UMA Global Foods

Phytopedia

A database for the botanically curious

Food Feature: Sweet Potatoes

Contrary to what their name might suggest, sweet potatoes are actually an edible root in the morning glory family, and unrelated to true potato tubers. Immediately recognisable by their vibrant orange flesh, sweet potatoes come in a dazzling array of col

Boosting Our Immune System

Global stats on COVID are on the rise again with some countries being hit particularly hard. We wanted to revisit the topic of keeping our immune system up as the environment around us changes. We need to eat right for our immune system to function right

Cruciferous Superheroes

While this newsletter focuses on holistic diets covering a range of plant-based food groups, we want to call out a superstar food group – the cruciferous vegetables! Native to temperate East Asia, these vegetables can be found around the world; Broccoli,

Gut Health: We are only as good as our gut

When we use the term Gut Health, we refer to the wellness of the entire digestive system aka the GI (gastrointestinal) tract that comprises several organs including the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small & large intestines and the rectum and organs like th

Tubers: Nature’s answer to affordable energy

When we think of tubers like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, cassava, Taro etc. their similarity to grains hardly strikes us, yet tubers and grains are the main source of inexpensive energy in the plant kingdom.

Mushrooms: a humble culinary wonder

The humble mushroom has been prized for centuries; the Greeks believed it imbued strength in warriors, the Chinese treasured mushrooms as a source of vitality and the Romans believed it to be the “food of the gods”. There are over 2,000 species of mushroo

Vitamin C: the most well-known vitamin

Probably the most familiar nutrient in the world! Where people would struggle to name food sources of niacin or thiamin, most can easily point to citrus fruits as sources of vitamin C. But what does it actually do for our body?

Nutrition and spine health

The spine is made up of 33 individual bones, with a myriad of tissues, muscles, joints, roots and intervertebral discs that interplay together to help in our daily movement. While there are several types of spinal injuries, we want to focus on the issue o

Mad for garlic

The best known member of the Allium family, garlic has enjoyed a storied history across civilisations. The Egyptian and Indian cultures referred to it some 5,000 years ago, the Babylonians grew it in their hanging gardens 4,500 years ago, the Chinese docu