Milk flower has the ability to cause high allergies, especially pollen, creating an uncomfortable feeling for people standing nearby, but many parts of this plant are medicinal herbs in Oriental medicine.
General practitioner Bui Dac Sang, Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi Oriental Medicine Association, said that the scientific name of milk flower is Alstonia scholaris, family Apocynaceae. The plant is called "milk flower" because when damaged, the whole plant exudes a milky white sap.
Milk flowers are grown and grow wild in our country, especially in the northern provinces. This is a woody plant, with an average height of 15-30 m, a round, straight stem, a brown, cracked outer bark, and a lot of white resin inside. The leaves grow in circles, the blades are long oval, about 5.5-6.5 cm wide and 8-22 cm long. The flowers grow in clusters, at the ends of branches, are white or light green, and have a characteristic aroma.
According to physician Sang, milk flower has a high potential to cause allergies, especially pollen. The scent of milk flower is very strong in nature, if you smell it a little, standing from a distance with a faint fragrance, it feels pleasant. However, when standing close or smelling it for a long time, the fragrance can rush into the nose, causing discomfort to people with sensitive constitutions, especially those with a history of respiratory diseases. In addition, the hairs or pollen of milk flower mixed with the wind into the air, people inhale it can also easily cause allergies, affecting their health.
Therefore, people with respiratory diseases, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, allergic conjunctivitis should avoid using this medicinal herb. People with allergies will have itching, acne, rashes due to milk flower pollen, which are allergens that trigger allergies. When milk flower blooms, many people also have headaches and dizziness.
Milk flower is considered one of the memorable things about autumn in Hanoi, despite causing much controversy about its scent. Photo: Huynh Nhi
Although milk flower can easily cause allergies, some parts of the plant are medicinal in Oriental medicine. The bark contains some chemical components such as echitenin, ditamine, which are used to make medicine. Milk flower medicine is bitter, cool, has the effect of eliminating phlegm, detoxifying, and regulating menstruation; it is used to treat menstrual disorders, as a health tonic, to treat acute and chronic malaria, skin itching, high fever, anemia, dysentery, diarrhea, and arthritis. In India, milk flower is used to treat dental diseases due to its antibacterial effects.
According to modern pharmacological research, milk flower helps fight inflammation, reduce cough, asthma and pain. Methanol in milk flower leaves can fight alpha-glucoside, potential prevention and treatment of diabetes. Alkaloids in milk flower have the effect of fighting cancer cells and increasing the survival of experimental mice. In addition, milk flower also has the effect of treating digestive disorders.
Doctor Sang noted that when using the milk flower tree to treat diseases, avoid confusing it with the star apple tree. In addition, using milk tree bark in high doses can be toxic, so do not use it on your own but consult a specialist, appropriate to the disease condition.
Experts also recommend that people, especially those with respiratory problems or allergies, should limit or avoid direct contact with the scent, pollen and hair of the milk flower.
Thuy Quynh
Source link
Comment (0)