Tawa- tawa (Euphorbia hirta)
Euphorbia hirta is a pantropical weed, originating from the tropical regions of the Americas. It is a hairy herb that grows in open grasslands, roadsides and pathways. It is widely used in traditional herbal medicine across many cultures, particularly for asthma, skin ailments, and hypertension. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Euphorbia hirta
Kingdom: Plantae
Euphorbia hirta commonly known as Tawa-Tawa is a plant used in folklore medicine in the Philippines for the treatment of dengue.The leaves of E. hirta, locally known as “Tawa-Tawa” or gatas–gatas, are used to make a decoction that believe to alleviate viral infection and associated fever symptoms.It has been shown to increase platelets and bring down temperatures.Since the 1980s, it has also been used for sore eyes, cough, diabetes, dengue, malaria, gastritis, and diarrhea. It is also considered as a potential adjunctive treatment for COVID-19.
Tawa-tawa capsules are currently registered with the Food and Drug Administration only as a supplement with no therapeutic claims.
Tawa-tawa tea is said to be an effective cure for dengue. To find the truth behind tawa-tawa’s curative properties, students of the University of Sto Tomas (UST) – Faculty of Pharmacy conducted a study entitled “Investigation of the anti-thrombocytopenic property of euphorbia hirta linn (Tawa-Tawa) decoction in rat models.”Results showed that laboratory mice treated with the decoction of “tawa-tawa” had an increase in platelet count, reduced bleeding time and decreased blood clotting time. Based on the results, researchers concluded that administering tawa-tawa decoction to animal models help improve their healing mechanism.
How to Make Tawa-tawa Tea
In preparing tawa-tawa tea, 100 grams of the fresh whole plant (including roots) are washed and boiled in half a liter (500 ml) of water for 15 minutes. After cooling and paper-filtration, the decoction is taken by the patient at one glass every hour until the fever subsides.
Sources:
http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php; Wikipedia
