Natural medicines can be some of the most useful and convenient, according to Professor Keoki Baclayon.
With Hawaii’s endless varieties of plants, an all-natural cleanse, natural band-aid, headache cure, or even remedy for diabetes may be right beside your beach towel. The key is recognizing them and knowing their uses. Baclayon teaches Plants for Medicinal Use at BYU–Hawaii. Baclayon shared his top four most useful medicinal plants for BYUH students.
First, he explained the basics of medicinal application. He said there are two ways to utilize the plants: topically and internally. By adding water, Baclayon said, it helps our bodies to “really benefit from the medicinal properties of the plant much quicker.” For each, you simply “combine the plant in a blender with one cup of water and strain the excess plant material to drink it.”
Baclayon said each mixture should be taken three to four times a day.
Nioi: The chili pepper
Practically a “cure all” in Hawaiian remedies, Baclayon said it’s especially helpful for students. It can ease headaches, the flu and specifically increases circulation and oxygenation. “Students really need their minds to be at their optimum. Oxygen to the brain allows this.” Baclayon said any hot pepper will work with the steps above.
Pohuehue: The raw band-aid
Also known as the Beach Morning Glory, this leafy, vined plant is growing on nearly every beach surrounding campus. The closest places to gather leaves are Temple Beach and Hukilau Beach. The pohuehue plant can be used for cuts, broken bones, strains, and sprains as well as a natural digestive agent.
For topical use, Baclayon said, “In the traditional fashion, you just take the meat (of the leaf) and chew it, and then you put it on any cuts you have. To make it stick, use some aloe and wrap with saran wrap.” For those who want to go more natural, Baclayon said using ti leaf, or any large leaf, can work to hold the pohuehue paste on the wound.
Kinehi: To combat sugar
“This is an important plant because a lot of students are eating a lot of sugars and some of them are developing diabetes,” said Baclayon. It can be found near the Kahuku gas station “on the perimeter of the parking area.” It is used to treat people who are diabetic. You simply gather a handful of leaves and make the juice mixture for one serving. Baclayon said it helps to control insulin levels.
Aloe: Not just for sunburns
Used for sunburns topically, aloe can also be used internally as a cleansing agent. Baclayon said people who habitually “eat poorly” often have upset intestinal tracts. Beginning with de-thorning the plant leaf by going around the sides with a knife, Baclayon described the process of removing the gel.
“The aloe has a flat side and a round side. You cut the flat side of the skin off, and press your thumb really hard onto the gel until you feel the skin on the other side and scrape it off.” Add about a cup of aloe gel to a cup of water to make a mixture to drink and soothe an upset stomach.