Hehea pea mo e La’i Masi Koka: A Proven Remedy with Efficacy for Over Thousands of Years

Our ancestors were guided by Power from above during their navigational years in the biggest ocean in the world, the Pacific Ocean. That same power enables them to survive and perpetuate the Polynesian race in which you and I have been fortunate and are blessed to be a part of. They faced many challenges and obstacles during those years which help shaped their characters and strengthened their resolved. That same resolved will help us strengthen our faith to keep moving forward in our own navigation through life’s challenges and obstacles to a better future. In ensuring that we will have a better future, they left us with a lot of koloa or gifts. One of the many koloa that they left with us was the knowledge given to them by God concerning the use of ngaahi ‘akau faito’o (medicinal plants) for different diseases (ngaahi mahaki kehekehe) that we need to learn and use for health and vitality. The plants that come to mind are hehea and masi koka which had been used for over thousand of years for pain, inflammation and infections with a proven historical efficacy of a human clinical trial of a differnet nature unlike those of our days.

Hehea (Syzygium corynocarpum Gray) has been used by our ancestors for ornament and medicine for over thousands of years. The medicinal use involves an infusion (huhu'a mei hono tuki pea tatau ‘a e kili’i ‘akau pe ko e lau) of the bark or leaves is dripped into the mouths of babies for teething problems (mostly for pain) in Tonga and drink by adults for treatment of urinary tract problems in Samoa. The same infusion can also be applied topically for treatment of kulokula (inflammations) of the skin. In all, the infusions are used for pain reductions and for its anti-inflammatory effects to cure us from some of the diseases that will inflict us today.

Are there any scientific evidences to support the use of the infusion from the hehea plant for pain, inflammation and infections? Yes there are. One of the pathways involved in pain and inflammation is the arachidonic acid pathway in which the inducible cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is over expressed in tissue injuries (lavea) from a cut or from infections (kona). It has already been established in the scientific literature that inhibiting of COX-2 enzymes will lead to reduction in pain and inflammation. This is why COX-2 enzymes have been targeted by many pharmaceutical drug manufactures. Drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex targeted COX-2 enzymes but seem to be running into problems due to its unforeseen side effects. Fortunately, hehea and la’i masi koka has been used for over thousands of years without side effects. Interestingly, a study by Noreen and her colleagues (Planta Med., 64(6): 520-524) revealed that extracts from four medicinal plants including hehea (seasea) has activities against COX-2 enzymes. This explains in part the efficacy of using the infusion from hehea plant for treatment of pain, inflammation and infections. Though this is one study that I am aware off, more researches in the future will provide more evidences of the efficacy of this medicinal plant. However, their medicinal benefit has started to be exploited by nutraceutical companies in the world especially those who supply plant extract ingredients.

Masi koka (Glochidion ramiflorum) plants can not be used alone but in companionship with hehea plants for reasons that now have been uncovered. It is often referred to as “synergism.” Our ancestors used both of them together because they “…ngāue fakataha…” meaning they worked well together. That is what we now called synergism. In order words they synergistically enhanced each others’ potency for better relief from pain, inflammation and infections.

Masi koka has been used by our ancestors for treatment of pain, inflammation and infections. They used an infusion of the leaves or bark in the same manner that they used the hehea. An infusion is given to babies with mouth infections, taken internally for kahi or stomachache and also applied topically on the skin for inflammation (kulokula). As you can see, two ingredients with medicinal benefits to relieve us of pain, inflammation and infections in one total package-hehea pea mo e la’i masi koka which consequently provided a more powerful health benefits beyond that of either one of them without the side effects associated with drugs.

The knowledge to put these two medicinal plants together can not be from trials and error but from a high power of which we know. I dare say that our ancestors were truly pharmacists in the biggest pharmacy store in the world, the South Pacific Ocean (Islands) for over thousand of years. That speaks for itself. Period!