It seems like there's a new health food fad every week.

Can quinoa really clear your skin and give you happiness? Is kale the secret to superpowers? Probably not, but they might have health benefits.

Another ingredient may also have health benefits, but has a less-than-savoury name — Semen Coicis.

A Mothership reader recently sent in a picture of a drink he bought.

Semen coicis is listed among the listed ingredients.

Yes, it's a real ingredient.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, "Coicis Semen" is an "important food product and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) derived from the dried and mature seeds of Coix lacryma-jobi".

According to NParks, the Coix lacryma-jobi plant is also known as Job's Tears.

"Named after its tear-drop shaped seeds, the Job’s Tears plant (Coix lacryma-jobi) is a member of the grass family, with many uses.

After the removal of the hard husk, the seeds can be cooked into chewy grains, made into barley tea, or used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dried seeds can also be strung into ornamental accessories."

But why is it called "semen"?

The clue lies in the fact that in the Latin translation, "semen" means "seed".

When translated, semen coicis lachryma-jobi translates as "the seed of Job's Tear".

So now you know why your herbal drink has an ingredient with such an exotic name.

Top image from a Mothership contributor.