The Medicinal Benefits of Lagundi

In my previous article on Aloe Vera, I mentioned my Grandmother as the herbalist in the family. I remember her having a book on various herbs available in the Philippines and their corresponding medicinal values. One of these medicinal plants found in the book and which my grandmother also advocates is the lagundi plant. When someone in the family has a cough, she will immediately recommend taking in lagundi leaves in the form of tea to cure the ailment. I remember however the sour face we make every time we are forced to drink the said tea derived from lagundi because of its bitter taste. As such the family, especially the younger ones would prefer taking in cough syrups which tasted a little better than the lagundi tea.

The lagundi plant is native to the Philippines and is commonly used as an alternative treatment for respiratory ailments such as cough, flu, colds, bronchial asthma, pharyngitis, and chronic bronchitis. Due to these medicinal values that can be derived from the lagundi plant, extensive research has