Asia Herbs

Misai Kuching is a herbaceous shrub, which grows to a height of 1.5m. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs. There are simple, green,and glabrous with a lanceolate leaf blade and a serrate margin. The leaf apice is acuminate with an acute leaf base. The petiole is relatively short, about 0.3cm in length and reddish purple in color. The stem is quadrangle, reddish in color, erect and branches profusely.

The flowers are borne on verticils about 16cm in length. The terminal inflorescence is borne on a maroon pubescent. Bracts are green minute (1-2mm), caudiform in shape and two bracts normally holds a cluster of 5 flowers. The flowers are campanulate in shape, white bluish in color with long farexerted filaments, making the flowers look like cat's whiskers.

Piper sarmentosum is an erect herb with long creeping stems. The plant is usually found as a weed in villages and places with plenty of shade (Hsuan, 1990). Leaves alternate, simple, heart shaped and young leaves have a waxy surface. Flowers are bisexual or unisexual, in terminal or leaf opposite spikes. Fruit is small, dry, with several rounded bulges. Plant has a characteristic pungent odour (Wee, 1992; Wee and Hsuan, 1990; Hsuan, 1990; 1992).

Common names

Chinese: Jia ju; Malay: Sirih tanah (Indonesia), Chabei, Kadok; Thai: cha-phloo.

This plant, known as Daun Kadok in Malaysia, is often for its cousin Piper betel leaf plant. Daun Kadok is very popular and more widely used. It is a common plant used in traditional medicine and cooking (the subtly peppery taste of the heart-shaped and glossy leaves adds zest to omelets and other viands). A study conducted by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) shows that extracts from Kadok leaves have anti-oxidant properties. Piper sarmentosum is often made into drink to relieve the symptoms of malaria. The roots could be chewed to stop toothaches. A portion made from its roots is said to be diuretic. The drink has also been known to be effective in treating coughs, flu, rheumatism, pleurosy and lumbago. Young leaves are taken as ulam (condiment).

According to the World Health Organization website, 80 percent of the population in some Asian and African countries count on herbal treatments for their primary health care.

The high tannin content of Arctostaphylos has an astringent action on the lower digestive tract, and it is used in the management of diarrhoea and to reduce intestinal irritation.

Are you interested in drinking herbal tea? If so, you can grow your own herbs garden. More-efficient and easy. Even if you only have a balcony or sunny windowsill, you can grow your own herbs to use for tea. You can dry them for use during the winter, but you can also make great tea with the fresh herbs. If you're going to use fresh, you should tear and bruise the leaves so the aromatic oils can be released into the water. You'll also need to use more fresh herbs than you would of the dried. With most of these plants, you can just pluck off a few leaves throughout the season whenever you want to make tea. If you take off too many leaves at once, you could kill your plant. Grow more than one plant of any herbs you use frequently.

Chamomile

Lemon Balm
The lemon balm plant is actually closely related to mint, but has a distinct lemon aroma. It likes somewhat dry soil and partial shade during the day. Besides making a nice herbal tea, you can use lemon balm as a spice when cooking (I like it with fish). Like it's minty cousin, you can grow lemon balm indoors.

Fennel There are several kinds of fennel, but the type typically grown for tea use is the sweet fennel. When dried, the seeds have a very strong licorice flavour. Unlike the other herbs, you don't really harvest fennel periodically through the summer. The plant will go to seed at the end of summer or start of fall. You can let the seed dry right on the plant and then collect for tea. You won't want to grow fennel indoors because it can grow up to 6 feet tall. Also, don't plant it next to it's close relative, dill, because they can cross-polinate. Fennel likes lots of sun and lots of water.

Rose Hips
Rose hips will make a nicely citrus-tasting tea that is rich in vitamin C. Any rose plant will create 'hips' but Rugosa roses produce the largest ones. The hips are actually seed pods that form at the base of the rose blooms. When making tea with dried rose hips, you should slice them in half before steeping. You may want to remove the seeds before making your tea, but it's not necessary. If you do choose to de-seed your hips, do so before you dry them. Rugosa roses are hardy and cold-tolerant. They grow in bushes between 2' to 6' tall. These roses will grow just about anywhere, but aren't really suitable for a windowsill garden.

Ginseng is known in many Asian countries as the king of all herbs. It is a knobby root light tan in color. Often the center part of the root resembles the human body, as string like shoots stem off from the root and can be seen as arms and legs.

