The Shea tree is also known as the karate tree. The oil, rich in fats and derived from the Shea tree, is an effective home remedy for many health, hair, and skin issues. In recent years, Shea butter has gained huge popularity in the western world because it has widespread use in several beauty products such as conditioners, shampoos, cosmetics, and lotions. The Shea butter is extracted from the nuts of the Shea tree.
This tree is native to Africa. Shea butter is a fatty oil that exists as a solid at room temperature. The scientific name of the Shea tree is Vitellaria paradoxa. The Shea tree bears fruits, and the nuts inside these fruits are of prime importance. The process of getting Shea butter is next:
these nuts are crushed, boiled, and then they are manipulated to extract the light–colored fat which is commonly referred to as shea butter.
Some side effects can result from topical application or ingestion, such as abdominal pain; headache; weakness; nausea; dizziness; hives, and itchy rashes. The allergy caused by shea butter is not so common but always talk with your doctor before you add something new to your diet.
6 Shea butter health benefits
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UV protection
This home remedy can act as a natural sunscreen by protecting against the sun’s UV radiations, but the protection level can vary. Shea butter has cinnamic acid, which can provide UV protection, and the SPF ranges from 6 – 10, which depends on the butter’s quality.
Doctors are not recommending using Shea butter alone as a sunscreen because its SPF is considered low to provide ample protection from harmful rays. This natural cure is best used after sun exposure to soothe the skin and reverse the oxidative damage caused by the sun.
Dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema
When someone suffers from conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis, they can cause the skin to become itchy, scaly, patchy, flaky, and dry. Shea butter is an ingredient that works as a deep moisturizer and alleviates inflammation.
This natural ingredient is considered n excellent moisturizer for dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema because it possesses humectant and emollient properties. Also, it has anti–inflammatory properties, which can lessen itching and swelling. Many doctors recommend Shea butter to be used by people who suffer from some of the mentioned skin diseases because it is safe and well tolerated.
Insect bites
Shea butter has high amounts of Vitamin A, which can promote healing and disinfection and soothe skin allergies like poison ivy and insect bites. It has antimicrobial and anti–inflammatory properties, which can accelerate the healing process. There are many cases when insect bites are prone to developing an infection, and when you use Shea butter on it, you can prevent it.
Helps treat diarrhea
There are many ailments in which diarrhea is a symptom, but also some cases when diarrhea can occur just by itself. You can add Shea butter to your diet because this is a helpful treatment for diarrhea. In traditional medicine, Shea butter was used for diarrhea because it has anti–diarrheal properties.
Lowers cholesterol
Shea butter is edible, and many African people use it for food preparation. Shea butter can help to lower the cholesterol in your blood. Shea butter is rich in stearic acid, a type of saturated fatty acid, and it was shown that it could reduce lipoprotein and plasma cholesterol levels.
Rheumatism
This condition is characterized by stiffness, inflammation, and joint pain. The swelling and pain can be present in the fibrous tissue or the muscle. Shea butter is used as an ointment on the parts of the body affected by rheumatism because it can relieve pain and swelling. Shea butter has anti–inflammatory properties, which are of key importance here because rheumatism is an inflammatory disease.
