philippines national tree

in the philippines, narra (Pterocarpus indicus) is considered as the national tree. for what reason, definitely a common citizen is not that aware. however if you ask, someone from the government, he/she can give you dozens of policatal reason.

for governance or political reason that maybe fine. however, I'm looking into the aspect of benefits. and when it comes to benefit, nothing beats the good old coconut (Cocos nucifera). if you consider uniqueness, as the reason for choosing narra. we have mango as national fruit, but mango don't only exist in Philippines!


coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk, and oil that has fed and nourished populations around the world for generations. and scientifically proven treatment for flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, irregular or painful menstruation, jaundice, kidney stones, lice, malnutrition, nausea, ..etc. this site will give you more more comprehensive idea of what benefit can be taken from coconut: coconut research center

narra on the other hand had been used by folks for source of honey, shampoo, treatment for diarrhea, headache, stones..etc. again, visit this site for more details.

based on the data presented, when it comes to benefit - narra or coconut?

Ampalaya

Ampalaya (Bitter Melon) or it's scientific name, Momordica charantia 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.

Herbal Benefits of Ampalaya:
• Good for rheumatism and gout
• And diseases of the spleen and liver
• Aids in lowering blood sugar levels
• Helps in lowering blood pressure
• Relives headaches
• Disinfects and heals wounds & burns
• Can be used as a cough & fever remedy
• Treatment of intestinal worms, diarrhea
• Helps prevent some types of cancer
• Enhances immune system to fight infection
• Is an antioxidant, parasiticide, antibacterial & antipyretic

Preparation of Ampalaya:
• For coughs, fever, worms, diarrhea, diabetes, juice the Ampalaya leaves and drink a spoonful every day.
• For other ailments, the fruit and leaves can both be juiced and taken orally.
• For headaches wounds, burns and skin diseases, apply warmed leaves to afflicted area.
Note: In large dozes, pure Ampalaya juice can be a purgative and abortifacient.

Gumamela

About GumamelaGumamela is a shrub that grows from one meter up to 4 meters high. Gumamela is also known as: Hibiscus, China Rose and Shoeflower. In the Philippines, gumamela is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The gumamela flower comes in many colors: red, yellow, orange, white, purple, pink and other color combinations.

Gumamela leaves, usually blended with Rose Hip has long been used in the Middle East and Okinawa as herbal tea. Today, the use of gumamela tea is gaining worldwide popularity - including Asia. Gumamela (Hibiscus) is associated with longevity.

Gumamela as Herbal MedicineAs herbal medicine, gumamela flower, leaves and roots are used. Gumamela has the following medicinal characteristics: expectorant, diuretic, emollient, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anodyne and refrigerant.

Preparation & Use of Gumamela:There are two ways to utilize gumamela as herbal medicine. One is dried and the other is fresh. For Dried gumamela, collect the flower, leaves and/or roots. Wash, then cut into small pieces and sun dry. To use as decoction, boil the dried gumamela parts (1/4 cup dried gumamela in 1 glass of water).

To make a decoction from fresh gumamela, Wash gumamela flower and/or leaves, cut into small pieces and boil (1/3 cup in 1 glass of water), let cool and drink.

Use Gumamela as Poultice:Poultice is the use or fresh or dried herbs that is mashed, crushed or pounded - often heated (boiled in water to soften and heat the herb) and applied directly to the skin. A clean cloth or gauze can be used to help the poultice stay in place.

Gumamela is used for the treatment of:
• Bronchitis - as an expectorant
• Coughs, sore throat
• Fever - as refrigerant drink
• Treats dysentery
• Urinary tract infection, bladder infections
• High blood pressure
• Prevention of constipation
• Headaches
• Boils, swelling & abscesses, mumps

Application of Gumamela:
• Decoction is used to treat: Bronchitis, coughs, fever, dysentery, urinary and bladder infections, high blood pressure and constipation.
• Poultice is applied externally on the afflicted area. This is used to treat: headaches (on the forehead), boils, swelling, abscesses and mumps.
• Intake of gumamela (alone or mixed with papaya or papaya seeds) specially in large quantities can be an abortifacient.

