According to popular usage the seven-year itch refers to happiness in a marriage or long-term romantic relationship which declines after around seven years. Seven years ago, on June 12th 2017, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake to the south east of Lesvos sent people running from their houses and, due to particular geological fault-lines and substrata the…
There is much empirical evidence that certain foods have significant health benefits and, in certain cases, this evidence is backed up by detailed studies. Many of these studies have been carried out over extended time periods with proper adherence to the required protocols. The Mediterranean diet, for example, has been the subject of many such…
Greece is well used to visitors, whether they are those who come to enjoy a few weeks of sunshine or explore its natural or man-made attractions, or those who are looking for a way to escape from hardships closer to their home and see Greece as a stepping stone to a brighter future. Those in…
A recent news item has highlighted once again the problems that small farmers face in a world in which the food supply is becoming more and more consolidated in a small number of large corporations at the expense of independent producers. The issues are complex but one that is fundamental is the loss of plant…
Polyphenols are another class of compounds which are regularly listed in the active constituents of plants with medicinal, dietary or other beneficial applications. They are often referred to together with flavones and flavonoids with which they have common structural characteristics. The term polyphenols is often used rather loosely and there is no universal agreement on…
The Mediterranean Sea has once again cut short the dreams of a better life. Hundreds of migrants have gone down with their ship in one of the deepest regions of the sea west of Pylos in the Peloponnese. The story has no end and is one that Lesvos is only too familiar with. The reaction…
All plants have the ability to produce substances which confer special effects and these will usually be assigned to various categories such as phenols, alkaloids, fatty acids, terpenes and so on which will then be used to justify claims for particular health benefits So it might be a good idea to look more closely at…