8 Everyday Herbs of The Caribbean - Herbal Academy

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2016 Posted By Ayo Ngozi, M.S. / Comments 0 / Ebook
Tags caribbean, doctrine of signatures, herbs of
central america
Three months ago, my son and I came to live in Manzanillo,

Email
Costa Rica, a small beach town on the southern Caribbean
https://theherbalacademy.com/8-everyday-herbs-of-the-caribbean/ 1/12
coast. As a Western-trained herbalist, this for me has meant

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a daily education on an entirely new materia medica
featuring herbs of the Caribbean—virtually none of my
COURSES • familiar temperate-climate
WORKSHOPS • plants
THE thrive here! Fortunately,
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there are many people to learn from in the Caribe Sur. One
Afro-Costa Rican woman, Alda Cook Campbell, learned about
ARCH
herbal medicine from her mother and grandmother and has
been especially helpful as a guide to local plants. I’m very
grateful to her for sharing her expertise and knowledge as I Type keywords.
become acclimated to this new world of plant medicine!
Costa Rica is exceptionally biodiverse—although it comprises

three-hundredths of a percent of the earth’s surface, 6% of FROM TH
the world’s living species can be found here (Instituto LOG
Nacional de Biodiversidad, 2016). The Costa Rican
government has also committed to ensuring the safety and  Botanical
ongoing growth of local ecosystems by designating over 25%
of the country’s acreage as protected land.  DIY
Growing up in an area of Costa Rica that is relatively isolated  Live Well
from the cities means acquiring a basic working knowledge of

 Eat Well
everyday plants used to address common complaints and
wellness needs, and the integration of herbal medicine into
 Our Favorites
daily life as an adjunct or an alternative to standard
pharmaceutical medicines. Because the southern Caribbean
is populated not only by indigenous and mestizo people but
also English-speaking African descendants (who largely
migrated from Jamaica, Panama, Honduras, and Nicaragua
HOP
over the last 100 years), there is a rich mix of healing
traditions and herb lore—and herbs of the Caribbean are COUR 
called by both Spanish and English names. +
PRODUCT
I’ve seen dozens of medicinal herbs of the Caribbean in our
stay so far, but some really stand out. Below, I’ll share 8
common everyday herbs of the Caribbean with you in case
you ever nd yourself in this area of the world.
8 verda Her of the FREE
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1. Gavilana / Jacka itter Package
From:
(Neurolaena loata) $118.00
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Energetics play an important role in local herbal traditions,
and some features—like bitterness—are considered
therapeutically important. Gavilana (also called tres puntas,
“three points,” or Jackass bitters) is a great example of a
bitter, cooling herb that is used here for a range of health
concerns, particularly those a ecting the liver. People also Entrepreneur
take a tea made of the leaves as an anti-parasitic cleanse of Herbalist

the digestive system, and its dried, powdered leaves are Package
commonly mixed with other herbs (such as bush basil) and From:
used topically for infection. $237.00
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2. Dormilona / enitive plant
•
WORKSHOPS • THE HERBARIUM VISIT THE BLOG month

(Mimoa pudica)
Brush the leaves of dormilona (“sleeping lady”) with the tip of
FOLLOW TH
a nger, and she closes in on herself—which is why this plant ACAD MY
is also called “sensitive plant.” Here is a perfect example of
the Doctrine of Signatures in action: just as dormilona     
responds to overstimulation by going to “sleep,” taken as a
tea or tincture she assists us in releasing nervous tension
stored in the body, overcoming insomnia, and calming
muscle spasm and nerve pain.
3. Chanca Piedra / hattertone
(Phllanthu amaru)
Chanca piedra is also called shatterstone or chamber bitters
in other parts of the world (including the southern United
States, where I see it growing regularly if not as proli cally). It
is primarily used here to break up stones and calci cations
throughout the body—for example, stones in the gallbladder
and kidney. Chanca piedra is also antispasmodic and
analgesic, making it a useful remedy for urinary tract
infection. It also lowers blood pressure and blood glucose
levels, detoxi es the liver, and is mildly laxative.
4. Cacao ( eoroma cacao)
Cacao is considered a “superfood” in the West, chock full of
antioxidants and a stimulating tonic, but it is an ancient
medicine that has been used ceremonially and more casually
in Central America for millennia. Although it is generally
grown here (and in many other parts of the world) on
plantations, wild, uncultivated cacao is truly a rainforest
plant. Locals often eat it fresh and raw—its large purplish
seeds are coated with a lm of sticky, oral-tasting white
esh that bears no resemblance to chocolate as we know it
(cacao is essentially the raw material that becomes chocolate,
after being fermented, dried, and roasted). On a recent visit

