Pearl grass is a type of wild plant whose existence is often ignored, even considered as a nuisance plant. However, after knowing the various potential benefits of pearl grass for health, this plant became popular until it was finally sought after by many people.
pearl grass (Hedyotis corymbosa) is one type of plant that comes from the family Rubiaceae. This grass generally thrives in moist soil, such as on the banks of rivers or ditches.
In some countries, such as India and China, this plant has been used as a herbal medicine. Recently, pearl grass has been in the spotlight because it is claimed to be useful for preventing and treating cancer.
Various Benefits of Pearl Grass for Health
A number of studies so far show that there are several benefits of pearl grass that are good for health, including:
1. Fight free radicals
Pearl grass is known to contain many bioactive compounds that have antioxidant properties, ranging from phenols, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, to terpenoids. This makes pearl grass good for consumption to prevent and repair damage to body cells due to exposure to free radicals.
Excess free radical exposure is one of the factors that can increase the risk of various diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Free radicals can also cause the body to age faster.
2. Increase body immunity
Pearl Grass is also known to be useful for supporting the immune system to stay strong. A strong immune system plays an important role in fighting various bacteria and viruses that cause infection, so the body will rarely get sick.
Not only that, a strong immune system also plays an important role in supporting the recovery process when you are sick, for example when you have a cold.
3. Maintain brain health and function
Research shows that pearl grass has strong antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory effects. These effects make pearl grass good for consumption to maintain brain function and health.
People who regularly eat healthy foods plus certain supplements, including pearl grass, are said to have better memory and a lower risk of developing dementia or depression and depression.
4. Maintain the health of the liver
Not only good for the brain, the content of compounds that are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in pearl grass is also known to be good for health and liver function. Research shows that this herb can reduce inflammation in the liver and prevent liver damage.
However, to get these benefits, you can't just rely on pearl grass. To keep your liver healthy, you also need to do other ways, such as staying away from alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and drugs, exercising regularly, getting hepatitis A and hepatitis B immunizations, and practicing safe sex.
5. Inhibit the growth of cancer cells
Pearl grass is known to contain many compounds that have antioxidant and anticancer properties, such as ursolic acid and uleanolic acid. Research in the laboratory shows that pearl grass extract can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
However, until now there has been no research that can prove that pearl grass is useful as a cancer drug like chemotherapy.
In addition to the various benefits above, pearl grass is also often used to treat fever and treat infections, such as tuberculosis and malaria. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the benefits of pearl grass has not been studied further.
Things to Pay Attention to Before Consuming Pearl Grass
Processing of pearl grass is generally done traditionally, namely by boiling and then filtering, then the boiled water is drunk as herbal medicine or herbal tea. In addition, you can also take pearl grass supplements that have been processed in the form of tablets or capsules.
Although pearl grass has a variety of health benefits, it is important to understand that most of the claims for these benefits have only been discovered through research on laboratory animals. Until now, the effectiveness of various benefits of pearl grass on humans, especially as a medicine, still needs to be studied further.
This plant has also not been proven safe for consumption by pregnant and lactating women and people with certain diseases, such as severe liver damage. Because it has the potential to cause drug interactions, pearl grass should also not be consumed by people who are undergoing treatment from a doctor.
Therefore, if you want to use pearl grass as a treatment for certain diseases, you should first consult with your doctor.