Due to Korean ginseng's unique appearance, ancient herb doctors interpreted this perception to mean that ginseng was a cure-all for the entirety of human illness. Later many cultures started using ginseng to treat almost anything. Ginseng is used by the Chinese to cure nearly everything, and also as a symbol of longevity, strength and wisdom.

Korean Ginseng is part of the Araliaceae family and is also known as Panax, Asian, or Chinese ginseng. It is the original ginseng, and is the one revered most by the Chinese. It is very rare in the wild, and most sold today is cultivated commercially. Peeled roots are steamed before drying, and produce Red Ginseng. White Ginseng is produced by sun-drying the roots. Most Korean Ginseng is sold as Red Ginseng.

Other Names: Asian Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng, Ginseng, Guigai, Japanese Ginseng, Korean Ginseng, Ninjin, Oriental Ginseng, Panax schinseng, Red Ginseng, Seng

Panax ginseng is native to the northern parts of China, Korea, and Siberia. While closely related to American ginseng, Panax ginseng contains different chemical substances. It looks similar to American ginseng, with mature plants having three to seven short stems each containing five leaves. One tall central stem bears a cluster of tiny yellow flowers followed by small red berries. Panax ginseng plants generally are larger than American ginseng plants, their roots may be bigger in diameter, and the roots have a sweetish smell. Typically, fresh roots of Panax ginseng are a slightly darker tan color, as opposed to a yellow or cream color for the roots of American ginseng.

Asian ginseng is perhaps the most widely recognized of the plants used in traditional medicine and plays a major role in the herbal health market. It has been used for more than two thousand years. At least six species and varieties of Panax have been used in traditional medicine. It is a popular ingredient in herbal teas and cosmetics. It is promoted for its antistress effects.

Ginseng's dried root is medicinal. It contains triterpenoid saponins called ginsenosides that appear to be the active ingredients responsible for the plant's immunomodulatory effects. Ginsenosides seem to increase natural-killer cell activity, stimulate interferon production, accelerate nuclear RNA synthesis, and increase motor activity.

The ginsenosides have been found to protect against stress ulcers, to decrease blood glucose level, to increase high-density lipoprotein level, and to affect central nervous system activity by acting as a de pressant, anticonvulsant, analgesic, and antipsychotic.

Ginseng is available as powdered root, tablets, capsules, and tea. Common trade names include Centrum Ginseng, Chikusetsu Ginseng, Gin-Action, Ginsai, Ginsana, Ginseng Manchurian, Ginseng Power Max 004X G-Sana, Ginseng Up, Gin Zip, Herbal Sure Chinese Red Ginseng, Herbal Sure Korean Ginseng, Korean White Ginseng, Lynae Ginse-Cool, Power Herb Korean Ginseng, Premium Blend Korean Ginseng Extract, Sanchi Ginseng, The Ginseng Solution, Time Release Korean Ginseng Power, and Zhuzishen.

Reported uses

Asian ginseng is used to manage fatigue and lack of concentration, and to treat atherosclerosis, bleeding disorders, colitis, diabetes, depression, and cancer. It's also used to help recover health and strength after sickness or weakness.

This evergreen tree grows slowly to about 15 feet. It can be planted as a screen or hedge and if clipped regularly makes a great candidate for topiary. If allowed to grow as a lone specimen, Sweet Bay will round out nicely into a lovely cone shaped tree. Slow growing is the key here! The Sweet Bay grows very slowly indeed but is worth your patience. In hot summer regions it prefers afternoon shade and a well drained, somewhat sandy growing site. The Bay Laurel is also quite drought hardy once established and retains its rich, green color year round. It is hardy to Zone 5, although, some leaf damage may occur in a particularly cold winter. They can resprout quite readily come spring. Bay trees do very well in containers and are highly recommended for a potted culinary garden which many city dwellers and others with small yards can enjoy. A perfect addition for that partly shady spot on your balcony, deck or understory garden! Brushing the Bay Tree on your way passing by on a hot summers day will set your mouth watering for a good meal...

If frost does cause all the leaves to turn brown (liable to happen at temperatures cooler than -6C), simple cut the plant down to about 15cm (6 in) above soil level. In Spring, new shoots should then appear from the base of the plant. Young bay plants are at most risk of frost damage.

Cynarin, luteolin, cynardoside (luteolin-7-O-glycoside), scolymoside, and chlorogenic acid are believed to be artichoke's active constituents. The most studied component, cynarin, is concentrated in the leaves.