to the BriBri indigenous settlement, I learned more about the
traditional uses of cacao—not only as a stimulant and a food
COURSES • that enhances longevity but
WORKSHOPS • also
THEasHERBARIUM
kind of a social medicine,
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a plant that brings people together and nourishes the
community.
5. iempre viva / Leaf of life
(rophllum pinnatum, n.
Kalanchoe pinnata)
Siempre viva is a plant with many names in many places. It is

also called “air plant,” which speaks to the unique way that it
proliferates, with tiny sprouts germinating along its scalloped
COURSES • edges. But this name is •also reTHE
WORKSHOPS ective of the Doctrine
HERBARIUM of THE BLOG
VISIT
Signatures—siempre viva is an important herb for respiratory
problems, particularly those with bacterial, fungal, or viral
causes. The succulent leaves are generally chopped and
prepared as a cold infusion, although some eat the leaves
sprinkled with salt as medicine. Highly demulcent, this herb is
also helpful in soothing ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract.
6. Guanáana / ourop (Annona
muricata)
The guanábana tree produces a prehistoric-looking, spiky,
light-green fruit with a white, creamy, cooling esh that’s
eaten with a spoon like custard. As a medicine, local folks
also use it to expel worms from the digestive system and as a
larvacide that helps prevent the spread of malaria and
dengue, which is common here. The bark and leaves are also
antispasmodic, which helps with the diarrhea and cramping
that often come with tropical maladies. Children are given a
decoction of its leaves as a mild-tasting, anti-parasitic
cleanse. The leaves are also used by those with type 2
diabetes and scienti c research shows that its leaves may
also be valuable in combating cancers and cytotoxicity in
general (Liu et al., 2016).
7. Noni / Cheee uit (Morinda
citrifolia)
Noni is another traditional tropical remedy that has found
fame in the West as a liver and cardiovascular tonic, a cancer
preventative, and immune booster, among other things. The
fermented fruit juice is pre- and probiotic and helps to
regulate blood sugar levels (and is a truly odiferous
concoction with the smell and taste of old, funky cheese!).
Folks in this area rarely eat or ferment the fruit, but instead
use it topically to rid oneself of head lice. The leaves are more
often utilized here as a poultice for skin irritation of all types
(I used it just recently to bring down the hard, red swelling of

a spider bite).
8. Ceraee / itter melon
(Momordica charantia)
Cerasee, like gavilana, is a consummate bitter. Throughout
the Caribbean, its leaves are decocted and used as a panacea
for everything from colds to insulin resistance to stalled
menses. The likely reason cerasee is so widely used and
prized as medicine is that it is a powerful alterative. This
same plant is the source of bitter melon or bitter gourd, a
common medicinal food in various Asian cultures; its
glucose-regulating activity is present in the leaves as well as

the fruit (Rahman et al., 2015). Clinical evidence also shows
growing support for the use of cerasee as an adjunct to
COURSES • chemotherapy
WORKSHOPStreatment
• (Rothan et al., 2015).
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• SHOP GOODS • corner

Nearly every ABOUT US earth has its local medicines, and
of the
daily, I marvel at how nature supplies us with what we need,
wherever we are. When scienti c evidence supports the use
of tropical medicines, there is often an accompanying,
market-driven push to harvest and manufacture the latest
“miracle herb.” As much as I love this area and the amazing
herbs of the Caribbean, I’m also reminded of the ethical
responsibility I have as an herbalist to respect these plants
and the cultures that have utilized them since the beginning
of time. While some of these plants grow abundantly and
proli cally (and can even thrive in some temperate climates),
other tropical plants faced with huge market demands are at
risk of overharvesting. It is a good reminder that wherever
we are, local medicines are a great gift.
Have your travels led you to find herbs that are

new to you? Our herbal community loves a good
show and tell! Share your images on social
media, and don’t forget to use the hashtag
#myherbalstudies.
REFERENCES
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad. (2016). Biodiversity in

