At first glance, Ahiflower looks like a weed. Thereâs a good reason for that. âWe actually found the wild plant growing in a hedgerow in the U.K.,â says Andrew Hebard, president and CEO of Nature Crops International (NCI), a company headquartered in Winston-Salem. Ahiflower turned out to be a weed with potential. A team of plant experts hired by NCI found it as part of a quest for an alternative to fish oil. âWe did an Indiana Jones type of number,â Hebard says. âWe recruited people to travel around the world â theyâre called ethnobotanists.â Oil made from Ahiflower provides a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, an important nutrient. Omega-3s have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, ease joint pain and stiffness, and make anti-inflammatory drugs more effective, according to WebMD. They boost the visual and neurological development of infants, and may also help reduce depression, prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and reduce the severity of asthma and ADHD.