Safari Notes

Very few people in sub-saharan Africa know of or have ever tasted the pomegranate. But, for ages it has  been used by Arabs, Persians and Indians. Around the Mediterranean region, it is one of the most common fruit and plant. Its juice is excellent and refreshing. Facts about the amazing pomegranate: it is one of the oldest fruits in existence, it can live for more than one hundred years, it is a rich source of a strong anti-oxidant known as punicalagins, which are thought to be responsible for the major health benefits of its juice which can keep platelets from clumping together to form dangerous blood clots; not to mention its cancer preventative effects. More on the pomegranate: crfg.org ,   National Geographic , Health Central , hort.purdue.edu , Health Castle , pomegranates.org , pomegranate-juice , CBS News , pomegranatehealth , Wikipedia , Knol Image: Treehugger

Leafless, spiny and succulent. Found deep in the Kalahari desert in southern Africa, where it thrives in the extreme heat. It is the hoodia plant. A plant that very few know of but is becoming very popular especially with obese people. Of the 20 or so species of the plant, one contains a natural appetite suppressant. Extracts from it, can also be used to maintain a high energy level. The Bushmen of the Kalahari who use it to quench thirst in the very hot desert, call it xhoba. Hoodia is said to also be a cure for severe abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes . More on the Hoodia plant: BBC , Wikipedia , Drugs.com , CBS News , Medicinenet , Thyroid-info , Cellhealthmakeover , rebirth.co.za , hoodia-advice , naturaingredients , health.propeller , MigFa , Doctor Weil , Books , Scholar Image: Google

Ever heard of the argan tree (argania spinosa)? Outside morocco, it is not much known; but it is the perfect crop for hot deserts with extreme temperatures and little water or poor soil. Its oil which comes from the nuts of the tree, is said to: treat aging,  keep the skin fresh, treats cancer, treats cardiovascular diseases, treats arthritis, and treats measles in children. Its tree can live up to 200 hundred years. More on the Argan: The New York Times , Herbal Properties , IDRC , Mondeberebere , Aramcoworld , Tree.org , TeatroNaturale , Suite101 , ArganBeute , Maghrebia , Wildwoodgroves , BBC , Wikipedia Image: Google

Yew The Yew tree. The tree with magical medicinal wonders. From time immemorial, the tree has played very important roles in people's lives: it was so widely used in Europe for making weapons that they have almost been wiped out there. Presently the yew tree has become very significant due to the anticancer agent - Taxol - which can be isolated mostly from the bark of the yew tree. The common yew trees can be found in North and North-West Africa Yew For more on the Yew Tree go to these sites: The BBC , shee-erie , likinghub , Medicinal Uses Of Yews , The-Tree , Ancient Yew , Arbutusarts , Wikipedia , Answers , White Dragon , Japanese Yew , duidry , Scholar Pacific Yew For more on the Pacific Yew Tree: TopTenHealthProducts , Conifers.org , klemow , botgard , Wellness , herbs2000 , FindArticles , Prostate Cancer Treatment , na.fs.fed , The Healing Power of Plants , Nature's Pharmacy , Your Health Base , USDA , Near Atrica More on The Yew Tree (Taxux Baccata) on

Jatropha: the wonder plant that can grow in the poorest of soil; is easy to manage; grows fast and produces seeds for up to 50 years. Its greatest wonder is that, it can produce oil for combustible fuel. Fuel that is environmentally clean. Medically it is used for treating diseases like cancer, piles, snakebite, paralysis, dropsy etc. Still: questions are now emerging as to whether widespread jatropha cultivation is really feasible or whether it will simply displace badly needed food crops in the developing world . More on the Jatropha: Jatropha World , Wikipedia , ecoworld , info.nedfi , Biodiesel Today , jatrophacurcas.net , REUK , Reuters , BP , Jatropha.de , Books , Scholar Image: Google

