Hello!
My name is Leslie Taylor and I am the founder of Raintree Nutrition, Inc., a company that was a leader in creating a world-wide market for the important medicinal plants of the Amazon Rainforest since 1995. More information about me can be found on the Raintree website and in the introduction to my book.
I have authored two books on rainforest medicinal plants: Herbal Secrets of the Rainforest and The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs. I am also the author of the extensive Tropical Plant Database that has been online since 1996.
I am currently writing a new series of rainforest medicinal plant guides to help educate people how to use these amazing rainforest medicinal plants effectively to benefit their health. More information on the new series of books is located here.
How wonderful! I've always been fascinated with the healing power of plants ever since I was young. To this day, I always prefer a home/natural remedy over anything else! Good for you for creating a better world out there.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you enjoy my blog!
DeleteAmerica and the world have missed your genius, knowledge, wit and bright, bubbly writing perhaps more than you know. Welcome back and godspeed in everything you do.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It feels great to be back!
DeleteHello Leslie,
ReplyDeleteI have been attempting to contact you regarding your work on Raintree herbs and the book you wrote. I used to be an avid buyer of your products up until the site came down.
I have been doing some really groundbreaking work and am collaborated with a pioneer in this new paradigm. We have been meaning to get a hold of you with questions regarding your work and site years ago. If it is possible to get a contact email sent to my email (tim-perry-03@hotmail.com) so we can elaborate more on our work and your connection to it that would be of great assistance.
Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you.
Tim
Hi Tim,
DeleteI send you an email in response.
Best wishes,
Leslie
Hi Leslie
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of your writings and articles on the Rain forest treasure. Specially your approach about Cat's Claw. You have presented the clear and correct picture of the Cats Claws. Do you have resarch on Otoba Parvifolia? I have a few questions to be asked to you regarding Otoba. I am a lecturer in business school.
Regards
I'm sorry but I don't have the information you are looking for on otoba. It is on my list to go into my online plant database, and based on the research and documentation available on it, it may be a new plant that goes into the second edition of my book. I just haven't had the time yet to get to this particular plant. Stay tuned, I'll get there!
DeleteThanks Leslie
DeleteI will be looking forward to see your view. As we need a description from a neutral source such as you.
Best regards
Bilal Lodhi
ACMA, CGMA
You are quite welcome Bilal! I'll get to it as soon as I can. You are about the 10th person asking me for this information and I am curious to find out if there is enough research to justify the marketing claims, so it will get done.
DeleteTake care,
Leslie
Otoba bark certainly has become a big gun in recent and contemporary nutritional approaches to Lyme disease and other bacterial infections. I , too, Bilal, look forward to Leslie's research, opinions and input. How fortunate we are that she is back after a long sabbatical with, as they say, bells on!
ReplyDeleteWell, Dario, if you read my earlier post from today, you'll see that you'll get my Lyme's Disease protocol a lot sooner than I initially thought. I'll have to research otoba and see why it's being used for Lyme's and what the results are so far before I can finalize on my own Lyme's protocol. Do you have any personal experience using otoba for Lyme's that you can share?
DeleteHi Leslie, I have searched far and wide for a way to contact you and was happy to find this blog! I work in Bolivia supporting an association of traditional curanderas and I am putting together a formal monograph for them on Marcela. Everywhere I look I see a note that the information from your monograph cannot be copied so I am wondering if you would give permission for me to use them as one of the sources in the monograph. Hoping to hear from you. If you want to write me at chelsey berendse at gmail dot com or respond back here I will be happy to hear from you. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHi Chelsey,
DeleteBased on how you describe you want to use it, it shouldn't be a problem if the copyright credit is done properly. If you are just printing out the monograph as is to give to people in the association, you automatically have permission. General permission on my copyrighted stuff on the website, including for educational use, is on the raintree website at http://rain-tree.com/images.htm There is also an email address there to use if you want to use copyrighted text or images in a different manner than described.
Best wishes,
Leslie
Hi Leslie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for creating and sharing such a wonderful resource of information on important medicinal plants of the Amazon Rainforest.
