The benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit as herbal medicine are familiar. Derived from a highly nutritious plant which has the Latin name Swietenia macrophylla K, mahogany seeds and fruit have been shown to improve body health as well as treat various chronic diseases.
Mahogany wood is known to be useful as a base for furniture. However, the benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit are no less than the wood. Thanks to the content in them, mahogany seeds and fruit have long been used as traditional medicine.
Mahogany trees have tall, strong wood with broad leaves. The fruit is round like an egg and brown. Inside, there are flat mahogany seeds with a slightly thick tip. In each fruit, there are usually about 35–45 mahogany seeds.
Various Benefits of Mahogany Seeds and Fruits
The benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit come from their bioactive compounds which have hypolipidemic (lowering blood fat), antihypertensive, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-pain, anti-diarrhea, and even antimalarial properties.
Thanks to the various contents of these natural compounds, there are many benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit that are a pity to miss, including:
1. Lowering blood pressure
One of the well-known benefits of mahogany and has been used as herbal medicine is that it can lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. This is supported by the content of flavonoids as the main compound in it which has been shown to have an antihypertensive effect.
In addition, mahogany seeds also contain lots of potassium and a little sodium, so they can help maintain normal blood pressure. Not only for people with hypertension, these properties can also improve cardiovascular and nervous system function at the same time.
2. Lowering blood fat levels
The benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit that are equally important are reducing fat levels. Consuming mahogany seed extract has been shown to reduce total cholesterol, bad cholesterol (LDL), and fat in the blood.
With this property, the risk of experiencing cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, will also be reduced.
3. Treating diabetes
Another benefit that you can get from consuming mahogany seed or fruit extract is to lower and maintain blood sugar levels, especially if you have type 2 diabetes.
The content of natural compounds in mahogany seeds is known to inhibit sugar absorption in the intestine and can increase the production of the insulin hormone from the pancreas.
4. Treating malaria
Mahogany seeds are also known as a malaria medicine. A study has even shown that boiled mahogany seeds can kill the parasite that causes malaria, namely Plasmodium falciparum, which has become resistant to the drug chloroquine.
5. Kills cancer cells
Research shows that mahogany seed extract can kill several types of cancer cells, such as colorectal cancer cells and breast cancer cells, like chemotherapy. That way, mahogany seed extract is thought to be useful for cancer treatment.
6. Fight infection
The other benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit are against infection. As mentioned above, mahogany seeds and fruit contain compounds that are antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral.
In a study, this was proven by the ability of mahogany seed extract to fight the growth of various bacteria and fungi that cause disease, ranging from those that cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, to pneumonia.
Although there are many benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit for the health of the body, the effectiveness and level of safety as a supplement or herbal medicine still needs further investigation.
So if you do have the conditions previously mentioned, you are not advised to use mahogany seeds and fruit as the main treatment.
It’s a good idea to consult with your doctor first regarding the consumption of mahogany seeds and fruit as an additional therapy for your condition. That way, you can get the benefits of mahogany seeds and fruit safely, without disturbing the treatment you are currently undergoing.
