The late former South African Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, came under heavy criticism for a concoction which she suggested could improve the health of those living with HIV/Aids.
The mixture included the African potato, a mixture of garlic, onions and virgin olive oil.
Tshabalala-Msimang suggested this as an immune-boosting combination for people living with HIV/Aids.
The Sunday Independent reported that the special mixture could be a recipe for disaster.
The minister’s prescription was widely disparaged in the medical and media fraternity alike.
In January 2005 a study published by Aids, one of the world’s leading HIV journals, said that the African potato might significantly weaken the power of anti-HIV medicines (antiretroviral or ARVs) by altering their concentration in the bloodstream.
Source: South African History Online
Compiled by Moeketsi Mogotsi/Courant News
