The tree is indigenous to Southeast Asia, but profuse in Polynesia where it is traditionally known as Ati, in Hawai'i as Kamani Oil. It is mentioned in ancient Hawaiian chants. Considered sacred by Polynesians all parts of the tree have medicinal properties.
Of all plant derivatives in nature, Kamani Oil, derived from the seed found inside the nut, is surely one of the very most remarkable for its cicatrizing power. Kamani Oil has a unique capacity to promote the formation of new tissue thereby promoting wound healing.
For this reason, it is a widely used traditional Polynesian topical medicine. Kamani Oil can be applied to cuts, scrapes, burns, insect bites and stings, abrasions, acne and scars, psoriasis, diabetic sores, anal fissures, sunburn, dry or scaly skin, blisters, eczema, herpes sores and the entire range of fungus growth. It is also used to reduce foot and body odor. Kamani Oil is applied to the neck to relieve a sore throat, and is massaged into the skin to relieve neuralgia, rheumatism and sciatica. Additionally it is a beauty secret for promoting healthy, clear, blemish-free skin , and is used on babies to prevent diaper rash and skin eruptions.
In recent years, European and U.S. skin care manufacturers have begun using Kamani Oil as an ingredient in their formulations.
The oil of Tamanu was used in Fiji to relieve the pain of sciatica, shingles, neuralgia, rheumatism and leprous neuritis, for which it is remarkably effective. But it's cicatrizing properties have received the most attention. In the medical literature on Tamanu oil, many instances of it's successful use in cases of severe skin conditions have been reported, with photographs showing before and after use. In one of the most remarkable instances, a woman was admitted to the St. Louis Hospital in Paris with a large gangrenous ulcer on her leg, which would not heal. Though doctors were sure that amputation was inevitable, she was given regular dressings of Tamanu oil. The wound eventually healed completely, leaving a smooth, flat scar. In other cases, Tamanu oil has been employed successfully to heal horrible burns caused by boiling water, chemicals and X-rays.
The oil of Tamanu contains palmitic, oleic and stearic acids, all three of which are common. It also contains a unique fatty acid called callophyllic acid and callophylloide.
The beneficial effects of Kamani Oil and it's compositon of unique constituents are not the only unusual attributes of this Polynesian traditional remedy. Strangely, the nut kernel of the ripe fruit contains virtually no oil, when it falls from the tree. Only after the nut kernel has been prized from it's tough shell and carefully dried does it become rich in the luxurious, dark green healing oil.
How this occurs is not understood. Approximately one hundred kilograms of Kamani nut kernels yields a modest five kilogram of oil once this unusual chemical process has taken place.
*) THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.