ASHITABA "The Tomorrow Leaf": A Healing Herb

ASHITABA, one of elite plants considered for their medicinal qualities. Legend has it that an old Japanese man went off to an island basically to spend his last moments on this earth, having been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is said to have observe a tribe of old, sickly, and decrepit-looking monkeys head off to a certain place where he witnessed them eating some vegetation daily. The result? The monkeys that ate these plants - that turned out to be the Ashitaba medicinal plant - soon got well and went back to where they came from, only to be replaced by a steady stream of incoming sick monkeys. So, hoping against hope, our terminally- sick man partook of these plants and, before long, found himself strong enough to go home where he was diagnosed free of the dreaded disease. It seems that Ashitaba is well-known and has been documented in the Ming dynasty as Chinese medicine records of the 18th century. It is said that Ashitaba is, strictly speaking, a weed, which accounts for its ability to propagate so quickly. Containing a considerable amount of chlorophyll, it naturally does best in areas with full sunshine."http://www.organicashitaba.com" 

Scientific Name: Angelica keiskei koidzumi

Family: Carrot (Apiaceae)

Rare. Native to Hachijojima Island in Japan. The nutritional and health benefits of this high chlorophyll plant are extensive, and Ashitaba is unique among the Angelicas due to its tasty edibility and the presence of substantial levels of B12, a vitamin normally not found in terrestrial plants. The plant contains flavonoids known as "chalcones" in its yellow sap. Traditionally, the herb has been used as a rejuvenating food that contributes to long life. Eat the fresh stems of the leaves and dry the leaves and make tea. Direction: Dry 21 matured leaves for half day, then boil in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes.

Ashitaba is called "tomorrow's leaf" because, when harvesting one leaf from the plant, you can expect to see a new one "tomorrow." The plant does indeed rejuvenate itself very quickly in much the same way as it rejuvenates the human digestion and skin. The herb is considered effective in treating lungs, coughing, asthma, digestive system, disorders of the gastrointestinal system, kidneys and kidney stones, urinary tract bleeding, liver, gall bladder, gall stones, suppression of growth of cancer cells, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, blood poisoning, skin allergies, eczema and psoriasis, rheumatism, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes etc."http://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=irennrf0" 

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Medicinal Properties

This plant is being studied for nerve growth factor, cancer, menopause, and a sundry of disease conditions

Sources: http://www.nha.gov.ph/linkod/wellness/wellness.html

http://www.ashitabaplant.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashitaba