11 Healing Powers of Siam Weed (Awolowo Leaves) Updated

Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata) popularly known as Awolowo Leaves also called Independence leaf is a flowering shrub with amazing healing powers and health benefits which are mostly unknown to mankind due to lack of information about this amazing plant and they belong to the sunflower family.

 It was discovered in Nigeria shortly after our Independence from the colonial rule in 1960. Some persons said maybe it was one of God’s way to soothe and heal our pains as a Nation, but I believe it was a beautiful coincidence.

The fact still remains that this plant is a very potent clotting agent as well as a wound healer. The plant is very invasive with amazing healing powers and can sometimes be classified as a grass because of the rate at which it grows.

The plant can grow more than 3cm per day in favorable conditions (a potential threat to our crops).

Common name: Siam Weed, bitter bush, Christmas bush, Chromolaena, archangel. camphor grass, common floss flower, communist green.

Botanical name: Chromolaena Odorata.

Local name: acheampong (Ghana) Ewé Akintọla (Akintọla’s leaf) Ewé Awolọwọ (Awolọwọ’s leaf), (Yoruba) Obiara Ohuu, Ewu ata (Igbo) Devil weed (Australia) diabantou (Congo) Sekou you’re (cote d’ivoire) ashoke lata (India), Gautan Kaji (Hausa), Armstrong weed (South Africa) Independence leaf” or “Queen Elizabeth weed”.

Description Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata) – Awolowo Leaves

• It is a herb, with soft stems and woody base
• The plant is hairy and smells like alcohol when crushed
• The leaves are small, somehow triangular with serated edges
• The flowers are white and forms at the end of the branches

For most of people, perhaps including you, will not be familiar with the name of this leaves. Different than when you see other leaves such as cengkir mango.

Moreover, there are many other names for this leaves aside from chromolaena odorata.

This healing powers filled plant is actually one of the weeds plants or parasites that comes from the Asteraceae family.

Read Also: 15 Healing Powers of Scent Leaf (Ocimmum Gratissimum)

As for the characteristics of the leaves are they comes in the shape of oval and jagged on the edges.

Not only that, the leaves have a rather rough texture, different than the other types of leaves.

The leaves will have flowers at first and will bloom flowers on every summer season.

Usually, chromolaena odorata can be found on the height from 1000 to 2800 above the sea level. But, it is a different case in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, chromolaena odorata as opposite can be found in lowland about 500 above the sea.

The plenty of sunlight will contribute to the fast growth of this plant, therefore, the plant will be most-likely slow to grow when it doesn’t get enough light.

However, the fast growth of this plant can potentially damage cultivation plants and cost the farmers.

With the last fact being said, it is no surprise that the chromolaena odorata plant usually gets thrown away.

But, not much people know that the chromolaena odorata can actually contribute some benefits in the farming sphere.

As of the details about the nutrition in the chromolaena odorata leaves are:

Nutrition Content in Chromolaena Odorata Leaves

Awolowo Leaves contain the following nutrients below:
Phenol
Alkaloids
Triterpenoid
Tannin
Flavonoid
Limonen

With the nutrition contents as mentioned above, the chromolaena odorata then can give benefits to not only farming but also the body’s health.

Usually, chromolaena odorata is also used a lot as traditional herb medicines.

This has been practiced since a long time ago where people only knew physician and nurses.

Because it is very effective to cure many types of disease, the people from back in the day used to plant and grow this leaves a lot.

Read Also: Health Benefits of taking Watermelon Fruit during Early Pregnancy

Here are the health benefits of Chromolaena Odorata leaves:

Healing Powers / Benefits of Siam Weed (Chromolaena Odorata) Awolowo Leaves

However, as the time goes by, people began to know chemical medicines and doctors.

The chromolaena odorata then started to get abandoned and considered as weeds plants.

For those of you who wonder what are actually the benefits of chromolaena odorata, below we will give the full explanations of them.

1) Cyst Medicine

There are many health benefits of Chromolaena Odorata leaves.

The chromolaena odorata is very useful for those of you who want to heal cyst effectively.

2) Pain Reliever

Taking half glass cup in the morning and evening for a week, will definitely deliver anyone from body/back pain.

3) Prevent Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the diseases that is very dangerous for women.

To prevent yourself from developing the disease, you can drink the chromolaena odorata tea.

Read Also: 10 Amazing Health Benefits of taking Guava fruit during Pregnancy

4) Maintain the Health of Reproduction Organ on Women

The health of reproduction organs is one of the very important thing that needs to be aware of.

To maintain the health of it, you can drink the chromolaena odorata brewed water.

5) Prevent Diabetes

Apart from to maintain the health of reproduction organ of women, the chromolaena odorata leaves can also prevent diabetes.

6) Vertigo Medicine

Vertigo is one of the diseases that cannot be underestimated. This disease can not only send you to hospital but can also cause death.

You can cure the disease by drinking the chromolaena odorata brewed water when your chromolaena odorata is relapsing.

7) Ulcer Medicine

Not only that it can help when your ulcer is relapsing, it is also believed to be able to cure your ulcer if consumed routinely.

8) Maintain the Heart’s Health

It is important for us to maintain the health of our heart to make sure it can always work well.

To avoid the diseases that are related to heart, you can consume the chromolaena odorata leaves.

Read Also: How Guava Fruits and Leaves Improve Female Fertility

9) Decrease the Cholesterol Level

For those of you who want to decrease the cholesterol level in your body, you can drink the chromolaena odorata brewed water when your cholesterol level is increasing or when you just consumed seafood.

10) Uric Acid Medicine

The chromolaena odorata can also be used as the medicine for uric acid.

11) Decrease the Blood Pressure

Not only that it can decrease the cholesterol level, the chromolaena odorata leaves are also capable to decrease your blood pressure. This is especially useful for those of you who have hypertensions.

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