A cure for Covid-19?
The remarkable medicinal properties of African herbs and botanicals
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When I first arrived in Ghana in September a Ghanaian friend told me not to bother taking malaria tablets because they are harmful to the body long-term, as are all western pharmaceuticals. "They all have side effects and make your body weak so that infections can get in" he said. "if you get malaria then just gather some neem tree leaves and boil them in a big pan and drink the tea". It is better at curing malaria than any of your Western drugs and it does not come back. The malaria goes out in your urine and you will feel strong. "Some very good malaria treatments that you can buy at the pharmacy are based on neem" he said. "That is why you will see cars at the roadside under a neem tree with people gathering leaves". It is true, I have seen that and neem trees are all over Ghana. Some reach a huge size. They are the favourite tree for roadside food stalls, sellers to sit under and taxi drivers to park under and wait for customers, as the foliage is plentiful and they on mature neem trees the leaf bearing branches grow at just the right height and angle to provide a lot of shade just above head height.
Last week I think that I got Malaria for the first time. I have been visiting and travelling in Africa for 20 years but never more than 2 weeks at a time and always protected by Malarone, the one a week malaria preventative tablet that seems to be very effective but is expensive and you can't take it long term due to side effects (body weakening?). This time I am here for months so I bought 50 doxycyline tablets and took them for the first 7 weeks. I didn't buy any more because I forgot. I hadn't been getting any mosquito bites to speak of as I was living by the sea where there is always a stiff breeze that the mosquitos hate. Two weeks ago I went on a trip to Cape Coast and Kakum National Park (see my other article on this). There I did get bitten by mosquitoes on the feet and ankles at night (I was wearing jeans and long sleeved shirt but hadn't packed any shoes and socks). The bites itch like crazy and sometimes I drew blood where I was scratching them in the night. I also didn't have any Doxycline left. I had become blasé about malaria in West Africa, where it is endemic and the feared and deadly cerebral malaria is common.
When I got back to my apartment by the sea in Prampram I spent a few days writing up my notes and enjoying the sea air, watching the crashing surf and swaying coconut. I then began to feel weak, I didn't feel like getting out of bed and was only able to walk across to the kitchen to get water. I had no appetite and was feeling like I was going down with flu. The idea of driving was too much for me, as the drivers are all crazy and the roads are full of potholes, mega pot holes and sleeping policemen that are invisible until it is too late. My legs and arms started aching and it was sensation unlike any other. I was also sweating profusely and was shaking inside and cold even though it is 32 C every day and never goes below 25 C at night. I didn't have a headache so if it was Malaria then it wouldn't be the cerebral type, I reasoned to myself, so decided to phone my friend and try the African herbal cure. There is a neem tree right outside my house. "Let's give it a go" I said to myself. "OK I am coming" he said (he lived nearby where he manages my favourite hotel). He arrived and saw me on my sweaty sickbed. He took a pan full of leaves and boiled them and told me to drink a mug of the tea. It was horrible! Incredibly bitter. I wasn't able to take more than three mouthfuls and the aftertaste lasted for ages. So I added ginger and honey and somehow managed to drink it. I needed a slab of Ghana Chocolate after that to take the taste away. Ghana Chocolate is the best chocolate in the world; Rich and full, unlike any other I have tasted.
"Let it cool and then bath with it" he said. I asked him what he meant, "pour it all over your head and body after you have showered with your eyes open then let it dry on your skin" he said. "That way it will get into your system, into your blood". Then sleep. "Your urine will go dark and then paler as the malaria leaves your body". "Keep some to drink the next day" he said. I did what he said and by day three I was feeling full of energy and my appetite was back. Whatever it was had cleared. I don't know if it was malaria but if it does come back then I will go to the pharmacy and get tested and take their anti-malarial medication: Do it the Western way because I can't face drinking neem tea ever again.
I thanked my friend for curing me. He said "No problem, you know we use neem and african ginger to cure covid-19". "we do steam inhalation above a pan of boiled neem leaves and ginger then drink the juice". "It works every time" "that is why there have been so few cases and so few deaths from Covid-19 in Ghana here". Also, the food that we eat and the sun and the heat means that it cannot enter our bodies" he said "and if we do feel like we have a tight chest then we do this steam inhalation for a few days and it is gone". It is true that the number of cases and deaths of covid-19 in Ghana is very low. 45,000 cases and 308 dead when I arrived and now, 12 weeks later, only 53,000 cases and 331 dead. Compare that to the UK with nearly 2 million cases and 65,000 to 75,000 dead depending on which figure you use. 65,000 deaths within 28 days of testing positive or 75,000 deaths with Covid-19 on the death certificate. More people are dying ever day of Covid-19 in UK than have ever died of it in Ghana. The Ghanaians put it down to the natural food that they eat and natural medicines that they use. They could be right, or it could be that Ghana has a young demographic, less elderly people and some cases and deaths may go undetected and unrecorded. Whatever the reason, African Ginger and Neem Tea has proven medicinal qualities for colds and flu that is recognised the world over.
