comprehensive list of uses of this medicinal species.]

How did we find the active compound?

To get from a whole plant to a single active molecule, we used a stepwise approach called bioassay-guided fractionation. This means we repeatedly separated the extract into smaller fractions and tested each one against C. acnes, following the biological activity at every step.

Starting with crude leaf extracts, we separated the mixture into dozens of fractions using chromatography techniques. Each fraction was screened for its ability to inhibit bacterial growth, and the most active fractions were further purified until we narrowed the activity down to a single compound.

That compound is a clerodane diterpene, previously identified in our earlier studies on MRSA, which again showed clear growth-inhibitory activity against C. acnes at low concentrations.

Chemical structure of the clerodane diterpene (compound 1) isolated from American beautyberry leaves. This molecule drives the antibacterial activity observed in the study.

We confirmed its identity using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, and compared it to a version made through total chemical synthesis. The synthetic and plant-derived versions performed equally well in our lab tests.

Why does this work matter?

Acne is one of the most common reasons people seek dermatologic care, yet treatment options are increasingly limited by antibiotic resistance. This study shows that a compound derived from a native medicinal plant can inhibit the growth of acne-associated bacteria, offering a promising new direction beyond conventional therapies.

We also found that not all strains of C. acnes respond equally. Three strains were strongly inhibited by the compound, while one showed little to no response. This likely reflects differences in ribotypes, or genetic subgroups within the same bacterial species. Even though they are all C. acnes, they are not identical and can respond differently to treatment.

This highlights an important reality: acne is not a one-size-fits-all condition. The microbial makeup of your skin matters, and future treatments may need to be more personalized.

Growth inhibition of multiple clinical strains of C. acnes by the beautyberry-derived compound. Most strains are inhibited, while one shows reduced sensitivity, illustrating differences between bacterial subtypes.

Finally, by testing related molecules made by collaborating medicinal chemists on the team, we identified which parts of the compound’s structure are essential for its antibacterial activity. This provides a roadmap for designing improved versions in the future.

The Takeaway

This study shows how a plant long used in traditional medicine can yield a chemically defined compound with real activity against acne-associated bacteria. By isolating and validating a molecule from American beautyberry that inhibits Cutibacterium acnes, we take an early but meaningful step toward new treatment strategies beyond conventional antibiotics. While more work is needed to understand its safety and real-world effectiveness, these findings reinforce the concept that nature is a powerful and largely untapped source of inspiration for modern drug discovery.

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Want to support more research like this?

This study was led by Ben Kittleson as part of his College Honors Thesis in Biology at Emory University. I am incredibly proud of the work he has accomplished. Ben will next join the PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University, where he will continue his training as a scientist. His undergraduate research was supported by the 2023 Garden Club of America Zeller Summer Scholarship in Medicinal Botany. Thank you to the GCA for your support of our students!

We are constantly working to uncover new medicines from plants and translate traditional knowledge into modern therapeutics. If you’d like to support the work of my students and research team, you can make a tax-deductible contribution directly to our lab through our Emory Giving Page.

Natural Remedies for Pets with Angela Ardolino

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:03:15 GMT

Episode cover for Foodie Pharmacology “Natural Remedies for Pets with Angela Ardolino.”

Spring is a time when many of us think about fresh starts and better health, including the well-being of our pets. This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with Angela Ardolino about natural approaches to supporting aging dogs. Angela, a formulator and educator specializing in cannabinoids, medicinal mushrooms, and adaptogens, explains how these compounds interact with the endocannabinoid system to regulate inflammation, neurological function, and overall balance. They discuss the differences between full-spectrum hemp extracts and isolated compounds, how cannabinoids may support joint pain, seizures, and cognitive decline, and the growing interest in functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps for brain health of our pets. The conversation also examines what cognitive decline looks like in aging pets, the role of inflammation and the gut-brain connection, and how diet and ultra-processed pet foods may contribute to disease. From reading supplement labels to understanding ingredient sourcing and quality, this episode offers a practical framework for pet owners interested in integrative approaches to animal health. Learn more about Angela’s work at https://angelaardolino.com/

About Angela

Angela Ardolino is a cannabis, fungi, and adaptogen formulator and researcher with over a decade of experience using plant and mushroom medicine in clinical settings. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont School of Medicine’s Medical Cannabis program and is known for her work educating veterinarians and practitioners on the endocannabinoid system and botanical therapeutics.

