Betel Leaves and Lemon Basil from my "garden" - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Who does know about the Betel leaf plant? For someone who born and grow up in Indonesia, they are familiar with this particular plant, including me. What exactly this plant and does it give benefits to our body?
I know, by googling we can see there are lots of articles or even study about Betel leaf plant. However, I had experiences that I would like to share here. Based on a true event that I encountered many years ago when I had to face an uncomfortable health issue. What happened to me back then and how I ended up taking Betel Leaf for solving my poor health and what another benefit by growing the Betel Leaf plant in the garden?
It was one of my grandmothers who had interested in natural medicine and eating something from her own garden. She passioned to eat any kind of leaves and herb that had been believed good for health. No wonder she would eat young guava leaves, young mango leaves, sweet potato leaves, herbs, and also chewing betel leaves. Every day she arranged 1 betel leaf and some other ingredients and ground them by using some kind of tool. Chewing and then split them out, again and again. It was good for healthy teeth, she said. I think this tradition exists since ancient times. She was one of the old ladies who carried this tradition and reached long life; if I am not wrong she died at 110 years old (or even more because she did not remember what year she was born). My father passed away even before 50, she surpassed 100 years! What an incredible and toughest person in the world. One of her favorites ingredients was sweet potato leaves that had believed for long life. She didn't have any serious health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or any chronic illness for example heart disease or cancer. But as she grew older, gradually she lost her sight, and couldn't walk properly. She stopped traveling at (I think) 80 years old. I admire her a lot and become one of my role models.
My first year at secondary school was the worst year when I was diagnosed had tonsillitis. I often got some symptoms for instance a fever, headache, and severe in my throat. The worst part was I couldn't swallow my food and drink. A few times visited a local doctor that cost more money which meant a big issue for my father who just lost his decent job. My father earned $ 4 a month and my medicine had cost almost all my father's monthly wage. This was bad news for my family.
In the middle of bad situations, one of my relatives asked me to make herbal medicine. The ingredient was turmeric, lemon or lime, and honey. I drank it every day for a year. However, honey was too expensive to buy that my father couldn't afford it. As a result, my grandmother gave advice that I had to drink a glass of betel leaf water every day. Boiling water with some Betel leaves was my routine. And an effective or faster way just to put 1 Betel leaf in a glass then pour hot water, drinking it after a few minutes when the water cooling down. I did this for about 3 years or more and I called it the darkness year because you can imagine how the taste, but I proud of it that I could endure the worst day! 🙃😊 Not only that, I had to avoid fried food as much as possible, cool drinks & ice, MSG, and salt with high sodium (basically, in the village was common salt). However, I could not avoid MSG and this standard salt because my father's partner was still using those 2 ingredients when she cooked even though she knew how bad my condition.
After years of taking Batel leaf as my natural medicine, I didn't visit the clinic because of my tonsillitis. Whereas some of the children ended up on the surgery table. Yes, there are some or many children who lived around my neighborhood got the same health issue as mine. I think because of the unpleasant taste of Betel leaf, they avoided this natural remedy. I was afraid of needles, so I didn't want to face surgery. Moreover, my father hadn't enough money to pay the hospital. That's why I had to embrace drinking Betel leaf water. Even my father supported me by growing Betel leaf at his back yards. I remember the Betel leaf plant that grew at the back yards was very healthy with shiny leaves all around.