African ginger is smaller and stronger than the ginger that you can buy in the UK, so it stands to reason that it is more potent. Pure neem oil is incredibly potent. It is used to treat fungal infections, warts, skin infections, promote wound healing and combat signs of skin aging. Neem bark is used for malaria, stomach and intestinal ulcers, pain and fever. Neem flower is used for controlling bile, controlling phlegm and treating intestinal worms. Neem leaves are used for leprosy, eye disorders, intestinal worms, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, heart disease, diabetes, gum disease and liver problems. The leaf is also used for birth control (it is spermicidal). Not bad for a tree that grows wild in every road, village, town, city and forest in Ghana.
I got interested in the medicinal properties of the naturally occurring and widely available trees and plants in Ghana. I have started researching and have found some remarkable facts. I have just scratched the surface of this fascinating topic, but here is what I know so far.
Neem (Azadirachata Indica) is good for everything and it grows everywhere. It cures malaria, keeps the skin healthy, keeps the internal organs healthy, slows down aging and stops men being too potent in the baby department.
Teak (Tectona Grandis) has many medicinal properties and traditional uses. The decoction of the bark is used in bronchitis, dysentery, diabetes, difficult labour, leprosy and skin diseases. The leaves have a cooling nature are used as an anti-inflammatory agent on the skin, relieving inflammation, itching and acne. It also supports hair growth and treats headaches.
Siamese Cassia (or Abootre in Ghana) - Senna Siamea, is a densely foliated tree that can grow to 60m tall and provides wonderful shade. It is part of the bean family as it produces tender pods and edible seeds. Its leaves are known to contain the active compound barakol, which removes intestinal worms and prevents seizures in children. The wood sap is a laxative and can even treat scabies. A decoction of the bark and leaves is a proven antimalarial, like neem.
Guava (Psidium Guajava) is widely praised for its health benefits. The ripe fruit is eaten raw and the leaves are used to make tea. The fruit is full of vitamin C and flavonoids like quercetin, which reduce the risk of cancer heart disease, asthma and stroke. The leaves are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial with tannins that defend the body from free radicals. In Ghanaian traditional medicine the leaves of the Guava tree are used to treat measles, diarrhoea and smallpox.
The Atoa (golden apple) tree (Spondias Mombin). This tree can grow up to 25 feet in height and has white flowers then brightly coloured fruit. It is part of the cashew family. The bark, flowers and leaves are made into teas which are used to cure cough, haemorrhoids, gonorrhoea and dysentery. The fruit is delicious and is made into condiments, jellies and juice.
Moringa (Moringa Oleifere). The Moringa tree, drumstick tree, miracle tree or horseradish tree as it is commonly known depending on the region, is one of the most nutritious plants on earth. Its roots, seeds, leaves, wood and bark are full of many vitamins, minerals and proteins. One cup of fresh chopped moringa leaves contains protein, vitamins A B6 and C, iron and magnesium. It is rich in antioxidants, lowers cholesterol and can even help the body defend itself against arsenic toxicity. This is a very important plant in rural Ghana as it combats malnutrition and food insecurity.
This is a new and fascinating subject for me and one that I will delve into with open arms and share more knowledge on future articles as I learn more. All of the western pharmaceutical drugs are derived from compounds found in trees and plants, particularly from equatorial zones, where the climate suits the growth of many kinds of trees plants and fruits. The Amazon rainforest is always the place cited in medical blogs about the search for the next wonder drug, but why not Ghana? There are 50 or more plants that are used by traditional healers here. Many will be unknown in mainstream western medicine and only used in the villages. Western medicine and pharmaceutics are very important and have increased our lifespans and survival chances from all ailments, but traditional herbal medicine also has a place. I haven't even mentioned the properties of Ginger, garlic and boabab. Those will be in the next article.
About the Creator
John Vallis
Dad, uncle, Traveller, guitarist, academic, conservationist, environmentalist and wastewater engineer by trade.
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