#ModernResearch

In the digital age, brain games like Wordle have surged in popularity, leaving many wondering if they could potentially fend off cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s. As concerns about dementia continue to rise, researchers in South Florida are examining whether such activities hold any real benefits for brain health. According to the Alzheimer’s Disease International, the number of individuals living with dementia is expected to nearly double every 20 years, driving significant interest and research into preventive measures.

The dried seeds of Myristica fragrans, known as nutmeg (ลูกจันทน์), have captured human imagination for centuries, straddling the realms of food, medicine, and mystique. From ancient trade routes to the heart of Thai and Southeast Asian traditional medicine, nutmeg’s journey is an illuminating saga—a testament to nature’s therapeutic potential and the evolving scrutiny of modern science. In recent decades, research has begun to substantiate many folk claims while issuing important cautions for contemporary users.

Across Thailand’s dramatic mountain valleys and rainswept forests, one humble herb has thrived for centuries, earning a reputation as unyielding as its Thai name, “โด่ไม่รู้ล้ม”—the plant that “stands tall, refusing to fall.” Known scientifically as Elephantopus scaber Linn. and under many folk names such as “ขี้ไฟนกคุ่ม,” “หญ้าสามสิบสองหาบ,” and “หนาดผา,” this resilient perennial from the Asteraceae family has been woven deeply into the tapestry of local healing traditions. Now, as interest in herbal medicine merges with advances in biomedical research, Elephantopus scaber is stepping into the laboratory spotlight, inviting new respect for the wisdom passed down through generations—and prompting essential questions about its true medicinal potential.