" Bitter Gourd " or " Bitter Melon" or " Momordica charantia " is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. English names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon or bitter gourd, and karela from the Indian name of the vegetable.

The original home of the species is not known, other than that it is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in India, Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Description
The herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 m. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4-12 cm across, with 3-7 deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers.

The fruit has a distinct warty looking exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large flat seeds and pith. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits, ripening to red; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking. However, the pith will become sweet when the fruit is fully ripe, and the pith's color will turn red. The pith can be eaten uncooked in this state, but the flesh of the melon will be far too tough to be eaten anymore. Red and sweet bitter melon pith is a popular ingredient in some special southeast Asian style salad. The flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper. The skin is tender and edible. The fruit is most often eaten green. Although it can also be eaten when it has started to ripen and turn yellowish, it becomes more bitter as it ripens. The fully ripe fruit turns orange and mushy, is too bitter to eat, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.

Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The typical Chinese phenotype is 20 to 30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface. The bitter melon more typical of India has a narrower shape with pointed ends, and a surface covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. Coloration is green or white. Between these two extremes are any number of intermediate forms. Some bear miniature fruit of only 6 - 10 cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables. These miniature fruit are popular in Southeast Asia as well as India.

Culinary uses

Bitter melons are seldom mixed with other vegetables due to the strong bitter taste, although this can be moderated to some extent by salting and then washing the cut melon before use.

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also as tea.

It is also a popular vegetable in the cuisines of South Asia and the West Indies. In these culinary traditions, it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabji. Bitter melon is stuffed with spices and then fried in oil, which is very popular in Punjabi Cuisine. It is a popular food in Tamil Nadu and referred as Pagarkai slangily called as Pavakkai. Bitter Gourd is popular in the cuisine of South Indian state of Kerala. They use it for making a dish called thoran mixed with grated coconut, theeyal and pachadi. This is one common medicinal food for diabetics. In Karnataka, the term used for bitter gourd is haagalakai and used in preparation of a delicacy called gojju. In Andhra Pradesh, it is called as " Kaakarakaaya ". Popular recipes are curry, deep fry with peanuts (ground nuts) , 'Pachi Pulusu', a kind of soup made up of boiled Bitter Melon, fried onions and other spices.

Bitter melon is rarely used in mainland Japan, but is a significant component of Okinawan cuisine, it is credited with Okinawan life expectancies being significantly higher than already long Japanese ones. Bitter melon oil contains Eleostearic acid, which is shown to prevent angiogenesis, which is implicated in the growth (but not the incidence) of cancer.

In Indonesia, bitter melon is prepared in various dishes, such as stir fry, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed.

In Vietnam, raw bitter melon slices consumed with dried meat floss and stuffed to make bitter melon soup with shrimp are popular dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served as a popular summer soup in the South.

It is prepared in various dishes in the Philippines, where it is known as Ampalaya. Ampalaya may also be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato.

A very popular dish from the Ilocos region of the Philippines, pinakbet, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.

The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens; in the Philippines, where bitter melon leaves are commonly consumed, they are called dahon (leaves) ng ampalaya.

The seeds can also be eaten, and have a sweet taste; but are known to cause nausea.

In Nepal bitter melon is prepared in various ways. Most prepare it as fresh achar (a type of pickle). For this the bitter gourd is cut into cubes or slices and saut?ed covered in little oil and a sprinkle of water. When it is softened and reduced, it is minced in a mortar with few cloves of garlic, salt and a red or green pepper. Another way is the saut?ed version. In this, bitter gourd is cut in thin round slices or cubes and fried (sauteed) with much less oil and some salt, cumin and red chili. It is fried until the vegetable softens with hints of golden brown. It is even prepared as a curry on its own, or with potato; and made as stuffed vegetables.

