15 Common Illnesses and the Corresponding Herbal Plant

During economic crisis like this, let’s all be practical, save money by treating common illnesses and sickness by using alternative medicines like herbal plants. These herbal plants have been proven effective and have been in used for hundreds of years. Tropical countries like the Philippines are endowed by nature with plenty of plants which can provide health and medicinal benefits to humans. Here are some herbal plants and the medicinal benefits they provide.

Herbal Plants for Cough

1. Blumea balsamifera

This herbal plant is locally called sambong in the Philippines. Just boil the leaves and drink like a tea 3x a day. Commercial tea bags are available in the markets.  The leaves can also be crushed or pounded and mixed with coconut oil and apply at the back of the patient. See image  here. Other health benefits from this plant include the following;

• Good as a diuretic agent
• Effective in the dissolving kidney stones
• Aids in treating hypertension & rheumatism
• Treatment of colds & fever
• Anti-diarrheic & Anti-gastralgic properties
• Helps remove worms, boils
• Treats dysentery and sore throat

2. Aswete

Aswete is an herbal plant in the Philippines where the matured seeds are used for food coloring. Apply oil on two leaves and patch it at the back of the patient. It is also a good remedy for injured bone because it helps relieve pain and inflammation. See image here.

Coleus aromaticus

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Oregano is the local name of this herbal plant. To treat cough, a teaspoonful of extracted juice from the leaves is taken every 2 hours. The extract is also good for asthma and bronchitis.

3. Allium odorum

Crush some leaves and apply at the back of the patient. It can also cure lump, just apply it on the affected area. See image of herbal plant here.

Herbal Plants for Fever

4. Manihot esculenta

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Otherwise known as cassava, the leaves are applied as a compress to the forehead for headache and fever.

5. Annona squamosa

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Boil some leaves of Sugar apple, the common name of this plant, and use this to sponge bath the patient.

6. Gliricida sepium

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The trunk of this plant is good driftwood for orchids. Boil some leaves of kakawati, its local name, and use this to sponge bath the patient. It is also good for treatment of skin itching: Apply juice or decoction of leaves, bark or roots on the skin as antipruritic. Crush leaves and apply as poultice for rheumatic pains, sprains and closed fractures. The sap of bark, leaves and roots are used for wound healing and for treatment of scabies.

Herbal Plants for Toothache

7. Moringo oleifera

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To relieve toothache, boil some leaves and drink as a tea. Commercial tea bags are available in the market. Pulverize some leaves or better yet, bark and apply to the affected area. The tree’s bark, roots, fruit, flowers, leaves, seeds and gum are also used medicinally. Other uses include as an antiseptic and in treating rheumatism, venomous bites and other conditions.

8. Phaseolus lunatus

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Pulverize some leaves of lima beans or locally called patani and apply to affected area.

Herbal Plant for Skin Diseases

9. Cassia sophera

Pulverize some leaves of andadasi, the local name of this herbal plant, and apply the extract in the affected area.

Herbal leaves for Treatment of Wounds

10. Vitex Negundo

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This herbal plant is locally known as lagundi in the Philippines. These properties are useful in the treatment of superficial bruises, injuries, sores and skin infections. Just boil some leaves, strain and apply to affected area. Also, the leaves possess discutient properties and are applied to rheumatic swellings of the joints and in sprains. It can be applied locally in rheumatic arthritis and sprains. The juice of the leaves is likewise used for the treatment of fetid discharges.

11. Anona muricata

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Commonly called soursop, this plant is called guyabano in the Philippines. Boil some leaves and apply to the affected area. Likewise, laying the leaves of the soursop on a bed below a sleeping person with a fever will break the fever by the next morning. Also, boiling the leaves and drinking may help induce sleep. The tea, fruit, and juice are used medicinally to treat illness ranging from stomach ailments to worms.

12. Kalanchoe pinnata

Kataka-taka is the local name of this plant in the Philippines. The extracted juice from the leaves is applied in the affected area 3x a day. Also, Kalanchoe species have been used to treat ailments such as rheumatism and inflammation. See image oh herbal plant here.

Herbal Plants for Stomachache

13. Artocarpus heterophyllus

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Burn some leaves jackfruit, langka in our native dialect, the common name of this plant, and add oil on the ashes and apply over the abdomen.

Herbal Plant for Diabetes

14. Mangifera indica

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Dried and powdered leaves of mango, its common name, are boiled and drink like tea.

15. Momordica charantia

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Bitter melon or ampalaya, in the local dialect, is an herbal plant for diabetes. Boil the leaves and eat it as vegetable and drink the water as tea. Commercial tea bags are available in the market.

Herbal Plant for Dysentery and LBM

16. Chrysophyllum caimito

Star apple is a plant called kaimito in the Philippines. Its edible sweet-tasting fruit is eaten. Boil the bark to treat dysentery. Also, boil 1 cup chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes and drink 1 cup, 3 times a day to treat loose bowel movement. See image of herbal plant here.

Herbal Plant for Asthma

17. Carica Papaya

Dried leaves of papaya are smoked to treat asthma. See image of herbal plant here.

Herbal Plants for Sore Eyes

18. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

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This plant is also called China rose or Gumamela. Bring to boil the root and strain. Droplets of decoction are applied for sore eyes.

Herbal Plants for Diarrhea

19. Psidium guajava

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Commonly known as guava, get some leaves and bring to boil, strain and drink like a tea. Young leaves can be eaten also for treatment of LBM.

For Headache

20. Sesbania grandiflora

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The flowers of this herbal plant is eaten as vegetable and locally called as Agati or katuray. Extracted juice from leaves is drink for headache caused by cold and catarrh.

For Jaundice

21. Tamarindus indica

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Decoction of young leaves of tamarind is a good remedy for jaundice.

Purgative Herbal Plant

22. Leucaena leucocephala or Leucaena glauca

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The young seeds of White popinar or Ipil-ipil, the local name of this plant, are eaten and have been proven to be an effective purgative for children.

These are just a handful of the many herbal plants that grow in tropical regions. Treating illnesses, ailment and other diseases need not to be expensive because there are so many alternative source of medicine around us.

For related article see

Effective and Natural Medicines That Can Treat Kidney Disorders and Other Diseases