Herbal teas

Here are three herbal teas that I've tried that seemed to help lessen the frequency of flare-ups. I prepare the teas and keep them in the refrigerator and drink them throughout the day like I would drink water. I usually just drink them plain but you may want to add some honey for sweetness or a squeeze of lemon for extra flavor. I also included some information that I gathered about the plants.

Miagus (Lumanai)

Miagus (Lumanaja fluviatilis Blanco) or lumanai is a very characteristic species growing along small swift streams at low and medium altitudes, on banks and in stream beds. The leaves are used as poultice for skin diseases. It also possesses diuretic action and is thought to be helpful for those suffering from high blood pressure, high uric acid, gout, and those with kidney troubles and stones.

Botany

A gregarious shrub or small, crooked and twisted tree, 1-4 m tall, up to 10 cm in stem diameter, forming a woody, deep and extensive root system. Branches smooth to slightly grooved. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules keel-like, enlarged at base, 5-6 mm long, caducous; petiole 5-15 mm long, pubescent; blade narrowly lanceolate to oblong,

Uses

· Food: Leaves are eaten as a vegetable in the Philippines.

· Medicine: Miagus provides a number of popular local medicines. In Laos, a decoction of the leaves is used against itches. In Cambodia, the stems and leaves are applied as a purgative, whereas an infusion of the wood is used against malaria and scabies. In Java, leaves were used to blacken teeth and to fix loose ones. The pounded leaves and sometimes fruits are applied as a poultice against skin diseases in Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. A decoction of the leaves and fruits is similarly effective.

· Lipids: Young shoots and leaves are a component of a hair oil in Cambodia.

Source: Miagus (Lumanaja fluviatilis Blanco)