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| Botancial Description: Rooibostee is a shrub of half a meter to 2 meters in height, with
bright green, needle- shaped leaves which turn a rich reddish-brown color
upon fermentation. The small, yellow, typically pea-shaped flowers are
produced in spring and early summer.Rooibostee should not be confused with honeybush tea. Rooibos
tea is a traditional beverage of the Khoi- descended people of the
Clanwilliam region of the Cape in South Africa and is one of the few
indigenous plants that have become an important commercial crop.
Preparation and Dosage: Rooibos tea is popular as a
health beverage and is thus prepared much the same way as black tea.
It is thought to be an excellent iced tea. |
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Medicinal Uses: The main medicinal use of Rooibostee is as a milk substitute for infants who are prone to colic. It is considered to have considerable anti-spasmodic activity. Rooibostee is also popular as a health beverage, as it contains no harmful stimulants and is totally devoid of caffeine. There is growing evidence that flavonoids contribute substantially to areduction in heart disease and other ailments associated with aging. Rooibostee is also used as an ingredient in cosmetics, as there been claims that it is beneficial in cases of eczema. Active Ingredients: The health properties of Rooibostee are ascribed mainly to low tanin content, the high levels of minerals and the free-radical capturing properties of some flavonoids of which the C-glucoside dihydrochalcones aspalathin and nothofagin are the most important. |
| Botanical Description: This shrub can reach up to two
meters in height. The leaves are about 20mm long and are characteristically
very broad (less than twice as long as broad), with a rounded apex which
curves backwards.
Active Ingredients: The major compounds in the essential oils of Buchu
are isomenthone and diosphenol. Preparation and Dosage: Tinctures or infusions are used. A cup of boiling water is poured on 1g of the drug and allowed to stand for 10 minutes before straining. |
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Medicinal Uses: Buchu is part of the cultural heritage of the San and the Khoi people. For medicinal use, the leaves were chewed to relieve stomach complaints. These practices were later taken over by the early Dutch colonists and Buchu or "boegoe" became a popular and famous Cape medicine. Buchu vinegar was highly regarded for the washing and cleaning of wounds. Buchu is still a widely used household medicine in South Africa, with a great reputation for treating kidney and urinary tract diseases, for the symptomatic relief of rheumatism and also for external application on wounds and bruises. Nowadays, an infusion of Buchu is taken as diuretic, often in supportive treatment of urinary infection, as it is thought to be a mild urinary anti-septic. The product is also used to treat minor digestive disturbances. |
| Botanical Description: This is a weedy, perennial
plant with creeping stems spreading from a tuberous, fleshy rootstock. The
leaves are a greyish-green and are usually irregularly divided into
several lobes. The characteristic fruits have numerous long arms with
sharp, hooked thorns, as well as two straight thorns on the upper surface.
Medicinal Uses: The plant is commonly used to treat rheumatism
and arthritis, and as a general health tonic. Infusions of the dried root
are used as a cure for digestive disorders and as a tonic in lack of appetite.
It is also taken as an analgesic, especially during pregnancy, and the
treatment continued after labour. An ointment is made from the root
material which is applied to sores, ulcers and boils. |
The fruit of a Devil's Claw plant |
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Some of the finished products made from the Devil's Claw plant. |
Active Ingredients: The roots are rich in sugars and also contain physterols, triterponoids and flavonoids. The following iridoids are considered to be active ingredients: a cinnamic acid ester called harpagoside (the main compound in the fresh and dried root), harpagide (possibly a degradation product of harpagoside) and procumbide. Pharmacological Effects: In Germany, the root is used in supportive therapy for degenerative disorders of the locomotive system and for lack of appetite and dyspeptic problems. |
| Botanical Description: Hypoxis species are tuberous
perennials with long, strap-shaped leaves and yellow, star-shaped flowers.
Plant Parts Used: The tuberous rootstock (corm), which is dark brown or black on the outside and yellow within when freshly cut, is the part of the plant which is used. Medicinal Uses: Infusions of the corm are used as emetics to treat
dizziness, bladder disorders and insanity. Decoctions have been given to
weak children as a tonic and the juice is reported to be applied to burns.
