Scientific name: Lycopersicum esculentum

Family: Solanaceae

Origin: S America

Medicinal use: Their flavor is sweeter and tastier, and their size allows them to be eaten as a snack at any time of the day. Among its properties, cherry tomatoes provide vitamin A, B, C, E, K, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, copper, sodium, iodine, cobalt, antioxidants, fiber, lycopene and folic acid.

Scientific name: Perilla frutescens var. Crispa

Family: Lamiaceae

Origin: Japan

Medicinal use: Perilla frutescens is an annual plant of the Lamiaceae family. The leaves resemble those of the nettle. In Japan it is used as a spice in a wide variety of dishes, such as sushi and sashimi (made from raw fish) or cut into thin strips to dress salads, pasta, meat and fish. The purple variety is used as a colorant in red umeboshi (ume pickles) or to make umeshiso Maki.

Scientific name: Salvia elegans

Family: Lamiaceae

Origin: Mexico

Medicinal use: The plant is widely used in traditional Mexican medicine, especially for the treatment of anxiety, and also for the reduction of blood pressure. They have been shown to have a dose-dependent antihypertensive effect attributed to their action as an angiotensin II receptor antagonist and an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor.

Scientific name: Rumex acetosella

Family: Polygonaceae

Origin: Eurasia

Medicinal use: The leaves and roots are eaten as a vegetable or in salads and the seeds are ground to make a flour. The leaves are also used as animal fodder. It reproduces by means of seeds and in humid places it germinates very well. Agronomically, it is an attractive plant for the cruciferous hernias pathogen, so if its roots are full of small nodules, cauliflower, broccoli and the like should not be planted there.

Scientific name: Hibiscus sabdariffa

Family: Malvaceae

Origin: W Africa

Medicinal use: This plant was cultivated to obtain the fiber that was extracted from its tough stems, used as a substitute for the jute used to make burlap. The green leaves are used as a kind of spicy spinach that Senegalese sometimes add to rice and their country’s national dish, the tiéboudienne, of rice and fish. In Mexico it is very popular to drink the cold infusion, as an accompaniment to food and it is known as Jamaica water, because of its taste and price it is considered the healthiest drink in Mexican cuisine.