Natura Nova - Traditional Plant Knowledge Rediscovered
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Does Sunscreen Cause Cancer? What the Studies Actually Show
A persistent online claim says sunscreen causes cancer. We unpack the evidence, look at two genuinely valid ingredient concerns (octocrylene, DHHB), and explain how carotenoids can meaningfully complement the skin's...
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Glycosides: How Plants Wrap Their Strongest Compounds in Sugar
A willow twig, a foxglove and a stevia leaf all rest on the same principle: an active compound plus a sugar. An overview of the plant world's most versatile class.
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Arnica: The Bright Yellow Flower of the Mountain Meadows and Its History
From lonely alpine pastures to Goethe's study: the eventful history of arnica, the little sun of the mountain meadows.
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Sweet Flag: The Plant That Conquered Half of Europe Without Ever Setting Seed
It barely flowers, sets no seed – and has been spreading for 450 years. Why sweet flag is a botanical special case, and what Swiss food law states about it.
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Why There Are Exactly Thirteen Vitamins – and Where Switzerland Falls Short
Thirteen substances the body cannot produce itself. What the national nutrition survey menuCH reveals about intake in Switzerland, why vitamin D is a special case here – and what the...
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Not Banned Does Not Mean Allowed – Plants Under Swiss Food Law
Two food supplements were objected to in eastern Switzerland in early 2026 because they contained gymnema and ivy. Both plants appear on the VLpH prohibition list. How Annex 1 is...
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Dandelion Root: The Bitter Plant That's Been Part of European Herbal Tradition Since the Middle Ages
Weed or centuries-old healing plant? A look at dandelion root's long European history.
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Fresh, Seasonal, Regional: What Tastes Best Right Now in Switzerland
Corn salad in March, beetroot in October: a tour through four vegetable categories and their best season in Switzerland.
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Coenzyme Q10: What Really Happens in Your Cells' Power Plants
Most people know coenzyme Q10 only from a label. What the molecule actually does in the mitochondria, why the body makes less with age, and how statins fit in –...
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Kale Is Just a New Name for a Vegetable Europe Has Grown for Centuries
The hyped superfood "kale" is botanically our local winter cabbage – raw, richer in vitamin C than an orange. A factual look at the nutrients, the evidence and the right...
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The Mediterranean Way of Life, Part 4: Why There's a Genuine "Vitamin D Winter" North of the Alps
Cyprus has virtually none, Switzerland up to six months: we traced through what the research shows about the "vitamin D winter" and its interplay with K2. Part 4, closing our...
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The Mediterranean Way of Life, Part 3: What's Actually Proven About "Blue Zones" – And What Isn't
Why loneliness is a genuine health risk, while "Blue Zones" are currently at the centre of a serious scientific controversy. Part 3 of our 4-part series.
