What Are Some Jamaican Folk Remedies?

Jamaica is an Island nation in the Caribbean with a very diverse population that enjoys a strong herbal based folk healing tradition. Traditional shamans, known as Obeah-men, and herbalists in Jamiaca utilize the rich flora of this tropical island to produce natural medicines based on plants to treat many common illnesses. Recently, modern medical studies on some of these folk remedies have been undertaken with some very promising results.

History

• Folk medicine is widely practiced in both rural and urban areas of Jamaica. According to "Jamaican Folk Medicine," by Arvilla Payne-Jackson and Mervyn C. Alleyne, most Jamaican folk healing is based on older folk healing traditions from Africa. Slavery brought a high number of Africans to Jamaica, and the island's folk medicine is heavily influenced by spiritual practices like Obeah and Hoodoo, which can be traced back to tribal African roots.

Quassia

• Qaussia, a bitter herbal remedy made from the bark of the Quassia Amara tree, is named after a folk healer who discovered that it was effective in treating malaria. Quassia is used in Jamaica to treat digestive disorders, internal worms and external parasites such as lice, as well as malaria. A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in November 1999 tested Quassia extract on mice who had malaria and found that it has "outstanding" activity against the parasite that causes malaria.

Bitter Melon

• Bitter melon--or Cerassee, as it is known in Jamaica--is one of the most commonly used Jamaican folk medicines. Brought to the island and cultivated by African slaves, it is used for diabetes, malaria, worms, colds and hypertension, and as as an overall health tonic. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in April 2003 found that bitter melon extract improved insulin resistance and raised glucose (blood sugar) in rats.

Sarsaparilla

• Sarsaparilla is a famous folk remedy from Jamaica that was used to make root beer in the United States in the early 20th century. It is used in Jamaica for skin diseases and arthritisas, and also as an energy-boosting tonic and an aphrodisiac. A study published in the journal Phytochemistry in Septemeber 1996 showed that sarsaparilla root contains three steroidal compounds. It is used in Jamaica in beverages that are sold as sexual enhancers for men.

Significance

• The Jamaica folk medicine tradition is as rich as the culture and ecology of Jamaica itself. African folk healers who were brought to a strange new land combined the native plant species with those that were brought over from Africa to make one of the richest folk pharmacopoeias in the world.