Native to Brazil, Bougainvillea has more to itself than its face value.
With this article I am trying to bring to notice the various uses of Bougainvillea in traditional medicine and its spill over into modern allopathic medicine.
In no way am I encouraging anyone to try any of these. Besides, since I haven't tried it on myself, I am not going to comment on its efficacy or any associated hazard.
Bougainvillea is reported to have anti inflammatory, anti helminthic and anti diabetic properties. Other than this, various parts of this plant have been used in many forms such as gargle, concoction etc for many ailments such as hepatitis, leucorrhea, (low?) blood pressure, metabolic syndrome etc.
Traditional practitioners in Mandsaur use the leaves for #diarrhea, and to reduce stomach #acidity . Both its leaves and flowers have been shown to be anti-ulcerative, anti-diarrhoeal and anti-microbial properties.
For leucorrhea: a decoction of dried flowers, 10 g in 4 glasses of water. For hepatitis, a decoction of dried stems, 10 g in 4 glasses of water is used in some traditional practises.
In Panama, an infusion of the flowers of B. glabra used as treatment for low blood pressure. (?)
Recent research has shown B. spectabilis to possess some potentially useful antiviral and antibacterial compounds (Balasaraswathi et al. 1998; Umamaheswari et al. 2008) as well as anti-diabetic properties (Adebayo et al. 2009).
Traditionally used to relieve upper respiratory tract problems, a tea of bougainvillea flowers (the flowers are the tiny white centre) has been used in Mexican folk medicine to treat a cough.
Sugar Balancer- Bougainvillea
Leaves of the species Bougainvillea spectabilis are a source of a newly discovered compound, pinitol, used to treat metabolic diseases such as insulin-resistant diabetes. "Bougainvillea's strength and uniqueness lies in the presence of #pinitol , a substance that has an insulin-type effect, and is especially useful for those resistant to insulin and left with no options," says Dr UK Tiwari, herbal scientist.
Studies have shown that the leaf extracts of this plant help in enhancing glucose tolerance and significantly reduced intestinal glucosidase activity.
They also suggest that it helps in regeneration of insulin-producing cells and thus naturally increases plasma insulin level.
Bougainvillea has also been shown to maintain HDL-LDL balance and help with age-related blood pressure problems.
It is also commercially available as: An extract or in combination with other herbs.
Cough:
"The bark of the bougainvillea tree can be used to treat a cough. The bark of the tree has to be ground into a thin fine powder. This powdered bark, should then be boiled in 250 ml of water on a low flame. Once the mixture has cooled, strain it into a glass and use the decoction to gargle your throat once a day. This will help in curing a throat infection while also releasing any mucus present.
Another alternative would be to take a pinch or two of the finely powdered bark and then sniff it. It will induce sneezing, which in turn will help in opening up the nasal passage. The flowers of the plant may also be used to treat a cough. Add a few flowers of the plant to 250 ml of boiling water. Let the two simmer for a few minutes on a low flame. Once the solution has cooled strain it into a glass and add a little honey for taste. This decoction should then be had to reduce the symptoms of a cough. This is considered to be a very popular Mexican home remedy for treating coughs"
Although, this is primarily due to its anti inflammatory property. It will be prudent to remember that a cough is not a disease but a symptom of many diseases. Your cough could be more than a sore throat. It could be Tuberculosis, related to heart disease or even cancer. I strongly oppose self medication especially if your cough persists for more than a week.
Links:
http://healthyhomegardening.com/Plant.php?pid=2209
http://eol.org/pages/2899871/details
These journals mention the anti helminthic and antidiabetic properties of this plant:
www.ijppsjournal.com/Vol4Suppl2/30.pdf
In vitro Antibacterial Activity of Bougainvillea spectabilis Leaves:
For information on how to grow them:
http://www.botanical-online.com/english/bougainvillea.htm
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