Lava sledding; Noni research; biotech concerns
A few interesting cultural articles in the
Star-Bulletin
today.First, an AP
piece
on Tom
"Pohaku" Stone's "academic and cultural
journey aimed at reviving the 2,000-year Hawaiian tradition of
he'e
holua, or
Hawaiian lava
sledding."Next,
this article
on a UH
study researching the
medicinal value of
noni with cancer patients. Noni, one of the
canoe plants
brought to the islands by the early Polynesian settlers, is a traditional
Hawaiian medicine, and has become a $2 billion global industry over the last few
years, with anti-cancer and many other claims, but no scientific studies have
been done to date to confirm or dispute these claims. Very preliminary results
of this study seem to indicate that noni "may be reducing the pain people
experience," and "increasing improvement in quality of life measures,"
particularly as the dosage is increased, with no side-effects
reported.Finally, an
article
on
Native Hawaiian
concerns about the burgeoning
biotech
industry in Hawaii.
Posted: Sun - July 24, 2005 at 12:55 PM