Yamoa (Funtumia elastica)

Yamoa powder is a traditional African remedy for respiratory problems which was introduced to the West in the ‘90s.

It was originally made by simply grinding up the dried tree bark, but the commercial version is based on standardised alcoholic extracts of the resin.

The active ingredient or ingredients are unknown, but both anecdotal and research evidence indicates that it can be very effective for controlling asthma, COPD (bronchial edema), hay fever, rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis and similar respiratory problems, with no side effects.

A cure for asthma and hay fever?

Probably the most significant aspect is that when it is effective, it appears to be a cure rather than a palliative. In other words, people with mild asthma or hay fever have reported that after taking yamoa powder (usually mixed with honey) for a month or two, their symptoms have disappeared completely.

Particularly dramatic results were reported in 2002 by Dr Eccles of the Chiron Clinic, who found that that over 70% of his test group of asthma and hay fever sufferers showed marked improvement and around 30% were cured. In view of this and other similar evidence, yamoa extract would seem to warrant considerably more research, and may well be a viable treatment for several formerly intractable respiratory problems. However, unless a patentable extract can be identified, this is unlikely to happen, and in fact the effectiveness of this herb is more likely to be suppressed by the various herbal control measures currently being introduced.