Medicinal Uses:

The Breadfruit is a rather popular item in the Caribbean (and elsewhere) and not just as the filling food that it is.  In certain countries, it’s hugely popular amongst those living with hypertension. Many place more faith in a tea made from breadfruit leaves than any medicine prescribed to them by their doctors.  This breadfruit leaf tea is made from leaves which have turned yellow- never the green leaves, I’m told- and is considered a prime remedy for lowering high blood pressure.  If I remember correctly, this tea was supposedly so good a remedy, hypertensive patients had to be wary about making it too strong since they could end up with on the other end of the scale- with low blood pressure.

But breadfruit leaf tea isn’t just the dream of hypertensive patients come true, it is also used to treat diabetes, bladder problems and asthma.  And, tea aside, the leaves are also held in high esteem as a great remedy for headaches. Now, as far as I can recollect, to treat a headache, all you have to do is crush the leaves a bit- not too much- and then bound the crushed leaves to your forehead.  In addition to headaches, I remember crushed breadfruit leaves (crushed a bit more finely this time) as a remedy for oral thrush.  All you had to do was crush away and then apply the mash to the tongue.

Moreover, if you crushed those leaves with a bit of water, the resulting liquid could be used to discipline chest pains and other symptoms classified rather loosely by islanders as “heart problems”.

Discipline of this sort could also be meted out by making a tea/decoction using a bit of the breadfruit tree bark. But, if it was something skin related, then it was the breadfruit's sap which you went after.  A freshly picked green breadfruit provides you with this milky white sap. (I remember when young boys used this sap as glue in traps to catch poor birds).  This sap applied sparingly as a lotion is supposedly just the thing for treating boils, wounds, rashes and other skin problems.

And well, there is the use of the breadfruit, roasted, steamed and etc as both food and medicine. I remember the adult women in a village I grew up in gorging themselves on breadfruit if/whenever they thought themselves getting too slim.  They’d also try to get their children to do the same if they thought them a bit on the thin side- lest anyone should accuse them of raising starving children.

Disclaimer:

The contents of this page are meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. Statements published here ought not to be taken as expert medical advice designed to treat/cure any diseases or health related conditions. Please talk to your doctor or any qualified healthcare professional if you need medical advice (Believe me, WE at RE:BELE would!)