The African cure that almost got away
Alternatives for the Health-conscious Individual 2001, Vol.9. Author: Dr. David G. Williams
Traipsing around the world in search of cures for the last 16 or 17 years hasn’t been without its shares of failures and disappointments. For every effective remedy I uncover, I would guess that there are at least a hundred others that prove to be worthless. I can’t remember how many times I’ve traveled half way around the world to some desolate, disease-ridden village in search of a highly touted “miracle,” only to find that it was either an elaborate hoax or something that simply didn’t exist. It’s frustrating to say the least. If I focused on all the failures and dead-end roads I’ve travelled, I would have stopped doing this years ago. That hasn’t been the case however. Even with a young family at home, I’m still on the move.
Last week after returning from yet another trip, I placed my backpack, stuffed with potential new ‘cures’, in the corner. My understanding wife, Wendy, kindly informed me that I needed to unpack it. She then pointed to another pile of backpacks and bags that still hadn’t been unpacked from my last three trips. Lately, I’ve been packing a bag to leave before I unpack from my last trip. (I unpacked all-well almost all-of my backpacks and cancelled a trip last week. I spent the weekend camping with my wife, my nine-year-old daughter, Meagan, and my son, Mason. It was Mason’s seventh birthday.)
I’m leaving again next week. It’s not always easy to leave home, but stories like the following one keep me on the trail of new cures.
Gumshoe, Black Goo, and Voodoo
Several years ago, I received reports of two natural remedies from Ghana in Africa. One was a foul smelling black liquid that was supposed to cure impotency. The other was a powder that reportedly cured asthma and hay fever. After considerable effort, I did finally find the so-called impotency cure. I collected samples and also had samples sent back to my office in Texas. It was a foul-smelling, nasty black liquid. Unfortunately – or maybe fortunately – before I had a chance to test it, it turned into a mass of orange and gray mildew. The mailed sample that made it back to Texas looked even worse when it arrived. It had fermented and had leaked through all the packaging. I’ve always felt fortunate that I wasn’t arrested by customs or postal authorities for trying to bring it into the country. I was never able to find the powder that reportedly cured asthma. My sources told me that a lady healer or shaman was dispensing the cure to locals. The source of the powder was a closely guarded secret that had been passed down from African shaman to shaman for generations. I was disappointed at not finding the powder, but as I’ve said, it happens a lot.
A Cold Trail Heats Up
Then, a couple of months ago, I got a call from one of my contacts and was told the powder I had been looking for years ago was now being sold in London. After doing some serious investigative work, I discovered that the powder is in fact now available there. The man selling it, Jerry Yamoa, happens to be the grandson of the lady shaman I was trying to locate years ago in Ghana. Jerry told me that his grandmother was a traditional healer who lived near Agogo, in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Her name was Akua Asirifia. During the 1970s and 1980s, she became quite famous in the area for curing people’s asthma problems. Although she was approached on numerous occasions to reveal her secret remedy, she always declined. She was afraid that once the remedy became commercialized it would become too expensive for those who needed it....
Ingredients
1. What exactly is Yamoa™?
2. What added ingredients are in Yamoa™?
Dosaging
1. How do I take Yamoa™ Powder?
Adults:
One 5 ml standard teaspoonful of the honey mixture twice a day for one month continuously OR take 1/4 of a 5ml teaspoon of powder twice a day with a glass of water or fruit juice, tea or any beverage.
Children: under the age of 12:
Half a 5ml teaspoon of the honey mixture twice a day for one month continuously OR take 1/8 of a 5ml teaspoon of powder twice a day with a glass of water or fruit juice, tea or any beverage.
FOR BEST RESULTS, FINISH ENTIRE MIXTURE EVEN IF RELIEF IS FOUND AT AN EARLY STAGE OF TREATMENT.
2. Do I mix it in honey as and when required, or all in one go when I first receive it?
Please remember a child's dose is half a teaspoon of the mixture, and the mixture will be taken over approximately 2 months in all for a child.
