Origins of Wild-Crafted Kamala

Kamala (also known as Kamcela, Spoonwood, or Mallotus philippinensis) is a well-known medicinal plant coming from the humid tropical forests of Australia, the Philippines, India, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Africa, Southern Arabia, and southern China. First mentioned in the ancient Indian text, The Kurmapurana, kamala's medicinal properties have been highly-revered, the world over, for thousands of years. It is a firm staple in India's traditional materia medica, Ayurveda, and is currently still being used as a natural and potent herb in the developing world.

The narrow-stemmed kamala tree grows up to twenty meters high, although smaller evergreen versions grow wild in India. The most-often used component of kamala is the reddish-brown fruit containing hairs and a glandular substance high in medicinal properties. The fruit is crushed and dried and processed into a fine herbal powder.1

The Health Benefits of Kamala

Although kamala has a vast range of medicinal uses, many traditional societies have valued the plant as an aid for parasitic infections, particularly those involving the skin and the GI tract. While the fruit and hairs on the fruit are most often used for internal-cleansing purposes, the bark of kamala is also an excellent anti-microbial agent. Studies done on animals have found that the glands and hairs of the kamala fruit are a useful anthelmintic, and are extremely effective in reducing fascioliasis, a condition related to liver flukes and other forms of intestinal worms.1 Several studies have reported that kamala resin can offer significant purgative action in the GI tract, and in animal trials, the resin was able to eliminate infestation of tape worms in the small intestines by 78.21% 2

Kamala may also offer the following health benefits and actions:

• A quick and effective purgative for elimination of any toxic activity in the GI tract.
• A cutaneous purifier, often used to prevent scabies, herpetic ringworm, skin pustules, leprosy and other cutaneous eruptions.
• Potent taenifuge for expelling tapeworms. Kamala is ranked second only to Male Fern Root in its ability to eliminate intestinal worms. 4
• Potent anthelmintic, expelling parasites, especially the Taenia solium variety. 1
• Excellent general digestive support and laxative, promoting increased bowel action and powerful detoxification.
• Remedy for various ocular diseases in traditional forms of medicine. 3

Chemical Components and Actions

The active constituents of kamala are associated with the tannic acids and volatile oils of the fruit and hairs. An antioxidant, kamala is also composed of health-boosting resins, crystallines, flemingin and homoflemingin. These plant-based chemical constituents eradicate worms in the body through a mechanism of creating a harsh intestinal environment that is toxic to harmful organisms. The resins, acids and oils cause worms to become immobile, preventing the worms' larvae from attaching themselves to the interior lining of human intestine walls. Not only does this cleanse the system of parasitic organisms, it also promotes overall digestive health.

Other Uses of Kamala

Kamala can be used as a natural oil for cosmetic preparations. It has also been used traditionally as a natural dye for silks and wool, beverages and foods, and its pulp has been used to make tools, paper and brushware.

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