Did you know that your garden is nature’s drug store? 

Plants, herbs, seeds, and trees have long been known to cure a wide array of ailments. Nature supplies a large number of ingredients and compounds that pharmaceutical companies develop and turn into over-the-counter drugs. According to a study, 50% of the drugs in the last 30 years are sourced directly or indirectly from natural products. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers 252 of the most “basic” and “essential” drugs or medicines as sourced from “flowering plants.”

Here we look at 10 different plants that have the power to bring healing, health, and well-being.      

1) Turmeric and Ginger

Both turmeric and ginger belong to the Zingiberaceae family and are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Turmeric contains curcumin which can alleviate arthritic inflammations and helps wounds heal faster.

Ginger is not only a ready ingredient for many Filipino dishes, it can also be taken as a brew. It contains gingerol, which has potent medicinal properties. Ginger can help fight infections by inhibiting the growth of bacteria.

For those doing chemo, ginger can help alleviate chemo-related nausea. That said, consult your doctor if you plan to take generous amounts of turmeric or ginger.

2) Aloe vera

Aloe vera is widely known in the cosmetic industry for facilitating collagen production and improving skin elasticity. But the fleshy white gel found in the aloe vera plant has more uses as a beauty product. It contains vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants that helps heals wounds faster.

The antioxidant found in aloe vera is a polyphenol, which is known to inhibit bacterial growth.

Aloe vera has been used as an effective topical treatment because of its antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. It is also useful in treating 1st and 2nd-degree burns.

As a mouth rinse, it can work as well as commercially available products, even helping soothe canker sores.

3) Malunggay

Malunggay or Moringa figures well in Filipino dishes and is known for its nutritional content.  Its leaves contain a concoction of vitamins and minerals that include: iron, potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, beta-carotene, amino acids, and Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E.

Malunggay is not only known as a “superfood” but it’s also considered a “miracle plant” because of the antioxidants it carries and its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Quercetin found in malunggay has been proven to help lower blood pressure. Moringa seeds are taken like tablets for this purpose.

Chlorogenic acid, a compound commonly associated with coffee, is also found in malunggay. It is known to help control blood sugar levels and may help lower the risk of Type-2 diabetes.   

One cannot overstate the utility of the malunggay plant. Because of its potent nutritional composition, it has been called upon to help in around 300 types of conditions or diseases like boosting the immune system, improving blood circulation, increasing milk production, and facilitating calcium absorption.

4) Chamomile

The chamomile plant has two varietals (German and Roman), both of which have medicinal purposes. The flowers are yellow in the center, with white petals surrounding them. The dried flowers of the German varietal are often prepared as a tea.

Chamomile has flavonoids which are the reason for its medicinal properties. It has been used by many cultures around the world as a treatment for an upset stomach. In addition, it also works as a mild sedative, relieving anxiety and inducing sleep.

The plant has been used for many ailments like hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids.

Chamomile is also used for alleviating menstrual pain. And as an essential oil, chamomile works best in aromatherapy.

5) Garlic

The average person consumes about 1 kilo of garlic a year. That’s a good thing considering garlic, aside from its flavor, carries with it a lot of health benefits.

It’s known to help reduce two very important metrics to health: blood pressure and cholesterol levels (LDL). Studies have shown it an effective control for hypertension. (This has been known since ancient times.) The cloves are also seen to lower cholesterol levels, both the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or what we commonly call “bad” cholesterol.  

Garlic also boosts the immune system and helps prevent colds and flu. In a study, volunteers who took garlic supplements for 3 months were 63% less likely to suffer from colds.

Garlic has been linked to benefits like dementia prevention, fatigue reduction, and detoxification. But best of all, it is not only nutritious, but it is also low in calories. 

6) Ampalaya

Ampalaya or bitter gourd/bitter melon/bitter cucumber is a wrinkly green elongated vegetable whose taste gives justice to its name. The saponin and terpenoid compounds make it bitter.

It is all for the better though because the bitter ampalaya has several sweet health benefits. One of them is the potential to lower blood sugar levels. The compounds in ampalaya not only help transfer glucose from the blood into cells but also helps the liver process glucose better. Liver supplements made from ampalaya are taken for this purpose.

But never forget that this nondescript vegetable is chockful of vitamins and minerals, like folate, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, B, and  C.

With ampalaya, you get two times the potassium you’d find in bananas, two times the calcium in spinach, and two times the beta-carotene in broccoli.

The bitter gourd may also hold cancer-fighting properties. A test tube study has discovered that ampalaya extract can kill cancer cells from various parts of the body like the stomach, lung, throat, and colon.   

It may also promote weight loss. In a study, participants found decreases in belly fat and lost .5 inches from their waist simply by taking 4.8 grams of ampalaya extract each day.

7) Lagundi

In 1900, the Spanish Jesuit priest Father Colin described in his book the centuries-old Filipino tradition of using lagundi for different maladies. Ancient Filipinos showed great herbal knowledge and used the whole plant to treat various conditions.

The leaves were used to treat headaches and ulcers. The seeds were used for skin diseases. The flowers are for diarrhea and cholera. The roots help with rheumatism and dysentery.

But lagundi is best known as an antitussive. In 1995, researchers from the National Integrated Research Program on Medicinal Plants (NIRPROMP) were able to validate the effects of lagundi as an effective medicine for cough and asthma. During clinical trials patients who were given the lagundi treatment experienced positive results compared to those given a placebo. (Lagundi was one of the 10 plants endorsed by the Department of Health to have natural medicinal properties.)

8) Guava

The guava fruit and the guava leaves have their respective contributions to good health.

In a study, drinking post-meal tea made from guava leaves has been found to lower blood sugar, with the effect lasting up to 2 hours—great news for people who are at risk for diabetes.

Guava leaves are also antimicrobial, making them useful in neutralizing the harmful microbes in the gut. These should come in handy when diarrhea strikes.

Guava fruit for its part has been linked to lowering blood pressure, lowering bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol. In a 3-month study of 120 subjects, eating ripe guava before meals resulted in a decrease in BP by 8-9 points. The same study also saw a 9.9% drop in total cholesterol and an 8% increase in good cholesterol.

Guavas are high in fiber and can help facilitate bowel movement and prevent constipation.

Most of all, guavas are packed with vitamins and minerals, and that’s why they are considered by many “the ultimate superfood.”

Nature has endowed us with organic and natural ways to maintain our health and well-being. We can find them in our backyard and they are abundant and freely available. But this should not preclude us from utilizing the latest advancements and wisdom in Science and Medicine. Your doctor is trained to help and advise you. Should you decide to try out these natural remedies, you should do so after consultation with your doctor. He or she would be in the best position to hand out medical advice on matters like dosages, preparations, and the different interactions or side effects that might take place.

Bloodworks Lab is your partner in health and well-being. We are your one-stop shop for all your blood test needs, offering a broad range of medical screenings and assessments. We are also proud to be the first in the country to offer the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test and the Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti NMDA Receptor) Antibody Test. 

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