20 Anti-Sickling Herbs From Africa.

Sickle cell disease is a hereditary disorder in which normally round shaped red blood cells which carry oxygen through the body become abnormal and sickle shaped. A crisis episode occurs when there is sickling because the blood cells cannot move as easily as normal red blood cells, thereby blocking blood vessels and disrupting blood flow. This results in pain, tissue damage and major organs damage. Anaemia is common in people with sickle cell disease due to the fact that sickled cells have a shorter lifespan and are not as easily replaced as normal cells leading to a shortage of red blood cells.

Below are some herbs that help to reverse or stop sickling:

1. Entandrophragma utile is commonly called African cedar, Sapele mahogany and Ashanti cedar.
2. Chenopodium ambrosioides is commonly called Indian wormseed, sweet pigweed, Mexican tea and Jesuit’s tea. It is called ewe imi in Yoruba.
3. Petiveria alliacea is called guinea-hen weed in English and oju saju in Yoruba. The roots, leaves and bark are used.
4. Fagara zanthoxyloides is commonly called fagara, It is called ata in Yoruba. The roots and stem are used.
5. Cajanus cajan is called pigeon pea in English, otili in Yoruba and fio fio in Igbo.
6. Terminalia catappa is commonly called Indian almond. It is called fruit in Nigeria. The leaves are the parts that are used. Read here for more about Terminalia catappa.
7. Alchornea laxifora is called ijin or ijin funfun in Yoruba, uwenuwen in Edo, ububo in Igbo and urievwu in Urhobo.
8. Carica papaya is commonly called papaya or pawpaw. It is called ibepe in Yoruba, The leaves are used. Read here for more about Carica papaya leaves.
9. Lawsonia inermis is commonly called henna plant in English. It is called laali. The leaves are used. 
10. Gongr
    
    onema latifolium is called madunmaro or arokeke in Yoruba and utazi in Igbo. Read here for more about Gongronema latifolium.
11. Ocimum basilicum is commonly called basil. It is called scent leaf in Nigeria, efirrin in Yoruba, nchanwu in Igbo and in Hausa. The leaves are used or the whole plant. Read here for more about Ocimum basilicum.
12. Pterocarpus osun is called osun in Yoruba. The stem is used.
13. Pcynanthus angolensis is called false nutmeg in English, akomu inYoruba and akwa mili, oje in Igbo and akujaadi inHausa. The stem bark is used.
14. Eugenia caryophyllata or Syzygium aromaticum, kananfuru  in Yoruba, Hausa and cloves in English. Read here for more about cloves.
15. Sorghum Bicolour leaf stalks, poroporo oka baba in Yoruba, okili in Igbo, durra in Hausa.
16. Piper guineensis called West African black pepper seeds in English, iyere in Yoruba and Uziza in Igbo. Read here for more about West African black pepper.
17. Aframomum melegueta  called alligator pepper seeds, grains of Paradise, atare inYoruba,  ese oji in Igbo and eche in Idoma. Read here for more about alligator pepper.
18. Xylopia aethiopica, called Ethiopian pepper in English, eeru in Yoruba, uda in Igbo, unien in Bini and urheri in Urhobo. The fruits are used.
19. Eremomastax polysperma, called African blood tonic plant, golden seal in English, edem, ididout in Ibibio/Efik
20. Monodora myristica, called African nutmeg in English, ariwo in Yoruba and ehu in Urhobo. Read here for more about African nutmeg seeds.

There are many more plant-based anti-sickling agents from Africa. Let us know about any that you know of below. Follow on Twitter @heal2bwell.