Oregano

Oregano (Scientific name: Origanum vulgare) it is also known as Wild Marjoram, Mountain Mint, Origanum, Wintersweet and Winter Marjoram. Oregano is a known herbal medicine for its strong anti-oxidant properties. Oregano contains a rosmarinic acid compound, thymol and carvacrol that are responsible for it's anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Oregano also contains flavinoids, triterpenoids, sterols, vitamin C and vitamin A.

The volatile oils in oregano and its properties are believed to be responsible for slowing the process of spoilage of food and thus minimizing the risk of ingesting harmful bacteria, parasites and fungi.

The anti-oxidant properties of oregano helps fight free radicals in the body that cause cellular damage and accelerate ageing. Free radicals are believed to be involved with many degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis and heart diseases, to name a few.

Benefits of Oregano:

• Good for cough relief

• Helps prevent degenerative arthritis

• Has Anti-aging properties

• help relieve osteoarthritis

• Healing wounds, insect bites & stings

• Ease asthma attacks

• Relieves upset stomach

• Treatment of urinary tract problems

Preparation of Oregano Leaves:

• Boil one cup of fresh leaves in 3 cups of water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink half a cup three times a day for colds.

• For the prevention of degenerative arthritis and general good health drink oregano decoction daily.

• For Insect bites, wounds and stings, apply the leaves as a poultice or a compress directly on the afflicted area.

Ginger - Luya

As a herbal medicine, Luyang Dilaw or Ginger Root (scientific name: Zingiber officinale) has long been used as a cold, cough, fever and sore throat remedy. It helps in the digestion and absorption of food, lowering of cholesterol, alleviating nausea and vomiting. Luyang dilaw has antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

Benefits:

• Relieves rheumatic pains & muscle pains
• Alleviates sore throat, fever, nausea
• Intestinal disorders and slow digestion
• Treat intestinal worms
• Hinder diarrhea, gas pains
• Relieve indigestion (dyspepsia), toothaches
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Aids treatment of tuberculosis

Preparation:
• Boil the root in water and drink. The more concentrated the better.
• For sore throat and tooth ache, remove the skin and chew small portions.
• For cuts & bruises, apply the juice directly to the skin.
• For rheumatism and muscle pains, pound the root and apply to painful areas -can be mixed with oil for easy application

Bawang-Garlic

bawang or garlic (scientific name: allium sativum) is one of the most widely used herbal medicine in the philippines. the philippine bawang variety is more pungent than the imported ones. it's medicinal properties has been known for a long time and has been specially proven during world war ii. because of bawang's antibacterial compound known as allicin, lives were saved by preventing wounds from having infection and later develop into gangrene when the juice of bawang or garlic was applied to the wounds.

bawang/garlic is known as nature's antibiotic. it's juices inhibits the growth of fungi and viruses thus prevents viral, yeast and viral infections. preliminary test also shows some positive results in the treatment of aids.

several clinical test and published studies have shown the efficacy of bawang in lowering cholesterol in the blood and is beneficial to the circulatory system of the body. today as more research is done with bawang, more medicinal and therapeutic properties become more evident.

after thorough research and test, the philippine department of health has endorsed bawang as one of the ten philippine herbs with therapeutic value and recommends it's use as an alternative herbal medicine.

Benefits of Bawang:
• Good for the heart
• Helps lower bad cholesterol levels (LDL)
• Aids in lowering blood pressure
• Remedy for arteriosclerosis
• May help prevent certain types of cancer
• Boosts immune system to fight infection
• With antioxidant properties
• Cough and cold remedy
• Relives sore throat, toothache
• Aids in the treatment of tuberculosis
• With anticoagulant properties

Preparation of Bawang:

• For disinfecting wound, crush and juice the garlic bulb and apply. You may cover the afflicted area with a gauze and bandage.

• For sore throat and toothache, peal the skin and chew. Swallow the juice.

• Aside from being an herbal medicine for hypertension, arteriosclerosis and other ailments, garlic is also recommended for maintaining good health - eat raw garlic bulb, and include bawang regularly in the food you eat. It's healthy and taste good in a variety of dishes.