Salamat Dok: Therapeutic benefits of sambong plant

Have you ever experienced difficulty urinating or felt excruciating pain in your kidneys because of stones?

The medicinal plant “sambong” could be a remedy for that.

Sambong, also known as “Blumea balsamifera,” or “Blumea camphor,” is an aromatic shrub that grows from one to four meters in height. It is a shrub that grows wild in the tropical climate countries such as Philippines, as well as India, Africa and even in eastern Himalayas.

Although considered a weed in some places, it is prized in the Philippines for its medicinal properties. Among these is its diuretic property, which help release water from the body. It can also help pass urinary stones through the urine.

USAGE/INTAKE

Infusion. Sambong leaves are generally boiled and taken as a tea. You may gather fresh leaves and chop them into small pieces then wash under running water thoroughly. Toss the chopped leaves into a liter of boiling water. Steep the leaves for 10 minutes then let the tea cool. The tea may be taken four times a day.

Poultice. Sambong may also be used to relieve arthritis colds and cough. To prepare, crush or grind the leaves into a paste and apply directly into the affected part.
Plaster. To relieve fever, crushed Sambong leaves must be soaked in cold water, wrung out and placed between sheets of clean cloth. The cloth plaster may then be placed on the patient’s forehead or armpit to lower the body temperature and prevent convulsions.

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