• Shea •

!split! !split! !image! SHEA (ICON) Grows in: Dry Savannah belt of West and South (ICON) Source from and processed: Ghana (ICON) Packaged and Labelled in: Norway and Sweden !split! WHAT IS SHEA TREE? Shea tree or vitellaria, is a tree of the family Sapotaceae. The shea tree is a traditional African food plant that naturally grows in the dry Savanna of West and South. It has two subspecies: Vitellaria Nilotica found mainly in East Africa and Butyrospermum Parkii, which is found only in West Africa. It grows across the African continent in countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Chad, to mention a few. !split! The Shea tree is a deciduous small to medium-sized tree that reproduces naturally (by seed) and averages a height of up to 15-25 m. A shea nut tree will start to bear fruit once it clocks 15 to 20 years, reaches the peak of production at 25 years, and can live as long as 200 years. The leaves are tough and clustered at the ends of branches. The bark is dark, thick, and deeply cracked into squares. !split! The Shea tree grows in areas with annual rainfall between 400 and 1,800 mm but can withstand multi-year droughts as well as the usual 6 to the 8-month yearly dry season. The flowers bloom during the dry season; they provide nectar for honey bees and can be harvested, fried, and eaten. During the rainy season, ripe fruits fall to the ground making it easy for harvest. !split! The inner seed or nut has a smooth, thin, brown outer covering that protects the nutritious nut. A single tree typically produces 15 to 20 kg of fruit; together, the nuts inside those fruits weigh around 3 to 4 kg and contain 1.5 to 2 kg of fat. Extracting the edible oil from shea nuts is a long and tiring process. First, the fruits are collected from under the trees. The flesh is either eaten or removed by fermentation. The nuts are cleaned, then boiled long enough to prevent germination. They are then roasted or dried in the sun for 5 to 10 days. At this stage, dried seeds can be sold or stored for later processing. !split! Most exported shea is sold in dried nut form, and the oil is extracted industrially. Selling at this point makes sense for small-scale farmers because it is during a busy time of the agriculture cycle when labor is at a premium. !split! BENEFITS OF SHEA The benefits of the Shea fruit can never go unnoticed. The tasty fruit has a thin nutritious pulp around a large, oil-rich nut, which is the ingredient for making Shea oil. It is also rich in vitamins A E and K, antioxidants and contains five fatty acids; oleic acid, linoleic acids, palmitic, stearic, and arachidic acid. Additionally, the oil extract is rich in Vitamin D, which is a good source of calcium and potassium. Skin Moisturizer and Anti-aging Properties Shea is an excellent choice for skin moisturization. It contains vitamins and essential fatty acids, which give it the moisturization property. Secondly, Vitamin E in Shea also soothes dry skin and improves the elasticity of the skin, thereby making it a great anti-aging agent. It enhances the skin’s elasticity by rejuvenating collagen, in turn helping to reduce stretch marks, wrinkles, and sun damage while promoting healthy skin. Antioxidants That Prevents the Skin from UV rays Shea is an excellent source of antioxidants and contains vitamins A and E, which not only keep the skin in optimal health but also protect it from being damaged by the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. The cinnamic acidic property ensures the skin is protected from UV rays, environmental damages, and free radicals. Hair health Shea nut oil is useful for conditioning scalp, defines curls, seal moisture, decreases hair coiling, and eliminates dandruff. The application of Shea nut oil to the roots helps to add volume to hair while giving it a stylised outlook. !split! TRADITIONAL USE OF SHEA For its multipurpose use, Shea butter has turned out to be a household name in many African homes. For starters, the nutmeats can be eaten fresh or roasted like almonds. Secondly, its long shelf life makes it commonly used in villages for frying, baking, and in sauces. Apart from being edible, traditionally, Shea butter and oil has been known to maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy, besides preventing premature wrinkles and facial lines by restoring elasticity to the skin hence reducing the aging process. It is also friendly to a baby’s skin. Frequently, it is used for massaging the body of babies after their daily baths because it is deemed pure and contains natural moisturizers and vitamins that give babies smooth skin. In addition to the oil, the shea butter tree roots, leaves, and stem bark also have important medicinal value. Traditional healers have been reported to use the root decoction for the treatment and management of stomach disorders. !split! PUBLISHED SHEA RESEARCH Citation: Kao J-H, Lin S-H, Lai C-F, Lin Y-C, Kong Z- L, Wong C-S (2016) Shea Nut Oil Triterpene Concentrate Attenuates Knee Osteoarthritis Development in Rats: Evidence from Knee Joint Histology. PLoS ONE 11(9): e0162022. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0162022 !split! RELATED PRODUCTS PICTURE OF PRODUCT SAWA SHEA OIL Link to online shop SAWA Shea oil is an organic unrefined, cold-pressed oil extracted from the nuts of Shea. The oil is a lightweight type of oil that quickly absorbs into the skin. Shea nut oil has higher levels of oleic and linoleic acids, and can, therefore, stimulate hair growth better BUY

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