Angela is the founder of CBD Dog Health and MycoDog, where she formulates human-grade, full-spectrum hemp and mushroom extracts designed to support systemic balance through whole-plant and whole-fungi synergy.

Her work is grounded in real cases and clinical outcomes. Most recently, she led the Senior Dog Study, where her nootropic formulation demonstrated an 81% improvement in dogs with cognitive dysfunction. This study was built on years of success using the same formulation in rescue animals with advanced neurological decline.

She is also the host of the Your Natural Dog Podcast, where she interviews experts in holistic medicine, and she is widely recognized for translating complex biological systems into practical, effective protocols rooted in traditional medicine and modern science.

What conditions are cannabinoids being used for in dogs?

Common applications include support for joint pain, seizures, inflammation, and age-related cognitive decline. The goal is not to mask symptoms, but to help restore balance in the body. By interacting with the endocannabinoid system, these compounds may help regulate multiple processes at once, including immune response and neural signaling. This systems-level approach is especially relevant in aging animals, where multiple conditions often occur simultaneously.

Why is full-spectrum hemp preferred over isolated compounds?

Full-spectrum extracts contain a range of cannabinoids and terpenes that work together. This “entourage effect” can lead to better biological outcomes compared to single isolated compounds, which may lose important synergistic activity. In practice, this means the body is responding to a more complex chemical profile that better reflects how these compounds occur in nature. It also reduces the risk of over-relying on a single pathway, allowing for broader support of physiological balance.

What are some early signs of cognitive decline in dogs?

Changes can include disrupted sleep, confusion, altered behavior, or repetitive actions like pacing. These shifts are often subtle at first but reflect underlying changes in brain health and inflammation. Pet owners may also notice changes in appetite, increased anxiety, or difficulty recognizing familiar environments. Identifying these signs early can open the door to supportive interventions that may slow progression and improve quality of life.

How can medicinal mushrooms support brain health?

Certain mushrooms, like lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps, contain compounds that may support neurogenesis, immune balance, and inflammation control. When combined, they can act through multiple pathways to support cognitive function. Some of these compounds have been linked to stimulation of nerve growth factors and protection against oxidative stress. Their role as functional foods also means they can contribute to overall health while targeting specific aspects of brain aging.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

The Truth About Seed Oils with Cherie Calbom

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:21:13 GMT

Episode cover for “The Truth About Seed Oils with Cherie Calbomb” on the Foodie Pharmacology Podcast.

Seed oils are everywhere. From salad dressings to snack foods, they’ve become a quiet staple of the modern diet. But how did they get there, and what do we really know about their impact on human health?

This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave sits down with nutritionist Cherie Calbom, MS, known as “The Juice Lady,” to unpack the rise of industrial seed oils and the debate surrounding them. Cherie shares her personal journey into nutrition, which began with a serious health crisis and led her to rethink the role of food in healing.

Together, they explore what seed oils actually are, how they are processed, and why their chemical structure makes them vulnerable to oxidation. The conversation traces their history from industrial byproducts to “heart-healthy” staples, shaped by wartime supply chains, shifting dietary guidance, and powerful marketing.

They also dig into where these oils are hiding in everyday foods, why they can be difficult to avoid even when you are trying to eat well, and how to navigate labels in a highly processed food environment.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s really in the oils lining grocery store shelves, or why this topic has become so widely debated, this episode offers a deeper look at the science, history, and real-world implications of seed oils in today’s diet. Learn more about Cherie’s work at https://juiceladycherie.com/

About Cherie

Celebrated globally as “The Juice Lady,” Cherie Calbom is a trailblazer in whole-food nutrition and the juicing revolution. With a Master of Science degree in nutrition and a passion for transforming health through fresh, vibrant foods, she has authored 36 books that have collectively sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Her global bestseller, Juicing for Life, alone has empowered 2 million readers to reclaim vitality.

