10 Medicinal Plants of the Philippines: Traditional Uses & Evidence

The Philippines' rich biodiversity yields plants used in **traditional medicine (herbalism)**. The Department of Health (DOH) endorses **10 clinically validated** herbs under the **Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA, 1997)**.

DOH-Endorsed Medicinal Plants

Plant (Local / Scientific)	Primary Traditional Uses	Key Bioactives / Evidence
Lagundi (Vitex negundo)	Cough, asthma, fever, rheumatism	Chrysoplenol D (anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator); RCT-supported for cough/asthma
Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)	Kidney stones, UTI, hypertension, edema	Diuretic (sesquiterpenes); DOH-approved for urolithiasis
Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii / Mentha arvensis)	Pain (headache, toothache), dysmenorrhea, nausea	Menthol, analgesic; topical & oral use
Tsaang Gubat (Ehretia microphylla)	Diarrhea, abdominal pain, mouthwash	Antidiarrheal, antimicrobial; DOH-approved
Ampalaya (Momordica charantia)	Diabetes (type 2), hyperlipidemia	Charantin, momordicosides (hypoglycemic); RCTs show modest HbA1c reduction
Niyog-Niyogan (Quisqualis indica)	Intestinal worms (ascaris), diarrhea	Anthelmintic; seeds used
Bayabas (Psidium guajava - Guava)	Wound wash, diarrhea, gum disease	Tannins, quercetin (antimicrobial, astringent)
Akapulko (Cassia alata / Senna alata)	Fungal skin infections (tinea), eczema	Chrysophanic acid (antifungal); DOH-approved lotion
Bawang (Allium sativum - Garlic)	Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, infection	Allicin (antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, antimicrobial)
Luya (Zingiber officinale - Ginger)	Nausea (pregnancy, motion), dyspepsia, inflammation	Gingerols/shogaols; WHO endorses for pregnancy nausea

Important Caveats

• Not substitutes for prescribed meds. Inform your doctor — herb-drug interactions exist (e.g., garlic + anticoagulants).
• Quality varies: Use DOH-registered products (BFAD/FDA Philippines).
• Dosage matters: Traditional prep (decoction) vs. standardized extract.
• Pregnancy/lactation: Many contraindicated (e.g., ampalaya, niyog-niyogan).

Other Notable Philippine Medicinals

• Moringa (malunggay) — nutrition, galactagogue
• Tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta) — dengue thrombocytopenia (anecdotal; limited evidence)
• Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) — glucose transport (corosolic acid)