Its Hebrew name, sira kotzanit (thorny burnet). It’s a lowly and humble plant that requires a lot of sunlight, which is why the Land of Israel is practically covered in it, especially in desert areas. Its uses in the past have been as brooms and as drinking hole covers, to filter out the dirt. Now this is going to change radically, as Sarcopoterium Spinosum, the sole species within the genus Sarcopoterium, is going to save millions of lives.
In a few years, of course — for the moment this is still just the brainchild of Dr. Tovit Rosenzweig, of the Department of Molecular Biology and the Department of Nutrition Sciences, and Head of the Master’s Program in Biology at Ariel University – the only Israeli university in Samaria.
Dr. Rosenzweig’s research has led to the development of a drug based on Sarcopoterium Spinosum that could change the lives of more than 200 million diabetes sufferers worldwide, Walla reported Wednesday.
“In diabetes, the body’s ability to balance blood sugar is impaired,” says Dr. Rosenzweig. “Homeopathic medicine recognizes the virtues of Sarcopoterium Spinosum. We are investigating the plant’s effects using modern scientific methods.”
“The results of the studies we have done so far are impressive, showing a good effect on blood sugar levels,” she notes. “Insulin sensitivity is improving and we are about to launch the first clinical trial in humans.”
According to an Israeli homeopathic website, a German mission visited Syria in 1926 to investigate a rumor about Bedouins who cure diabetes using tea made from the thorny bush. A later research by Hebrew University Department of Pharmaceuticals confirmed those findings, locating the active ingredient in the root and bark of the plant.
Israeli residents looking for the cure today can go simply outside and find a bush of sira kotzanit practically everywhere in the countryside, make an extraction using the roots and drink it. Disclaimer: Of course, we do not recommend that you actually do that, we are not a medical publication nor do we have the authority to recommend homeopathic or other cures.