Turmeric or 'Indian saffron' or botanically: Curcuma longa ,  belongs to the ginger family;  turmeric is a rhizome. Do not confuse it with saffron which is a spice derived from a flower. India is its world's largest producer and consumer. It is known as one of the greatest herbal healers, used for thousands of years, in China and mainly in India, for treating cancer to Alzheimer's disease. It is reported that turmeric: is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent; has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer and other types of cancer; reduces the risk of childhood leukemia; is a liver de-toxifier; can act as an anti-inflammatory; can act as a pain killer; can treat depression; and is known to speed the healing of wounds. More on Turmeric: Sadaf , NutraSanus , Epicenter , Apinchof , Uni-graz , Plant Cultures , India Parenting , VitaminStuff , WHFoods , Herbal-supplements-guide , Books , Scholar Image: Google

Hemp. Marijuana. Bhang. Ganja. Hashish. And many other manes. For Cannabis Sativa. Most people, hate it. Most countries, ban it. But, many too, long and crave for it. It has made many, very wealthy. And it has turned many more, into zombies. Countries, reel and are destabilized by it. Colombia, Mexico and even the USA, with all its might, has not been able to stop the use of cannabis. More On Cannabis: Cyberbotanica , pfaf.org , usda.gov , Purdue University , cannabissativa.com , Bio Web , acde , Wikipedia , Fast Facts Image: cannabis.com

Bamboos grow everywhere, except Europe and Antarctica. This plant, which can survive in the most difficult of conditions, has many uses. No other plant, is as useful, in many ways, as the bamboo. It is used in hundreds of ways. It can be used as food; for building and even used by Arabs, the Chinese and Indians as medicine. At one time, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere wanted to use the hollow trees for piping water to Tanzanians. More on bamboos: Bamboo Information , e-how , Growing and Maintaining Bamboo , Google Answers , hemp-guide , Chinese Bamboo Tree , Bamboo As Food and Medicine , Bamboo as medicine Image: Google

Since time immemorial, ginger is a most valued medicinal plant used by Arabs, Indians the Chinese and other Asians. It is also used as spice for cooking and in tea and coffee. Try taking cool ginger juice; it is medicinal and very refreshing. More On Ginger: uni-graz.at , theepicentre , whfoods.com , wikipedia , Health & Yoga , NutraSanus , Vitaminstuff , ImmuneSupport , It's Your Health Image: Google

Nutritious, easy and cheap to produce. In some parts it is called 'the wonder crop'. It is soya beans. The beans also serve as a high-protein livestock feed and, when grown in rotation with maize and cotton, improve soil fertility. For years now, Uganda has been producing the beans; but t Kenya, it is rarely grown. Due to the rising demand in the beans, production is set to rise. More on Soya: soya.be , Best Vegan Guide , The Dynamic Nature , vegsoc , birdseye.co , Soya Tech , Image: Google

Aloë. For thousands of years, it has been used as medicine for treating various ailments, from burns to constipation. It is not only used in many beauty products; it can be drunk too. It is among the world's top herbal selling products. There are hundreds of species of Aloe, the  most common, most used and most popular is the Aloe vera. The genus is a native to Africa and is common in southern Africa and Madagascar. Many people too, grow aloes in their gardens and in pots, in their homes. More on Aloe: Peoples Pharmacy , University of Maryland , How To Grow , Mayo Clinic , Drink , Facts , All4NaturaHealth , Quick Facts Image: Keetsa

Except for South Africa, Western Africa - especially in Morocco, very few people in Africa use Asparagus Spears as food. In North West Africa, the plants can be found in the wild. Very nutritional and the leading supplier in folic acid, asparagus is best when fresh and not canned. It can be eaten raw or steamed or spiced or roasted. Soup from it is superb. More on Asparagus: Invista , Asparagus Online , Asparagus.org , Live Strong , Fat Secret , Nutrition-and-you , Asparagus Facts Image: HowStuffWorks