Western researchers are beginning to take a serious look at an ancient herbal remedy commonly used in Thailand and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The tuberous roots of Pueraria mirifica (called Kwow Krua in Thai) grow wild throughout much of northern and central Thailand, and in the hilly eastern regions of Myanmar. It is just now being farmed commercially in Southeast Asia. For centuries past it was foraged directly from the jungle by women who practiced herbal healing in their villages. The root was pounded into a paste, then mixed with various other spices like turmeric and ginger before being administered to women after childbirth to help restore their energy, remove stretch marks, is good at skin whitening and tone up their breasts.
Pueraria mirifica was recently recognized as a legitimate medical drug by the Thai government and placed in their authorized Pharmacopeia. Government officials in Thailand estimate that medical tourism will account for revenue of around 49 billion baht this year. In American currency, that equals approximately 1.6 billion dollars. And a good part of that revenue is from cosmetic treatments, including the use of Pueraria mirifica.
Used as a serum by Thai medical professionals, extracts of the tuberous root are currently being used to treat skin inflammation and dryness, menopausal instability, and PMS. It’s main use today in the medical tourism industry in Thailand, however, is as an organic bust enhancer. Treatment with Pueraria mirifica avoids the inconvenience and discomfort, not to mention the prolonged recovery time, of traditional plastic surgical methods of breast enhancement. Used as both a topical cream and an internal stimulant, Thai doctors claim encouraging results in controlling estrogen levels, which in turn help control breast size and firmness. This is very good news for women who do not wish to risk invasive surgical procedures in order to look their best.
Medical and cultural historians have noted with interest that in the Western world menopause, when estrogen levels are highest in women in order to fill out and shape their breasts for nursing, begins later and later in life. Whereas menopause often began around the age of eleven in developed countries (as it still does in most Third World countries), it now does not begin very much before the age of fifteen, or even later. This diminishes the female body’s intake of estrogen and thus cheats the mammary glands of their full estrogen supply — which is required to keep breasts firm and shapely. That is why estrogen supplements are a popular and much touted treatment for saggy breasts — they help restore the youthful spring of the bosom without resorting to surgery.
The problem with many estrogen treatments, however, is that they use artificially produced estrogen. These chemical recreations are not the exact match of natural estrogen, and so are not as effective and can sometimes even cause side effects. What Pueraria mirifica provides is a stimulant that helps a woman’s body increase her own estrogen production naturally and safely. It is a completely organic, and sustainably grown natural supplement with no known side effects or drawbacks. It’s pleasant scent is reminiscent of lemon grass and jasmine.