MEDICINAL USES OF BETEL LEAVES

In my previous post, you saw me doing the Fire Ant Dance to get some betel leaves (Piper betle L.) or daun sirih. I guess you must be thinking why I did what I did. Why not just throw the leaves away and wait for the new plant to grow? Well, I was taught by my godmother about the usefulness of these leaves and to see them being thrown away just like that is such a crying shame. That was why I got all my friends at school to get the leaves and make use of them.

Let me share with you a few of the medicinal uses of the daun sirih as used in traditional medicine to treat white discharge, bad breath, swollen gums, body odour and wind.

Treatment of white discharge
Clean a few betel leaves before boiling them in a pot of water. When the water is boiled, leave it to cool. The water can be used to wash the vagina, especially each time after urination.

Treatment of bad breath and swelling of the gums
There are two methods to treat bad breath. The first is to chew a few pieces of betel leaves that have been washed. Chew the leaves and then leave in the mouth for a while before spitting them out. The second method is to boil a few of the leaves in water and then leave it to cool after the water has boiled. The water can be used to rinse the mouth twice a day, once in the morning and another time at night. To treat swollen gums, add salt to the water boiled with the leaves, leave until lukewarm before using it to gargle.

Treatment of body odour
Boil 2 to 3 leaves in about 1/2 a cup of water. When the water is boiled take out the leaves and add a bit of rock sugar before drinking.

Used as an aphrodisiac and to expel wind from the body.
Drinking water boiled with betle leaves is also said to be an aphrodisiac. At the same time, it is said to help expel wind from the body.

References:
www.melur.com
www.indiaayurvedum.com