A natural Cuban cure for malaria, arthritis, poor memory?

April 09, 2010 08:36 pm | Updated 08:36 pm IST - Havana

A “natural” medicine derived from a herb that grows wild in Cuba can reportedly fight arthritis, malaria and memory problems and will also be tried on people with HIV.

‘Anamu’ or Petiveria alliacea, commonly known as “garlic weed” due to its strong garlic-like odour, has been found to be an “anti-spasmodic, diuretic, stimulant and sudorific, local analgesic and anti-inflamatory in different skin complaints, and it is used against arthritis, malaria, rheumatism and memory problems,” Cuba’s official news agency AIN said.

The anamu tablet, 400 mg and completely natural and herbal, will be supplied initially to patients with the AIDS virus in Santiago de Cuba province, where its effectiveness will be verified, according to its immune response...in the human organism, it said.

Martha Zoe, a specialist in natural medicine, said the pills are made from powdered leaves and young stems of anamu, a grassy herb that grows wild in Cuba, the Caribbean, South America and Africa.

“The tablets already have the first health registration, backed by medical reports on the plant and research linked with its traditional use and reported benefits,” the report said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.