Cherie’s influence extends far beyond her books. She has received two lifetime achievement awards, served on the Board of Regents at Bastyr University, and advised leaders ranging from George Foreman to members of the Royal Family of the UAE. She was the co-spokesperson for the George Foreman Grills. Her newest work, The Truth About Seed Oils, exposes how the “heart-healthy” myth made us sick — and how to heal with real fats.

Her passion for wellness is deeply personal. After losing her mother to breast cancer at the age of six, Cherie devoted her life to empowering others to prevent disease and reclaim their health through nourishing, whole foods. A dynamic and trusted voice in the wellness world, Cherie has been featured on Fox News, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, CBN, TBN, and It’s Supernatural, inspiring millions with a simple but powerful message: health isn’t just a goal—it’s a way of life!

About the book

Book cover image of The Truth About Seed Oils.

A powerful exposé that reveals how “heart-healthy” seed oils have silently sabotaged our health—and how returning to real, natural fats can restore vitality, balance, and truth to the modern diet.

For decades, we were told to trade butter for margarine, and lard for “vegetable oil.” We followed the experts’ advice—and paid the price. Chronic inflammation, obesity, heart disease, and fatigue have all skyrocketed since the so-called “healthy oils” took over our kitchens.

In The Truth About Seed Oils, nutrition experts Cherie Calbom—known to millions as The Juice Lady—and bestselling author Liana Werner-Gray expose the hidden dangers of industrial seed and vegetable oils and reveal the surprising truth about the fats our bodies actually thrive on.

From decoding decades of dietary deception to teaching you how to clean out your pantry and cook with confidence again, this book is part myth-busting manifesto, part practical guide. You’ll learn:

Why seed oils like canola, soy, and sunflower are linked to inflammation, weight gain, and fatigue

The real story behind saturated fats—and how they can protect your heart and metabolism
How industrial food processing has turned nourishment into a chemical experiment
The best natural oils for every type of cooking (and the worst to avoid)
A 30-day plan to reset your body and rediscover the joy of truly nourishing food

Backed by science, steeped in wisdom, and filled with inspiring recipes, The Truth About Seed Oils is your roadmap to reclaiming vibrant health—one meal at a time.

Order the Book

Q&A Highlights from the Interview

Your book argues that seed oils are not the health foods they’ve long been marketed to be. What led to their reputation as “heart-healthy” in the first place?

Cherie explains that the “heart-healthy” reputation of seed oils emerged alongside rising concerns about heart disease in the mid-20th century. As cholesterol and saturated fats were increasingly blamed, seed oils were positioned as a modern alternative. This shift was reinforced by marketing, industry influence, and the elevation of certain voices, while dissenting perspectives were often sidelined.

You point to a major shift in the American diet after World War II. What changed so dramatically during that period?

World War II disrupted access to traditional fats like coconut oil, creating an opportunity for industrial seed oils to expand. At the same time, advances in food processing and large-scale agriculture made these oils cheap and widely available. Combined with aggressive marketing and the rise of processed foods, this period marked a turning point in how fats were produced and consumed in the United States.

Which seed oils should consumers be most cautious about, and which oils do you recommend for food prep?

Cherie highlights commonly used industrial oils such as soybean, corn, and canola as the ones she advises limiting, noting their prevalence in processed foods and restaurant cooking. Instead, she recommends choosing less processed oils such as olive oil and avocado oil for everyday use, and emphasizes the importance of reading ingredient labels carefully, as seed oils are often hidden in packaged products.

What is it about the molecular structure of industrial seed oils that makes them prone to oxidation and breakdown?

Many seed oils are rich in polyunsaturated fats, which contain multiple double bonds. These chemical structures are more unstable and can break down under heat and processing, forming byproducts such as peroxides and aldehydes. This instability, especially when oils are repeatedly heated, is central to concerns about their impact on health.

How do seed oils contribute to the imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids? Do we need omega-6 fats?

Cherie notes that while omega-6 fatty acids are essential, the modern diet contains them in far higher proportions than omega-3s, largely due to the widespread use of seed oils in processed foods. She describes a typical ratio of around 15:1, compared to a more balanced range closer to 4:1, and suggests this imbalance may contribute to inflammatory processes in the body.

Are any seed oils beneficial? Which ones do you recommend?

