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Yerba Buena

7:47 PM |


Yerba Buena with a scientific name "Mentha crispa Blanco" 


is an herb of the mint family. It is an aromatic plant used as herbal medicine worldwide. This perennial plant’s growth ranges from 0.6 meters to 1 meter. It has elongated leaves and in summers, it bears small whitish or purplish flowers. Such flowers possess both male and female organs that allow it to be pollinated by bees and animals of the same nature. The word Yerba Buena is Spanish for "good herb" and was the former name of the California city of San Francisco.

Before its medicinal value has been recognized, Yerba Buena was first used as an ingredient in numerous cuisines. It became popular because of its distinctively strong spearmint flavor, thus making it ideal for salads. The leaves are the source of this flavor, and they may be added to viands and meals, either raw or cooked. It has also been effective to drive away rats and other rodents, because of its strong smell of mint that it emits. Thus, besides its medicinal value, it has long been recognized to have strong commercial demand due to the variety of uses that the plant have.

Yerba Buena has been consumed for centuries as tea and herbal medicine as a pain reliever (analgesic). Native American Indians used it even before the "white men" colonized the Americas. Today, this folk medicine's efficacy has been validated by scientific research. In the Philippines, Yerba Buena is one of the 10 herbs endorsed by the Department of Health (DOH) as an effective alternative medicine for aches and pains. It has been recognized for its antiseptic, anti-cancer, diuretic, anti-spasm, anti-emetic activities. Properties of this herbal plant are also found to function as stimulant and to have restorative effects.

As an herbal medicine, a decoction (boil leaves then strain) of Yerba Buena is effective for minor ailments such as headaches, toothaches, and joint pains. It can also relive stomachaches due to gas buildup and indigestion. The fresh and dried leaves can both be used for the decoction. And because Yerba Buena belongs to the mint family, soaking fresh leaves in a glass of water (30 to 45 minutes) makes a good and effective mouth wash for a clean, fresh smelling breath.

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Posted by Bernie

Bawang or Garlic

6:01 PM |

scientific name Allium sativum 



     is a low herb, which only grows up to sixty centimeters high. Its leaves are flat and linear, with bulbs that consist of several tubers. This herb is one of the most widely used herbal medicines in the Philippines and can also be found commonly in the kitchen of Filipino households as it is used to spice up food preparations. The Philippine bawang or garlic variety is more pungent than the imported ones. Its medicinal properties have been known for a long time and have been especially proven during World War II when it was used to treat wounds and infections of soldiers. Garlic’s antibacterial compound known as allicin, saved many lives of the soldiers as this property prevented the wounds from being infected and developing into gangrene at a later stage by extracting the juice of bawang or garlic and applying to the wounds.


Bawang, sometimes spelled as bauang or in English, garlic is known as nature's antibiotic. Its juices inhibit the growth of fungi and viruses thus, prevent viral, yeast, and infections. The preliminary test conducted on this medicinal herb showed some positive results in the treatment of AIDS. Several clinical tests that followed and published studies have shown the efficacy of garlic in lowering cholesterol in the blood and is beneficial to the circulatory system of the body. Today, as more research is done on garlic, more medicinal and therapeutic properties become more evident. As of the present time, lowering of the blood pressure, reduction of platelet aggregation, and the boosting of fibrinolytic activities are among the list of herbal functions of garlic, which is supported by medical findings. Although more clinical studies are needed to support the contention stronger, marked improvements in benign breast diseases have been traced to make progress because of the regular intake of supplements, of which the primary ingredient is garlic.

Although controlled trials in terms of anti-cancer activities of garlic have been performed in medical research, it has been proven through population-based studies that substances contain in garlic help in reducing the risk of some types of cancer. These would include colorectal malignancies, and gastric cancer. Regular consumption of raw garlic has been proven to aid in many bleeding cases, especially those cases that are associated with procedures in surgeries and dental activities. All these considered, it appears that garlic have no concrete scientific basis to claim a significant effect in the level of glucose in our blood. It is remarkable to note though that the Philippine Department of Health has endorsed garlic as one of the top ten Philippine herbs with therapeutic value and the department recommends its use as an alternative herbal medicine in view of the positive results of thorough research and testing, which had been conducted on this herbal plant. Juice extracted from garlic bulbs can be used as tick and mosquito repellant when applied to skin.

