[Latin Name]Huperzia serratum

[Source] Huperziceae whole herb from China

[Appearance]Brown to white

[Ingredient]Huperzine A

[Specification]Huperzine A 1% – 5%, HPLC

[Solubility] Soluble in chloroform, methanol, ethanol, slightly soluble in water

[Particle size] 80 Mesh

[Loss on drying] ≤5.0%

[Heavy Metal] ≤10PPM

[Pesticide residue] EC396-2005, USP 34, EP 8.0, FDA

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life] 24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside.

[What is Huperzine A]

Huperzia is a type of moss that grows in China. It is related to club mosses (the Lycopodiaceae family) and is known to some botanists as Lycopodium serratum . The whole prepared moss was used traditionally. Modern herbal preparations use only the isolated alkaloid known as huperzine A. Huperzine A is an alkaloid found in huperzia that has been reported to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, an important substance needed by the nervous system to transmit information from cell to cell. Animal research has suggested that huperzine A’s ability to preserve acetylcholine may be greater than that of some prescription drugs. Loss of acetylcholine function is a primary feature of several disorders of brain function, including Alzheimer’s disease . Huperzine A may also have a protective effect on brain tissue, further increasing its theoretical potential for helping reduce symptoms of some brain disorders.

[Function] Used in alternative medicine, huperzine A has been found to act as a cholinesterase inhibitor, a type of medicine used to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine (a chemical essential to learning and memory).

Not only used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, huperzine A is also said to enhance learning and memory and to protect against age-related cognitive decline.

In addition, huperzine A is sometimes used to boost energy, increase alertness, and aid in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune disorder that affects the muscles).

On this episode of Dani’s Delicious Dish, Dani talks about breast cancer and shows you how pumpkin seeds can help prevent it!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
INGREDIENTS:
1 Pumpkin Seeded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-3 Tsp, seasonings of your choice

Sweet
Cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar
Pumpkin pie spice and honey
Cardamom and brown sugar
Savory (any combination!)
Garlic powder, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, Parmesan, curry
Chili powder, Garam masala

DIRECTIONS
1) Turn on the oven to 325 degree
2) Clean the outside of the pumpkin
3) Cut open the pumpkin with a sharp serrated knife at an angle
4) Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp and placeseeds and strings in one bowl and the large chunks of flesh in another bowl – you can discard or use in other recipes
5) Place the seeds in a colander and run cool water over the seeds to clean them OR Cover the seeds with water and swish the bowl around to remove the excess pumpkin pieces (the seeds will float and the flesh will sink to the bottom but you may have to help separate some the strings from the seeds)
6) Place seeds on a cloth towel to pat off excess water (some seeds may stick to the towel so do not use paper towel or you will have paper stuck to your seeds)
7) Toss the seeds with olive oil and your favorite seasoning
8) Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet
9) Roast in over for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy

Store in an air tight container for a week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

https://thelinseedfarm.co.uk/

We often refer to our Linseed as being “Farm Fresh” – but what does that mean? And why does it matter?

Linseed isn’t the easiest plant to grow and harvest and so there’s always a good deal of relief when several tons of the glistening brown or gold seeds, complete with their nutty smell, are stored safely in our purpose-built barn. You can’t get much fresher and more traceable than that!

As we are able to store the seed, it means that we can “press on demand”. Your linseed pods and your culinary linseed oil reach you in a perfect and fresh condition. Both chefs and professional oil tasters alike tell us that our linseed oil is the best they have ever tasted.

“Press on Demand” is the way we ensure you get “Farm Fresh” because we only press the Linseeds into oil in small batches. We then bottle it by hand and send directly to you. Each bottle has a small silver label confirming it was pressed in the last ten days. This is the way we ensure You Always get the oil, “Farm Fresh”.

Think about “Farm Fresh” in the same way as you would milk – it needs consuming whilst it is fresh. We wonder sometimes how long ago other similar products were pressed or indeed how long they have been on a shelf.

But let me tell you a little more about the whole process. Each year, over 220 acres of linseed are planted and harvested. There are several varieties of linseed to choose from, but we prefer to grow a short-stemmed linseed plant because it throws every ounce of its energy into swelling the tiny seed head with oil. The linseed is planted in the spring as soon as the soil is warm and by late August or early September, it’s harvest time and the long days begin as the linseed is harvested. The seeds are then brought to the farm granary for storage.

Making the seed ready for pressing involves being passed through a seed cleaning machine before being allowed to fall into the press itself. From the press the oil flows initially into a vessel below the press for settlement. After a couple of days the oil has settled and is ready to be filtered through muslin and bottled by hand with no pumping. This is a cold pressed process, which means that no solvents or heat are ever used. This is because linseed is like other unsaturated nut and seed oils – if subjected to high temperatures the oil’s important health giving properties are destroyed. Our natural process can only be compared to the production methods used to produce the best single-estate olive oils.

Of course, being farmers we make sure that absolutely nothing goes to waste. The husks from the seeds become a rich oil cake for cattle feed, it also improves their health and and enriches the milk so we get better meat and milk too. Whole seed is also milled to make linseed flour which is then used in baking and as a healthy cereal topping.

Have a look at our recipes page to find out how to use all these different products in your diet!