I would like some clarification on your Tropical Plant Database regarding dosages for treating various ailments. For example, in the Tropical Pant Database;
PAU D'ARCO
Standard Dosage
Bark, Heartwood
Decoction: 1/2 cup 2-4 times daily
*What quantity of bark or how many grams is required to make this decoction?
Tincture: 2-3 ml 2-3 times daily
*What quantity of bark or how many grams is required to make this tincture?
QUININE
For informational purposes what is the traditional dosage to treat malaria and how long is it taken? Is the same dosage and quantity used for digestive issues?
Please clarify if treating specific diseases is the same quantity of herb used for all decoctions?
Are larger quantities of herbs used based on body mass off person being treated?
Are quantities changed based on the ailment?
Would love for this to be clarified in the Tropical Plant Database and in The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs second edition.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and information to the world.
Best wishes,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
DeleteIf you look in my book or website you'll see I give instructions on how to prepared standard decoctions, infusions, and tinctures. These instructions give the information of how much herb to use for these preparations. In the text on each plant, I give the standard amount of decoctions/tinctures/etc. to use daily. When I first wrote this text, my company was still operating and I was selling these plants and I wasn't allowed to provide a "prescription" or dosage based on a disease or condition. Now that I no longer sell any herbal products, the 2nd edition of the book I'm working on will actually provide more specific information on the specific dosages to treat different diseases and conditions for the top 5 or so conditions the plant is best used for. The instruction on preparing these herbal remedies are on my website at http://rain-tree.com/prepmethod.htm
Best wishes,
Leslie
Thank you so much Leslie. I have purchased the first edition of your book and I am looking forward to your second edition of your book and will purchase that also.
DeleteI find it helpful to be able to look up via the disease or condition (rather than by herb) and have a protocol of herb (or combined herbs) and quantities to treat that condition. I really appreciate your information and the time you've taken to help out and reply.
Best wishes,
Thomas
You are most welcome and thank you again!
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie
ReplyDeleteI am writing to thank you for the wonderful information you have provided through your website, and for the books. The wide number of different phytochemicals in those Amazon species is amazing, which I guess explains how useful and important those species are to us human folk.
I have had a number of personal health crises over the last 20 years. And the plants readily available worldwide as a result of your work have been indispensible for my recovery. Two in particular have been incredibly helpful for my health and well-being - mullaca and simarouba.
In Australia I am amazed how species closely related to physalis angulata have taken off commercially. For example physalis Peruvians is sold as the Inca Berry in most health food shops and some supermarkets.
But my main health benefits have been from using simarouba glauca powder as a decoction. Drinking the tea for two weeks twice a year is a regular habit, with most benefit forw taken in spring as the weather heats up in Queensland. As a result my mind and body feel rejuvenated, my body loses 5 to 10 kg. It's unfortunate that worldwide supply of this wonderful herb is uncertain, especially given the fires in the Amazon in recent months and the trade wars focussing on the USA.
If you don'tnt mind, I have a few questions.
In your opinion, are S glauca and S amara interchangeable as herbs? Suppliers use both, and I notice subtle differences that could be attributable to either the species used, the age of the batch, or how the batch was prepared.
Second question. Are you aware that Simarouba was once on the British Pharmacopeia? General Practitioners of Australia had an active link on their website:
http://www.gp.org.au/London_Pharmacopoeia_1791.html
Third question. Have you looked at the possibility of benefits of modifying how these herbs are taken, say by using techniques adopted by Ayurveda? For example I sometimes add half a teaspoon of olive or similar when preparing my decoction of simarouba on a low simmer. The reasoning is that natural oils from the herb, instead of escaping in steam, may get captured in the heavier oil. I understand this has the potential to improve the efficacy when taken orally. The idea came from a book by Dr Vasant Lad on adding ghee to improve the efficacy of herbal decoctions.