In Pakistan bitter melon is available in the summertime, and is cooked with lots of onions.
A Malaysian-style bitter melon dish, cooked with sambal, onion, and red bird's-eye chili peppers

A traditional way to cook bitter melon curry is to peel off the skin and cut into thin slices. It is salted and exposed to direct sunlight for few hours to reduce its bitterness. After a few hours, its salty, bitter water is reduced by squeezing out the excess by hand. Then it's rinsed with water a few times. Then fried in cooking oil, with onions also fried in another pan. When the onions have turned a little pink in color, the fried bitter melon is added to them. After some further frying of both the onions and bitter melon, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, and a pinch of cumin seeds are also added. A little water can be sprinkled while frying the spices to prevent burning. Then a good amount of tomato is added to the curry, with green chillies, according to taste. Now the pan is covered with a lid, heat reduced to minimum, the tomatoes reduce, and all the spices work their magic. The curry is stirred a few times (at intervals) during this covering period. After half an hour or so, the curry is ready to serve, with soft hot flatbreads and yogurt chutney.

Another dish in Pakistan calls for whole, unpeeled bitter melon to be boiled and then stuffed with cooked ground beef. In this dish, it is recommended that the bitter melon be left 'debittered'. It is either served with hot tandoori bread, naan, chappati, or with khichri (a mixture of lentils and rice).

Medicinal uses
Bitter melons being fried in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Bitter melon has been used in various Asian traditional medicine systems for a long time. Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. The fact that bitter melon is also a demulcent and at least mild inflammation modulator, however, means that it rarely does have these negative effects, based on clinical experience and traditional reports.

Though it has been claimed that bitter melon’s bitterness comes from quinine, no evidence could be located supporting this claim. Bitter melon is traditionally regarded by Asians, as well as Panamanians and Colombians, as useful for preventing and treating malaria. Laboratory studies have confirmed that various species of bitter melon have anti-malarial activity, though human studies have not yet been published .

In Panama bitter melon is known as Balsamino. The pods are smaller and bright orange when ripe with very sweet red seeds, but only the leaves of the plant are brewed in hot water to create a tea to treat malaria and diabetes. The leaves are allowed to steep in hot water before being strained thoroughly so that only the remaining liquid is used for the tea.

Laboratory tests suggest that compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection. As most compounds isolated from bitter melon that impact HIV have either been proteins or glycoproteins lectins), neither of which are well-absorbed, it is unlikely that oral intake of bitter melon will slow HIV in infected people. It is possible oral ingestion of bitter melon could offset negative effects of anti-HIV drugs, if a test tube study can be shown to be applicable to people [4]. In one preliminary clinical trial, an enema form of a bitter melon extract showed some benefits in people infected with HIV (Zhang 1992). Clearly more research is necessary before this could be recommended.

The other realm showing the most promise related to bitter melon is as an immunomodulator. One clinical trial found very limited evidence that bitter melon might improve immune cell function in people with cancer, but this needs to be verified and amplified in other research. If proven correct this is another way bitter melon could help people infected with HIV.

Folk wisdom has it that ampalaya (Momordica charantia Linn.) helps to prevent or counteract type-II diabetes. A recent scientific study at JIPMER, India has proved that ampalaya increases insulin sensitivity. Also, in 2007, the Philippine Department of Health issued a circular stating that Ampalaya as a scientifically validated herbal medicinal plant, can lower elevated blood sugar levels. It is sold in the Philippines as a food supplement and marketed under the trade name Ampalaya Plus and the like. The study revealed that a 100 milligram per kilo dose per day is comparable to 2.5 milligrams of the anti-diabetes drug Glibenclamide taken twice per day.
Bitter melon transformed into capsule form and sold as a food supplement.

Bitter Melon contains four very promising bioactive compounds. These compounds activate a protein called AMPK, which is well known for regulating fuel metabolism and enabling glucose uptake, processes which are impaired in diabetics. "We can now understand at a molecular level why bitter melon works as a treatment for diabetes," said David James, director of the diabetes and obesity program at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. "By isolating the compounds we believe to be therapeutic, we can investigate how they work together in our cells."

Bitter melon contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity. The insulin-like bioactivity of this lectin is due to its linking together 2 insulin receptors. This lectin lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and, similar to insulin's effects in the brain, suppressing appetite. This lectin is likely a major contributor to the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon and why it may be a way of managing adult-onset diabetes. Lectin binding is non-protein specific, and this is likely why bitter melon has been credited with immunostimulatory activity - by linking receptors that modulate the immune system, thereby stimulating said receptors.

Various cautions are indicated. The seeds contains vicine and therefore can trigger symptoms of favism in susceptible individuals. In addition, the red arils of the seeds are reported to be toxic to children, and the fruit is contraindicated during pregnancy.

Let us see if Ganoderma which has been discribed as the "miracle herb" can help you with your health regime.

