16/10/2020
LAGUNDI TREE
Lagundi (scientific name: Vitex negundo) is native to the Philippine Islands and has been used for centuries because of its therapeutic properties. It is a large shrub which can grow up to five meters tall; with a single thick woody stem like a trunk. Its leaves are pointed and having five leaflets set like a hand. Most of the parts of the lagundi plant have medicinal values which is why it is actively promoted by the Philippine Department of Health.
It is one of the ten herbal medicines endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health as an effective herbal medicine with proven therapeutic value. Commonly known in the Ilocos region as dangla, lagundi has been clinically tested to be effective in the treatment of colds, flu, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and pharyngitis. Studies have shown that Lagundi can prevent the body's production of leukotrienes, which are released during an asthma attack.
Lagundi contains Chrysoplenol D, a substance with anti-histamine and muscle relaxant properties. Even in Japan, lagundi is becoming recognized as an effective herbal medicine, especially since researches have shown that it contains properties that make it an expectorant and reported to function as a tonic as well. More than that, most of the parts of the lagundi plant have medicinal value.