While critical of many industrial oils, Cherie points to certain minimally processed options, such as cold-pressed sesame oil, as more acceptable in moderation. She also emphasizes the importance of omega-3-rich sources like flaxseed oil and fatty fish, while noting that some oils are better suited for low-heat use due to their sensitivity to oxidation.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

Order an Autographed Copy

The Plant Hunter is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and e-book formats!

📦 Available for shipment via USPS media mail within the USA only.
✨ Order your signed copy here.

News from the lab!

Cassandra Quave — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:03:37 GMT

Research team group photo - April 2026. Pictured left to right - Front row: Nadia Aziz (Lab Manager), Dr. William Crandall (graduate student, newly minted PhD!), Dr. Cassandra Quave (PI), Dr. Thara Samarakoon (Herbarium Curator); Back Row: Dr. Ella Vardeman (Postdoctoral Fellow), Dr. Lewis Marquez (Postdoctoral Fellow), Marco Caputo (Research Specialist), Hailey Swaldi (Graduate Student), Dida Slusarek (Graduate Student).

Hello dear readers! The end of the spring semester is usually a busy time, but this year has been exceptional! We had four student defenses in two weeks, an Emory science symposium, summer field research planning, grant writing, and an awards event that has kept us very busy. In this post, I’ll catch everyone up on what my team and I have been up to recently.

Dr. William Crandall Successfully Defends his PhD

Dr. Crandall presenting his opening slides at his dissertation defense at Emory University.

Dr. Crandall successfully defended his Doctoral Dissertation entitled “Mass Spectrometry-Based Pharmacometabolomics for Understanding Natural Product and Drug Metabolism”. Dr. Crandall has earned a PhD in the Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program at Emory. He was co-mentored by myself and Dr. Dean Jones and the other members of his dissertation committee included Dr. John Hepler and Dr. Christina Gavegnano.

Dr. Crandall joined the Quave Research Group in the summer of 2021 and made significant scientific advances throughout his training. He has published five scientific papers, including two as first author, and was supported by the NIH first as a T32 trainee and then as an F31 fellow. He also completed an industry internship in Germany during his predoctoral training.

Although newly minted as a PhD, his research has already attracted strong attention from the scientific community, with his work cited 237 times to date. Congratulations to Dr. Crandall on a job well done!

Undergraduate Students Amy Kaku, Celine Kim, and Che Skeete Successfully Defend Honors Theses

In addition to graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff scientists, we have an impressive cohort of undergraduate researchers conducting independent research in the lab. This year, we celebrated an astounding three undergraduate honors defenses, all successfully completed.

These projects typically reflect a year of research training followed by an additional 12 to 18 months of intensive independent study. Each of their committees, composed of Emory faculty, was deeply impressed by the quality of their work.

Amy Kaku at her honors theses defense.

Amy Kaku joined the Emory Herbarium during her sophomore year (2023) and then spent the past two years conducting research in the Microbiology/Pharmacology lab of the Quave Research Group. When she isn’t in the lab or in class, Amy stays busy working in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as an Advanced EMT responder and CPR instructor at Emory.

She was honored as a recipient of the Garden Club of America Zeller Medicinal Botany Scholarship in support of her research in 2025. She earned Highest Honors in Biology for her project entitled “Staphylococcal Secretome Profile Associated with Increased Clinical Severity in Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma.” Her honors thesis committee included me, Dr. Pamela Allen, Dr. Bruce Levin, and Dr. Brandon Berryhill.

Most exciting, Amy’s work was selected for a prestigious oral presentation that she will deliver at the 6th World Congress of Cutaneous Lymphomas this June in Montreal, an exceptional recognition at this stage of her career.

Celine Kim presented her honors thesis work at theEmory Biological Discovery through Chemical Innovation “Drugging the Undruggable” Symposium .

Celine Kim joined the phytochemistry lab of the Quave Research Group in 2024. She earned High Honors in Chemistry for her project entitled “Inhibitory Activity of Extract 2806 Against ESKAPEE Pathogens.” This work was impressive in its scope, involving testing against a broad panel of multidrug-resistant superbugs in her efforts to identify new antibiotics to combat the most challenging infections.

