Ethno-phytotherapeutic remedies used in meat, milk, and blood products by the Maasai people of Kenya

Abstract

In traditional subsistence systems, the apparent safe ingestion of non-nutrient additives from food, beverages, condiments and herbs is founded on empirical knowledge accumulated over generations. Earlier studies have hinted that the Maasai people of south-western Kenyan might, intuitively or by knowledge added certain medicinal plant additives to their foods (meat, milk and blood). Previously, incidences of obesity, cholesteremia, type II diabetes and atherosclerosis were rare within the Maasai population. However, presently the diet of the Maasai population, in part, consists of cholesterol- or fat-rich meat, milk, and blood products eaten with starchy staples made from maize, rice, or wheat. The study unraveled a rich usage of indigenous medicinal plants with entries of thirty species in 27 genera of 22 plant families. Thus, indigenous plants used by the Maasai people in food preparations may contribute significant therapeutic roles in sustaining health.