Bad breath, due to the strong odor of garlic, is the most common side effect of taking this herb. Fresh garlic applications to the skin have been reported to cause skin burns and rashes. This goes true both for those who are in the initial stages of their garlic therapies, and those who consume it as an ingredient in food preparations.

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Posted by Bernie

Pansit - Pansitan

5:43 PM |



scientific name Peperomia pellucida Linn


         An annual herb, shallow rooted, may reach 40 cm high, with succulent stems. Leaves are alternate, heart-shaped and turgid, as transparent and smooth as candle wax. Tiny dotlike flowers scattered along solitary and leaf-opposed stalk (spike); naked; maturing gradually from the base to the tip; turning brown when ripe. Propagation by seeds. Numerous tiny seeds drop off when mature and grow easily in clumps and groups in damp areas.

           The leaves and stalk of pansit-pansitan are edible. It can be harvested, washed and eaten as fresh salad. Taken as a salad, pansit-pansitan helps relive rheumatic pains and gout. An infusion or decoction (boil 1 cup of leaves/stem in 2 cups of water) can also be made and taken orally - 1 cup in the morning and another cup in the evening.

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Posted by Bernie

Niyog-Niyogan

8:50 PM |


Niyog-niyogan is found throughout the Philippines.It is also found in India to Malaya, and it is been seen in most tropical countries.This is a large,climbing, woody shrub reaching a length of from 2 to 8 meters. The younger parts have a rusty appearance on account of brown hairs. The leaves are oblong to elliptic, 7 to 15 centimeters long, with pointed tip and rounded base, the flowers are fragrant, showy, first white and then red, reddish-purple, or orange, exhibiting all these different stages on one and the same flower stalk. The fruit is narrowly ellipsoid and 2.5 to 3 centimeters long, with five, sharp, longitudinal angles or wings. The seeds are pentagonal and black.
Niog-niogan is often planted as an ornamental for its flowers.
They say that an oil extracted from the seeds has purgative properties, that physiologically inactive substance resembling a sugar was isolated by alcohol extraction, that a gum which gave many of the reactions of an alkaloid was extracted from the seeds by water, and that 3.87 per cent of potassium sulphate was found. Barcelon analyzed the seeds and reported the presence of oleic and palmitic acids in the oil, in addition to sitosterol, m. p. 135 and isolated acetyl derivative, m. p. 125 from the saponifiable matter.
Dela Paz studied the effects of the drug on Ascaris lumbricoides in vitro and in intestines of dogs, and reported that Quisqualis indica is different from oil of chenopodium, which weakens and, in vitro and in dogs intestines. No indication has been noted in the experiments in vitro that would suggest that the drug might act as a vermifuge. Lefevre considers the fruit tonic and astringent.
Mercado, writing in the last of the seventeenth century, and Father Clain in 1857, speak of the anthelmintic properties of pi񯮥s seeds.
Guerrero states that in the Philippines the fruit is used as a vermifuge. The plant is also used as a cough cure.
The leaves are used and are applied to the head in cases of headache. They appear to merely cool off the head and so ally the pain somewhat. The leaves are given in Amboina and India in a compound decoction for flatulent distension of abdomen. The leaves and fruit are reputed to be anthelmintic (4-5 seeds dose) and useful for nephritis.
According to Hooper and Kirtikar and Basu, in the Moluccas and in India the seeds are given with honey as an electuary for the expulsion of entozoa in children. Handbuty quotes Rumpf, who says that in Indo-China, the seeds are also used as an anthelmintic and for rickets of children. Regnault reports that the Chinese and Annamites use the seeds as a vermifuge. Stuart states that in China they are also given in cases of diarrhea and leucorrhoeal discharges of children, which likewise are frequently due to nematode infection. Nadkarni says that the ripe seeds are roasted and given in diarrhea and fever. Stuart adds that macerated in oil, the seeds are applied to parasitic skin diseases in China.