Her honors thesis committee included me, Dr. Annette Neuman, and Dr. Mingji Dai. Celine has received multiple awards during her time at Emory, including the James T. Laney Scholarship and the Pathways Research Award.

Celine will continue working in the lab next semester as she prepares for her December graduation, and we expect to have a manuscript reporting her findings ready for submission in the fall. This summer, she will gain additional research experience at Texas A&M, where she was accepted into the NSF REU program to undertake non-targeted analysis of PFAS in marine animals, further expanding an already impressive research portfolio.

Ché’s with her honor’s thesis committee members, Dr. Quave, Dr. LaTonia Taliaferro-Smith, Ché Skeete, and Dr. Erica Britt.

Ché Skeete joined our research group as a member of the Herbarium research team in 2024. She earned highest honors in Anthropology for her thesis entitled “Roots: An Ethnobotanical Inquiry Into the Maintenance of Barbadian Plant Medicines from the Enslaved Generation in Present-day Barbadians in the Face of Colonial Biomedicine.” This project was an impressive international field research endeavor, involving interviews, plant collections, and historical literature review. Her committee consisted of me, Dr. Erica Britt, and Dr. LaTonia Taliaferro-Smith. We are also grateful to Dr. Sonia Peter and the Andromeda Botanic Gardens in Barbados for their support of her project.

Ché will be continuing her training this fall at the Rollins School of Public Health, where she will pursue an MPH in the Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences Program. We look forward to seeing her build on this work as she advances her career at the intersection of ethnobotany, community engagement, and human health.

Undergraduate Herbarium Researchers Present at ASB Conference

Caron Lee (left) and Michael Rittmaster (right) presented posters at the ASB this spring.

Congratulations to our talented Emory Herbarium undergraduate researchers for being selected to present posters on their work at the 2026 Association of Southeastern Biologists in Mobile, Alabama, March 25-28. This is a wonderful recognition of their hard work and growing contributions to the field!

Caron Lee presented her research on “Integrating Taxonomic, Phylogenetic, Morphological, and Chemical Approaches to Differentiate Poisonous Veratrum spp. (False Hellebore) from Allium tricoccum (Ramps)”
Michael Rittmaster presented his research on “Ethnobotanical Continuity and Change in Medicinal Plant Use in Fernbank Forest, with Reference to Muscogee and Cherokee Tribes’ Knowledge and Historical Herbarium Collections.” Huge congratulations to Michael also for winning the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Best Poster award!

Undergraduate Researcher Andrew Conlon Named Beckman Scholar

Please join me in congratulating Andrew Conlon on his selection as a Beckman Scholar, a highly competitive award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supporting exceptional undergraduate researchers in the life sciences! Andrew will undertake 15 months of intensive research in the Quave Research Group, building on his work in medicinal botany and antibiotic discovery.

Undergraduate Researcher Belinda Ramirez Ocampo Named GCA Zeller Scholar

Please join me in congratulating Belinda Ramirez Ocampo on her selection as a recipient of the Zeller Summer Scholarship in Medicinal Botany from the Garden Club of America for her project "Evolutionary Analysis and In depth Research of the Medicinal Properties Found in Tribe Naucleeae". This funding will enable Belinda’s research on this important group of medicinal plants in the Emory Herbarium this summer!

Dr. Lewis Marquez Honored with Best Poster Prize

Dr Quave with Dr. Marquez at the Drugging the Undruggable research symposium poster session.

Dr. Lewis Marquez, a postdoctoral fellow in the Quave Research Group, presented his work on the use of a specialized chemical discovery tool at the Emory Biological Discovery through Chemical Innovation “Drugging the Undruggable” Symposium and won the prize for best poster presentation for his work, “MicroED-Enabled Discovery of Small Molecule Antibacterials”!

We also had some excellent poster entries by group members, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ella Vardeman, “Natural Product Approaches to Bacterial Vaginosis,” and by undergraduate researcher Celine Kim, “Growth Inhibitory Activity of Extract 2806 Against ESKAPEE Pathogens.” Way to go, team! We’re so proud of you!

