Reports of its use in herbalism go as far back as 600 BC in Assyrian herbal accounts and can also be traced to Greek writings from Dioscorides. In Ayurvedic herbalism, Turmeric has a rich tradition of both internal and topical use and is one of the most widely referenced botanicals in classical Ayurvedic texts.

In Western herbalism, Turmeric is classified as an aromatic bitter and has a well-documented history of use in European and American herbal traditions.

Gaia Herbs® has a deep relationship with our Tumeric sourcing partner in Nicaragua. It is organically grown in an agroforestry setting under a tree canopy, which provides shade from the hot midday sun and nutrients to the soil. Using regenerative agriculture practices, our sourcing partner helps to add diversity to the landscape and sequester carbon to the soil.​

Our farmers in Nicaragua are diversifying to turmeric as climate change impacts their coffee crop​. Gaia Herbs® supported this transition through a grant to produce training in best regenerative growing practices​. This partner is a Fair for Life Fair Trade Certified supplier for Turmeric Root, ensuring a premium goes back into the community.

At the Gaia Herbs® Farm, we steward the land through regenerative farming practices that support mineral-rich soil and the growth of potent plants for our herbal supplements. Our primary source of Hawthorn leaf and flower is our Regenerative Organic Certified® Gaia Herbs® (Silver Level) Farm in Brevard, North Carolina.

Note: Our Hawthorn Berry is wild-harvested across Bulgaria.

Each herb is tested for potency in the field, carefully harvested, and brought to our onsite production facility to be extracted and crafted into our herbal formulas. From seed to soil to supplement, we oversee every step to create the highest-quality herbal supplements.

Saffron Crocus is mostly grown in Iran, Greece, and Spain, and flowers for only 2-3 weeks in the fall, when the stigmas and styles are collected by hand. As one of the most expensive medicinal spices in the world, it is also commonly adulterated with the undesired yellow stamens from the plant, and other spices such as turmeric, safflower, and paprika.

Saffron’s aroma and flavor are described as grassy and hay-like and adds yellow orange coloring to foods.

Cultures around the world utilize Saffron as a premium ingredient in important recipes, such as the famous Saffron Rice in India, the important Spanish Paella, and Saffron Cakes in England that are made to celebrate religious days.

Saffron is used as a fabric dye, perfume, and important religious herbs in many different traditional systems of herbalism. It was revered to be as precious as gold and often used as a show of wealth and prosperity.