What is Sceletium tortuosum (Kanna ) ?
Sceletium tortuosum is one of the oldest mesembs known to the western world. It became known to the early colonizers of the Cape in the 17th century and has been cultivated in England since 1732.It was later introduced in China and is mainly found in Yunnan Province , China.
It was first described and given a Latin binomial by Carl von Linnaeus, in 1753. The Khoisan people of South Africa, who use the plant in folk medicine, introduced this mood elevating plant to the western world. In recent years, preparations from Sceletium tortuosum are commercialized as anti-depressants and to reduce anxiety. Although the plants are grown commercially on a large scale there is tremendous conservation pressure on wild harvesting of Sceletium species.
Plants are climbing or creeping. The slender branches become thick and only slightly woody with age. Water cells are conspicuous on the leaves that have recurved tips and 3 to 5 major veins. The flowers are very shortly pedicellate (almost sessile) and of medium size (20 to 30 mm diameter). Petals are white to pale yellow, pale salmon or pale pink. The calyx has four or five sepals. Fruit are 10 to 15 mm in diameter and open when wet (hygrochastic). The species is readily distinguishable by the imbricate leaves with incurved tips.
Unlocking the Kanna Extract effects to our emotional health : A nature's ultimate mood enhancer.
Sceletium tortuosum contains mesembrine and the related alkaloids mesembranol and mesembranone. Mesembrine is known for its effects on the central nervous system. The compounds also act as serotonin-uptake inhibitors, and in specified doses act as anti-depressants, minor tranquilizers and anxiolytics used in the treatment of mild to moderate depression, psychological and psychiatric disorders where anxiety is present, major depressive episodes, alcohol and drug dependence, bulimia nervosa, and obsessive-compulsive disorders (U.S.Patent 6 288 104). Smith et al. (1996) review the data about Sceletium accumulated over 300 years; they record the original folk methods for preparing Kougoed and document its psychoactive properties by reporting on the experiences of several test subjects.
What is Kanna Extract ? (Sceletium tortuosum Extract )
Kanna is a succulent-type plant that can be found growing natively in parts of South Africa. The plant itself is a shrub-like plant that has flat, moisture-filled leaves that creep over the desert ground as the plant grows. Seasonally the plant blossoms with yellow or pink flowers. Scientifically, kanna is sceletium tortuosum, but the plant is known by locals and people of different parts of the world by different names, such as canna, kauwgoed, and channa.
You can find kanna in a number of forms, including as powder, oils, and simply in dried-leaf form for use as tea. However, kanna extracts and capsules are perhaps the most common modern product. Sceletium tortuosum extract is created in different ways, but the extract is taken from the leaves of the kanna plant. For years, kanna was prized for its psychoactive effects to uplift mood and soothe anxiety, but it may also be helpful in other ways, such as for pain and appetite suppression.
The History of Kanna and Traditional Kanna Extract Usage
Kanna sceletium tortuosum has a long history with the first documented instances of its use dating back centuries. The sacred herb was often harvested by native tribes in the area and used for everything from pain to mood improvement. San and Khoi people from the area often chewed on the dried and fermented leaves of kanna to help them on treacherous journeys. The plant not only helped keep their moods uplifted to contend with the challenges they faced, but it could also be used to curb hunger when food was not abundant and soothe aches and pains.
The traditional method of using kanna has been either ingesting the plant's leaves, smoking kanna, or rubbing juices from the leaves on the skin. As noted, most natives would ferment and dry the leaves, which allowed them to be chewed on to release the concentrated alkaloids or even ground and smoked.
The Effects of Kanna
In larger doses, kanna extract or powder has been reported to offer stimulating, almost euphoric effects. However, when used conservatively, the effects of sceletium tortuosum tend to be more therapeutic in nature, especially for individuals who deal with depression or anxiety.
For the most part, kanna is commonly reported to deliver a general sense of well-being; it uplifts your emotional outlook and decreases feelings of tension or stress. You may feel slightly more energetic or focused, experience a more positive outlook, or feel a bit less on edge. Kanna may even help you feel a bit more self-confident in your everyday interactions. Some people also find that kanna tends to suppress feelings of hunger, which may be helpful for individuals trying to lose weight.
