Source: korupplants.myspecies.

The Prekese is mostly found in Ghana in the West of Africa. The fruit in its first stage is green but turns into brown which resembles a piece of wood. An individual with no idea of what it is might even get confuse it with actual wood at first glance. The uses of Prekese are as follows: The Ashanti and Kwahu people of Ghana use Prekese to spice up their dishes, generally, they make soup from it and add it with different types of food and fruits. Its barks are also used for medical purposes.

The strong smell of Prekese is highly valued by them. The people of Ghana see Prekese as godly and tend to believe that this plant specifically grows in Ghana but this is not true, it may appear that it is available in Ghana in more quantity but Prekese is actually found in Nigeria, Uganda and in Burkina also. The people of Ghana believe that Prekese has the power to ward off bad and evil spirits. They first break it into small pieces and then burn them like an incense stick. The people of Ghana are so familiar with this sweet but strong smell that they can even tell that Prekese is being burned from a far distance.

It’s believed that this smell is of the king so this smell reaches the entire city and his presence reaches everywhere. Prekese is first powdered and then it’s mixed with clay which is applied to new mothers breasts, which might tend to reflect that it might have some lastogenic properties as well. It is added with light pepper soup for those new mothers to fasten their blood flow as well as to eliminate blood clots. Prekese is applied on joints as an anti-inflammatory agent. Prekese is also given to post-partum mothers to reduce the chances of contraction.

 The plant contains potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, protein and vitamin C. The Prekese flavour is added in soft drinks also in Ghana and the soft drink is promoted as some sort of healthy drinks which reduces hypertension, it also increases blood flow and reduces asthma attacks. It is kind of a funky and plus a good drink to have. A man in Ghana is also promoting this fruit by making tea out of it. This tea can be consumed normally raw or with sugar or even with sugar and milk. This particular fruit reduces the risk of ulcer inside your body. The fruit after drying also controls the nervous system.

Different names of Prekese

Source: modernghana.com

The Prekese comes under the Kingdom: Planate, Order: Fabales, Family: Fabaceae, Genus: Tetrapleura, Species: T.Tetrapterae. The Prekese English name is Aidan fruit. In Yoruba its Aridan. Twi name in Ghana is Prekese. In Ibo it’s called Oshosho.

Diabetes: The fruit has a specific quality of controlling the glucose levels in diabetic patients. The fruit has a powerful impact on type 2 diabetes mellitus. This fruit’s extract has a lower glucose level in both fasting and non-fasting patients.

Wounds and cuts: The fruit extract has powerful healing power. Applied on wounds it heals the wound faster without any side effects. The fruit extract is grinned into a paste and then it is applied on the wounds.

Mosquito repellent: Prekese has a strong smell and it’s being noticed that mosquito doesn’t come near this smell. That is the reason why the native Ghanaian use this as a regular mosquito repellent.

Gastrointestinal disorders: The presence of photo-chemical in the fruit helps in many problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pains plus gastric problems as well.

Postpartum Care: The extract from this fruit is boiled into soup and is given to postpartum mothers to prevent abdominal contractions. The pods are rich in iron, calcium and potassium which if consumed by postpartum mothers is very beneficial for them. The pods are also given to new mothers in the form of soup which helps in the production of milk.

Fever and enema: If taken bath where the water is soaked with the whole fruit gives quick relief from fever. The same water soaked bath helps people suffering from constipation, enema and emetic.

 Helps in arthritis: The Prekese contains analgesic properties thus it’s given to patients suffering from arthritis. The extract is pasted and applied on arthritis patients which hence reduces inflammation.

Beneficial for skins: Prekese uses it’s antibacterial plus antimicrobial properties to wipe off all the dirt from an individual body. These properties are extracted from the plant and are made into soap.

For epilepsy patients: The herbal mixture of the plant fruits, stems, leaves helps in controlling convulsions. The anticonvulsant attribute of this fruit has been very useful to control epilepsy patients. Consuming the fruit helps in stabilizing the nervous system also. 

To cure heart diseases: The fruit is enriched in flavonoids which contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory attribute. This specific attribute helps in prevention of heart diseases.

 Prekese is really a beneficial plant that helps in preventing so many diseases and other chronic problems. Prekese benefits are unlimited, though the uses of this plant are mainly restricted to Ghana and some other African country. The whole world should be made aware of the benefits of this great plant. Ghana should hopefully take the initiative to promote this plant to the world and the world should accept it in a positive way. This article reflects upon the spiritual uses of Prekese as well as how Prekese can be used in day to day life.

Source: yen.com.gh

By: Official Safo November 4, 2019