3. Can it be taken with anything else other than honey?
You can also mix it with a jam, brown rice syrup, pure maple syrup, water or any beverage. It can also be sprinkled into baby cereals or yoghurt for young children or babies - honey is not recommended for babies under 1 year due to the risk of Botulism (bacteria in honey).
Yamoa™ tastes bitter, so it is better mixed with something sweet. If you are a diabetic, you are best advised to mix it with a low sugar carrier. We have Yamoa™ in Capsule form, which is ideal for people who cannot take Yamoa™ mixed in honey.
4. How do I take the Yamoa™ Capsules?
1 capsule twice a day (morning and evening) with water.
Children aged 12 and under:
1/2 capsule twice a day (morning and evening) mixed in honey or jam, maple syrup or other foodstuff to mask bitter taste. If the child is old enough to swallow the capsule, only half of the powder will require mixing with honey (or other).
IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO STOP YOUR OR YOUR CHILD'S CURRENT MEDICATION WITHOUT YOUR DOCTORS ADVICE.
5. What are the optimum times for taking Yamoa™?
6. How many pots will a complete treatment consume?
Efficacy
1. Is it a permanent solution or does the treatment need to be repeated every year for hay fever sufferers?
2. I have had asthma for many years, and I am in the senior age bracket, will Yamoa™ help me?
With this in mind, it may mean that although Yamoa™ may not appear to improve your condition within a month, it may need longer to establish its healing properties and boost your immune system against the triggers which cause your asthma. Persevering with Yamoa™ for more than one month may therefore bring better results.
3. How far in advance of the hay fever season should I take Yamoa™?
Safety
1. Does it have any known side effects?
Some people may respond initially to Yamoa™ with what is termed as a 'healing reaction' (sometimes known as a healing 'crisis' or Herxheimer reaction). This is when symptoms seem to worsen before they start to improve, and it can be quite alarming for some people, particularly asthma sufferers. Please bear this in mind, and although it is rare with Yamoa™, it is common with many complimentary therapies. Please be sure, particularly if you suffer from respiratory attacks such as in asthma, that you always carry your emergency medication with you at all times, even if you feel Yamoa™ has helped you combat your condition.
We do not recommend you take Yamoa™ if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you are on blood pressure medication. We also do not recommend mixing the powder with honey or another sweet carrier if you suffer from fungal infections in the respiratory tract (see Powder versus Capsules questions below).
If you find you are experiencing any adverse symptoms from taking Yamoa™, please let us know. Please see our 'drug interactions' question.
2. Are there any known drug interactions with Yamoa™?
Tests to establish whether it could interact with any one medication taken by any given individual are impossible to conduct due to the enormity of the task (there are so many drugs and drug combinations being taken), that we cannot give a conclusive guarantee that this will never happen, therefore it is strictly your decision as to whether you will go ahead and use Yamoa™ whilst on your current medications.
If you experience any signs that an adverse reaction is happening to you when you take Yamoa™, you must stop immediately and consult your healthcare specialist, and inform us so that we can advise others of possible interactions.
3. Is there anyone Yamoa™ is NOT suitable for?
4. I am pregnant. Can I take Yamoa™?
5. Is it safe? What tests have been done on it?
Further research (Graff JC et al, Polysaccharides derived from Yamoa™ (Funtumia elastica) prime γδ T cells in vitro and enhance innate immune responses in vivo, Int Immunopharmacol (2009), doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2009.07.015) found that Yamoa™ in fact "may be effective as therapeutic innate immunostimulants in Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium infection and potentially other infectious disease settings."
It has also been tested by the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (MINISTRY OF HEALTH), Ghana, by S. Osafaro-Mensah MSc. These tests were performed between 1996 and 1998. Mr Osafaro's conclusions to the tests were "The investigation and clinical trials conducted have shown that Yamoa™ is safe for human use...and when the bark is dried it can be safely stored for up to 6yrs before being ground for use".