As well I once tried putting the herb powder in a stovetop coffee percolator. But the smell of the decoction put me off trying to taste ..lol
Thank you for continuing to share the knowledge you have collected 🙂
Ross Anderson
Brisbane, Australia
Hi Ross,
DeleteThanks for your nice comments and you are most welcome! Concerning your questions:
S. glauca and S/ amara are used interchangeably in herbal medicine and for the same things. Phytochemically, they are very similar and contain many of the same natural compounds, but can be found in different levels/amounts.
Yes, I knew about the British Pharmacopeia! Pretty cool, huh?
And no, I have not studied or practiced aryuveda, so can't advise you there. I am very knowledgeable about plant extraction methods however, probably reading 10,000 or more studies how how extraction methods extract various classes of plant chemicals. Interesting that never once have I seen researchers, chemists, and scientists actually extracting plant in any kind of oil in all this research. I wonder if they are missing something or, plants don't extract well in oil, but maybe an extract of a plant can be absorbed or assimilated in the body more easily if suspended in oil! Heck, I dunno! I wish I had the time to study lots of things!
Best wishes,
Leslie
Hello Leslie,
ReplyDeleteI have been using your database to reference South American herbs for years and I am so delighted to have the honor of purchasing your new book! Thank you with the deepest gratitude for walking your journey and publishing your database and experiences with rainforest plants! Your work is incredibly valuable and so significant! Our relationship with nature, and the rainforest, is so vital at this time! We have so many opportunities to activate a healing relationship with our environment! May we embrace our ties to the earth lovingly and immediately.
Thank you for your work.
Donda Hartsfield
You are very welcome! Thanks for taking the time to share!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Leslie
Hi Leslie. I'd been a customer of your products for many years, and they've really helped me. I recently came across a website that is similar to yours and wondered if you were back in business. https://www.raintree.com
ReplyDeleteNO!! This company opened shortly after Raintree Nutrition closed. Their "creative" marketing made it appear that I closed Raintree Nutrition and started Raintree Formulas. They were even using my name and picture on their website until I found out and demanded they remove it! Raintree Nutrition, the Raintree website, nor I have any affiliation whatsoever with Raintree Formulas. When I need rainforest plants and formulas now, I get them through Rainforest Pharmacy. I can trust their integrity!
DeleteThank you, Leslie.
DeleteHi Leslie. Do you know where I can find an equivalent product to the Amazon Passion Anointing Oil that you used to sell? I believe it includes Jatoba resin, but I cannot find it anywhere. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate,
DeleteI don't know of any company that is harvesting jatoba resin like I used to. The smell is similar to a different amber resin that is harvested in Tunisia. Look online or in a larger health food store that sells essential oils for a liquid "Tunisian Amber Musk." The one that smells the closest to Amazon Passion is Kuumba Made Tunisian Amber Perfume Oil.
Best,
LEslie
Leslie, have you had any dealings with amazon sales? they carry a bunch of Peruvian and Brazilian mfg. stuff, how fresh is it??
ReplyDeleteAre you referring to buying herbal products on amazon.com? If so, I've purchased many different supplements and herbal products on amazon and have never had a problem with getting expired products or herbal products that look old.
DeleteBest,
Leslie
Hi Leslie:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wealth of information and knowledge and your tireless research in helping millions. I have searched your website and would like for you to point me to what can be used for HPV Virus in the form of moles i.e. overgrowth of them, start small and grow large over entire body, lesions, fungus. i have had painful laser treatment but they just keep returning. Can you advise what is the best protocol totally eradicate this virus inherited from grandparents to parents to myself now children. Can you advise what form to take and how much. Very excited about your research been looking for answers for so so many years.
On another note I listened to your recent interview on the wonders of Hibiscus and I remember as a child we use to suck the nectar from the flower. Wow now I know why. This is truly phenomenal!
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
DeleteFirst, if it were me, I'd look into the new research on Copaiba resin. You can start reading about it in the plant database at https://rain-tree.com/copaiba.htm. New research shows that it's working to modify gene transcription factors on 10 different strains of HPV virus. I'd use it topically as well as take it internally (30 drops in warm water, twice daily). It has wound-healing, antibacterial, and anti-fungal actions as well.
