19 editions of Fynbos Friday later, we are here with what is probably the most powerful medicinal plant in Southern Africa. We are excited to share this knowledge with you and hope you will learn something today about this amazing species.

Sutherlandia frutescens is regarded as the most profound and multi-purpose of the medicinal plants in Southern Africa. Because of its efficacy as a safe tonic for diverse health conditions it has enjoyed a long history of use by all cultures in Southern Africa.

Sutherlandia powerfully assists the body to mobilize its own resources to cope with diverse physical and mental stresses, and it should therefore be more correctly known as an adaptogenic tonic.

The traditional Tswana name Phetola alludes to this: Phetola means it changes, meaning that the plant changes the course of many illness into a favorable outcome. (Similar to the European concept of an alterative). The North Sotho name Lerumo-lamadi means the spear for the blood meaning that Sutherlandia is a powerful blood-purifier or all-purpose tonic.

The indigenous, folk, and contemporary uses of Sutherlandia include use as a tonic for:

• enhancing well-being
• immune support
• longevity
• stress, depression and anxiety
• wasting from cancer, TB, and AIDS
• quality-of-life tonic for cancers, HIV/AIDS and TB
• appetite stimulant in wasted patients, but not in healthy people.
• influenza
• Chronic Fatigues Syndrome, ME Syndrome and Yuppie Flu
• viral hepatitis
• asthma and bronchitis
• type 2 diabetes
• mild to moderate hypertension
• rheumatoid arthritis
• peptic ulcer, gastritis, and reflux oesophagitis
• hot flashes and irritability in menopause

Precautions
It is not recommend that Sutherlandia be taken during pregnancy.

So it does some amazing things, but what are Adaptogens?

Excellent!

Specifically for cancer, you can read up on the plant and how it works on this page overhere. Its an amazing resource.

Plantzafrica, one of our favorite resources for Fynbos information, also has an amazing page to read on this fantastic plant.

There isn’t much more to say about Sutherlandia Frutecens today, its medicinal use is its first and foremost characteristic and as we can see it’s a super powerful plant that should be used in almost every household in South Africa with fantastic results.

Have a great weekend, wherever you are. Commit to planting your own vegetables and doing some recycling. Its our world, and we are the custodians.