THE PROSTATE HERB Part 1

GUINEA HEN WEED (ANAMU) (Petiveria alliacea)
THE PROSTATE HERB Part 1. 
by Nzinga Nzinga  

And now I come to one of my most favoured herbs in the kingdom of medicinal herbs. Anamu (Spanish) seems to be the name by which this medicinal plant is known outside of Jamaica. In Jamaica, it is commonly called Guinea Hen Weed but is also known there as guinea hen leaf, garlic weed or gully root. In Trinidad& Tobago it is mapurite and gully root. 

When I went looking for it in Kingston, it was easy to find and people were quite familiar with it asking if I meant that ‘smell-bad’ bush that is good for cold and chest problems. I took that to mean respiratory ailments. This herb is proving to be a specific remedy for prostate disorders, whether for enlargement, infection or cancer. 

Dr. Tony Vendryes, a Jamaican naturopath, published some very interesting and salutary information on this herb under the heading Guinea hen weed packed with power in the Jamaica Daily Gleaner of August 13, 2007. Throughout his article, he calls it Anamu and I must confess that it was there that I came in contact with that name for the first time. I was quite familiar with the name Guinea Hen Weed from childhood, but I knew naught of its medicinal uses. 

The first documented info I have on this exciting herb, I got from Dr. Vendryes’ article so I would like to give him credit and sincere appreciation. He himself gave credit to a Jamaican oncologist who has had positive results in some of her cancer patients who have been using Guinea Hen Weed. I don’t know who she is but my appreciation certainly goes out to this lady cancer specialist in a big way. After all, one doesn't have to know the source of benefice to show appreciation. That, indeed, is an attitude of gratitude.

Since reading Dr. Vendryes’ report, I have come to learn through research that Guinea Hen Weed is undoubtedly a beneficial herb. Today, it is widely used and its good effect is well known, especially among Jamaican men. I have been privileged to receive quite a few testimonies, some solicited, some unsolicited, from Jamaican users of this herb for prostate cancer and they couldn't be more positive. 

In fact the statement that ‘it is widely used and its good effect is well known, especially among Jamaican men’ is a direct quote from one of my correspondents. I am also happy when the wives tell me that they too are using Anamu. Obviously, the word is out that Guinea Hen Weed goes beyond gender borders being good not only for Adam, Cain, Abel and Seth, but also for Eve!

Since September 2008 while I was in Jamaica and discovered the virtues and power of Guinea Hen Weed for prostate cancer, I have developed a special affection for it. My introduction to it was as a medicinal herb for prostate cancer, that is, a herb with properties to prevent and treat prostate cancer. Yes, I was told that it was a specific for prostate cancer and because I had so many men-folk who were victims of prostate cancer, I was fascinated with the power attributed to it. 

My interest was further heightened because I had done intensive research on prostate cancer, and had written an unpublished book on not only some natural approaches, but also on some allopathic or conventional ones used in its treatment. I was totally ignorant about Anamu’s association with prostate cancer then, but now that I know and have proof that it works, I do not hesitate to spread the good news about it. I am happy to say that many have thanked me for this information.

At that time, after reading Dr. Vendryes’ article, whenever I heard mention of Guinea Hen Weed, it was always as a man’s tea because it was regarded only as a treatment for the prostate by those with whom I had contact. Victims of this now pandemic prostate disease are rejoicing that their PSA number has gone way down. Those who were not into herbal medicine and took a good while to start taking it, did so only at my encouragement and insistence that it couldn't hurt. Mercifully it worked for them.  

Only a few months ago, I was happy to learn that this herbal medicine is available in capsules. This preparation is available in Kingston, Jamaica. I will make the source available to anyone interested before I finish writing this, thanks to the convenience of email facility. I was about to suggest to some of my friends concerned, especially those who do not take too fondly to drinking the tea which is not the most pleasant tasting tea in the herb kingdom, that they themselves make capsules of the herb by drying and grinding the parts used and then putting them in capsules which are available on the market. Anyway, since they can be obtained in Jamaica and online and I suppose elsewhere, they don’t have to go to all that trouble when they can buy the ready-made preparation. 

A very close friend takes guinea hen weed in that form and was happy to report that his PSA has been way down to zero and the cancer is mercifully contained in the prostate capsule. If you wish to gather and prepare the fresh herb as a friend of mine, who has it growing in his backyard does, look around your own fence, especially in the rocky areas. It tends to grow there.

I read on the Internet that currently, in South America and Jamaica, Anamu is being used for its immune stimulant and antic-cancerous properties as a support aid for cancer and leukaemia patients. This use is also catching on in the USA, and Anamu is now available in capsules and tablets under several labels, as already mentioned. It is also being employed in various formulas for its antimicrobial actions against bacteria, viruses, yeast, and fungi, as well as in other formulas supporting immune function. I have tried to get it here in Ghana to no avail. In fact I have yet to meet someone here who had heard of it. That’s indeed a pity because those who have heard of it from me, have to get it from Jamaica or online.

Those who are not beset with prostate problems either, because they are female and prostate-less or are male but free of prostate troubles, will be pleased to hear, as I was, that this herb is beneficial in treating other conditions. Better still, it is used to treat other cancers. Dr. Vendryes, as well as other herbal practitioners, says that it has a long history in herbal medicine in all the countries where it is indigenous—the Amazon rainforest, the Caribbean, South Africa and Central and South America. 

It has been widely used by herbalists to treat a wide range of ailments including, arthritis, digestive disorders, infections, colds, flu, viruses, worms, Candida and other yeast infections, urinary tract infections, diabetes and different kinds of cancers. It is also a pain killer, a diuretic, de-coagulant and decongestant. Add venereal diseases, womb inflammation, paralysis and hysteria to the above ailments against which Anamu is claimed to be effective. Some indigenous folks crush the root and inhale it for sinusitis.

It is reported that Anamu extracts have been found to relieve pain and inflammation even when applied topically to the skin. I will leave for the section on ‘contraindications’ its ability to induce abortion! Dr. Vendryes says that after doing his own research, he now uses it regularly in his practice and finds it to be a useful, safe, inexpensive addition, not only to a cancer treatment programme, but also in treating other conditions, some of which are already listed. A relative, who lives in the USA, buys the capsules for a cancer patient whenever she goes to Jamaica. 

The word on Guinea Hen Weed is spreading like wildfire, especially in Jamaica where prostate cancer is also spreading like wild fire! In addition to its documented anti-cancerous properties, a major plus for Guinea Hen Weed is its ability to fight immune disorders as stated above. It is reported to boost the immune system, that is, to stimulate immune function and immune cell production and to fight infections.

Interested folks, who use the Internet for info, can Google the many sites providing info on this herb with some advertising the capsules and powder for sale. A Jamaican couple informed me that they get the capsules in Jamaica at the RADA shop at the Ministry of Agriculture just beside the new Jamaica College gate. 

To be continued

 All the images were taken from the Internet and I claim no copyright.