I also developed an antiviral formula of rainforest plants called Amazon A-V. Many of the ingredients have research indicating actions against this particular virus. Personally, I would take that as well and give it two months of use to see if it would work for me. Over the years, I've helped several clients with HPV with this formula. You can find more information about that formula at https://rain-tree.com/amazon-antiviral-support.htm
I hope this info helps!
Best wishes,
Leslie
Hi Leslie,
ReplyDeleteBeen taking Graviola and seven other rainforest plants you've suggested for cancer and it seems to be helping. I'm adding Turkey Tail mushrooms to my protocol. Would they mix well together or do you think the Turkey Tail should be taken separately from the rainforest herbs?
Best wishes,
Phil
Hi Phil,
DeleteIt's perfectly fine to take both supplements together.
Take care and stay safe,
Leslie
Hi...I thank God for you your wisdom knowledge and understanding of how amazon herbs work. What's your recommendation for a honorable place to purchase the amazon herbs from
ReplyDeleteThank You for your time. I wish you well in the next chapter in your life that you partake in Blessings to You
Grace
Thank you so much Grace, and you are most welcome! I now purchase all of my Amazon herbs and formulas from a company called Rainforest Pharmacy (https://rainpharm.com). They are sourcing many of their plants from the same sources and area that I did when I was in business. I also like their ethics.
DeleteBest wishes,
Leslie
Hello Leslie! I live in Ecuador and I want to try and extract some of these lovely plants around me, I have basic extraction knowledge and have extracted quite a few plants but I would like to find more resources on how to extract these plants around me to gain most benefit from my extractions and I dont want to lose valuable compounds in my extraction methods. Do you know of any resources for me to research to learn more about extracting these plants? Thank You
ReplyDeleteTo extract a plant properly, you need to thoroughly study its phytochemistry and know which active chemicals you're trying to pull out of the plant and into an extract. Some phytochemicals are water soluble and delicate and best extracted in water, and others chemicals need alcohol or heat to release them from the plant. So first study the active chemicals you want from the plant, then look up the research on the best methods to extract them. Some herbalists will combine a strong decoction or infusion of the plant with a alcohol tincture of the same plant into one extract which they believe will get the most total plant chemicals possible from the plant. I always did the research to figure out what I wanted to extract first however.
DeleteGood luck!
Best,
Leslie
Hi Lesli,
ReplyDeleteThank you for years of research & information you have provided on your website. It was very helpful & I am sure it has been beneficial to millions of people.
I have CFS due to an enterovirus infection called Coxsackie B type 4. I have been suffering with this illness for over 10 years. My ID doctor says there is no cure or treatment for this infection. He tried few antivirals & a herb called Oxymatrine without any success. I have visited many functional/alternative/holistic doctors without any success. I have tried ayurvedic medicine as well without any success.
I was referred to Amazon option by a friend & have tried few things based on your research on your website. I have been buying the herbs from rainforest pharmacy. I am taking amazon A-V vegetarian capsules. The dose I am taking is 3 capsules 3 times a day. Also, I take 2ml twice a day of Cats claw liquid. Also, Amargo powder two tsp 3 times a day. I have been taking all of this for over 2 months now & have not seen any results.
Do you have any other recommendations that I can try? Please let me know.
Sincerely,
Dan
Hi Dan,
DeleteI'm sorry to hear of your troubles. The only other thing I know to try, based on research, is Ubos leaves. Research reported that a alcohol extract of the leaves was effective against cocksackie virus B2... it wasn't tested against the B4 strain of virus however. I think Rainforest Pharmacy has a ubos tincture/liquid extract if you want to try it. You can see the synopsis of biological activities for ubos here: https://rain-tree.com/ubos-activities.pdf The plant database file for ubos is at https://rain-tree.com/ubos.htm.
I hope it helps!
Take care,
Leslie Taylor
Hello Leslie,
DeleteThank you so much for your reply & recommendation. I have faith that I will be able to reclaim my life & happiness with your help. I appreciate it. Your years of hard work & dedication is very much appreciated.
Take care,
Dan
You are most welcome Dan. I wish you well on your journey to healing.
DeleteBest,
Leslie