There are many herbs found in nature that can help people maintain good mental as well as physical health. These herbs have natural ingredients that help people in different ways; this is the reason why many individuals still prefer natural herbs over medicines or artificial supplements. One such herb that has been harvested for thousands of years by the San and Khoikhoi people of South Africa is Kanna. It is also known as Kanna Sceletium Tortuosum, or many individuals just call it Kanna as it is simple to pronounce. This herb has many health benefits for individuals, which is why it is, to date, harvested and popularly used. To know more about the benefits, keep on reading.
What is Kanna?
It is a succulent plant from South Africa and is also called Sceletium Tortuosum. To treat hunger, thirst, and discomfort, locals customarily ferment the plant into a medicinal form known as Kanna, channa, or kougoed. According to ancient accounts of its usage, hunters and farmers washed their sore legs with Kanna. Although it is used to relieve tension and stress, the psychoactive plant kana is neither addictive nor psychedelic.
What are the Benefits of Kanna?
Numerous research looking into the advantages have found promising findings for Kanna, but bigger, more thorough studies are needed to establish its efficacy. Furthermore, there is a considerable danger of bias in several of these research. But the general proven benefits of the herb are the following:
- Improved sleep
Natural antidepressants like mesembrine and the whole Sceletium Tortuosum extract may be effective. Patients who took this herb reported better sleep and less stress in clinical investigations. A pure extract was roughly half as efficient in treating depression in rats as the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine. The mechanism of action of several prescription antidepressants and anxiety drugs appears to be quite similar to that of Kanna. In cell experiments, Kanna increases the quantity of serotonin accessible in a manner comparable to that of drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, and Cymbalta.
- Inflammation
Inflammation and depression are intimately related, and high concentrations of cytokine-producing inflammatory chemicals may bring on certain forms of depression. In one experiment, cells treated with Sceletium Tortuosum extract produced more IL-10, a unique cytokine that decreases inflammation and inhibits the production of other cytokines that promote inflammation.
- Pain
According to traditional medicine and animal research, Kanna is an excellent natural painkiller. Mesembrine from the Kanna plant performed about as well as the potent opioid morphine in a rat trial. Traditional healers used Kanna to heal farmers and hunters, and pregnant women chewed it to relieve their discomfort. To put weeping newborns to sleep, they would even give them drops of Kanna.
Conclusion
The conventional method of using Kanna would be to chew leaves, stems, or blossoms. In addition to eating it, people also drink it or inhale it in vapor form. Honeybush and Kanna are frequently combined in tea blends for increased calming benefits. This Kanna consumption method results in a gentler effect that fosters tranquility and relaxation—because of this, drinking Kanna tea would be an excellent method to relax after a busy day or promote better sleep before bed.
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