Dr. Samarakoon Elected To Leadership of Society of Herbarium Curators

The Society of Herbarium Curators (SHC) is an international organization dedicated to the support, advancement, and collaboration of herbaria. Founded in 2005 in the southeastern United States, its mission is to unite herbaria across the nation and around the world.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Thara Samarakoon, Curator of the Emory Herbarium, on her election as Secretary of the Society of Herbarium Curators SEUSA Chapter, where she will serve through 2030! This is a well-deserved recognition of her leadership and contributions to the field.

Welcoming New Lab Members

I’m so proud of the team we’ve built, and it’s wonderful to see it continue to grow. This year, we welcome three talented new graduate students to the lab!

Hailey Swaldi joins us this spring from the Emory Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program. Hailey is studying how small molecules from plants can mitigate the severity of deadly bacterial infections.
Dida Slusarek joins us this spring from the Emory Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis Graduate Program. Dida is studying how plant-derived molecules can improve women’s health, with a focus on the vaginal microbiome.
Chloe Loveland joins us this fall from the Emory Environmental Sciences and Society Graduate Program. Chloe will study the ethnobotanical practices concerning medicinal plants, with a heavy focus on field research.

The pool of graduate students in Emory’s graduate training programs is highly competitive, with hundreds of applicants each year per program and only a small number of slots allocated to each program, typically 4 to 8 in the programs where I serve. Students select labs after multi-week rotations, with the final match between student and PI being bilateral.

We are fortunate to have drawn the interest of these talented trainees, and I give huge credit to our team for showcasing a spirit of teamwork, collaboration, and creativity. That culture has been integral to making us a destination lab.

Verdant Scientific, Inc. Honored as Emory Startup of the Year!

Emory Office of Technology Transfer Awards ceremony celebration of Startup of the Year. Photos, left to right: Dr. Todd Sherer, Dr. Sat Balachander, Dr. Cassandra Quave, Robert Rushenberg, and Dr. Adam Marcus.

When Robert Rushenberg and I co-founded Verdant Scientific, Inc. in 2022, we did so around a simple but ambitious idea: that discoveries from nature, grounded in rigorous science, can be translated into entirely new ways of treating disease. Fast forward to today, and Verdant’s progress is rapidly accelerating. We’ve raised over $4 million to date as part of our Seed round, expanded our team to include drug substance production, drug product formulation, and regulatory, and have achieved a number of key milestones that will position us for Phase 1 human studies. See the Emory News Center article “Emory innovations and researchers honored at annual ceremony” for more info on our recognition as Emory Startup Company of the Year.

A Shift in Focus

Big, ambitious goals to push forward the frontiers of scientific discovery and drug development require deep, intentional focus. With this in mind, I made the decision to step down from my leadership role as Associate Dean of Core Facilities at Emory University School of Medicine, effective April 15, to focus on my research in a pivotal time of growth.

I am deeply grateful to the incredible team of staff and faculty who power Emory’s shared research infrastructure. It has been a privilege to serve in this role and to work alongside them. This shared infrastructure is essential to advancing discovery and sustaining the university’s position as a leading research institution. I wish them all the best in their continued efforts and look forward to continuing to engage with the team in my role as faculty.

What’s Next?

My research group has some exciting activities coming up soon:

Dr. Vardeman will be joining leaders from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH of the National Institutes of Health) as a panelist in the session “Carving a Successful Research Career in Complementary and Integrative Health”, speaking at the 2026 International Congress on Integrative Medicine & Health in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 20.
I will be meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill on April 21–22 to advocate for policies that support the development of botanical drugs. A key focus will be the need to level the playing field by granting botanical drugs the same 12 years of data exclusivity currently afforded to biologic drugs, an important step toward making investment in botanical drug development financially viable. More to come soon in the newsletter on this topic.
I will be delivering a talk “The Botanical Blueprint: Natural Products and the Future of Skin Health” at Atlanta Dermatology Day hosted by Emory Dermatology and AADDS on April 25 in Atlanta.
Dr. Vardeman and I will be delivering oral presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnobotany, to be held in Montpellier, France, May 31 - June 3.
I will be delivering a plenary talk at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy in Denver this July.

