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 mobilise 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 illnesses into a favourable 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
