“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” says one of the best-known English proverbs. In the desire to find value in this expression, medical science has strived to certify how useful this fruit is in preventing diseases and conditions as an alternative to traditional medical therapies.
Studies like that of UCDavis Medical Center have discovered the many health benefits of eating apples, including reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and various cancers.
In Zimbabwe, there is a new buzzword: “alternative medicine”. Everywhere you turn, alternative medicines are being offered to help people stay in perfect health. As noted by Alternative medicine from the World Health Organization refers to “a wide range of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition and are not integrated into the mainstream health system.”
The demand for alternative medicine in Zimbabwe has been fueled by the high cost of medical care in hospitals and doctors’ offices. coupled with the economic collapse. The situation has been made worse by the recent directive given by the Zimbabwe Medical Association, which insists that doctors stop accepting medical aid from July 1, 2016. In effect, medical aid societies owe doctors up to $220 million in medical costs. This has pushed citizens to be more aware of the alternative medical therapies available to them.
Thandiwe Dube, who was fired in 2015 due to the Supreme Court ruling allowing companies to lay off workers with notice, said that as she no longer had a guaranteed financial income, alternative medicine was her only option affordable.
The use of alternative medicines is high among Zimbabweans, with herbal treatments and faith healing being the most common practices. Conventional medicine is the most widely used, but many people are quickly turning to complementary or comprehensive forms of alternative care to treat illnesses in the body. Most alternative medicine providers must be registered with the Zimbabwe Medicines Control Authority in order to practice according to regulated standards.
Use nature’s best sources of health
Recent years have seen an increase in the marketing of various natural herbal supplements and nutritional products that have been credited with promoting better health and youthful vigor. Products living forever, Green world products as well as Musimboti African Medicine are just some of the herbal remedies offered in the Zimbabwean alternative medicine market.
Trevor Mpofu (58) from Gwanda testified that he used Aloe Vera juice and felt relief from the effects of arthritis.
The Forever Living (FLP) line of herbal products is manufactured by a company based in Arizona in the United States of America and includes Aloe Vera juice, jelly and lotions as well as bee products and d other supplements based on fish oils, vitamins and ginseng. The main benefit of the products, as stated in the company profile, is to help the body naturally cleanse the digestive system.
“I used to experience excessive pain in my legs, which made me limp when walking, but when I started drinking 3 ounces of Aloe Vera juice a day, I was back in shape in less than two weeks. weeks. The lameness stopped and it has not returned,” Mpofu said.
According to the FLP website, “Aloe Vera juice, which has a gelatinous texture, is a good source of many essential minerals, nutrients and vitamins that are useful in treating digestive problems such as diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation and intestinal syndrome. The colon cleansing properties help treat colon conditions and improve colon health by helping to easily eliminate and eject waste from the human body, thereby eliminating toxins. Colon cleansing leads to regular bowel movements and ultimately improved overall health, by boosting metabolism and boosting the body’s immunity.”
Another popular alternative medicine among Zimbabweans is Green World medical products originating from China. The products are a mixture of softgels, softgels, tablets, juices and teas. Herbal concoctions are prepared from herbs such as ginseng, pine pollen and blueberries. The medications provided by Green World also work similarly to Forever Living Products, in that the focus is on intestinal cleansing to improve overall health by eliminating toxins.
According to Prince Zulu, one of the distributors of Green World medical products: “Customers have received good feedback on the health-promoting products, which are usually used as complementary medicines after patients consult their doctors. The medical products we offer are quite affordable, around 6 to 50 US dollars, and can be very useful to those who suffer from diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, heart disorders, tumors, ulcers and many other conditions.
When it comes to traditional African medicine Musimboti, the products come from Zimbabwe. This product range mainly uses home-grown herbs and trees such as Moringa, Ginger, Garlic, Intolwane, Umgugudu, Umganu and Isihaqa. Conditions for which traditional medicines are used include diabetes, diarrhea, fibroids, sexual dysfunction, burning and swollen feet, asthma and prolonged cough.
Technological alternatives
As technological developments make waves across all sectors of society, alternative health technology practices have also come into play to alleviate the pain faced by many people due to poor health. Running under the slogan “Where healthy living begins” Ceragem, a natural healing therapy originating from South Korea, is now a popular alternative in Zimbabwe. Ceragem uses jade stone which emits far infrared heat to stimulate human tissues and cure different conditions such as arthritis, back problems, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes but it is mainly used for spinal alignment.
According to Emmanuel Chikwene, Ceragem Branch Manager in Bulawayo, “What Ceragem does is empower the body to improve the immune system; to improve the nervous system and metabolism so that the body can actually detect where the problem started and what is causing it. The body will be empowered to correct the cause. When the cause is corrected, the problem will slowly disappear until it is over.”
Chitare Samukange, who was involved in a car accident in Harare and later lost feeling in his legs because blood was no longer flowing properly through the veins, resorted to Ceragem after all else failed.
“My brother heard about Ceragem so on March 19, 2015 we went to the Ceragem center in Bulawayo. They told me about Ceragem and how it works, how they don’t use pills or medications but only Jade stone on their machines. I sat on a Ceralove machine and later the Ceragem machine. At first I felt some pain but I continued to massage for two weeks and after that the pain disappeared until now. I am in good shape and I can now run and do all my work without pain and I will continue to use Ceragem,” says Samukange.
Seek divine intervention as an alternative to medication
Many people in Zimbabwe have for many years depended on faith healing of various illnesses from local prophets, especially those belonging to the Apostolic religious sects. In recent times, there has been a craze that has led thousands to seek help from the new league of Zimbabwean popular prophets such as Emmanuel Makandiwa And Walter Magaya who perform miraculous healings or administer anointing oil or water to those affected by illness.
Charles Edward Tembo testified that he was healed by faith after many years of suffering. Tembo claimed he was suffering from a skin disease that conventional doctors and traditional healers had failed to diagnose.
“I could have died without the great Prophet of God. Prophet Makandiwa saved my life. He didn’t give me anything to drink or apply to the wounds but they just dried up after his prayer. Now my skin that was once terrible has been restored,” Tembo explained.