Hello!! everyone wherever you are all over the world greetings to you. Nowadays I really wonder how we've forgotten the use of medicinal/herbal plants in solving our health problems. The natural world has provided us with organic healing materials for millennia. Nowadays, research is being done to determine how much they can help with different illnesses with increasingly positive results. Here are a few species native to the African continent that are proving effective at curing diseases.
Acacia Senegal (gum arabic)
A medicinal remedy that goes back centuries, gum arabica, derived from an exudate of the bark, has been used for the treatment of numerous infections and afflictions including bronchitis, bleeding, diarrhoea and respiratory infections to name a few. A natural emulsifier, it is also used to bind various pills, as well as sweets and added to soft drinks as it has the consistency of glue, but is safe to consume. It is also used to treat ailments of the skin such as bacterial and fungal infections, burns and even leprosy.
Aloe Ferox (Cape Aloe)
This branch of the aloe vera family is native to South Africa and has such a long and deep rooted usage in the culture that the plant is depicted in San rock paintings. This bitter plant is used as a laxative medicine and also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties with the ferox gel having 130 medicinal agents. Ingesting or applying the bitter sap can also aid against arthritis, sinusitis and conjunctivitis, and juice from the cut leaves can treat burns, detoxifying the damaged area and promoting new tissue formation and filling the wound.
Wormwood
This strongly aromatic and greyish dwarf shrub is native to North Africa and has been used in the region for thousands of years. In Tunisia, it is used to treat hypertension, diabetes, bronchitis and neuralgias, while herbal teas made from the bark are used as antibacterial agents. In Moroccan folk tales, it is used to prevent hypertension, while the nomadic desert Bedouin tribe have used it to cure stomach disorders. It has also been an important addition to the fodder of sheep and livestock in the Algerian plateau where it grows abundantly.
Rooibos
This leaf is native to South Africa where it is used to make its distinctive and naturally caffeine-free tea that is low in tannins and a natural antioxidant. After an infusion of rooibos was given to a colicky baby, it was discovered that it had an effect on the baby’s chronic restlessness, vomiting and stomach cramps, after which it became known as a medicinal drink. Even today, rooibos is mixed with milk or made as a weak brew to help babies’ ailments. It is also used to alleviate symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, increasing the glucose uptake in muscles and insulin secretion, as well as lowering blood pressure and assisting with nervous tensions, allergies and digestive problems.
Centella Asiatica (Pennywort)
This plant has been used since prehistoric times in many parts of the world, including African folk medicine. It can be eaten as a vegetable or used as a spice to treat a wide range of ailments including asthma, rheumatism and skin and eye diseases, as well as having an effect on cognitive functions such as memory and disorders such as epilepsy. It’s use as a treatment for leprosy has been documented as far back as 1887.
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