Healthcare | Tuesday 8 March, 2016 6:26 am |

The general manager of Mastiha farmers’ association in Greece Mr. Demetrius Countrieds has revealed researches results which proved the plant capability in fighting microbes, in wounds quick recovery, in calming inflammation, and it has an antioxidant action.

This declaration was cleared earlier today in a conference that took place in the Hilton, Jeddah to present “Mastiha” role in supporting health researches, as Mr. Demetrius Countrieds the association manager has said: “the Mastiha has several medical uses, and it is considered an antibiotic, and an anti-oxidant, it also gives a fresh breath, protects from stomach ulcer, and participates in skin renewal as proved by international laboratories tests” 

 Warning from unoriginal Mastiha

“Mastiha Shop “ General Manager, Mr. Ayounes Mandals, has focused on the importance of raising the awareness of Saudi citizens about choosing the original Mastiha, as not to have negative effects of the imitation products in the market.

 And to make sure the consumers in Saudi get the original products, the association has adapted the project to build “Mastiha Shop” in several malls around KSA, to provide the healthy Mastiah in a variety of products with different uses including gifts, self-care, dental care, beauty and sweats and food recipes.

Mr. Mandalis has also mentioned that KSA has the highest Mastiha transportation percentage in the Middle East, which is due to the community awareness about it’s uses, especially among women.

The Mastiha contributes to the hygiene of the gastrointestinal system, oral system, and acts as anaplastic factor for the skin.

 

Saudi Community Awarness

Alsheikh Monser Bin Hussain Alamodi, the exclusive agent for “Mastiha Shop”, shares the same opinion with Mr. Ayounes Mandalis, as he said: “Commercial expansion is not our main target from being in KSA, our main objective is raising awareness among community about “Mastiha” benefits, types, and uses”

Alamodi who has an over 50 years’ experience in spices and natural ingredients, has emphasized the importance of original products, as it has different benefits and ingredients than the other products in the market. He also mentioned that the most important path for “Mastiha Shop” in KSA is to raise the community awareness through different social media and community pages that will be launched through the next month, and it will provide 24/7 consultation services, and we also have several centers in the west area specifically Makka, Jeddah, and Altaef for now, and we aim to expand our awareness efforts to cover main cities in the kingdom by 2017. 

Production Sources

Greece island “Khious”, the largest island in Ega sea, is the only source for “Mastiha”, which is a reisen material extracted from the stem and leaves of “Shinos” tree, and the “Mastiha” is extracted by cutting the tree bark, and the mastiha will be fallen as drops”

According to the information in the press conference, the “Mastiha” tree is an ever green plant, with 2-3 meters length, and needs between 15 – 20 days for creating the solid crystals, and each tree produces  200 grams each season.

Chios Mastiha has been identified as a PDO product, and in the beginning of 2016 the EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY announced it a registered natural medicine. Moreover, the UNESCO has considered it an intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2014.   

Rain is the first enemy for the “Mastiha” tree, and the farmers call the small pieces of mastiha “Rabbit eye”, and the big pieces “Pastry” and the it is excreted between July and October each year. 

In his declarations, John Mandalas, Managing Director of Mastihashop, has stated that the major scientific research on chios mastiha includes helicobacter pilori avoidance, functional dyspepsia, oral hygiene, skin regeneration, cardiovascular heart disease prevention, treatment of inflammatory diseases like asthma, lung carcinoma treatment, and the mechanisms of antiprostate cancer.