Lagerstroemia Speciosa L. (Banaba or Queen's Flower) – Wonders of Botanical Herbs
Most modern medicines manufactured by pharmaceutical companies are extracts from botanical herbs. If you know the names of plants and their applications, you may save a lot of money by planting greens in your backyard garden.
Lagerstroemia Speciosa or Banaba is a deciduous tropical flowering tree that grows in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. Today, it also grows in some parts of California and Florida in USA. In Taiwan, Lagerstroemia Speciosa is planted for decoration along the roads. There were once two big Lagerstroemia Speciosa planted in my old house in Osaka, but the big trees were cut for furniture making. The tree is also suited for expensive furniture.
Descriptions
- The beautiful flowers are pink, purple or purplish pink.
- The fruit is oval, about one inch long and splits in six pieces when matured.
- The seeds are small and have winged flaps.
- The reddish brown wood is used for furniture products.
Medicinal Uses
- Roots are used for stomach problems.
- The leaves are used to heal diabetes and for weight loss.
- The red-orange leaves have high levels of corosolic acid (interpenoid glycoside) that can lower blood sugar. Corosolic acid may have an influence on diabetes.
- Banaba also contains concentrations of dietary fiber and minerals such as magnesium and zinc.
- It helps the body to handle glucose and as such, it's also effective in weight loss.
- The hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) effect is similar to that of insulin (which induces glucose transport from the blood into body cells).
- Its tea is therapeutic against ailments such as diabetes and kidney and urinary problems. The taste is pleasant and smooth.
Japanese pharmaceutical companies import tons of its leaves to us to make a SLIMMING TEA. It is not only used for slimming but also for cholesterol deduction, hypertension and diabetes. Research conducted by scientists at ITDI of Department of Science and Technology or DOST discovered that the banaba leaves contain active ingredients similar to INSULIN, the popular anti-diabetic drug. Drinking the decoction of the leaves will normalize blood sugar. Its fresh leaves are also an essential component for emergency tincture of wounds and for sanitizing the surface of the skin.
Lagerstroemia speciosa or Banaba is a Philippine medicinal tree traditionally used to lower high blood sugar in the body. BANABA PLUS, is taken from wild Banaba leaves around unpolluted mountains and forests. It is also reported that it contains Magnesium, an energy booster and excellent for slimming. Its high content of corosolic acid makes it an effective anti-diabetic drug. Banaba is also recommended for kidney and bladder troubles and hypertension.
Furthermore, to make this tea more effective, we added HERBAL GLUTAMIONE, a powerful antioxidant and immune system booster and helps make the skin finer, softer and whiter. Drinking this tea everyday will promote general health and longevity. You can achieve its effectiveness in a short period time, usually within 30 days.
There has been much research done on Banaba leaves and their ability to reduce blood sugar, and its "insulin-like principle." In the Philippines, Banaba is a popular medicine plant and is used in treatment of diabetes mellitus. According to Japanese pharmaceutical companies' research, it is a natural plant insulin that can be taken orally and has no side effects. Numerous studies have been done in Japan on this remarkable herb. On one study, powdered banaba dried leaves are mixed with chicken feeds. And when the diabetic patients took the egg for their morning diet, they found out that the patients' blood sugar level were lowered. In another study, the alcohol extract of banaba leaves was used to spray with a mist generator in patients' room. Analysis indicated the same result of lowered blood sugar level. The higher the dosage of corosolic acid, the lower the blood sugar levels will be.
However, more recent studies have shown that the entire herb is useful in lowering blood sugar, and that corosolic acid is probably not the only active ingredient in banaba. They concluded that the whole banaba tree from root to leaves and flower had a glucose lowering effect and could be used to fight diabetes, obesity, kidney diseases, hypertension, and many others.
Banaba is also used effectively in weight-loss products: An interesting 'side-effect' of tighter control of blood sugar and insulin levels is a significant tendency of banaba to promote weight loss (an average of 2–4 lbs. per month)—without significant dietary alterations. It is likely that modulation of glucose and insulin levels reduces total caloric intake and encourages moderate weight loss. In Japan, Banaba tea has become quite popular. In the US, many weight-loss formulas are now using banaba as a safe, natural component for reducing weight.
In addition, many of us in the modern world became to patronize modern medicines invented by educated modern doctors. As we said, most of these medicines are extracts of botanical herbs known among uneducated traditional herb healers whom you term as quack healers in poor tribes.
People in the mountains or forests were cured and why many who live in the civilized world were not healed with these botanical herbs. Is it the reason that you are turning to modern doctors with modern medicine?
You should know something that modern people cannot remember—it is too much salt (sodium) intake for civilized people. You should know how much salt you're taking daily.
2,300 milligrams a day is the upper limit for most people. Those with high blood pressure and other diseases including diabetes are urged to eat less, and 1,500 mg is plenty enough for good health.
Many sick people told us that they are not using salt for cooking at all. Is that so?
Although you do not use any salt, most foods you buy at malls are processed foods that contain a lot of salt.
Chicken broths, sausages, hot dogs, roasted meats, canned meats, hams, salami, pizzas, bacon—you name it! They are all ready-to-eat foods that contain 70--80% of sodium.
Don't you know that most botanical herbs will not work if there's too much sodium in your blood? Is it not the reason that many failed to believe advises of traditional healers? Let us learn more from old, then you can find true modern world.
When you take botanical herbs or when you follow the advice of traditional healers, do not take so much salt. That's it. Cook with seasonings such as garlic, peppers, ginger, and other spicy vegetables that you can substitute for salt.
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