Gondolosi, African viagra

2nd June 2010

I first came across it on a weekend sojourn to Lilongwe from Blantyre in Malawi. On the drive up to Lilongwe, the guys took an unscheduled pit stop  in a bustling market village. After protracted discussions, one of the vendors disappeared and promptly returned with several roots of “white ginger” wrapped in a newspaper.  We continued on our journey with the guys being more animated and extremely anxious. I was completely naïve, as this spot is quite popular for buying vegetables so I thought gondolosi was some sort of local vegetable but the guys filled me in on the remainder of the trip about their little organic carnal delight and the exciting plans they had for that Saturday night.

Gondolosi is wide spread across Sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to Kenya to Angola. In Kenya, the Luhya tribe call it Mukombela, or “love and forgiveness”, whilst in Cameroon it is called limte,  and Angola, mundondo. Its scientific name is Mondia whitei. It is a wild, high climbing vine with red-purple flowers and large heart-shaped leaves almost telling of its “romantic” qualities. The roots have a strongly pleasant aroma and a sweet enjoyable taste, rather hot and bitter at first then slightly sweeter later. People either chew the root or brew it as a tea.

Mondia whitei is a remedy for anything and everything not just sexual prowess – its a one stop pharmacy for a multitude of ailments – heartburn, indigestion, flatulence, gonorrhoea, abdominal pain, constipation, bilharzia, premature uterine contractions in pregnant women, appetite stimulant, asthma, and high blood pressure.  Beyond its pharmacological capabilities, it is also nutritious having tested positive for micronutrients like vitamins A, D E and K, zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium – so it’s a healthy turn on! (Pun intended). Its not only good for people but animals too –  as a valuable nutritious animal fodder, though it was unpalatable for goats, it increases milk production in Fresian cows and lactating mothers (yes real human beings).  In addition to all these health benefits of the root, the leaves have even been used as a cooked vegetable, the roots as a culinary spice, and the seeds as an arrow poison. And finally but not least, it has spiritual qualities bestowing luck on people who are about to embark on a difficult endeavour. Is there anything this plant can’t do?

In Malawi, gondolosi is believed to promote sexual arousal, enhance sexual performance, increase sensitivity, and cure erectile dysfunction in men. Mounting scientific evidence is proving that Mondia whitei can attest to all its claims. A 2008 study, found that Mondia whitei increases human sperm motility. Sperm motility is considered an important characteristic of sperm – it describes the quality of the sperm, specifically its ability to move towards the egg. Other research has shown that Mondia whitei enhances libido by increasing testerone levels. More recently, it has been shown to have an effect on erectile dysfunction similar to Sildenafil (Viagra) which stimulates the release of nitric oxide which relaxes muscles, increases blood flow and causes erections.

Mondia whitei is fast becoming popular and heavily exploited so much so that in 2007, the Malawi government banned exports as it is currently being harvested unsustainably from the wild with demand outstripping supply. There are projects for example in Kenya where Mondia whitei is being cultivated to curb depleting wild populations with local farmers earning around  $3300/year from a 0.4ha plot.  As the scientific evidence grows on this multifunctional plant – I envisage little blue pills of “love and forgiveness” – cheap and available across the African continent.