"African Leaves"...非洲叶

I do not know the botanic name of this plant that produces these wonder leaves. If you walk around housing estates, you will probably find them growing but you have to know them to identify the correct tree. (See picture)

“African leaves” or the Chinese named it “Fei Zhou Ye” is a medicinal plant. The attributes and wonder of leaves from this plant is circulated by words of mouths from people who have tried it and benefited from it. Once again because of health, I chanced upon this plant and think I should share it here.

So what so good about these leaves? You can try consuming this leave. I took it because of blood sugar and of course cholesterol and it did showed results when I went for my check-up. It lowers…

- Blood sugar and good for diabetic patients 

- Cholesterol 

- Blood pressure

- Detoxification

- prevents cancer, etc 

How to go about eating these leaves? 

1) These leaves can be eaten raw after you plucked it from the tree. One leave a day, keep chewing and I have to warn you that it is super bitter. It is bitter than bitter gourd and the bitterness lingers in your mouth for a long long time. However there are people who reported that their blood sugar went down to normal…. OR 

2) Plucked the leaves and wash it clean. You lay newspapers on the floor and wind dry the leaves (you cannot sun it). You know when it dries because it curled up. Store them in a box neatly and every night before you go to bed, take 5 leaves, pour boiling water and soak it over night. Next morning when you wake up, drink a cup empty stomach. You can still taste the bitterness but not so much as you chew it fresh. 

Other than those mentioned, looks like it will also help to wash down fats and help in weight loosing. People who have joints pain due to urea acids said it helps to reduce the pain too. These leaves are good for prevention of stroke or people who have recovered from stroke. There are many more effective results for various illnesses i.e headache etc. So much for these magic leaves. 

I have not seen people selling these leaves in Singapore. In actual fact you need not buy because you can take a stalk and plant it. It grows readily and anyone who grows it will be willing to let you have some leaves. I have a picture of the plant above. The tree itself won’t die after you plucked the leaves. I plucked about 200 – 300 leaves and until I went back for more, the leaves are all grown (there are other people plucking from this tree too so you can see the leaves grow very fast). 

Add this to your medicinal plant knowledge. If so many people eat it and did not die from it, me too so it is consumable. Do the portion as mentioned and don’t overdo it. If you are already sick, it will gradually heal. If you are well, take it for prevention purposes. Nothing is magical overnight, it needs time…so let African leaves get you back to health. 

Sang Ye..or Mulberry Leave

Sharing again a medicinal leave which I consumed recently "Sang Ye " or "桑叶" in Chinese. This leave has another name called "Mulberry Leave aka Folium Mori".  Yes, you are right, the leave that silkworms feed on. What good is this leave?

I stumbled on this plant because I got lazy eyes or Chinese calls it "眼针". The eyes are hot and one side of my eye had a slight swell which is painful and very uncomfortable. My brother bought these leaves and put it in a slow cooker with water and let it boiled. He gave me the drink and after drinking a few cups, my eye swelling when down. This fresh brewed has no taste, just like tea however the smell to me is not so pleasant.

He also took some of the leaves from the boiled drink and pounded them and than applied on both my eyes. The boil on my eye broke and pus started oozing. The swell subsided. I decided to google and read about this leave and realized that it not only heals the eyes and at the same time there are many goodness about the plant. Sharing with you some of the medicianl  benefits and you can read further from the internet.

Sang Ye's benefits - to list a few

1) It is a powerful sugar blocking agent and act as a sugar balancer

2) Good for controlling blood pressure

3) Lower Cholesterol

4) It a Liver cleanser and prevent Liver Cancer

5) It is a powerful Anti-oxident

6) Good for Eyes as it contains Vit A

7) It contains various Vitamins and Minerals that are good for the Immune Systems

As I read on, I realized that various races around the world is using this leaves as remedies for various illness. It is surely a cleanser because after drinking the tea, I have been going to the restroom. My intestine is also cleaning up and I can feel some changes to my body.

A disclaimer - I am not the authority to gaurantee this leaves works for everyone but it works for me and many of our friends who tried it. Everything has to be taken moderately with right dosage. Over dosage of Mulberry Leaves carry some poison so be aware.

Below are some extracts from my readings :

"Mulberry tea is used to treat a variety of health issues including colds, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, mulberry tea can be used to treat conditions associated with the liver and lung meridians. It helps clear fever, headache, sore throat, cough, and red or painful eyes. Mulberry tea can also inhibit the development of bacterial strains, including streptococcus, the cause of strep throat. Drink mulberry tea to prevent and recover from common cold symptoms.

Mulberry tea naturally inhibits carbohydrate absorption. This is a result of the compound moranoline 1-deoxynojirimycin). Moranoline inhibits an enzyme in the intestinal tract (alpha-glucosidase) involved in the digestion of carbohydrates. This means the starchy, carbohydrate-rich foods you eat, like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, do not turn to glucose in your body and are simply flushed out. The lack of glucose in your system also lowers your blood sugar levels, making you less hungry. Used as part of a sensible diet, mulberry tea helps you achieve your weight loss goals.

Mulberry tea reduces the oxidization of cholesterol in the blood vessels, resulting in reduced risk of atherosclerosis (blocked blood vessels). This is due to quercetin and additional flavonoids contained in mulberry leaves. These antioxidants inhibit oxidative stress reactions that produce atherosclerosis. For healthy blood vessels, drink mulberry tea as a regular supplement to a healthy lifestyle.