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Posted by Bernie

Akapulko

12:51 AM |




Scientific name: Cassia alata L





 is used as herbal medicine and is a shrub that grows wild in the tropical climate of Philippines. Akapulko is widely used in the Philippines as herbal medicine. The akapulko leaves contain chrysophanic acid, a fungicide that is used to treat fungal infections, like ringworms, scabies and eczema.. Akapulko leaves are also known to be sudorific, diuretic and purgative, used to treat intestinal problems including intestinal parasites. Akapulko is also used as herbal medicine to treat bronchitis and asthma. Because of Akapulko’s anti-fungal properties, it is a common ingredient in soaps, shampoos, and lotions in the Philippines. The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) has helped develop the technology for a akapulko herbal medicine lotion.
Akapulko is an erect, shrubby legume with dark green compound leaves. Akapulko leaves have orange rachis that has 16-28 leaflets. Akapulko produces an axis of golden yellow flowers that has 4-winged pods containing 50-60 flattened, triangular seeds. Akapulko flowers are enclosed by yellow-orange bracts that are later shed in time.

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Posted by Bernie

Bayabas

12:35 AM |

scientific name — Psidium guajava L


  or guava is a tropical plant, which is locally known for its edible fruit. In the backyards of Filipino homes in the country, this plant is commonly seen, and grown because of its many uses as fruit and as traditional remedy to treat various ailments. As shown by many research studies, almost all of the parts of this plant have medicinal qualities and value, and thus, making it as one of the most popular therapeutic plants in the Philippines. Bayabas is a small tree that can grow up to 3 meters tall with greenish-brownish smooth bark. The round globular bayabas fruit starts as a flower and is usually harvested and eaten while still green. The fruit turns yellowish-green and soft when ripe.

The bayabas fruit bark and leaves are used as herbal medicine. Its leaves decoction is recognized for its effectiveness to cure several ailments, including the treatment of uterine hemorrhage, swollenness of the legs and other parts of the body, of chronic diarrhea, and gastroenteritis, among others. The most common use of the leaves is for cleaning and disinfecting wounds by rinsing the afflicted area with a decoction of the leaves. In the same way, such leaves are being used to aid in the treatment of dysentery and the inflammation of the kidneys. The bark and leaves can be used as astringent. It can also be used as a wash for uterine and vaginal problems, and is good for ulcers. The medicinal uses of Bayabas appear infinite, as it is also a suggested natural cure for fevers, diabetes, epilepsy, worms, and spasms. The fruit, aside from being delicious, contains nutritional values with a very high concentration of vitamin A and vitamin C

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Posted by Bernie

SAMBONG

9:23 PM |

Scientific name: Blumea balsamifera





 is an amazing medicinal plant.Cebuano's called this as (gabon) Coming from the family of Compositae, it goes by several names locally. It is known in the Visayas as bukadkad and as subsob in Ilocos. The plant is a strongly aromatic herb that grows tall and erect area. Its height ranges from 1.5 to 3 meters, with stems that grow for up to 2.5 centimeters. It is an anti-urolithiasis and work as a diuretic. It is used to aid the treatment of kidney disorders. The Sambong leaves can also be used to treat colds and mild hypertension. Since it is a diuretic, this herbal medicine helps dispose of excess water and sodium (salt) in the body.

Sambong is one herbal medicine (of ten) approved by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) as an alternative medicine in treating particular disorders. This plant possesses a multitude of properties that make it worthy of the DOH approval. It functions as an astringent and as an expectorant, and has been found to be anti-diarrhea and anti-spasm. As an astringent, preparations made of sambong leaves may be used for wounds and cuts. It is also suggested to be incorporated to post-partum baths, as well as considerable immersion of particular body areas that are afflicted with pains caused by rheumatism. Its expectorant properties make it as a popular recommendation to be taken in as tea to treat colds.


