The Ingredients

Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

Background

Black walnut is a hardwood tree native to eastern North America. The green-to-black outer hulls of its nuts have a long history in traditional North American herbal practice, and the same hulls were used for generations as a natural brown dye.

What research has looked at

The hulls are rich in naturally occurring plant compounds, including tannins and other polyphenols, plus a compound called juglone. Researchers have characterized these compounds in laboratory and botanical studies. In LIVASSA, black walnut hull is one of three signature botanicals chosen to help support healthy digestion.*

Note: Contains tree nuts (black walnut).

Sources: PubMed: review literature on Juglans nigra · NIH ODS: Dietary Supplements — What You Need to Know

Sweet Wormwood

Artemisia annua

Background

Sweet wormwood is a fragrant annual herb of the daisy family (Asteraceae). Known as qinghao, it has been recorded in traditional Chinese herbal texts for well over a thousand years. Like many bitter herbs, the wormwood family has also long been used in traditional European aperitifs and digestive bitters taken around meals.

What research has looked at

Sweet wormwood contains sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids and aromatic essential oils, and it is one of the most intensively studied plants in modern phytochemistry. Bitter-tasting herbs are traditionally valued for the way they engage the body’s normal digestive responses at mealtime.*

Note: Daisy (Asteraceae) family plant — do not use if allergic to daisy-family plants.

Sources: PubMed: review literature on Artemisia annua · NCCIH: Know the Science — using dietary supplements wisely

Clove

Syzygium aromaticum

Background

Cloves are the dried flower buds of an evergreen tree first cultivated in the Maluku (Spice) Islands of Indonesia. Prized in the ancient spice trade, clove remains a warming kitchen spice around the world and a classic ingredient in traditional digestive spice blends.

What research has looked at

Clove is one of the richest culinary sources of eugenol, an aromatic compound that gives the spice its distinctive scent. Laboratory studies have measured clove’s very high antioxidant capacity among common spices. Warming spices like clove are traditionally used to support comfortable, healthy digestion.*

Sources: PubMed: review literature on clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and eugenol

Pumpkin Seed

Cucurbita pepo

Background

Pumpkins and squashes were domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago, and their seeds (pepitas) have been a nourishing food in Mesoamerican and Indigenous North American cuisines ever since.

What research has looked at

Whole pumpkin seeds naturally provide protein, healthy fats, minerals such as magnesium and zinc, plant sterols, and a unique amino acid called cucurbitin. Researchers continue to study the nutrient and phytochemical profile of pumpkin seed.*

Sources: USDA FoodData Central (nutrient data for pumpkin seeds) · PubMed: review literature on Cucurbita pepo seed

Garlic

Allium sativum

Background

Garlic has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years and is used in nearly every cuisine on earth. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Indian and Chinese traditions all valued garlic as both food and a wellness herb.

What research has looked at

When garlic is crushed it produces allicin and other sulfur-containing compounds responsible for its aroma. Garlic is one of the most widely researched herbs; the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarizes what is known about its general use and safety.*

Note: Garlic may interact with blood-thinning medication — consult your doctor.

Sources: NCCIH: Garlic · PubMed: review literature on Allium sativum

Oregano

Origanum vulgare

Background

Oregano is a hardy Mediterranean herb of the mint family. Its name comes from Greek words meaning “joy of the mountains,” and it has been used in Mediterranean cooking and traditional herbalism since antiquity.

What research has looked at

Oregano leaf contains aromatic compounds such as carvacrol and thymol, along with rosmarinic acid and other polyphenols. These compounds have been widely examined in laboratory research for their antioxidant activity.*

Sources: PubMed: review literature on Origanum vulgare

L-Glutamine

Amino acid

Background

Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the human body. It is found naturally in protein-rich foods such as beans, eggs, dairy and leafy greens.

What research has looked at

The body makes glutamine on its own and also obtains it from everyday foods. LIVASSA provides 10 mg of L-glutamine per 3-softgel serving, a small amount that rounds out the formula.

Sources: MedlinePlus: Amino acids