Native Organic " Herbal" Medicines

One of the most fascinating and promising fields of medicine Manu'a Healthcare Foundation is actively moving into is traditional "native" medicines, defined as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) today but used thousands of years by Samoans and Polynesians as cures for some of the illnesses and medical conditions we face today.  These medicines went dorment for a period of time as western medicine took front stage as the cure of cures.  However, in many cases, western medicine has reach a certain point where we believe, native medicine may be able to bridge that gap between research and trails, to potential cures.

These medicines supposedly helped cure diseases such as Diabetes and other forms of diseases.  Some research has been done in the past to determine the contents and make-up of the plants and active ingredients.  However the next stage of this research project would be to take the plants (or key ingredients) and convert into commercial form herbal "Organic" medicine, with reference to native Islands medicine to finally coin the outcome "Native Organic Medicine".  Our goal  to  to validate whether some of these traditional plant medicines actually work, including their positive and and negative side affects. 

As a non-profit entity focused on delivery of medical solutions and research, Manu'a Healthcare Foundation will be working on Grants and other forms of funding for research into these traditional medicines starting in mid-2016 as our part in helping find solutions and potential cures to diseases affecting our people today.

Samoan  traditional Herbal medicines

Traditional Samoan medicines are based on various plants found on the islands.  These native plants are known to have cure properties that are still unknown today, including their positive affects to fighting disease 


Areas of targeted medicinal Research

  1. Kava (Piper Methysticum) - Roots of of a particular plant that produce a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties.  Kava has a calming effect reliving anxiety, restlessness, sleeplessness and stress-related symptoms such as muscle tension or spasm.  Kava has caused liver failure if used for long continuous periods of time.  It is this area of research that we would research into; how to limit or reduce the negative impact to the liver. 
  2. Pua Samoa (Gardenia Taitensis DC) - leaves taken internally for diabetes and generally used for "cleansing the blood" in pre-natal care.
  3. Seasea (Syzygium corynocarpum) - leaves taken internally for fever, leaves used topically for relief of inflammation.
  4. Toa (Casuarina equisetifolia L) - Inner bark taken internally for cough, hypertension, asthma and diabetes.
  5. Tuise (Kyllinga Brevifolia Rottb) - Used for liver disease.
  6. Feu Saina (Mikania Micrantha HBK) - Used to stop bleeding, treat gastritis, insect bites and various skin irritations.
  7. Saga (Momordica charantia L) - Fruit used to treat leprosy and malignant ulcers; to treat stomach worms, fever and phlegm, hypertension, dysentery and diabetes.
  8. Fao (Neisosperma oppositifolium) - Infusion of the bark is used to treat diabetes, high blood pressure and even serious illnesses such as cancer.

Articles on  traditional Herbal medicinal plants

  1. ADAP Project - Samoan Medicinal Plants and Their Usage 
  2. WHO - Medicinal plants in the South Pacific 
  3. NPS - Tropical Rainforest for Medicinal Purposes
  4. NIH - Medicine Ways:  Traditional Healers and Healing