Sceletium tortuosum was used by South African pastoalists and hunter-gatherers as a mood-altering substance from prehistoric times. The earliest written records of the use of the plant date back to 1662 and the plant was first illustrated in 1685. Sceletium was an item of barter in the time of Jan van Riebeeck, and there is documentation of trade from the Castle in Cape Town, South Africa. The traditionally prepared dried Sceletium was often chewed as a quid, and the saliva swallowed, but it has also been made into teas and tinctures. Less commonly, it has been reported that Sceletium used to be inhaled as a snuff, or smoked, usually with the addition of other herbs.
Sceletium elevates mood and decreases anxiety, stress and tension, and it has also been used as an appetite suppressant by shepherds walking long distances in arid areas. In intoxicating doses it can cause euphoria, initially with stimulation and later
with sedation. Long-term use in the local context followed by abstinence has not been reported to result in a withdrawal state. The plant is not hallucinogenic, and no severe adverse effects have been documented.

Sceletium tortuosum was used in rural areas in very small doses as a treatment for colic in infants, added to a teaspoon of breast milk, and this use still survives in some local communities.
Chemistry and Pharmacology

The active constituents of Sceletium tortuosum are alkaloids, including mesembrine, mesembrenone, mesembrenol and tortuosamine. Mesembrine is a major alkaloid present in Sceletium tortuosum, and has been demonstrated in unpublished laboratory
studies to be a very potent serotoni uptake inhibitor.

Mesembrine   This receptor-specific activity, and receptor activities also found on nicotinic, dopamine and non-adrenaline sites certainly validate the traditional mood-elevating uses, and suggest additional therapeutic and wellness potential.

Clinical and Supplement Uses
Tablets and capsules of Sceletium are being used successfully by a number of psychiatrists, psychologists and doctors with excellent results for anxiety states and mild to moderate depression; and they can also be used by the lay public as
supplements to elevate mood and for stress and tension.

In addition to Sceletium common use for the stress and mental fatigue of modern industrial living, Sceletium has been used as a natural supplement in:
Low mood, including grey weather syndrome
Anxiety states, including social phobia
Irritability in menopause
Improvement in libido, when lack of libido is from anxiety or low mood Post-traumatic stress disorder, as part of a support program

In addition to these better-known clinical uses, there is some preliminary evidence that Sceletium may be of value as a supplement in drug addiction rehabilitation and alcohol rehabilitation support, as part of a formal program. Research directions for the future include evaluation of potential in cognitive enhancement, and the management of Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease.

Doses
A typical dose is one 220mg capsule once a day, usually taken after breakfast and after lunch. Less commonly this can be increased to 220mg twice a day, if necessary. In drug rehabilitation programs, under a physicians or psychiatrists supervision, the dose
needed may be as high as 220mg four times a day.

Side Effects
Very few people experience side-effects. The reported side-effects include occasional episodes of:
Mild headache
Slight nausea, no vomiting
Soft stool or loose stool with no cramping
 Transient increase in anxiety or irritability an hour after initiating treatment, which resolves after an hour or so
Insomnia: corrected by lowering the dose or taking the product not later than midday

A feeling of sedation: corrected by taking the product as a single 100mg dose at night

Miller & Co (South Africa)