The stems and leaves are mixed with other ingredients to treat prostate
problems. Traditional uses are also said to include testicular tumors,
prostate hypertrophy, and urinary infections. |
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Preparation and Dosage: The drug is taken through infusions of the corms and/or leaves. Active Ingredient: It is interesting to note that pumpkin oil, which contains high levels of phytosterols, is marketed in Europe for the treatment of benign prostate hypertrophy. Anti-cancer, anti-HIV and anti-inflammatory activity is ascribed to rooperol (the aglycone of hypoxoside, which is the 4.4'-diglucoside) and compound has showed promising results in clinical trials. Pharmacological Effects: The activity of sitosterols is ascribed to enzymatic effects (inhibition of 5x-reductase) or to decrease binding of dihydrotestosterone within the prostate. |
| Kigelia Cream has been
developed to treat the initial stages of skin cancer. It is natural and
safe to use. This cream is made from the pod fruit of the tree, Kigelia
Africana, known as the "sausage tree" because of the shape of
the pods. Kigelia Africana is found in the Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe. The pod extract has been traditionally used for the treatment of ulcers and sores. Research and trials undertaken at the Zimbabwean University and tests at the Frieburg Institute of Cancer Research and Kings College of London, have indicated positive results with cancerous sun spots. Skin Cancer is increasing alarmingly. |
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To date there has been little research into natural alternatives in the treatment of this disorder. We offer a safe, natural cream that has had positive results in fighting the early stages of skin cancer. We have included aloe excelser in the cream to enhance the healing properties of the cream. This cream is for pre-cancerous sores. Skin cancer or solar kerotosis, the small dry flaky sores on hands or face. This product is not a sun repellent. |
| Botanical Description: An evergreen tree, it grows
to a height of 30m with a spread of 8m. The stem is erect and branching,
the leaves are oval, acuminate and about 10cm long; the seeds are small
winged slivers, almost paper thin.
Medicinal Uses: Yohimbe is the only medically recognized
natural aphrodisiac. Its use as an aphrodisiac in its native area has
been well documented and its unique effects were soon valued in many
parts of the world, especially in Europe. In modern times yohimbe
products have found a wide market, ranging from medically treated
impotence to self administered sexual enhancement. |
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| Pharmacological Effects: There are several alkaloids in Pausinystalia yohimbe, but it is the yohimbine which is responsible for most of the recognized effects. Yohimbine is an indole alkaloid somewhat similar and related to ibogaine and mitragynine and is present in the bark of this species to between 2 and 15%. In small doses of less than 10mg yohimbine it is used medically as a therapy for impotence and frigidity. Recent research has also shown a lot of promise in the treatment of fatigue in HIV patients without any noticeable side effects. Larger doses of 10-50 mg are used as an aid in tantric sexual rituals (especially with dita). Yohimbine causes the dilation of blood vessels in the lower abdomen which can cause long and very hard erections in men and genital stimulation in women. Yohimbine has also been used to treat hypertension, and this effect may have serious consequences for people with already low blood pressure, as fainting is common. On the other hand it can be used as a stimulant by people who cannot usually take most stimulants due to high blood pressure. |
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| Botanical Description: The young twigs are characterised by
their golden colour. Each separate leaf comprises three separate
leaflets. The attractive yellow flowers are followed by flat, brown seed
pods. The plant stands erect and is sparsely branched. It stands 1,5 meters
high.
Medicinal Uses: This uniquely South African Herbal drink is used as a substitute for tea and as a health drink due to the lack of caffeine and other harmful substances in it. It has been use for a long time due it's positive effects on the urinary system and aids weak digestion without affecting the heart. |
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Preparation and Dosage: Honeybush tea is used and drank much
like ordinary tea. 1 to 2 teaspoons of the product are either steeped or
boiled in water. Boiling is said to improve the quality and taste,
unlike tea.
Active Ingredients: Mangiferin, a xanthone-C-glycoside, is a major constituent, together with flavanone-O- glycosides, mainly of the aglycones hesperitin and isosakuranetin. Pharmacological Effects: Apart from the absence of stimulants, it is likely that some beneficial effects may be linked to the free-radical capturing properties of phenolic compounds. |
