How to treat illnesses using loofah

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, loofah has a sweet taste, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can be used to treat many ailments such as sinusitis, sore throat, bloody stools, and nerve pain.

Treating sore throat: Wash loofah leaves thoroughly, crush them with a little salt, add water, strain, and drink the mixture all at once.

To treat persistent cough and asthma: Boil 15g of loofah leaves in water and drink the decoction, or process them into a liquid extract at a ratio of 1/1, taking 0.5ml each time.

Treatment for sinusitis: Take dried loofah, then roast it in a pot until it shrinks, and grind it into a fine powder. Those suffering from sinusitis should take 6g of this powder once a day in the morning upon waking, on an empty stomach. Continue this treatment for 8 days, and the sinusitis will disappear.

To treat sinusitis, runny nose, and foul odor: Take the stem of the loofah plant, about 1 meter from the ground up, chop it into small pieces, burn it to ash, grind it into a fine powder, and take 10g each time with a little wine.

Treating rectal bleeding due to hemorrhoids: For difficult bowel movements that result in bleeding, you can use loofah flowers to make a decoction to drink, or more simply and commonly, eat loofah in soup daily to promote bowel movements. If using loofah flowers, people with hemorrhoids only need to boil 30g of loofah flowers to make a decoction and drink it once a day. Alternatively, people with hemorrhoids can cook fresh loofah with lean pork and eat it daily.

Treating nerve pain: Heat up some loofah juice and drink it; the amount depends on the severity of the symptoms, about 100ml per day. Alternatively, you can grind loofah leaves into a paste and apply it to the painful area; this is also effective.

To treat high fever and headache: Simmer 20g of loofah flowers and 100g of whole mung beans until tender, extracting 400ml of broth. Remove the mung bean solids, add the finely chopped loofah flowers, and boil for 5-10 minutes. Let cool, strain, and drink the liquid 2-3 times a day.

Treatment for migraines: Boil 15-30g of loofah root in water and drink the decoction daily. This helps to clear blockages in the meridians and treat rhinitis, sinusitis, coughs, and back pain.

Treatment for hives: Take a handful of fresh loofah leaves, crush them to extract the juice, add a little camphor, and apply to the affected areas.

Treatment for blocked milk ducts: Take one loofah sponge, ten acacia thorns, and one fresh or dried onion. Chop everything finely, boil with 400ml of water until only 100ml remains, and drink in two doses daily. Use for 2-3 days. Combine with breast massage to clear the milk ducts.

To promote milk flow: Take a moderate amount of loofah, roast it until charred, then crush it into a powder. Take 3-6g with a little wine. After drinking, cover yourself with a blanket to induce sweating. This method can help all postpartum women who experience blocked milk ducts and cannot drink breast milk to promote milk flow.

To treat bronchitis, cough with thick yellow pus, and whooping cough in children: Wash a fresh loofah gourd (with the peel on), crush it to extract 40ml of juice, mix with 10ml of honey, and drink 20-30ml twice a day.

Treatment for wheezing: Take 250g of young, fresh loofah, cut it into small pieces, boil it, and consume both the liquid and the loofah as part of your regular meals.

Treatment for hematuria and urinary tract infections: Take 250g of loofah gourd, including the stem and peel, cut it open, boil it in water until 400ml remains, let it cool, add a moderate amount of honey, and drink it throughout the day as a refreshing beverage.

Treatment for postpartum hemorrhage: Take 1-2 loofah gourds, 2-3 leaves of bloodwort, 20g of cogon grass roots, and 20g of *Cynodon dactylon* roots, chop them finely, and boil them with 400ml of water until only 100ml remains. Drink twice a day.

Regulating menstruation: Burn one dried loofah until it turns to ash, then grind it into a powder. Take 10g daily in the early morning on an empty stomach to regulate menstruation. Each course lasts 10 days. The same method can also be used to promote blood circulation, relieve rheumatism, act as a diuretic, and detoxify the body. Take 8-10g 2-3 times daily.

To treat chest and rib pain, muscle pain: Roast loofah until the entire outer surface is black, while the inside remains yellow (roasting until charred). Grind into a fine powder and take with warm water, 2-3 times a day, 4-8g each time. This method has hemostatic and analgesic effects, so it is also used to treat bleeding hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, uterine bleeding, etc.

Treatment for edema: Take 15g of loofah leaves and 10g of *Cynanchum stauntonii* (a type of herb), chop them finely, dry them in the sun, and boil them with 200ml of water until only 50ml remains. Drink this decoction once a day for 5-7 days.

Treatment for athlete's foot: Use fresh loofah leaves, crush them and extract the juice, or roast the leaves, then crush them and rub the paste onto the affected area to treat athlete's foot, boils, and itchy sores.

Treatment for cracked nipples: Dry loofah leaves, burn them to ashes (but not to charcoal), grind into a fine powder, mix with sesame oil and apply to the nipples. It is also very effective in treating bleeding gums.

Treating boils and infected wounds: Burning dried loofah leaves and applying the ash to the affected area is very effective (many people have reported positive results).

Treatment for itching and sores: Boil the roots of the loofah plant to make a decoction, then use it to soak and wash the affected area. This helps treat itching, sores, and oozing yellow fluid.

Treatment for rheumatism: Take 50g of loofah sponge, 50g of loofah root, 10g of Akebia stem, and 8g of Smilax root, decoct them in water and drink the liquid three times a day.

To treat back pain and hip pain caused by damp heat: Combine 30g of loofah stem with 30g of plantain seeds, 15g of Polygonum multiflorum, and 10g of Phellodendron amurense, decoct in water and drink one dose per day.

Treatment for shingles: Crush young loofah leaves and gently dab them onto the affected area. If the infection is internal, boil 10-15g of loofah fiber in water and drink the decoction daily.

To promote the rapid eruption of measles: 20g of loofah sponge; 12g each of perilla, angelica dahurica, and honeysuckle; 8g of Cynodon dactylon; 4g of licorice. Boil and drink one dose per day, divided into two servings.

According to Zing.vn