A peer reviewed scientific research paper, (Graff JC et al, Polysaccharides derived from Yamoa™ (Funtumia elastica) prime γδ T cells in vitro and enhance innate immune responses in vivo, Int Immunopharmacol (2009), doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2009.07.015) conducted by Montana State University's Molecular Biology department determined that Yamoa™ "appears safe" with "no evidence of toxic or other adverse effects".
Jodi Hedges, one of the lead researchers on Yamoa™ explained when interviewed, "We think that in vivo the main response to polysaccharides is that they prime the cells, to better respond to other signals. They do not overtly stimulate the cells, and they do not induce inflammatory cytokines. Targeting these gd T cells and NK cells is nifty because these cells are not the source of strong damaging cytokines like IL-1, IL-6 and TNFa, these come from macrophages. gd T cells and NK cells are anti-inflammatory in many situations, and polysaccharides may enhance that capacity as well. Macrophages are not known for this, but also do not appear to be a primary target for these polysaccharides (if they were, we would see more inflammation not less).”
Practicality
1. What are the benefits to taking the capsules over the loose powder?
If you suffer from fungal infections in the respiratory tract, it is better to take the capsules than the honey mixture, or at least do not mix the loose powder into honey or a sweet carrier as the sugar will only exacerbate the condition and it may become worse rather than improve. If you do not know whether you are suffering from a fungal infection, it may be better to opt for the capsules to err on the side of caution.
2. What are the benefits to taking the loose powder over the capsules?
3. I am on a colon cleanse. Should I finish the cleanse before I start Yamoa™?
Other
1. Yamoa™ hasn't helped me. What do you advise?
2. I have found some loose powder being sold on the internet as Yamoa™. Is it genuine?
3. I'm in Ghana. Where can I get Yamoa™?
4. How do you ship, how long does it take?
Normal Service:
US & Rest of the World:
Standard International service: 7 - 10 working days.
International Tracked services: 4 - 7 working days.
These packages may need a signature on receipt and could be trackable through the Royal Mail website if you have purchased a trackable service and have received a tracking number by email from us.
We ask all overseas customers to allow up to four weeks for delivery before packages can be considered lost in the mail and replacement packages sent out. Replacement orders will be sent only if the delivery address supplied by the customer is accurate.
5. Can I order by email, post or by telephone and order that way?
To send your order by post from the UK, please include the following information with your order:
Your daytime contact telephone number and your email address, your full delivery address including postal or zip code, and enclose a cheque (we cannot accept postal orders or money orders) made out to Not the Norm Ltd. If you are unsure as to the cost of your order, please contact us for an invoice. Mail your order to us at: Not the Norm Ltd, PO Box 197, Carmarthen, SA31 9FH, United Kingdom.
We cannot accept international orders paid for by cheque, please order online.
Sending your payment card details by email is not safe as emails can be intercepted by hackers, so this is not a recommended method. Can I order by Credit or Debit card online? Yes you can. Simply go to our Shop page and fill in the form. Our online purchasing facility is supplied by WorldPay. Payments can also be made through PayPal or Bank Transfer where you will be sent an invoice via email with our bank details. We will process your order within 48 working hours of receipt of payment. How do I check up on the progress of my order? You can send an email using the email address you used when you placed your order and we will be able to quickly find information for you. Please do not use this facility for the first 10 working days after you placed your order if you ordered from the US or Canada. How do I become a retailer? Do you have trade prices? If you are a retailer or practitioner and would like to order Yamoa™ at trade prices, please email us with your enquiry detailing your company or practice information. Please tell us about your business, state how you heard about Yamoa™ and what experience you have of it and we will get back to you with our trade terms and prices. How can I check if another website is selling genuine Yamoa™? Contact us with a link to the website in question and we will be able to tell you if they are supplying genuine Yamoa™.