Marvellous Marula Tree Medicine!
The Marula tree has become famous owing to the now popular Liquor: Amarula, made from the tasty fruit.
Yet, many people might not realize that Marula is considered a very important medicinal plant by the indigenous people of Southern Africa.
Marula or Sclerocarya birrea is a tree medicine, the red bark of which is ground or pounded and boiled into a multi-functional medicine for treating numerous conditions, of which some include:
Skin Health
Firstly, indigenous people have steamed (futa) with Marula to clear the skin of acne and for cleansing and enhancing the “shine” of the skin, often used by courting girls who seek to impress boys! This use is validated by its numerous flavanoids and tannins that astringe or tighten the skin and disinfect the skin from acne promoting bacteria. The oil from the nuts is also very rich and good for applying in cosmetics.
Blood Sugar & Malaria Remedy
Marula bark has even stronger properties that have been confirmed in the laboratory with medicinal properties in the bark that help lower blood sugar (Hypoglycaemic actions), useful for people to control sugar levels! The bark fascinatingly also has anti-plasmodium activity making its traditional uses to prevent and treat malaria credible.
Elixir
Marula bark has been used traditionally to treat tummy bugs, diarrhea and as a strengthening tonic for the heart! My feeling about Marula having worked with it in my initiation as a traditional herbalist (inyanga) is it falls into the category of the strengthening plant medicines-or tonics!
What a wonderful blessing this majestic tree endows us: not only with its grand beauty in the landscape of the Northern Province of South Africa but it is a pharmacy in its own right!
A Queen of African Trees! And Health Elixir!
Thokoza Marula Thokoza!
Jean-Francois Sobiecki is a pioneering South African ethnobotanist whose passion is to share his knowledge of African medicinal plants.
To learn about other South African medicinal plants covered on his Plant Safari video course (more than 25 medicinal plants covered ) check out Jean-Francois’ Online Phytoalchemy Courses that is on a special Lockdown offer: http://phytoalchemy.co.za/faq/
& Discount Sign Up Page: http://phytoalchemy.co.za/2018/07/27/all-courses-special-offer/
