Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
African peach root bark is the outer layer of the root of Sarcocephalus latifolius, a shrub or small tree of West Africa. In Hausa it is called tafashiya. The bark is usually dried, then boiled in water to make a very bitter drink.
It is a staple of home and market medicine across the region. Sellers offer it for fever, malaria, stomach upset, pain and wounds. It is much less common in shops outside Africa.
Here is the honest verdict on the evidence. Good human trials are almost absent, and most support comes from test tube and animal work. Long and respected use in tradition is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
No one has shown clearly how this bark acts in the human body.
The root bark holds bitter alkaloids, a group of plant chemicals. In test tube work, some extracts slow the growth of the malaria parasite. Whether a boiled drink reaches that strength in the blood is not known.
In rodents, extracts have lowered fever and reduced pain responses. Rodent results often fail to repeat in people, so this stays unproven.
Animal studies also report lower blood sugar and slower gut movement after dosing. That may explain the old use for diarrhoea. It does not make the plant a treatment for diabetes.
Lab tests show the extract slows some bacteria and fungi on a plate. A plate is not a wound, and this has not been tested properly on human skin.
The usual form is dried root bark, whole or chopped. West African markets sell it loose, by weight.
The most common preparation is a decoction. That means the bark is boiled in water and the bitter liquid is drunk.
Other traditional forms exist too:
A cold water soak, left to stand for hours.
A dry powder, sometimes stirred into water or food.
A wash or poultice placed on wounds and skin sores.
A root twig used as a chewing stick for teeth and gums.
Outside West Africa the plant is uncommon. A few online sellers list capsules, powders or liquid extracts. None of these are standardised, so the real strength per dose is unknown.
Healers across West Africa have used this root bark for generations. It is recorded in Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani, Mandinka and other communities.
Fever was the leading use, and the bitter drink was given during malaria season. It was also given for stomach pain, diarrhoea, worms and general weakness.
Washes and poultices were applied to wounds, boils and skin sores. Root twigs were chewed to clean teeth.
The plant appears in regional herbal pharmacopoeias and in many market surveys. Its standing shows it was trusted and widely traded.
Stop and see a doctor the same day if you get yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, severe stomach pain, or repeated vomiting.
Get urgent care for a fever with chills, confusion, fits or fainting. These can be signs of severe malaria and need hospital treatment.
Also see a doctor if a fever lasts more than two days, or if diarrhoea lasts more than two days. Children and older adults need help sooner.
In the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, it is not approved as a medicine. Where it is sold there, it is sold as a herbal supplement with no checked claims. In several West African countries it is recognised as a traditional medicine and sold openly in markets.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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