Good Sugar Balance Mulberry leaf tea can balance blood sugar and aids in carbohydrate absorption according to a 2008 study. According to Medical News Today, the herb lowers post-meal blood sugar spikes and stabilizes blood sugar levels. As a result, drinking mulberry tea results in more sustained energy levels throughout the day.

For centuries, mulberry tea has been used as a treatment for diabetes mellitus in Asia. One of the most unique qualities of the mulberry leaf tea is its ability to prevent sugars from entering your bloodstream. Researchers in Japan found that mulberry leaves contain compounds that inhibit intestinal enzymes from passing sugars into the bloodstream. This inhibitor compound known as 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), can only be extracted from the mulberry leaf. By preventing large amounts of monosaccharide from entering into circulation, mulberry tea helps prevent and fight diabetes.

Prior to using mulberry leaf tea to treat any condition, please consult a licensed health care provider. "

Seven Star Needles II - Purple Flower

In my earlier posting of the Seven Star Needles - Orange Flowers, I mentioned about the special Purple Flowers species. 

An Aunt gave me a cutting and she puts it in a bottle filled with water. She mentioned that I can only put it in soil when there are roots growing. She also mentioned that the purple species is not easy to grow. She do not gauranteed that my plant will survive.

My cutting survived. It did not grow into scrub but instead a few branches extended. The amazing thing is it blooms immediately. The flowers of the orange flower and purple flower bloomed differently. Orange flower blooms individually but the purple flowers blooms in a clusters.

This Purple Flower Pereskia Grandifolia is widely researched for its medicinal abilities. It was said that it is very effective for people seeking cure for cancer. I do not really know how true is this but it is definitely a medicinal plants at your backyard. Below is an extract from what I read.

"Both Pereskia bleo (orange flower) and Pereskia grandifolia (purple flower) have been used as natural remedies in cancer-related diseases, either eaten raw or taken as a concoction brewed from fresh plants. Both are believed to have anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-rheumatic, anti-ulcer, and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also used as remedies for the relief of headache, gastric pain, ulcers, hemorrhoids, atopic dermatitis, and for revitalizing the body.[3–5] In Panama, the locals use the whole plant of Pereskia bleo to treat gastrointestinal problems,[6] while in India, Pereskia grandifolia is used to reduce swelling.[7–8] "

For me, I fell in love with the vibrant purple clusters. It is a joy to see them buds and blooms and became a fruit. I do not really know how to use this plant but I saw many readers coming to my blog reading about this plant - The Seven Star Needles.

Tropical Herbs...'Seven Star Needle'

Someone gave me a plant and said that the name as translated in Chinese is 'Seven Star Needle'. She told me that the leaves of this plant has medicinal value. By eating 7 pieces of the leaves, it will clear toxic in the intestine. This will relief all bad toxic and therefore avoid Cancer.

After doing some research, I realized the scientific name of this plant is Pereskia Bleo. Its flower comes in orangy red. I was given a stem to plant and after 7 months, it started to flower.

There are many herbal plants around us and we do not know them and therefore missed the chance of better health. As this plant grows by the fence, it naturally needs it as a support. However because it is a herb and it is used locally, people have been eating it and getting results from it. As I mentioned before Prevention is better than cure and it is good if you have this plant in your backyard and eat the leave occasionally or make drinks with it so that the family can also benefit.

This is how it can be taken

1) Pluck 7 pieces of leaves, wash and chew it. Do it once or twice a week (A word to pregnant women that you should not try anything as your body may not be able to take it with a baby.)

2) Pluck 7 pieces of leaves and boil it with one bowl of water until it is one cup and drink it like tea. This is good for clearing toxic in the intestine.

3) Pluck 7 pieces of leave and boil it like a soup, add pork ribs and a little salt. It is a good soup for the family.

4) Pluck 7 pieces of leave and stir fry with other vegetables.

It not only counteract Cancer, it lower blood pressure, cholesterol, migraine and many more.

I ate the leaves from this plant myself every time I do my gardening. I plucked and chewed it. It is crunchy and give out a nice smell. Since it is cactus family, the leaves are a little gummy but acceptable. However its flowers and fruits can also be eaten, cooked or raw. The needle thorns are used by Chinese Doctors to cure skin disease.

Here is some facts about this plant...

"Pereskia is a genus of about 25 tropical species and varieties of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and thin stems. They originate from the region between Brazil and Mexico. They can be classified as shrubs, climbing plants or slightly succulent trees.Most of the species are found in dry forests or thorny scrub, in tropical climates..."

Apparently from the net, I also found that Malaysian Doctors have recorded about the benefits of this plant. You can search by typing "Pereskia Bleo".

Quote...
"Both Pereskia bleo and Pereskia grandifolia have been used as natural remedies in cancer-related diseases, either eaten raw or taken as a concoction brewed from fresh plants. Both are believed to have anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-rheumatic, anti-ulcer, and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also used as remedies for the relief of headache, gastric pain, ulcers, hemorrhoids, atopic dermatitis, and for revitalizing the body. [3],[4],[5] In Panama, the locals use the whole plant of Pereskia bleo to treat gastrointestinal problems, [6] while in India, Pereskia grandifolia is used to reduce swelling. [7],[8]"

For those reading Chinese, you can also try searching for "七星针草药".

This plant is easily found in Malaysia and Singapore. I was told that the Purple Flower Pereskia Grandifolia is also widely search for its medicinal abilities. I had one stem growing and will share the flower picture once it blooms.

Hope this article is helpful and beneficial for those reading here.