These days, more and more parents are starting to get concerned about the long-term effects that medicines can have on their children. Which is why herbal medicine is starting to make a comeback for parents who are looking for natural alternatives to keep their children healthy.
Thankfully, the Philippines has an abundance of herbal medicine that has been used since ancient times! Here are just a few of these healthy herbs that are safe for your kids!
1. Lagundi
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Lagundi has been widely used in the Philippines as a cure for coughs, not only for children, but also for adults. It can also help relieve colds, fever, asthma, rheumatism, boils, and diarrhea.
All you have to do would be to boil the leaves and drink the resulting ‘tea’. For younger kids, you might want to add some honey to make it tastier for them, since the tea can be a tad bitter.
Another option would be to buy lagundi syrup, or lagundi capsules since some pharmaceutical companies have started to develop an all natural cough remedy using lagundi.
2. Guava
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Guavas are not only tasty, and good for your kids’ health, but the leaves have excellent antibacterial properties. You might already know that kids who undergo ‘tuli’ or circumcision in the province use guava leaves as a disinfectant.
Similarly, you can boil guava leaves and use the resulting liquid as an antiseptic wash for wounds, and it has even been reported to help deal with acne in teens!
3. Oregano
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Aside from being a tasty addition to spaghetti sauce and other meals, oregano is also a good alternative to cough medicine.
Drinking tea made from boiled oregano leaves can help soothe a sore throat, and helps expel mucus for kids who are suffering from a dry cough. As with lagundi, you can add some honey to make it palatable for your kids.
You can also drink oregano tea to help soothe your throat or help clear a cough. In some cases, it can even work better than lagundi as a cough remedy!
4. Tsaang gubat
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From the name alone, you can guess that tsaang gubat is mainly drunk as tea. However, the leaves can help treat skin allergies such as eczema, scabies, itchiness, and wounds during childbirth.
Tsaang gubat is also very popular as a medicinal remedy in China, and it’s also a great ornamental plant. Not to mention, it’s also easy to grow and maintain, so it’s a good idea to plant some tsaang gubat in your home!
5. Garlic
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Aside from tasty, garlic as a lot of amazing properties that can help it treat various infections. Garlic has been reported to have anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive properties!
Some people eat garlic raw, but the taste might be too much for your kids. What you can do instead is to grind up or mash one clove of garlic, cook it and then mix it with their food.
However, be sure to give garlic only when your baby is at least 6-8 months old since younger babies might find it hard to digest, or they might develop an allergy.
Source: parenting.com, altheadistributor.com, rnspeak.com, femalenetwork.com, momjunction.com
READ: Natural health remedies that are safe for children
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