Yerba buena is a very good
analgesic
• Excellent for headaches and body pains without the side effects on the
kidney and liver compared to synthetic analgesics.
• Considered as a drug after human clinical trials
Yerba Buena is an herb of the mint family. It is an aromatic plant used
as herbal medicine worldwide. This perennial plant’s growth ranges from 0.6
meters to 1 meter. It has elongated leaves and in summers, it bears small
whitish or purplish flowers. Such flowers possess both male and female organs
that allow it to be pollinated by bees and animals of the same nature. The word
Yerba Buena is Spanish for "good herb" and was the former name of the
California city of San Francisco.
Before its medicinal value has been recognized, Yerba Buena was first
used as an ingredient in numerous cuisines. It became popular because of its
distinctively strong spearmint flavor, thus making it ideal for salads. The
leaves are the source of this flavor, and they may be added to viands and
meals, either raw or cooked. It has also been effective to drive away rats and
other rodents, because of its strong smell of mint that it emits. Thus, besides
its medicinal value, it has long been recognized to have strong commercial
demand due to the variety of uses that the plant have.
Yerba Buena has been consumed for centuries as tea and herbal medicine
as a pain reliever (analgesic). Native American Indians used it even before the
"white men" colonized the Americas. Today, this folk medicine's
efficacy has been validated by scientific research. In the Philippines, Yerba
Buena is one of the 10 herbs endorsed by the Department of Health (DOH) as an
effective alternative medicine for aches and pains. It has been recognized for
its antiseptic, anti-cancer, diuretic, anti-spasm, anti-emetic activities.
Properties of this herbal plant are also found to function as stimulant and to
have restorative effects.
As an herbal medicine, a decoction (boil leaves then strain) of Yerba
Buena is effective for minor ailments such as headaches, toothaches, and joint
pains. It can also relive stomachaches due to gas buildup and indigestion. The
fresh and dried leaves can both be used for the decoction. And because Yerba
Buena belongs to the mint family, soaking fresh leaves in a glass of water (30
to 45 minutes) makes a good and effective mouth wash for a clean, fresh
smelling breath.
Yerba Buena may be used to treat:
• Arthritis
• Head aches
• Tooth aches
• Mouth wash
• Relief of intestinal gas
• Stomach aches
• Indigestion
• Drink as tea for general good health.
Preparation & Use:
• Wash fresh Yerba Buena leaves in running water. Chop to size for
dried leaves, crush) and boil 2 teaspoons of leaves in a glass of water. Boil
in medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
• As analgesic, take a cupful every 3 hours.
• For tooth aches, pound the fresh leaves, squeeze juice out and apply
on a cotton ball then bite on to the aching tooth.
• Yerba buena leaves may be heated over fire and placed over the
forehead for headaches.
Stems of Yerba Buena may be crushed and applied directly to bruises.
Folkloric use include poultice preparation and the oil extracts from its stems
are suggested to be a remedy for cancerous tumors. Caution should be observed
in taking this herbal medicine as it can be toxic in large doses.