HERBAL MEDICINE 9.

Bayabas
 As part of the primary health care and
because of the increasing cost of drugs, the
use of locally available medicinal plants
and herbs in the Philippine backyard and
field have been found to be effective in the
treatment of common ailments as attested
to by the National Science Development
Board, other government and private
agencies/ persons engaged in research.
 The DOH is advocating the use of the
following ten herbal plants.
REPUBLIC ACT 8423
 Otherwise known as TAMA (Traditional
and Alternative Medicine Act)
TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
ACT OF 1997
 An act creating the Philippine Institute of
Traditional and Alternative Health Care
(PITACH) to accelerate the development of
traditional and alternative health care in
the Philippines, providing for a traditional
and alternative health care development
fund and for other purposes.
10 HERBAL MEDICINES APPROVED BY THE
DOH
10. Yerba Buena
REMINDERS ON THE USE OF HERBAL
MEDICINE
1. Avoid the use insecticides as these may
leave poison on plants.
2. In the preparation of herbal medicine, use
a clay pot and remove cover while boiling
at low heat.
3. Use only the part of the plant being
advocated.
4. Follow accurate dose of suggested
preparation.
5. Use only one kind of herbal plant for each
type of symptoms of sickness.
6. Use only half the dosage prescribed for
fresh parts like leaves when using dried
parts.
7. Decoctions loose potency after some time.
Dispose of decoctions after one day. To
keep fresh during the day, keep lukewarm
in a flask or thermos.
8. Leaves, fruits, flowers or nuts must be
mature before harvesting. Less medicinal
substances are found on young parts.
9. Stop giving the herbal medication in case
untoward reaction such as allergy occurs.
10. If signs and symptoms are not relieved
after 2 or 3 doses of herbal medication,
consult a doctor.

1. Sambong SAMBONG
2. Akapulko
 A plant that reaches 1 ½ to 3 meters in
3. Niyog-niyogan
height with rough hairy leaves.
4. Tsaang Gubat
 Young plants around mother plant may be
5. Amplaya
separated when they have three or more
6. Lagundi
leaves.
7. Ulasimang Bato
8. Bawang
  The seeds must come from mature, dried
but newly opened fruits.
USES:
 Propagated through stem cuttings about
 Anti-edema 20 cm in height.
 Diuretic
USES:
 Anti-urolithiasis
 Anti-helminthic (used to expel parasitic
PREPARATION:
worms)
 Boil chopped leaves in water for 15 minutes
PREPARATION:
until one glassful remains. Cool and strain.
 Divide decoction into 3 parts. Drink one  Seeds of niyug-niyogan are eaten raw two
part 3 times a day. hours before the patient’s last meal of the
 NOTE: Sambong is not a medicine for day.
kidney infection.  Adults may take 10 seeds; children 4 to 7
years of age may eat up to four seeds only;
ages 8 to 9 may take six seeds and seven
AKAPULKO seeds may be eaten by children 10 to 12
years old.
 Ringworm bush  Not to be given to children below four
 Bayas-bayasan years old.
 This plant is about 1 to 2 meters tall.
 The leaves are embraced with 8 to 20
oblong elliptical shaped leaflets
 It has flowers with oblong sepals
TSAANG GUBAT
Scientific name: Cassia alata
 Forest tea or wild tea
USES:
 A shrub with small, shiny nice-looking
 Anti-fungal: Tinea Flava, Ringworm, leaves that grows in wild uncultivated
Athlete’s foot and Scabies areas and forests.

PREPARATION: USES:

 Fresh, matured leaves are ponded.  Diarrhea

 Apply as soap to the affected part 1 to 2  Stomach ache
times a day. PREPARATION:

 For diarrhea, boil the following amount of

chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15
NIYUG-NIYOGAN
minutes or amount of water down to 1
 Chinese Honey Suckle glass. Cool and strain.
 A vine which bears tiny fruits and grows
wild in backyards.

