Overall Benefits of Shea butter Includes:
Heals blemishes and keeps wrinkles at bay
Excellent skin moisturizer
Reduces itchiness caused due to excessive dryness of the skin
Cures minor burns and tough skin on feet
Evens out skin tone
Offers sun and wind protection
Restores elasticity to the skin
Restores lost hair luster
Eliminates scalp irritation caused due to chemical processing
So the next time you want to patronize any product for your skin and hair in the market, keep in mind that you can find a great substitute in Shea butter or products that contain a percentage of Shea butter at a more affordable cost.
All parts of the sheanut tree are of immense value. In some communities, the leaves are used as medicine to treat stomachache in children. In Ghana a decoction of young leaves is used as a vapor bath for the treatment of headaches and also as an eye bath. When the leaves are put in water, it forms a frothy opalescent liquid, which is used to bath the head of the patient. A leaf decoction is also used as an eye bath. Because the leaves contain saponin, they lather in water and are suitable for washing. The leaves of the sheanut tree are used as a preservative and in the processing of dawadawa, a local spice in Nigeria and Ghana. They are used to cover dawadawa after processing for a period of time for it to ferment. The leaves of the sheanut tree are also believed to offer spiritual protection. Hence, in some African communities when a woman goes into labor, the branches may be hung in the doorway of her hut to protect the newborn baby from evil. Some communities also use its branches for covering the dead prior to their burial.
In Nigeria, the roots of the sheanut tree are used as chewing sticks especially in the savannah areas. The roots and the root bark are sometimes ground into a paste and taken orally as a cure for jaundice in Ghana as well as the treatment of diarrhoea and stomachache. The root bark is also boiled and pounded and used for the treatment of chronic sores in horses. Nonetheless, the tree can also be employed by the unscrupulous for foul means. Among the Jukun tribe of Nigeria, the roots are mixed with tobacco to produce poison.
In Ghana, the bark of the sheanut tree is boiled and taken as a beverage and there are claims that this beverage can treat diabetes.
However, scientific studies indicate that infusions of the bark has selective anti-microbial properties. It has been found to be effective against Sarcina lutha and Staphylococcus mureas. However, the bark infusion does not treat mycobacterium phlei.
In Senegal and Guinea, worm infested cattle have been treated with infusions of the bark which are crushed together with the bark of Ceiba pentandra and salted. Ailments ranging from diarrhea and dysentery to gastric problems and even leprosy have been treated with bark infusions in Guinea Bissau. In the Ivory Coast, a bark decoction is used in baths and other therapeutic sitz-baths to ease child delivery of women in labour. It is also drunk by lactating mothers to boost the flow of milk. This practice, however, is abhorred in Northern Nigeria where the concoction is considered to be lethal. A bark infusion has the capacity to neutralize the venom of the spitting cobra when used as an eye wash. It is also used in Ghana as a foot bath to help extract jiggers.
The sheanut tree produces copious amounts of sap which can prove invaluable in the gum and rubber industry. This latex when heated and mixed with palm oil produces glue. It is even chewed as a gum by children who also play with the balls that are made out of the gum. Bobo musicians in Burkina Faso use this gum to fill up cracks on their drums and punctures on their drumheads. However, latex from sheanuts contain between 15 to 25 percent carotene which according to present technology makes it inappropriate for the commercial manufacture of rubber.
The brownish husks that are separated from the nut to release the kernel also have the ability to purify water and can remove substantial amounts of heavy metal from aqueous solutions. They are also pounded and used for plastering traditional mud houses to beautify them and promote their lifespan by making them impervious thus reducing their absorption of moisture.
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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