Buchulife
Food in Cape Town

Welcome to Buchulife – find out more about Buchu products, the therapeutic properties of the Buchu herb and the history of this famous medicinal plant.

To discover the origins of the of the Buchu herb, we need to travel to the Cape Floral Kingdom, a World Heritage site situated in the Western Cape Mountains of Southern Africa. Prior to the advent of modern medicine, many of the world pioneers trusted Buchu to treat a wide range of ailments, from headaches, stomach disorders and the common cold to various serious life-threatening diseases, including bilharzia and cholera. The use of Buchu rapidly spread around the world, and evidence of its fame and widespread use can be found in the cargo manifest of the Titanic, which was carrying 8 bales of Buchu when she went down. In 1821 the drug house Burchell’s introduced Buchu to the medical profession, and by the 1860’s, the leaf had been imported into the United States as a panacea for a wide variety of ailments. Buchu has since been recorded by every major world pharmacopoeia, including the American Merck Index, the British Martindale’s 1977 edition and the Scottish Medical Journal. The buchu sourced is organically and sustainably cultivated and the quality of the oil is the purest available. As was the case early in Buchu history, this herb remains a scarce and valuable resource. In the summer, the wind blows from the south-east, bringing with it cool mist and clouds which, together with the Mediterranean climate, has proven ideal for the cultivation of Buchu. The Buchu herb takes about 5 years to grow from a seedling until it’s ready to undergo the extraction process. This patented extraction process yields up to 1.5% of Buchu oil on processed material. The oil is then quality controlled, batched, gas chromatographed and shipped around the world. During this delicate vacuum distillation, steam is passed through the Buchu leaf over a period of 6 hours, producing the finest quality Buchu oil, which is highly effective in the treatment of various ailments. Interestingly enough, despite its strong and trusted medical heritage, Buchu is presently preferred for use in the Food and Perfume Industries. Cape Kingdom Nutraceuticals works in partnership with two of the most reputable medical institutions in South Africa. The first is Synexa Life Science where, under the auspices of Professor Patrick Bouic (also Head of Immunology at Tygerberg Hospital), Synexa is involved in all our molecular research. The company has also engaged the services of Prof. Tim Noakes, leading Sport Scientists at the University of Cape Town. He is is responsible for controlled clinical trials on Cape Kingdom nutraceutical products. Buchu’s 3 main uses are as an anti-inflammatory, an antiseptic and the treatment of hypertension. Developed by Cape Kingdom Nutraceuticals, our Buchu oil is extracted in a patented process that is 100% natural and organic. The leaves are handpicked and the raw organic material processed immediately. What results is an organic, safe and highly effective product. Buchu is an extraordinary plant, capable of extraordinary things. Cape Kingdom Nutraceuticals is a pioneer in understanding and developing this exceptional natural resource and ensuring that its impressive properties and benefits will never be forgotten.