Corilla, Cerasee, Carila, a strange and bitter medicine
Corila fruit with iconic red seeds that are poison if eaten in large quantities.
Today we learn about one of the most notorious and well loved bush medicines, Corilla. Commonly called Cerasee, Carila and “Coolie” Pumpkin across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this bush medicine is used across the entire Caribbean as a potent blood purifier and tonic. Apart from its ability to cleanse drug-related toxins from the body, Corilla is known to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, aid digestive issues and kill parasites or worms.
Traditional uses are plentiful and it may be used to relieve constipation, treat colds and fevers in children and adults. Some women use it as a natural method of birth control, claiming that when they drink the tea daily they are not able to conceive. You can tie the bush around your neck to ward off a stiff neck and the elderly can use it for arthritis, gout and rheumatism.
One of the iconic markers about this plant is the fruit it produces. Just like the bitter melon plant, it has a very bitter taste and is hard to miss in the landscape with its bright orange pods and juicy red seeds that are exposed once the pod explodes. Speaking from personal experience, eating the seeds was a serious childhood pastime growing up in Bequia.
Corilla tea is usually prepared from both leaves and stems, and has the ability to fight inflammation, lower cholesterol and protect the heart. The tea has long been used to kill worms and parasites in the body.
Contraindication: Borrowing from former chief pharmacologist Joann Ince Jack’s book, “The use of Folkloric Medicine in SVG (Yurumein) – A Pharmacist Perspective,” we should approach this medicine with caution. She shares that ingesting corilla is not recommended for more than 4 weeks, as it can cause liver damage. Also in persons with diabetes it masks the sugar content in the blood and urine. For those who are prone to low blood sugar levels, be careful or mindful when you use this medicine. During the rainy season and when the flu is going around, this bush is one that we highly recommend to include in your bush tea reserves and it is found wild and thriving all over the island.
Corilla/Carila fruit which is also called Lizard food across the SVG archipelago
Harvesting Corilla in Nassau, The Bahamas for offerings.