Detecting chewing plants to reduce stress, hunger

During the past centuries, indigenous South Africans often chew on a plant that they believe helps the body to remove stress, reduce hunger, sedate and make the spirit more refreshing.

The spiritual refreshing tree has been used by the San for centuries. (AP source).

Currently the scientists of this country have been licensed to embark on research and replication of trees, planning to export to countries around the world.

If true, this plant called sceletium tortuosum promises to significantly improve the lives of local people.

This plant only lives in some arid lands in southwestern South Africa such as Kanna, Channa, Kougoed and is used by San people to reduce hunger, thirst, fatigue. People often chew leaves and stems but can also be mixed as tea and rolled up to suck.

Professor Ben-Erik Van Wyk, a biological researcher at the University of Johannesburg, USA, said studies on this plant did not show any side effects or toxins.

He added that chewing the tree makes the mind become more alert, like smoking a cigarette but not harming the body. This folk remedy has been used by San people for hundreds of years and is now needed to spread more widely.

The US pharmaceutical company PL Thomas & Co, based in Morristown, New Jersey, is combining research with South Africa's pharmaceutical company HGH, which is waiting for approval from US health authorities for distribution. products to consumers.

It is expected that the product will be on the market in 2011, according to HGH company representative, Paula Nurnberger.