International Symposium on Medicinal Plants and Natural Products. June 17-19, 2013. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This symposium will provide a unique opportunity for understanding and appreciating the latest scientific knowledge of medicinal plants and natural products. More information.

cGMP Compliance Series: "Best Practices" for Change Control. June 20, 2013. By phone. In this teleseminar, attendees will learn about change control, the process of implementing changes to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)-related operations and other business systems in a manner that ensures effectiveness and continued cGMP compliance. More information.

Herb Society of America Annual Conference. June 20-22, 2013. St. Louis, MO. This conference will allow attendees to catch up with old friends and meet new ones while enjoying a diverse range of programs focused on herb use, botany, horticulture, and more. More information.

Economic Botany 2013. June 28 - July 2, 2013. Plymouth, England. The theme of this symposium will be "What is Our Message — and Are We Getting It Across?" and its program will include field trips, symposia, and workshops centered around economic botany. Early registration ends May 31, 2013. More information.

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians Annual Conference. July 10-13, 2013. Keystone, CO. Program topics for this conference will include vitalism, the connection between blood glucose and cancer, botanical medicine, and more. Early registration ends May 31, 2013. More information.

Colorado Integrative Medicine Conference. July 12-14, 2013. Estes Park, CO. This conference will focus on improving patient care with up-to-date research for mind-body medicine and lifestyle management.  More information.

Promoting Healthy Thyroid Function Webinar. July 17, 2013. Online. This webinar, led by Jill Stansbury, ND, as part of the Medical Herbalism for Physicians series from the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine, will focus on iodine, bladderwrack, guggul, and iris. Use code ABC100 for a $100 discount on the entire series. More information.

33rd Annual Seed Savers Exchange Conference and Campout. July 19-21, 2013. Decorah, IA. This event will bring together experts and amateurs to share seed knowledge and stories during workshops, lectures, garden tours, and more. More information.

2nd Annual TerraVita Herbal Symposium. July 26-28, 2013. Ashland, OR. This weekend retreat, which benefits United Plant Savers, will be a gathering of herbalists and plant enthusiasts of all levels who want to learn more about botanical medicine while surrounded by nature. Activities will include workshops, plant walks, yoga, music, stargazing, and more. More information.

New England Women's Herbal Conference. Aug. 23-25, 2013. Newfound Lake, NH. This conference brings together leading female herbalists, healers, and plant enthusiasts from throughout the country to share their herbal wisdom and knowledge of natural healing. Early registration ends May 30, 2013. More information.

12th Meeting of the Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine. Aug. 27-29, 2013. Graz, Austria. This meeting provides a platform for regulatory, industrial, and academic exchanges and potential research collaborations on various frontiers of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Early registration ends June 30, 2013. More information.

Breitenbush Herbal Conference. Sept. 5-8, 2013. Detroit, OR. At this annual gathering, herbalists, healers, and students will come together to celebrate and learn from some of the most inspiring teachers in the herbal community. Early registration ends June 1, 2013. More information.

Looking for more conferences and events? View the full ABC calendar here.

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XIII International Congress of Toxicology. June 30 - July 4, 2013. Seoul, South Korea. ABC's Mark Blumenthal will speak about the safety and clinical benefits of Asian red ginseng. More information.

Nutrition Business Journal Summit. July 23-26, 2013. Dana Point, CA. Mark will be the Welcome Dinner host, providing "A Humorous Look at our Industry, Wellness, and the World."  More information.

4th Annual Practical Short Course on Trend and Development of Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods. July 28-30, 2013. College Station, TX. Mark will speak on the topic "Adulteration and Quality Control Issues in Herbal Extracts & Botanical Preparations." More information.

11th Annual International AARM Restorative Medicine Conference. Oct. 3-6 2013. San Diego, CA. Mark will speak on the topic, "Debunking the Myths of the Dietary Supplements Industry." More information.

ABC has tested the links of the following articles prior to publication; however, some news organizations remove stories and disable links at various times. ABC sends links to these articles as an educational service, but cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in them.

Survival Skills: 10 Medicinal Plants You Can Grow at Home. Outdoor Life. May 22, 2013. Top picks for homegrown first aid include yarrow, aloe vera, pennyroyal, peppermint, and others that can serve as a living medicine cabinet.

Ginger Could Enhance Effects of Asthma Medication, Study Finds. Huffington Post. May 20, 2013. In a study of human airway muscle tissue, researchers found that ginger can enhance the bronchodilating effects of asthma medications known as beta-agonists.

Study: Another Reason for Daily Wine. The Atlantic. May 23, 2013. A review of data from nearly 200,000 patients who had never before had kidney stones revealed that coffee, tea, wine, and beer were all associated with a decreased risk for the painful condition.

Hong Kong Prescribes New Dose of Old Chinese Medicine. The Malay Mail. May 2, 2013. New regulations, Western-style pharmacies, and health insurance coverage are some of the changes that have contributed to a resurgence of interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hong Kong. 

Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food. New York Times. May 25, 2013. Over the centuries, selective farming practices have favored crops that are high in sugar, starch, and oil over those with greater concentrations of phytonutrients.

Folk Remedy Extracted from Captive Bears Stirs Furor in China. New York Times. May 21, 2013. China's largest producer of bear bile extract — believed to be an elixir for a variety of ailments — recently faced a backlash when it attempted to make its initial public stock offering.

Green Tea Shows Promise in Promoting Oral Health although More Studies Are Needed