Published on Apr 23, 2014
PROVIDED BY CNNNEXT.COM
Travel to the unforgiving Badia Desert of Jordan where Bedouin nomads still battle diseases with age-old treatments.
This is a world of black-robed healers, wise herbalists called attars and mysterious plants that survive in harsh, Middle East sands.
Enter Dr.
Sawsan Oran whose research with the black iris, her country's national flower, is netting astonishing results.
This showy bloom, used medicinally for centuries by the Bedouin, has delivered strong, anti-leukemic effects in early laboratory trials.
in early laboratory trials.
For thousands of years, people have experimented with plants as a way to cure sickness, conquer infection and increase longevity.
Now, medical researchers are tapping into this vast, treasure trove of folk knowledge in their quest for modern drugs to fight cancer and other menacing diseases.
Ancient Roots, Modern Medicine is a three-part series that explores the amazing convergence of ancient healing arts with modern medical practices.
These documentaries, produced by the award-winning Leading Object Media Group, present fascinating insights into cultures around the globe that still practice ancient ways.
The series also tracks intrepid scientists in their exploration for new cures based on ancient medicinal plants.
As the research moves forward, both the botanical wealth and traditional wisdom are under attack by human encroachment an environmental impacts of the 21st century.
It is an epic struggleas science races against time
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