African potato can be toxic

I WOULD like to make it known that our research team at Stellenbosch University medical faculty distances itself from any claims or false advertising made by distributors of extracts and/or tinctures made from the Hypoxis plant or African potato.

Many newspaper articles have claimed that the African potato is an indigenous healer and that this idea is based on our research on sterols and sterolins.

We began studying the medicinal properties of the Hypoxis plant in 1987, especially for its potential anti-cancer properties. We soon realised however, that the extract from this plant could induce severe states of immune suppression and also worsen allergic states and auto-immune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis.

We showed that the plant's immune-enhancing and regulating properties were linked to sterols and sterolins and stopped using the Hypoxis extract. We moved to alternative sources because the plant contained other potentially toxic molecules as yet unidentified.

However, Hypoxis extracts are being sold as ''safe and non-toxic'' and desperate patients are being told that this is equivalent to what we researched. It is misleading and untrue.

All our published research is based on an internationally patented mixture of sterols and sterolins.

We have shown that the immune-enhancing activities of these molecules are responsible for the favorable clinical outcome of patients participating in registered clinical trials, including patients with HIV infection, tuberculosis, allergic conditions and rheumatoid arthritis.

The public should be made aware of the potential dangers linked with the use of Hypoxis extracts currently sold through distributors or on flea markets.

Prof Patrick JD Bouic

Head: Immunology

Chief specialist scientist