10 Halamang Gamot

• Garlic, also known as Bawang in Filipino, has the scientific name Allium sativum
• Garlic is native to Southern Europe and Central Asia, cultivated worldwide, and extensively grown in various regions in the Philippines
• Preclinical uses of garlic include:

  • Antihyperlipidemic
  • Antihypertensive
  • Fibrinolytic
  • Antiplatelet
  • Hypoglycemic
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antispasmodic
  • Antimicrobial
• Clinical uses of garlic are for:

  • Hyperlipidemia
  • Hypertension
  • Arteriosclerosis
• To use garlic for high blood cholesterol levels (Hypercholesterolemia):

  1. Consult a healthcare center for a formal diagnosis and medical advice

  2. Eat 2-3 garlic bulbs soaked in vinegar, sterilized, grilled, or fried in a little oil 3 times a day with meals
• Side effects of garlic may include vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, allergies, contact dermatitis, or asthma
• Garlic is not recommended for:

  • Use in snake or dog bites, which are emergency cases
  • Instead, wash the wound with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention at a health center or hospital
• Sambong (Fil) scientific name: Blumea balsamifera
• Availability of Sambong:

  • Found from India to Southern China, through the Malay Peninsula to the Moluccas
  • Distributed throughout the Philippines
• Preclinical Uses of Sambong:

  • Anti-cancer, Anti-genotoxicity and Anti-mutagenicity
  • Antimicrobial
  • Anti-obesity
  • Antioxidant
  • Dissolution of kidney stones
• Clinical Uses of Sambong:

  • Diuretic and Antiuricemic (Philippine setting)
• How to use Sambong for kidney stones:

  • Visit a health center to identify your illness and the treatment for kidney stones, including the use of sambong leaves for medication
  • Boil the minced and freshly picked sambong leaves in a pot filled with 2 glasses of water until the pot is only left with half-filled of water. Keep the lid off the pot after bringing it to a boil
  • Let it cool completely and then strain it
  • Divide it into 3 portions. Drink 1 portion 3 times a day
  • Drink 12 glasses of water or more daily
• • Dosage of minced sambong leaves based on patient’s age: 3 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 6 tablespoons (13 years old and above)
• Tsaang-gubat, also known as Carmona retusa, is available from India to Southern China, Taiwan, the Malay Peninsula, and distributed throughout the Philippines
• Pre-clinical uses of tsaang-gubat include being anti-allergic, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, and antimutagenic
• Clinical uses of tsaang-gubat are caries-preventive and antispasmodic
• How to use tsaang-gubat for stomach pains:

  • Boil chopped and freshly picked forest tea (tsaang-gubat) leaves in a pot with 1 glass of water until the water is reduced to half its volume
  • Measurement of chopped leaves based on age: 1 1/2 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 3 tablespoons (13 years old or older); not recommended for children below 7 years old
  • Let it cool, then strain and drink. Consult a doctor if symptoms persist
• How to use Ampalaya for Diabetes:

  • Consult a health center for a formal diagnosis and medical advice for diabetes, including the use of ampalaya leaves (Makiling variety) to help control blood sugar levels
  • Health care professionals may advise eating 1 cup of ampalaya leaves twice a day or boiling 2 cups of sprouts in 2 glasses of water and drinking ⅓ of the boiled water thrice a day
• How to use Yerba Buena for Toothaches:

  • Boil grinded and freshly picked yerbabuwena leaves in a pot with 2 glasses of water until half of the water is left
  • Dosage of minced sambong leaves based on patient’s age: 3 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 6 tablespoons (13 years old and above)
  • Divide into 2 portions, drink 1 portion, and another after 3-4 hours if pain persists. Consult a health center if needed
• How to use Yerba Buena for Headaches:

  • Compress or crush freshly picked leaves and use the extract to massage the forehead and top of the head
  • Consult a health center if the headache persists
• How to use ulasimang bato in controlling your uric acid:

  • Consult a doctor to diagnose symptoms and know how to use pansit-pansitan to help control uric acid levels
  • Eat 1 cup of leafy tops of pansit-pansitan thrice a day or boil in 2 glasses of water and drink 1/3 glass thrice a day
• How to use Bayabas for various conditions:

  • Boil leafy tops of guavas in water for scabies or wounds that discharge pus
  • For dizziness, crumple fresh tops and inhale
  • For swollen gums, boil leafy tops in water and gargle
  • For cleaning the vagina after giving birth, boil leafy tops in water
  • For taking a bath or itchy skin, boil leafy tops in water
• How to use Akapulko for ringworm and fungal infections:

  • Grind fresh akapulko leaves and apply the extract on the affected area 2 times a day for 3 weeks
  • Use decoction if allergic to the extract
• How to use Lagundi for cough:

  • Boil crushed fresh lagundi leaves in water until half of the water is left
  • Amount of crushed leaves according to patient’s age: 1 ½ tablespoons (2-6 years old); 3 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 6 tablespoons (13 years old and above)
• How to use Niyog-niyogan for intestinal worms:

  • Eat the seed from the parent plant and its withered fruit, followed by drinking water
  • Dosage of seeds to eat based on patient’s age: 4-5 seeds (4-6 years old); 6-7 seeds (7-12 years old); 8-10 seeds (13 years old and above)
  • If no worm comes out during a bowel movement, repeat the dosage after 1 week
• Possible side effects of overeating niyog-niyogan seeds: nausea, hiccups, stomach ache, or diarrhea. Do not exceed the recommended amount of seeds
• Yerba Buena (Fil)

  • Scientific Name: Mentha cordifolia
  • Availability: Distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Pre-clinical Uses: Analgesic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antineoplastic
  • Clinical Uses: Analgesic (Philippine setting)
• Ampalaya (Fil), Bitter Gourd (Eng)

  • Scientific Name: Momordica charantia
  • Availability: Found in tropical East Africa, Madagascar, India to Japan, southward through Malesia to Polynesia; distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Pre-clinical Uses: Antibacterial, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-tuberculosis, analgesic, purgative, antiviral
  • Clinical Uses: Antimetabolic syndrome, antidiabetes
• Ulasimang Bato (Fil), Pansit-pansitan

  • Scientific Name: Peperomia pellucida
  • Availability: Native to tropical America; distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Preclinical Uses: Analgesic, antibacterial, antihyperuricemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
  • Clinical Uses: Antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, depressant, anti-gout (Philippine setting)
• Bayabas (Fil), Guava (Eng)

  • Scientific Name: Psidium guajava
  • Availability: Distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Preclinical Uses: Analgesic, antidiarrheal, Antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antispasmodic, antitussive, hemostatic effects, inotropic effects
  • Clinical Uses: Gingivitis, rotaviral, acute diarrhea
• Akapulko (Fil)

  • Scientific Name: Senna alata
  • Availability: Distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Preclinical Uses: Anti-allergic activity, anthelmintic, mosquito repellent, insecticidal, snake bites
  • Clinical Uses: Antifungal, anti scabies
• Lagundi (Fil)

  • Scientific Name: Vitex negundo
  • Availability: Tropical East Africa, Madagascar, from India to Japan, southward through Malesia to Polynesia; distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Preclinical Uses: Antimutagenic, depressant on cardiac function
  • Clinical Uses: Antitussive (Philippine setting)
• Niyog-niyogan (Fil)

  • Scientific Name: Quisqualis indica
  • Availability: Found from India to the Malay Peninsula and Southeast Asia; widely distributed throughout the Philippines
  • Preclinical Uses: Antipyretic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory
  • Clinical Uses: Anthelmintic