 For stomach ache, wash leaves and chop.
Boil chopped leaves in 1 glass of water for
15 minutes. Cool and filter/strain and drink.
AMPALAYA
 Bitter Gourd or Bitter melon
 A climbing vine with tendrils that
grow up to 20 cm long.
 Laves are heart-shaped which are 5
to 10 cm in diameter
 Fruits have ribbed and wrinkled
surface that are fleshy green with
pointed ends at length and has a
bitter taste.
Scientific name: Momordica charantia
USES:
 Lowers blood sugar levels
 Diabetes Mellitus (Mild-non insulin
dependent)
PREPARATION:
 Gather and wash young leaves very
well. Chop and boil 6 tablespoons in
two glassfuls of water for 15 minutes
under low fire. Do not cover pot.
Cool and strain. Take one third cup 3
times a day after meals
LAGUNDI
 5 leaved-chaste tree
 A shrub growing wild in vacant lots and
waste land
 Matured branches are planted
 The flowers are blue and bell-shaped
 The small fruits turn black when ripe. It is
better to collect the leaves when are in
bloom.
Scientific name: Vitex negundo
USES:
 Asthma and cough
 Fever, dysentery, colds and pain
 Skin diseases and wounds
 Headache
 Rheumatism, sprain, contusion and insect
bites.
 Aromatic bath for sick patients
PREPARATION:
 For asthma, cough and fever, boil
chopped raw fruits or leaves in 2 glasses of
water left for 15 minutes until the water
left in only 1 glass (decoction). Strain.
 For dysentery, colds and pain boil a
handful of leaves and flowers in water to
produce a glass full of decoction 3 times a
day.
 For skin diseases (dermatitis, scabies,
ulcer, eczema) and wounds, prepare a
decoction of the leaves. Wash and clean
the skin/wound with the decoction.
 For headache, crushed leaves may be
applied on the forehead.
 For rheumatism, sprain, contusions and
insect bites, pound the leaves and apply
on the affected part.
 PREPARATION:

 May be fried, toasted, soaked in vinegar for

30 minutes, or blanched in boiled water for
ULASIMANG BATO 5 minutes. Take two pieces 3 times a day
after meals.
 Silver bush or shiny bush
 For toothache, pound a small piece and
 Pansit-pansitan
apply to affected part.
 A weed with heart-shaped leaves that
grow in shady parts of the garden and CAUTION: Take on full stomach to prevent
yard. stomach and intestinal ulcers.

Scientific name: peperomia pellucida

USES: BAYABAS
 Lowers uric acid (rheumatism and gout)
 Guava
PREPARATION:  A tree about 4 to 5 meters high with tiny
white flowers with round or oval fruits that
 Wash the leaves well. 1 ½ cup leaves are are eaten raw.
boiled in two glassfuls of water over low
fire. Do not cover pot. Cool and strain. Scientific name: Psidium guajava
Divide into three parts and drink each part USES:
3 times a day.
 May also be eaten as salad. Wash the  Washing wounds
leaves well. Prepare 1 ½ cups of leaves (not  Toothache
closely packed). Divide into three parts and  Diarrhea
take as salad 3 times a day.
PREPARATION:

 Warm decoction is used for gargle.

 Freshly pounded leaves are used for
toothache. Guava leaves are to be washed
BAWANG well and chopped. Boil for 15 minutes at a
low fire. Do not cover pot. Cool and strain
 Garlic
before use.
 A low herb and grows up to 60 cm high
 Leaves are flat and linear
 Bulbs consist of several tubers
YERBA BUENA
Scientific name: Allium sativum
 Peppermint
USES:  A small multi-branching aromatic herb.
 For hypertension The leaves are small, elliptical and with
 Toothache toothed margin.
 Lowers cholesterol levels in blood
 paste-like and rub this on the affected
part.
 The stem creeps to the ground, and
develop roots.

Scientific name: Mentha cordifelia

USES:

 For pain in different parts of the body as

headache and stomach ache.
 Rheumatism, arthritis and headache
 Cough and cold
 Swollen gums and gas pain
 Nausea and fainting
 Insect bites and Pruritus

PREPARATION:

 For pain in different parts of the body,

boil chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water
for 15 minutes. Cool and strain.
 For rheumatism, arthritis and headache,
crush the fresh leaves and squeeze sap.
Massage parts with eucalyptus.
 For cough and cold, get about 10 fresh
leaves and soak in a glass of hot water.
Drink as tea. Acts as an expectorant.
 For toothache, cut fresh plant and
squeeze sap. Soak a piece of cotton in the
sap and insert this in aching tooth cavity.
Mouth should be rinsed before inserting
cotton.

To prepare salt solution: add 5g of table

salt to one glass of water.
 For menstrual pain and gas pain, soak a
handful of leaves in a glass of boiling
water. Drink infusion. It induces menstrual
flow and sweating.
 For nausea and fainting, crush leaves and
apply at nostrils of patient.
 For insect bites, crush leaves and apply
juice on affected part or pound leaves until