Can an African daisy really stop smokers cravings?
A plant taken by African bushmen for thousands of years is turning out be a potent anti-smoking remedy. Doctors in South Africa say they have had remarkable results with Sceletium – a creeping, daisy-like plant that grows in arid, almost desert-like conditions. Consultants treating patients for addictions to tobacco and alcohol have reported success rates of 70 to 80 per cent when patients are given Sceletium tablets. The leaves and stems, when dried and eaten, have similar qualities to a group of modern drugs called SSRIs, which act on the brain to relieve depression and anxiety. But Sceletium appears to have none of the side-effects of anti-depressants such as Seroxat and Prozac, which have been reported as making some people dependent on the drugs designed to make them well. Dr Cheryl Inngs, a psychologist at Rhodes Hospital in Pretoria, says: ‘Sceletium capsules lifted patients’ mood and made them less anxious. ‘Patients report they are much less likely to overindulge in tobacco, a
