There is a beloved plant known as the ‘tree of life’ by Amazonian communities. This majestic palm tree is actually called buriti, and it’s rich in bioactive compounds that can contribute to restoring wellness from the inside-out.
At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, plant-based remedies can be integrated into your treatment plan, including botanical extracts from buriti and other Amazonian plants. This fact sheet discloses the background of this medicinal plant and how it might support skin health, vision, digestion, and more.
What is Buriti?
- Buriti palm trees (Mauritia flexuosa) thrive in the Amazon rain forest, flooded wetlands and riverbanks across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. The tree’s fleshy fruit is embraced by local communities as food and medicine and for cosmetic uses.
- Amazonian indigenous people eat the fruit on its own or concoct it into juices, fermented beverages, jams and desserts. The oil is naturally golden-red and high in nutrients, which is why some locals apply it to the skin for sun protection or to soothe burns. The oil is thought to soften hair and potentially act as a postpartum care tonic, helping to restore strength after giving birth.
- Buriti’s leaves, trunk, and roots have significant roles in Amazonian communities – these materials are woven into mats and ropes, or used in remedies for fevers, infections, and wound healing. This history highlights buriti as a source of nourishment, resilience, and healing interwoven into Indigenous traditions.
Buriti’s Influence on Anti-Aging Skin Health
Buriti stands out for its skin effects, making it potentially ideal for anti-aging regimes. As a topical, it can help defend against harmful molecules generated by pollution, UV radiation, and other stressors – these are all factors that can accelerate visible aging! Some of buriti’s skin benefits are as follows:
- It can offer antioxidant protection: The plant’s beta-carotene content is higher than that of carrots and sweet potatoes! Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, a pigment that can protect against cellular damage. Beta-carotene and other carotenoids are capable of neutralizing free radicals in the body, which are known contributors of premature aging, sun damage, and skin dullness.
- May naturally moisturize the skin barrier: Buriti oil contains a high concentration of oleic acid (omega-9 fatty acids), which has softening effects on human skin. This nutrient can help strengthen the natural lipid barrier, which encourages moisture to stay in and help keep irritants out! It may be suitable for those struggling with dry, sensitive, and aging skin.
- Contains anti-inflammatory properties: “Many studies document that vitamin E occupies a central position as a highly efficient antioxidant, thereby providing possibilities to decrease the frequency and severity of pathological events in the skin,” reports a Journal of Molecular Medicine piece. Luckily, buriti oil is rich in vitamin E and phytosterols, which are beneficial for calming skin redness and irritation.
- Appears to offer some UV protection: Though not a replacement for sunscreen, its carotenoid content can mildly protect against UV radiation by absorbing rays and entrapping free radical molecules. It may also promote skin recovery from harsh sunlight exposure.
- May be non-comedogenic: The oil has a low comedogenic rating, meaning it has a small chance of clogging pores. This makes it appropriate for a wide range of skin types, especially acne-prone skin, where buriti oil might help balance oil and reduce inflammation.
Beyond Skin: Additional Beneficial Effects
Though it’s a botanical powerhouse in natural skincare, consuming this fruit may lead to other health bonuses! These may include:
- Dietary and vision support: As the plant is rich in beta-carotene and its oil is capable of enhancing nutrient absorption, scientists have studied buriti for its function in vitamin A deficiency. In some Brazilian trials, it was shown that consuming buriti can replenish vitamin A stores in children, especially for treating and preventing an eye disorder called xerophthalmia.
- Fostering cardiovascular health: Due to its oleic acid content, buriti oil has been associated with healthy effects on lipid profiles, inflammation, and metabolism. The balancing of unsaturated fats and antioxidants may support overall cardiovascular resilience and reduce oxidative stress, helping to balance cholesterol and inflammation.
- Regulating digestion: Historically, buriti fruit was incorporated into the daily diet as a delicacy and nutrient-dense food staple. Its fibre content supports digestive health, while its antioxidants may benefit liver function. Buriti fibre, micronutrients, and oils contribute to both nutritional balance and regulating gut health.
Striving Towards Planetary Health
Making use of Amazonian plants, like buriti, goes beyond eating a healthy ingredient – it’s a living link between the Amazon rainforest, traditional wellness, and modern science.
Botanical medicine from the rainforest reminds us of what Indigenous communities have valued for nourishment and healing, guiding us to improve our own skin care and holistic health. This traditional knowledge must be preserved, as the Brazilian Amazon has undergone deforestation since the 1960s. This has slashed the use of medicinal plants for both Amazonian communities and international use.
In particular, the Indigenous groups are crucially affected by deforestation. “Many of these medicinal plants have no botanical substitute, and pharmaceuticals do not yet exist for some of the diseases for which they are used,” explains a BioScience journal article. “Degradation of Amazonian forests may signify not only the loss of potential pharmaceutical drugs for the developed world but also the erosion of the sole health care option for many of Brazil’s rural and urban poor.”
