Palm Wine as a Functional Drink: Ethnomedicine Application in Ghana

Abstract

Palm wine has been ascribed as a functional drink in several countries where it is consumed due to certain health benefits it promotes.In ethnomedicine pharmacopeia, many health benefits are attributed to palm wine consumption.However, no known studies have documented the ethnomedicinal utilization of palm wine in Ghana.This study aimed to document ethnomedicine applications for treating human ailments in Ghana.Data on palm wine ethnomedicine applications were collected from 150 respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire and an in-person interview.Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare ethnomedicine knowledge of palm wine between gender and age groups.The findings revealed that palm wine was applied to treat 40 human ailments.Appetite stimulant was the most mentioned application of palm wine, followed by immune booster, breast milk production, eyesight improvement, and blood tonic.There were variations in the knowledge of the therapeutic functions of palm wine regarding gender and age groupings for certain ailments.The few citations for most of the ailments mentioned indicate that the ethnomedicine application of palm wine belongs to the fringes of cultural practices.The study recommends documentation of knowledge about the ethnomedicine application of palm wine in local communities before they are relegated to fringes of cultural practices.