Philippine Medicinal Plant: Ipil-ipil (Lead Tree)

Ipil-ipil is a small tree growing up to 8 meters high. It has a compounded leaves with hairy rachis. Flowers are shitish, in dense globue heads. Fruits is an oblong or linear pod, strap-shaped, 12-18 centimeters long. Papery green turning to brown and splitting open along two edges when mature.

Roasted seeds used as emollient, intestinal parasitism, ascaris and trichinosis. It is also used to get rid of roundworms.

Medicinal Plant: Ipil-ipil

For intestinal parasitism: ascaris and trichinosis.

Adults: 1 teaspoon of powdered dried seeds, alon or mixed with condensed milk and followed by half a water, taken as a single dose 2 hours after a meal repeated after one week as needed.

Medicinal Plant: Kalamansi

Also known as chinese orange.A smooth and slightly spiny plant, growing to a height of 3 to 5 meters. Fruit is yellow when ripe, nearly spherical, 2 to 3.5 cm diameter, 6 to 7 celled, and thin-skinned. Th skin or peel to yellowish green or yellow, loosely adhering to the flesh. The flesh contains a few light orange seeds.

This Kalamansi is native to the Philippines.

This is rich in vitamin C which increases the body's resistance to disease, aids the healing of wounds and prevents damage to the eyes.Vitamin C is also helpful in maintaining the health of the teeth and other bones of the body. It prevents decay and loosening of the teeth, dental caries, toothache, bleeding of the gums and fragility of bones. It is good for cough, colds and sore just drink warm kalamansi juice.

Medicinal Plant: Kalamansi

The rind of the Kalamansi fruit also has medicinal properties. It contains a volatile oil which is used in medicine for improving digestion and highly beneficial in the treatment of digestive disorders. Great value in constipation, when it is taken first thing in the morning in a glass of warm water. The fruit pulp is also beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol

The citric acid in limes has an alkaline reaction in the system which can relieve peptic ulcers.

Lime juice diluted in warm water was proven valuable in cystitis. It gives relief to burning sensation and also stops bleeding in cystitis.

The potent anti-viral properties in lime can kill cholera bacilli within a very short period of time. Drink one part juice and one part water regularly.

Lemon peels when rub on dry or scaly skin can restore softness and add moisture to the skin.

Medicinal Plant: Dragon Fruit

This is a vining terrestrial or epiphytic cactus with succulent three-winged, green stems, reaching up to 20 feet long. Plants may climb trees via aerial roots. Flowers are fragrant, white, up to 35cm long, blooming at night. Fruit is round, red, pink or yellow, with prominent scales.

Dragon fruit is rich in vitamin C (where it boosts the immune system), phosphorus and calcium. Dragon fruit is believed to have some health benefits that includes preventing memoryloss, anti-cancer activity, control of blood glucose level in diabetes, anti-oxidant properties, aids in healing wounds and others.

Medicinal Plant: Dragon fruit

Dragon fruit is rich in fiber which aids in the digestion of food and promotes the growth of probiotics. Dragon fruit help lower blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.

Dragon fruit prevents formation of cancer causing free radicals. Dragon fruit is rich in minerals and fibers that aids in digestion, cleans toxic ingredients thus preventing the occurrence of colon cancer.

Medicinal Plant: Duranta

Its a smooth shrub, growing to a height of 1-3 meters, with straggling and drooping branches.Flowers are scentless, borne on one side of the rachis, white or lilac-blue with two violet stripes, about 1 cm long and 1 xm wide. This is usually used as ornamental plant in the Philippines.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Duranta

Duranta fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions. Death have been reported from ingestion.

Fruits has been used as febrifuge, used for malaria and intestinal worms. Flowers are belived to be stimulant. Infusion of leaves and juice of fruit are diuretic. The leaves used for treatment of abscesses.

Medicinal Plant: Balimbing

In english it is called Star fruit. Balimbing is a small tree growing to a height of 6 meters or less. Leaves are pinnate, leaflets are smooth. Fruits are fleshly, green to greenish yellow when ripe.

Fruits of balimbing is considered laxative, refrigerant, antiscorbutic, appetite stimulant, febrifuge, antidysenteric, sialagogue and antiphlogistic.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Balimbing

It is a rich source of iron, and vitamins B and C, oxalate and potassium.

Balimbing serve as medicinal plant. Its leaves used for stomatitis and angina. leaves are used as vermifuge, boiled leaves used to expel worms. Crushed shoots or leaves used externally for headaches, chickenpox and ringworm. Seeds are also used for asthma. This can also be used as reproductive organ stimulant.

Medicinal Plant: Alugbati

In english its called spinach vine. Alugbati is a succulent, branched, smooth, twining herbaceous vine, several meters in length. Stems are purplish or green. Often found in the vegetable gardens throughout the Philippines. This is a common vegetable in the Philippines.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Alugbati

Alugbati is a medicinal plant in the Philippines. Its roots are employed as rubefacient. Poultice of leaves are used to reduce local swelling. Sap is applied to acne eruptions to reduce inflammation. It is also used as fertility enhancement for women. It can also be used for hemorrhages, skin diseases, sexual weaknesses, ulcers and as laxative in children and pregnant women.

Medicinal plant: Ampalaya

Ampalaya has an english name of African cucumber, Tuberculaated momordica, balsam apple or bitter gourd. But in the Philippines it is called ampalaya.

This is a climbing vine, nearly or quite smooth, annual vine. Fruit is green, fleshly, oblong, cylindrical, 15-16cm long, pointed at both ends, ribbed and wrinkled, bursting when mature to release seeds.

Medicinal Plant: Ampalaya

This is a very common vegetable in the Philippines.It is considered as astringent, antidiabetic, abortifacient, antirheumatic, contraceptive, galactagogue, parasiticide, anthelmintic, etc.This medicinal plant plant is a good source of Vitamin B, Iron, calcium and Phosporus. It has twice the amount of beta carotene in broccoli and twice the calcium content in spinach.

This medicinal plant is usually used as antidiabetic, chronic stomach ulcers. Infusion of flowers used for asthma.

The Ampalaya contains a hypoglycemic polypeptide, a plant insulin responsible for its blood sugar lowering effect. It is increasingly recommended as an adjunct or supplement to traditional therapeutic regimens for diabetes mellitus.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Avocado

Avocado is a medium sized tree with a height reaching until 10 - 15 meters. Fruit is largely elongated, large, sometimes resembling like that of a pear. It is commonly gound in the backyards of the locals in the Philippines.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Avocado

Its medicinal properties includes; antibacteria, antioxidant, antifungal, pectoral, stomachic, anthelmintic, antiperiodic and antidiarrheal.

It is a good source of vitamins A, B, C and E, potassium (higher than bananas) and fiber. It is can also be a source of iron and calcium.

The pulp ius believed to promote menstruation, hasten the suppuration of wounds, used to stop diarrhea. the leaves and bark helps expel worms. It also helps sooths rheumatism and neuralgia.