The word “tea” used to mean only one thing: a drink made by pouring hot water over the cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Then came herbal teas, which are prepared using the same method but the leaves used, which are supposed to be medicinal, do not necessarily include tea. Now my health-conscious friend Julia is into brewing her own herbal tea using fresh instead of cured leaves. “I use soursop, pandan and lemongrass, which I pick from the backyard,” she said.
Before the advent of modern medicine, medicinal plants were used to cure ailments. When I was little, Grandpa Tomas, who was my paternal grandfather’s cousin, was a traditional doctor. He was often called to treat complaints ranging from high fever and stomach ache to coughs, and even ulcers and skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.
When I had a fever, Grandpa Tomas would prepare a poultice by holding a few betel leaves over a flame to release their natural oils, then brush the leaves with coconut oil before applying them to my forehead and temples. The poultice would make me sweat and, miraculously, by the next day my fever was gone. His treatment for ulcer? Brew guava leaves and drink the decoction as a herbal tea. As for eczema and psoriasis, which are characterised by itching and skin lesions, use the guava decoction to wash the affected skin.
By the time I was in primary school, Grandpa Tomas was phased out as another relative, who had a degree in medicine, made the house calls to treat young and old alike.
Despite modern medicine, however, medicinal plants have never moved out of the picture. Many modern drugs, including cures for some types of cancer and malaria, were synthesised from the medicinal properties of leaves and barks of trees. In remote areas where modern drugs are not accessible, people continue to rely on the roots, barks and leaves of plants. This is even promoted in Thailand as a form of primary health care after researchers at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Pharmacy found them safe to use.
I grew up eating soursop but was not aware of its leaves’ medicinal properties. I don’t remember Grandpa Tomas administering it to the sick either, but then during his time such chronic diseases as cancer, diabetes and heart disease were unheard of. Claims of the potency of soursop leaves in killing cancer cells emerged in 2008 when the Journal of Natural Products published a report by Jerry McLaughlin, a researcher at Purdue University’s department of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, that soursop leaves killed cancer cells among six human cell lines. Experts in the UK and US, however, have warned that while laboratory trials have shown promise, there have been no large scale studies on humans, and therefore no credible scientific evidence, to support soursop's cancer fighting abilities.
The leaves are also believed to be effective in treating liver ailments, gout, back pain, diabetes, eczema and rheumatism, and as a blood purifier. The leaves can be used dried and infused like tea, but fresh leaves, boiled to extract their medicinal compounds, are said to be more effective. For a cup of tea, only four or five leaves are needed.
However, I have to warn my friend Julia to drink her soursop tea in moderation, as some researchers are concerned that particular chemicals present in soursop may cause symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease when taken in large amounts. Like modern medicines, it should be taken in the right doses, and not continuously.
Pandan leaves and lemongrass are familiar ingredients in Thai cooking, the former to give a distinct aroma as well as natural green colour to a number of desserts, and the latter to lend a citrusy flavour to the popular tom yam soup. However, both are also said to have medicinal properties.
Tea made from pandan leaves is said to relieve arthritis and speed the recuperation of women who have just given birth, while lemongrass is cited in Thai Medicinal Plants, published by Mahidol University’s Medicinal Plant Information Centre, as possessing antifungal and antibacterial properties that improve the body’s immune system. Lemongrass leaves have also been found to contain flavonoids that help detoxify the body and reduce the risk of cancer and lower high blood pressure.
My friend Julia brews her soursop leaves, pandan and lemongrass all together in a pot, but they can also be brewed separately. I brew lemongrass, sometimes alone and sometimes in combination with slices of dried bael fruit, known in Thai as matoom, as it is a favourite family drink. What I do is put water and the bael fruit in a pot, let the water boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. I then add a bunch of lemongrass into the pot and let the water simmer for another minute or two before turning off the heat. After discarding the bael and the lemongrass, I add honey or sugar to the decoction and let it cool to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator. The tea is also great when taken hot, with or without cookies.
If you have any lemongrass left over, stick it in soil. Lemongrass develops roots easily and thrives best in full sun and loamy soil mixed with compost. Water when the top soil is dry to the touch. Grown in the right conditions, your plant will multiply in just a few months. n
Email nthongtham@gmail.com.
