" Tree of Life" -Shea Tree

Botanical name: Vitellaria paradoxa (formerly Butyrospermum parkii)
Family: Sapotaceae family.
Life Span:200-300 years
Height: 40-45 ft
Uses:

1. The Shea (Karite) tree begins to bear fruit after about 15 years; and can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid. It is this irremovable fatty acid that gives Shea Butter its unique healing properties and makes it far superior to cocoa butter and other vegetable butters.
2. It can survive on a minimal annual rainfall of about 400-500 mm, temperatures of about 30 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius, and relative humidity of less than 10 %.
3. The Shea tree is an important and revered tree and was often used in religious ceremonies. While other trees could be cut down for clearing, it was forbidden to cut or damage the Shea tree.
4. All parts of the Shea nut tree are of immense value. In some communities, the leaves are used as medicine to treat stomachache in children. 
5. In Ghana a decoction of young leaves is used as a vapor bath for the treatment of headaches and also as an eye bath. When the leaves are put in water, it forms a frothy opalescent liquid, which is used to bath the head of the patient. A leaf decoction is also used as an eye bath. Because the leaves contain saponin, they lather in water and are suitable for washing.
6. The leaves of the Shea nut tree are used as a preservative and in the processing of dawadawa, a local spice in Ghana.
7. The leaves of the Shea nut tree are also believed to offer spiritual protection. Hence, in some African communities when a woman goes into labor, the branches may be hung in the doorway of her hut to protect the newborn baby from evil. Some communities also use its branches for covering the dead prior to their burial. In Ghana, the bark of the Shea nut tree is boiled and taken as a beverage and there are claims that this beverage can treat diabetes.
8. In Nigeria, the roots of the Shea nut are used as chewing sticks especially in the savannah areas. The roots and the root bark are sometimes ground into a paste and taken orally as a cure for jaundice in Ghana as well as the treatment of diarrhea and stomachache. The root bark is also boiled and pounded and used for the treatment of chronic sores in horses. Nonetheless, the tree can also be employed by the unscrupulous for foul means. Among the Jukun tribe of Nigeria, the roots are mixed with tobacco to produce poison.
9. The butter is also applied to the umbilical cord of new born babies to hasten its healing. It is also the preferred body cream for new born babies among educated and illiterate mothers alike in Ghana, who believes that the baby creams found on the market have been adulterated or contain chemicals that are not suitable for baby skin. It is especially useful for massaging the bodies of babies during their daily bath. Shea butter is deemed pure and contains natural moisturizers and vitamins that give babies a smooth skin. 
10. Scientific studies that involve measuring moisture on the skin using a corneometer suggest that Shea butter leads to a consistent increase in moisture levels of users for over four hours. No wonder it is the best defense for the skin during the winter season 

(Source:berniceagyekwena)