Ganoderma is a type of mushroom that has been know to the far east for thousands of years for its meraculous medicinal properties. These mushrooms are regarded as "Spirit Medicine" by the Chinese as they are among the most powerful herbs in Asia. Chinese medicine has used Ganoderma for over 4000 years and was highly prized as an elixir of immortality.

Research has been done by both Chinese and Western scholars in recent years and with analysis and clinical experiments done by colleges, hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers its potency is finally coming to light. In ancient times, this mushroom was reserved for the Kings, as it was relatively rare and hard to find. Now, thanks to the advent of technology this mushroom can be farmed, making it more affordable and accessible to the average person.

Ganoderma, which is also known as Reishi. Reishi is used to treat many different ailments ranging from stress-related conditions to fatigue and sleep disorders. While it is great for people who suffer from any form of stress anxieties, the mushroom itself is fantastic. As an overall health tonic, Reishi is often used as a preventative measure as a way to avoid any health problems that may arise in the future. The mushroom is well-known for its ability to strengthen the body's immune system, it is said that it can help aid off infections and viruses that may well run riot in a weakened immune system. Science is currently researching Reishi and its healing properties as we speak, hopefully, so that one day, they can fully understand the healing powers of this magical mushroom. It is often prescribed to people who are suffering from cancer and are currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Tarragon or dragon's-wort (Artemisia dracunculus L.) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae related to wormwood. Corresponding to its species name, a common term for the plant is "dragon herb." It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from easternmost Europe across central and eastern Asia to India, western north America, and south to northern Mexico. The North American populations may however be naturalised from early human introduction.

Tarragon grows to 120-150 cm tall, with slender branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 2-8 cm long and 2-10 mm broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitulate 2-4 mm diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets. (French tarragon, however, seldom produces flowers.)

The name Tarragon is a corruption of the French esdragon, derived from the Latin Dracunculus (a little dragon), which also serves as its specific name. Tarragon is a Eurasian herb in the Aster family, and its name can be pronounced either tehr uh gawn or tehr uh guhn.

Tarragon is native to Europe, Southern Russia and Western Asia. It's a perennial plant, with the best varieties coming from Europe. While both French and Russian tarragon is used in cooking, the French variation is preferred by most, since it exhibits superior flavour over its herbal counterpart. Strange as it may seem, both varieties of the herb originated in Russia, but French tarragon is much more popular, due to its slight liquorice flavouring, which is highly sought after in the culinary world.

It's best grown in light, preferably sandy, free draining soil. Do not overwater as tarragon is susceptible to root rot in soggy soil. In the garden, it is a good companion to all plants. French tarragon is a hardy perennial and since it rarely sets seed it's best grown from tip cuttings of new growth, root cuttings or divisions taken in the spring or autumn. It's also best if harvested before it flowers.

Tarragon is more common in Continental than in English cookery, and has long been cultivated in France for culinary purposes.

It's grown for its aromatic leaves which are used in a variety of recipes, most notably in flavouring vinegar and is exceptional in egg dishes, poached fish, mushrooms and other vegetables. Tarragon is good with chicken and in salad dressings. It's also used to enhance the flavour of soups and can be chopped and sprinkled over omelets.

It has a flavour that resembles licorice. It's preserved in white vinegar and although tarragon is best when it's fresh, it can be dried or frozen for future use. Since most of its essential oil is lost in the drying process, you'll find that dry tarragon is a poor substitute for the fresh herb.

Tarragon is also a great substitute for salt and is part of the classic Fines herbs mixture along with chervil, parsley and thyme.

Its available fresh in the summer and early fall in the produce section of most supermarkets.

Tarragon is rich in Vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and potassium, and has a mild anise flavour in its leaves.

Tarragon is also used in perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics, and in condiments and liqueurs.

Tarragon is a recognized herbal treatment for the following conditions and symptoms:

Toothache

Upset stomach

Loss of appetite

Intestinal Worms

Hyperactivity

Anti-Bacterial properties for cuts

Depression

Stimulates the appetite and digestive process

A mild sedative to aid sleep

A mild, non irritating diuretic that helps the system flush out toxins released from the digestion of meat and other proteins

Rheumatism and arthritis

With its mild menstruation-inducing properties, tarragon is also taken if periods are delayed.

Tea for calming benefits: To prepare tarragon tea, take one cup boiling water and pour over one tablespoon tarragon and let stand for ten minutes and then drink.