Icha: Mountain Tea Could Be Good for You

Curious guests who enjoy the icha or mountain tea we serve in Suzette's Maligcong Homestay would be glad to know that the tea leaves of the plant, otherwise known as Sarcandra Glabra, has known healing and therapeutic properties.  This herb is native to Southeast Asia.  

According to Wikipedia, "the entire plant has anti-stress, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, blood activating, and anti-bacterial effects".  

On the other hand, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center website says the herb has been "used in traditional Chinese medicine for bone and joint pain (fractures, arthritis) as well as bleeding disorders (improvement of platelet count after chemotherapy)... it may also help reduce the effects of radiation therapy such as mouth sores and dry mouth."  The same site also cited that early laboratory studies have shown that an extract of the herb can stop cancer cell division but data on testing on humans is still lacking.

So next time you're in Maligcong, sip some icha.  Not only can it help you cope with the cold weather, it can actually be good for your health.

Image credit:  © 2015 Oggie Ramos | www.lagalog.com