THE morula fruit could help women struggling to fall pregnant if widely used.

It can work as a medication to reduce pressure and save marriages that are torn apart because of a lack of children.

The theory came to light at the launch of the Marula Ancient Beer Festival in Phalaborwa at the weekend.

The festival was attended by government and indigenous knowledge experts. who discussed the importance of morula fruits and its products.

Traditional beer brewers said besides using the morula fruit for drinks and coffee, its fruits are also used to control birth before the dominant use of Western medicines some decades ago.

The morula tree is one subspecies that forms part of Africa's botanical treasures found in the bushveld and savannah areas in the far north of Limpopo, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

Traditional healers confirmed that the fruit had medical potential to heal and enhance a person's immune system.

Tshivhengwa Ramaliba, a medical plant researcher and traditional healer, told Sowetan that many lives were saved using morula fruits. He said as traditional healers they had been using the tree to heal and help women to have children.