The Takeaway

We’ve been busy, and I appreciate you bearing with me as I share so much in one update. I continue to be inspired by the creativity and talent of this team. There are endless questions to explore in the natural world and countless solutions waiting to be discovered. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to do this work alongside such a dedicated and compassionate group 💚💚💚 Stay tuned for more news on our upcoming field research season and other updates from the lab.

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

P.S. If you would like to support research like this, you can do so through our tax-deductible philanthropic fund at Emory. Donor support makes much of this work possible, and we are deeply grateful to those who help advance our mission. Thank you for being part of the journey!

Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome with Gary Falcetano

Cassandra Quave — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:03:33 GMT

Cover art for Foodie Pharmacology episode “Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome with Gary Falcetano”.

Spring is here, and seasonal pollen along with it! This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with Gary Falcetano, PA-C, AE-C, Senior Manager of Global Medical & Scientific Affairs in Allergy at Thermo Fisher Scientific and a longtime clinician and educator in asthma and immunologic disorders, about pollen food allergy syndrome and why certain fresh foods can suddenly cause itching or irritation during allergy season.

Also known as oral allergy syndrome, this condition stems from cross-reactivity between pollen proteins and similar proteins found in plant foods. Gary explains how this immune mix-up happens, why symptoms are typically limited to the mouth and throat, and why something as simple as cooking an apple can make it more tolerable.

They also cover how common this syndrome is, why it is frequently overlooked, and how clinicians distinguish it from more serious food allergies using detailed history and targeted testing. The conversation highlights the role of IgE, component-resolved diagnostics, and the importance of understanding seasonal exposure. The episode closes with practical tips for managing symptoms, from reducing pollen exposure at home to simple food preparation strategies that can make a real difference during peak allergy season.

This Foodie Pharmacology podcast is part of a special two part series sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. The view and opinions in this podcast episode are those of the presenters and represent the synthesis of science.

About Gary

With more than 20 years in medical publishing and education, Gary has held leadership roles and founded multiple medical communications companies. He is a Certified Asthma Educator and an active contributor to professional education, including prior service on the National Asthma Education Certification Board. He also has authored numerous articles and text book chapters on Asthma and Molecular Allergy Diagnosis.

Gary is also host of the ImmunoCAST podcast, which provides scientifically-backed allergy information created for primary care and specialists alike!

ImmunoCAST Podcast

Q&A Highlights from the Interview

What is pollen food allergy syndrome?

Pollen food allergy syndrome, also known as oral allergy syndrome, occurs when the immune system confuses proteins in certain plant foods with similar proteins found in pollens. This cross-reactivity can trigger symptoms like itching, tingling, or mild swelling in the mouth and throat shortly after eating raw fruits, vegetables, or nuts.

Why do certain foods trigger symptoms during allergy season?

The proteins responsible for pollen food allergy syndrome are structurally similar to pollen allergens. When pollen exposure is high, the immune system is already primed, making it more likely to react to these cross-reactive food proteins. Different pollens are associated with different food triggers, depending on the specific proteins involved.

How is pollen food allergy syndrome diagnosed?

Diagnosis starts with a detailed clinical history, including timing of symptoms and seasonal patterns. Laboratory tools such as specific IgE testing and component-resolved diagnostics can help identify the exact proteins involved and distinguish pollen food allergy syndrome from primary food allergies that may carry higher risk.

What should clinicians or patients look for to avoid missing pollen food allergy syndrome?

Because symptoms are often mild and short-lived, they can be easily overlooked. Asking about oral symptoms after eating fresh plant foods, especially during pollen season, and considering geographic pollen exposure are key to recognizing the condition.

What are some practical ways to manage symptoms?

Management often includes simple strategies such as avoiding trigger foods during peak pollen season, peeling or cooking fruits and vegetables, and reducing overall pollen exposure. Small changes, like washing hair and changing clothes after being outdoors, can also help lower cumulative allergen load.

Watch the video

Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others!

Listen to the interview

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

What did you think about this episode? I love to hear from listeners! Join the conversation with the comments feature here.

Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, CNN Champion for Change, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of The National Academies Award for Excellence in Science Communication, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as Professor, Herbarium Director, and Associate Dean at Emory University School of Medicine, where she leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription to Nature’s Pharmacy or donation to her lab research.