Health Benefits of Sambong:

• Good as a diuretic agent
• Effective in the dissolving kidney stones
• Aids in treating hypertension & rheumatism
• Treatment of colds & fever
• Anti-diarrheic properties
• Anti-gastralgic properties
• Helps remove worms, boils
• Relief of stomach pains
• Treats dysentery, sore throat


Powdered Sambong leaves are available in 250 mg tablets at the DOH's Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) Telephone # (632) 727-6199.

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Posted by Bernie

AMPALAYA

9:19 PM |

scientific name Momordica charantia





is a climbing vine and the tendrils of which grow up to 20 centimeters long. This herbal plant belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceae, and it is a tropical as well as a subtropical vine. Ampalaya leaves are heart-shaped, which are 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter. The fruits of the ampalaya vine are fleshy green with pointed ends at length. It can never be mistaken for any other variety because its ribbed and wrinkled surface had always been ampalaya’s distinct physical structure. The bitter taste of the ampalaya fruit had also been the distinguishing factor from the rest of the fruits with medicinal value, and this is due to the presence of a substance known as momorcidin.

Ampalaya has been a folkloric cure for generations but has now been proven to be an effective herbal medicine for many aliments. Most significant of which is for Diabetes. The Philippine variety has proven to be most potent. Ampalaya contains a mixture of flavanoids and alkaloids make the Pancreas produce more insulin that controls the blood sugar in diabetics. Aside from Ampalaya's medicinal value, it is good source of vitamins A, B and C, iron, folic acid, phosphorous and calcium.

Ampalaya has been for used even by the Chinese for centuries. The effectively of Ampalaya as an herbal medicine has been tried and tested by many research clinics and laboratories worldwide. In the Philippines, the Department of Health has endorsed Ampalaya as an alternative medicine to help alleviate various ailments including diabetes, liver problems and even HIV. Aside from these, ampalaya also helps treat skin diseases and cough. Its herbal value extends to increasing the sterility of women, in parasiticide, antipyretic, and has purgative functions, as well. Note: In large dozes, pure Ampalaya juice can be a purgative and abortifacient.

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Posted by Bernie

MALUNGGAY

7:35 PM |


Scientific name: Moringa elifera
   
Malunggay leaves was considered a "poor man's vegetables" but now it is known as a "miracle tree" or "nature's medicine cabinet" by scientists and health care workers from around the world because it is loaded with vitamins and minerals that can be an effective remedy against many kinds of ailments.
All parts of the malunggay tree are usable for nutritional and medicinal purposes - from the roots, trunk, and branches to the leaves, flowers, and seeds. The small, oval, dark-green leaves are famous vegetable ingredient in soup, fish and chicken dishes. The leaves can actually be eaten raw, but best added in meals due to its high concentration of nutrients. The roots is used to make tea, while the trunk, after it's scraped and squeezed for its juice is used to clean wounds.
Malunggay trees are generally grown in the backyards in countries of Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. It is said that these plants are "low maintenance," requiring little to no care.


Health Benefits of malunggay:
  • Malunggay leaves helps strengthens the immune system.
  • Malunggay can help restores skin condition, controls blood pressure, relieves headaches and migraines.
  • Malunggay tea can help strengthen the eye muscles.
  • Malunggay tea can help heal inflammation of the joints and tendons.
  • Malunggay tea can prevent intestinal worms.
  • Malunggay can help increase semen count.
  • Malunggay help normalize blood sugar level therefore preventing diabetes.
  • Malunggay has anti-cancer compounds (phytochemicals) that help stop the growth of cancer cells.
  • Malunggay helps relax and promotes good night sleep.
  • Malunggay tea is used to treat fever and asthma.
  • Malunggay help heals ulcers.
  • Malunggay is high in calcium (four times the calcium in milk), therefore lactating mothers are advised to consume malunggay leaves to produce more milk for their babies. The young malunggay leaves are also boiled and taken as tea.
  • Malunggay contains three times the potassium in bananas.
  • Malunggay contain four times the vitamin A in carrots.
  • An ounce of malunggay has the same Vitamin C content as seven oranges.
  • Malunggay leaves contain two times the protein in milk.
  • Malunggay seed is used to clean dirty or polluted water.

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Posted by Bernie
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