Costa Rica. Retrieved from
http://www2.inbio.ac.cr/en/biod/bio_biodiver.htm.
Liu, N., Yang, H. L., Wang, P., Lu, Y. C., Yang, Y. J., Wang, L. &
Lee, S. C. (2016). Functional proteomic analysis reveals that
the ethanol extract of Annona muricata L. induces liver
cancer cell apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum stress
pathway. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 189, 210-217.
Rahman, I. U., Khan, R. U., Rahman, K. U., & Bashir, M. (2015).

Lower hypoglycemic but higher antiatherogenic e ects of
bitter melon than glibenclamide in type 2 diabetic patients.
Nutrition Journal, 14(13). 7 pages. Retrieved from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417309/pdf/1
COURSES • Rothan, H. A., Ambikabothy,

WORKSHOPS • J.,THE
Abdulrahman,
HERBARIUMA. Y., Bahrani,
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H., Golpich, M., Amini, E., Rahman, N., Teoh, T. C., Mohamed,
• SHOP GOODS • R. (2015).
Z. & Yusof, ABOUT US
Scalable production of recombinant
membrane active peptides and its potential as a
complementary adjunct to conventional chemotherapeutics.
PLoS One, 10(9): e0139248. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4587966/.
hare thi:
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AOUT POT AUTHOR
Ayo Ngozi, M.S.
Ayo Ngozi is a community herbalist and educator

based in Savannah, Georgia. At the Herbal Academy,
she writes course lessons and supports budding
herbalists as the Advanced Studies Advisor. Find her
at www.ayongozi.com and on Facebook and
Instagram.
RLATD ARTICL
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COURSES • WORKSHOPS • THE HERBARIUM VISIT THE BLOG

• SHOP GOODS • ABOUT US

Three months ago, my son and I came to live in Manzanillo,

coast. As a Western-trained herbalist, this for me has meant

Costa Rica is exceptionally biodiverse—although it comprises

Growing up in an area of Costa Rica that is relatively isolated  Live Well

from the cities means acquiring a basic working knowledge of

COURSES • WORKSHOPS • THE HERBARIUM VISIT THE BLOG

• SHOP GOODS • ABOUT US

take a tea made of the leaves as an anti-parasitic cleanse of Herbalist

• SHOP GOODS • ABOUT US

after being fermented, dried, and roasted). On a recent visit

Siempre viva is a plant with many names in many places. It is

(I used it just recently to bring down the hard, red swelling of

COURSES • WORKSHOPS • THE HERBARIUM VISIT THE BLOG

• SHOP GOODS • ABOUT US

glucose-regulating activity is present in the leaves as well as

• SHOP GOODS • corner

Have your travels led you to find herbs that are

 VIEW CART (0)  CONTACT US •  SIGN IN | SIGN UP

COURSES • WORKSHOPS • THE HERBARIUM VISIT THE BLOG

• SHOP GOODS • ABOUT US

Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad. (2016). Biodiversity in

Rahman, I. U., Khan, R. U., Rahman, K. U., & Bashir, M. (2015).

Nutrition Journal, 14(13). 7 pages. Retrieved from

COURSES • Rothan, H. A., Ambikabothy,

Please add your email address below and click

 VIEW CART (0)  CONTACT US •  SIGN IN | SIGN UP

 How To Stay Cool Using Herbs

Ayo Ngozi, M.S.

Ayo Ngozi is a community herbalist and educator

G AR DN OF INTRODUCTION 5  AY

The Herbal Academy supports trusted organizations with the use of

Information o ered on Herbal Academy websites is for educational

BLOG • ABOUT US • CONTACT US • COURSES • AFFILIATE PROGRAM

Join our Newsletter

© COPYRIGHT THE HERBAL ACADEMY

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