COSTUS AFTER OR TWINS CANE, OVER 14 HEALTH BENEFITS 

Scientific name: Costus afer Origin and geographic distribution Costus afer occurs in the forest zone stretching from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to Tanzania, Malawi and Angola. It is often planted in home gardens for medicinal purposes. Uses: Costus afer is widely used for its medicinal benefits throughout tropical Africa. “An inflorescence infusion (boiling a cut stalk in 3L of water) is taken to treat tachycardia. This same infusion or a rhizome infusion is taken to treat an upset stomach.

✓ The stem, either in decoction, or crushed, or chewed, or the pounded fruit, sometimes mixed with sugar cane juice, are taken to treat coughs, respiratory problems and sore throat. “Dried stem smoke is inhaled, also to treat coughs. 

✓ The juice of the leaves is used as eye drops (pound well and put 3 drops of the juice in each eye or nostril) to treat eye disorders and as nasal drops to treat headaches accompanied by dizziness, as well as in friction for treat edema and fever. 

✓ Leaf juice or rhizome decoction (5 leaves boiled in 1L of water, drink 1 to 2 glasses per day) are taken to treat malaria. “The juice of the stem is used for urinary incontinence, venereal disease, jaundice, and to prevent miscarriages. 

✓ Acidic and reddening, this juice causes a burning sensation on open wounds, but it is pain relieving and healing, and is used for various skin conditions. 

✓ A stem decoction is commonly taken to treat rheumatoid arthritis. “An infusion of the dried aerial parts is taken to treat high blood pressure. 

✓ The powdered stems are used as an enema and purge to treat worms and hemorrhoids. 

✓ The pulped stems taken with water are strongly diuretic. 

✓ In Nigeria the peeled stalk is chewed to treat nausea and quench thirst. 

✓ An extract of the juice of the stem in cold water is taken to treat small seizures. 

✓ Rhizome pulp is applied to abscesses and ulcers to ripen them, and to teeth to treat odontalgia; Soaked in water, it is taken to treat diarrhea and amoebic dysentery. In decoction or raw, the rhizome is taken to treat leprosy and venereal diseases. In Gabon, the stem juice rubbed on the body is used to treat colic