By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
The rains have brought forth a lot of wealth from the ground. Just go outside and everywhere you will see plants growing so robust giving so much delight to the spirit. With this lockdown, many have turned to the land, planted something and are now happily harvesting. If there’s one great antidote to depression, gardening is it. And it’s free! But note that even the cemented “tuping” (riprap) has grown plants! No one planted those. Many plants can grow on just a little soil as long as they have enough water, air and sunshine. I am not just referring to the ubiquitous grasses but to herbs and trees. Observe how pine trees and fig trees can grow on cracks of rocks. This shows that plants have such tremendous power and energy. So when you get low on energy and power, just remember the plants. Eat them and get their power.
For this issue, let us discuss three of these plants, so common that I am sure you tasted them already this season. Don’t be quick to uproot those plants in your garden because chances are those “weeds” are edible and are, therefore, called “vegetables”. Like kalunay and amti. And because they are vegetables, they also have medicinal or healing properties. Also, these provide variety to your sayote and camote and cabbage.
Kalunay, alugbati and amti are all leafy green vegetables and if you look at the shape of their leaves, they are heart-shaped. You will observe that almost all leaves are heart-shaped. The shape of the vegetable gives a clue as to what vital organ of the body it will nourish and strengthen. Isn’t that so loving of our Creator? To create plants that way so we don’t need expensive laboratory equipment to know these things. Crucial knowledge then becomes available to all people, not only to the rich and powerful.
Kalunay is one of the richest vegetables but we take it for granted. Thank God it doesn’t take offense- it just grows even if we don’t plant it, especially once the rains come. The more you snip off its shoots, the happier it seems as it grows more shoots. I remember red giant kalunay plants in our home garden which supplied us regularly with fresh leaves and shoots. They are tasty even if just plain boiled or with bukel with only salt as seasoning. Please don’t’ add knorr cubes or ginisa mix or anything with MSG (monosodium glutamate).
For those who need laboratory results to believe that these common vegetables are really rich, let us see what was found in kalunay. The boiled leaves are rich in calcium- 314 mg for every 100 grams edible portion, much more than cow’s milk (139mg) or carabao milk (187mg)!!! It also contains a lot of iron – 8.3 mg. – much more than cow’s milk (0.4mg) or carabao milk (0.2mg). It also contains more Vit. C (64 mg) than other vegetables. It is second to gabi leaves having the most B carotene and Vit. A, and second to amti having the most phosphorus. It is rich in protein!! Surprised? Well, it’s not only meat and eggs that contain protein. Plants also have protein and these are good proteins. Of course, plants contain much more other nutrients than what was mentioned but by just looking at the above nutrients in kalunay, we can understand why this common plant is known to lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent atherosclerosis and thus protect the heart. It improves bone quality, used in bowel and kidney ailments, treats varicose veins. It has anti-oxidants.
Kalunay is also used for eczema (form of allergy), boils, gallstones and external hemmorhoids. I have seen two varieties of kalunay (amaranth) – the one with the spine and the one with no spine. According to the late Leonard Co in his book Common Medicinal Plants in the Cordillera, both varieties have the same medicinal properties but the one without the spine has weaker activity.
How about alugbati and amti? Both are also rich in Vit. A, Vit. C and calcium. They grow naturally so well in any soil and so abundant. I didn’t plant any amti but they just grew in almost all my container garden. We removed our alugbati plants two years ago as they were overpowering the other vegetables in our small containers but they kept popping out from the soil since then. So now we gather them while young. The message of nature is that you eat what it gives in that season. As Captain Ri (of Crash Landing on You) says, “Eat the dishes that are best during each season.” And what are best but those which nature gives so abundantly. I learned a lot from this Korean telenovela (hahaay).
Amti decoction is used for itchy skin lesions, dysentery, acute mastitis and hypertension and as a wound wash. You may also let the amti grow until the berries are ripe and eat them fresh like “alumani” (blackberries) or you can make amti jam. God is good!***
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“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12
