Overview The Blue Lotus, more commonly known as the Egyptian Lotus, is a rare sky-blue flower that was cultivated by the Egyptians as early as 1400 B.C. Commonly found in waters off the shores of lakes and rivers, it is often identified by an odd daily ritual. Each morning its sky-blue aromatic flowers rise above the surface of the water to bloom. After sunset, it folds its' petals and again sinks below the surface. Despite its use in traditional medicine for more than one thousand years, it was not until an event in 1922 that its popularity gained new ground in western culture. It was in Egypt, during this year, that the tomb of Tutankhamen (1336 - 1327 B.C.) was opened. Scattered over Tutankhamen's body in deliberate patterns were petals from the Egyptian Lotus. This discovery served as the impetus for new studies and research. The resulting evaluations of the flower in ancient Egyptian art and history shed new light on the role of the flower in ancient Egyptian society. Many arrived at the conclusion that it was used as more than a divine symbol and cultural icon. It is now a widely held belief that the Egyptians used the flower as an additive for food, wine, and other drinks. In recent years, and in a relatively short period, it has gained a strong following among the natural health crowd in the United States and Europe. Since 2001, in the United States alone, annual consumer demand for the flower has more than tripled.

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