I stopped drinking Betel leaf water when I went to study for my Bachelor's degree. But still, for a year studying at a university, I avoided fried foods for example veggie fritters, MSG, cool drinks, and ice. I was a lucky person because I found a food stall that concerned about healthiness. This food stall didn't use any kind of MSG on the foods they sold and cooked just enough salty. Well, as you know, most Indonesian love MSG, sugar, and salty foods (or I could say too salty and too sweet for me). Therefore, I bought my lunch and dinner at this healthy stall every day. The first moment I tried a cool drink was ice tea. I was scared but I had to prove to myself that my hard work to heal from tonsillitis is worth it. After a few minutes drank ice tea, there was nothing happened until the next day. Drinking cool drinks and ate veggie fritters was my next move and I didn't have any symptoms of tonsillitis. That day I felt grateful and happy because I am free to eat fried foods, cool drinks, and ice!🙂 Nowadays, I sometimes got a sore throat, but it common sore throat, not tonsillitis. Now, my body reacts fast with MSG, so if you give me food even though you say that your food does not contain MSG, my body will analyze it. In just a few minutes I will feel itchy in my throat then start coughing. If I still continue to eat food that contains MSG I will get a sore throat. That's why I love cooking my own food at home because buying foods from outside will cause me troubles; spicy foods cause me diarrhea; foods that contain coconut milk make my stomach sad; I will instantly throw up when eating meat, an improper cook can lead stomach issues for me as well.🤷♀️
Tonsillitis is tonsil inflammation that has some symptoms such as fever, enlargement of the tonsils, trouble swallowing, and in the past, I had a severe headache as well. If the onset comes often it will end up surgery. If we read many studies, the cause of tonsillitis is a bacterial infection or it could be viruses. However, I think MSG and too much sodium could affect the inflammation of the tonsils. I agree that children need sodium but do not give them more than they need. Meanwhile, MSG has a bad effect on our body, and definitely avoid this ingredient for sure.👍 Since many years ago when I went studying at a university, I have not ever picked MSG as my ingredient food. Moreover, I have never put sugar in my cooking recipes and I do not buy sugar either. If you see my pantry cupboard, you can't find those ingredients on it. Not only that, for the past few years I have chosen low sodium salt.
Growing Betel leaf plant in your garden is a wise choice. We can use it for some purposes because of carotene, vitamin C, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, and also calcium source. Not only for tonsillitis treatment but also for a daily intimate wash for women. Picking some Betel leaves and boil with water. When it cools down enough it can be applied for this particular purpose. If you read my article on Ichi's Fusion Recipes, I wrote on how to make homemade herbal tea and one of the benefits is the treatment for yeast infection. Drinking this particular homemade herbal tea, at the same time using Betel leaf water for a daily intimate wash for the yeast infection treatment. After the yeast infection gone, we, as women we can still continue drinking this kind of herbal tea and using Betel leaf water as a daily intimate wash. If you do search on google you can see that there are other good things about the Betel leaf plant that it helps reduce sugar level which is good for diabetic person, and healing wounds.
In my experiences of treating tonsillitis, it took sometimes or a long run. We need to be patient and drink it daily for the best result. We can not expect that in just a week or months to see the result. Even though there is no research haven't conducted to study it but at least I prove to myself not others. I drank Betel leaf water for about 3 years and it healed me. 3 years ago one of my classmates in High school told me that her son has Tonsillitis. I advise her to give her son Betel leaf water every day. Drinking routine and it will go away. However, she didn't take my advice and I do not know what happens. I bet it will end up in the surgery room if the condition gets worst. Yes, some people don't believe and doubts natural medicine or remedy for some or many reasons or just simply underestimate herbal remedies. Me, personally, I should be grateful because my family went through hard life so that I can respect nature, and believe in natural medicine.
I have had Betel leaf plant for about 5 years. I was happy when I saw the Betel leaf plant sold at the flower&plant shop. Since then, this plant has become a part of my "garden" plants. Surprisingly, I have 4 pots of Betel leaf now. Giving them organic fertilizer for example chicken fertilizer it will make produce more leaves. Of course, like other plants, facing sunlight is the way to place it. However, my Betel leaf plants do not grow as well as in the ground. I hope I have yards someday so that I can harvest them every day!
I think it easy to grow Betel leaf at home even though we do not have yards. Moreover, it gives an alternative to treat tonsillitis and other benefits. Many years ago, the clinic head chief in my hometown asked me if the water of Betel leaf could heal tonsillitis because he knew that I drank it for about 3 years. "Yes, I completely heal and free to eat fried foods, chips, cool drinks, and ice" that what I said. He said, "that's good news and inspired others. I can recommend my patients who have suffered from tonsillitis." I have always said that gardening is not a hobby. In my view, gardening is one of the ways how we respect nature, and who knows it will give us natural remedies and another benefit. Happy gardening!👊
Thank you for reading my article, and bye for now! 🖐🙂
Read my article on another blog, Ichi's Fusion Recipe; Red and Brown Multipurpose Fresh Handmade Seasoning and Condiment; link here https://ichi-recipes.blogspot.com/2021/03/red-and-brown-multipurpose-fresh.html
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Do not copy this article without permission
- Do not reuse this photograph anywhere else without permission
