Sambong Herb

Sambong Herb is an aromatic plant that has medicinal properties being benefited by Filipinos for a long time. This herbal plant is approved by the Department of Health (DOH) in the Philippines as an alternative medicine. It is known in the Visayan speaking Filipinos as Gabon, Karamburan, Hanlilib-on, and Bukadkad. In Ilocano people it is known as Subusob, Subsub or Sobsob.
Its scientific name is Blumea Balsamifera and is part of the Blumea Genus Asteraceae family. It is also called as Ngai Camphor and Sembung.

Sambong Herb Physical Discription

Sambong plant grows from medium to tall or from 1 foot to 5 meters or more. It is considered shrub with green and hairy leaves. Its yellow flowers are cluttered in every branch.

Sambong Herb Flavors

Sambong Herb has an aroma of fresh menthol and camphoric fragrance. By simply smelling the untouched plant, you can immediately tell it’s Sambong. The leaves, when crushed, it will produce green and aromatic but staining juice. It tastes like woody, bitter and menthol.

Sambong Herb Benefits

Sambong Herb as an alternative medicine can be used as follows:

1. Diuretic. Sambong Herb when taken as tea or capsule, it can help the patient remove water from the body. Sambong is well-known being effective as blood cleanser by helping the kidney in removing from the blood the substances that are harmful to our body if they remain in the blood, like Uric Acid, Creatinine, and excess Sugar. However, it also leads to the removal of substances beneficial to our body like, the Potassium, and Sodium. It is also effective in the removal or dissolving of Kidney stone. Therefore, Sambong herb is beneficial to patients with hypertension, kidney stone, arthritis and diabetes. This can be good too to those patients with Lupus-Nephritis. (Trivia: Did you that Sida-sida Herb is also an effective diuretic herbal like Sambong.)
2. Expectorant. Sambong Herb is also effective in treating common cold’s symptoms such as fever, sneezing, and nasal watery discharge. It can be taken as tea or capsule. But it is also effective if it is used as paste that will be placed on the forehead and facial sinuses areas. 
3. Astringent. Sambong Herb, can be used a cleaning agent that contains anti-bacterial properties effective in cleaning wounds and cuts. To prepare, you need to collect Sambong leaves, wash them in running water and throw them in a litter of boiling water. Let the water to cool down to a warm temperature before using it to the affected areas. 
4. Pain Reliever. Sambong Plant contains pain reliever properties. Taking the herb as tea or as capsule is effective. It can also be used a paste that will be placed on the affected areas. The Sambong Paste, can also be placed at baths where you can submerge your whole body or just the affected parts.

Growing Sambong Herb Tips

Sambong Herb can be found anywhere in the Philippines. And even if in the Philippines the medicinal benefits of Sambong plant is recognized, but in most part of the country it is considered weed, that people often cut it down for good. You can plant it by seed or by sprout and in indoor or outdoor garden. We can’t find seeds yet in the stores, but you can gather them if you happen to pass by areas where Sambong grows. Seeds are found on the adult flowers. If you will find a flowering Sambong plant, most assuredly it has sprouts on its base. Just take a sprout of the ground and plant it in your garden. The most preferred time to plant Sambong sprouts is during afternoon, when heat from the sun is fading off.

Sambong Decoction Preparation

Here how to make a Sambong Decoction:

1. Collect 10 adult leaves of Sambong.
2. Clean the leaves from dusts and dirt.
3. Prepare to boil 1 liter of potable water along with the Sambong leaves.
4. Let it boil atleast 5 minutes.

And after that, you have now your Sambong Decoction.