Recognizing the significance of the rainforest can go a long way – for our health and for the planet’s. Let’s introduce you to our integrative health care that also acknowledges eco-friendly practices.
Meet Your New Partner in Health and Wellness
Our functional medicine protocols are suitable for managing chronic inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, weight management, and more. Taking a root-cause approach to your health may be valuable for treatment and disease prevention – so allow us to be your ally towards optimal functioning!
At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, our practitioners integrate treatment modalities so that you can tackle symptoms with several strategies. We recognize the mind-body connection, so therapies may interlace Western treatments with naturopathic medicine, psychotherapy, hormone optimization, personalized supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbal medicine, etc.), compression therapy, IV vitamin therapy, frequency meditation, and more.
Our botanical/herbal medicine involves scrutinizing your current health, including your use of medications and supplements. As our naturopathic doctor is acquainted with plant-based medicine, we can add these ingredients into your treatment plan while avoiding medication interactions. All doses of plant remedies are tailored for biological needs with the principles of functional medicine. These plant-based supplements can be arranged into teas, topicals, oils, and more, and are available from our in-house dispensary.
We also blend IV therapy drips freshly on a daily basis, and these IV therapies are administered in our IV Lounge. IV drips are not meant as stand-alone therapies – when they’re united with healthy lifestyle changes and additional functional medicine advice, they can contribute to wellness optimization.
Let’s steer you towards health promotion with functional naturopathic medicine, holistic modalities, herbal medicine, and more. Experience a patient-centred approach to health – simply fill in our contact form to meet one of our Toronto area functional medicine providers.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media.
References
Amorim VR, Rodrigues DCDN, Silva JDN, Ramos CLS, Almeida LMN, Almeida AAC, Pinheiro-Neto FR, Almeida FRC, Rizzo MS, Pereira-Freire JA, Ferreira PMP. Anti-inflammatory mechanisms of fruits and by-products from Mauritia flexuosa, an exotic plant with functional benefits. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2021 Jun 3;84(11):441-457. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2021.1881672. Epub 2021 Feb 28. PMID: 33641623.
Barbosa MU, Silva MA, Barros EML, Barbosa MU, Sousa RC, Lopes MADC, Coelho NPMF. Topical action of Buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa L.) in myositis induced in rats. Acta Cir Bras. 2017 Nov;32(11):956-963. doi: 10.1590/s0102-865020170110000007. PMID: 29236800.
Marcelino G, Hiane PA, Pott A, de Oliveira Filiú WF, Caires ARL, Michels FS, Júnior MRM, Santos NMS, Nunes ÂA, Oliveira LCS, Cortes MR, Maldonade IR, Cavalheiro LF, Nazário CED, Santana LF, Di Pietro Fernandes C, Negrão FJ, Tatara MB, de Faria BB, Asato MA, de Cássia Freitas K, Bogo D, do Nascimento VA, de Cássia Avellaneda Guimarães R. Characterization of Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) Pulp Oil and the Effect of Its Supplementation in an In Vivo Experimental Model. Nutrients. 2022 Jun 19;14(12):2547. doi: 10.3390/nu14122547. PMID: 35745276; PMCID: PMC9229003.
Nachbar F, Korting HC. The role of vitamin E in normal and damaged skin. J Mol Med (Berl). 1995 Jan;73(1):7-17. doi: 10.1007/BF00203614. PMID: 7633944.
Santos, Leonor. (2005). Nutritional and ecological aspects of buriti or aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa Linnaeus filius): A carotene-rich palm fruit from Latin America. Ecology of Food and Nutrition – ECOL FOOD NUTR. 44. 345-358. 10.1080/03670240500253369.
Shanley, Patricia, and Leda Luz. “The Impacts of Forest Degradation on Medicinal Plant Use and Implications for Health Care in Eastern Amazonia.” BioScience, vol. 53, no. 6, 2003, pp. 573-584, https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0573:TIOFDO]2.0.CO;2. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Souto, Renata N., et al. “Buriti (Mauritia Flexuosa L.F.) and Acuri (Attalea Phalerata Mart. Ex Spreng) Oils As Functional Lipid Sources in Bakery Products: Bioactive Composition, Sensory Evaluation, and Technological Performance.” Foods, vol. 14, no. 17, 2025, p. 3089, https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173089. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Speranza, Paula & Leão, Karina Magna & Gomes, Tauan & Reis, Lívia & Rodrigues, Alexsandra & Macedo, J. & Ribeiro, A. & Macedo, Gabriela. (2018). Improving the chemical properties of Buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa L.) by enzymatic interesterification. Grasas y Aceites. 69. 282. 10.3989/gya.0229181.
Original article "Toronto Functional Medicine Centre – (416) 968-6961" first appeared in the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website.
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