Medical Uses of the Loquat Tree

The Loquat tree is a member of the Rose family, and is also known as the Japanese Plum tree. The tree has dark green, glossy leaves and small, oval yellow-orange fruit. Loquat trees are indigenous to China and Japan and there are many varieties. Both the leaves and fruit have nutritional value, however, it is the Loquat leaf that holds the most significant medicinal properties. One you pick the leaves and fruit, they keep at room temperature for up to 10 days, or they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month in a glass container. The Loquat leaf can also be purchased as an extract or as a tea.

Cough

• According to Chinese medicine, when energy in the body becomes stagnant, it creates heat which, in the throat area, can lead to sticky phlegm that creates a cough. Loquat leafs are rich in volatile oils such as farnoquiol, which can move phlegm out of the throat area.

Nausea and Vomiting

• Nausea and vomiting are both due to an imbalance in the digestion system. Tea with Loquat leaf can be used to harmonize stomach acids. The fruit has also been used to reduce vomiting and thirst.

Cancer

• Loquat leafs are high in B vitamins, specifically B-17 and antioxidants, elements that can help to treat and prevent a variety of cancers. Recent research found that Loquat leaf contains chemicals that can slow skin cancer and stop cancer cells from reproducing and growing.

Diabetes

• Loquats are frequently prescribed as part of a healing diet of herbs to treat diabetes, and have been approved by the Chinese government to prevent and treat diabetes. Diabetes is a disorder in the way the body uses digested food for energy. Insulin is the chemical your body makes to move the glucose created by the food you ingest into energy. People with diabetes have little or no insulin production. Loquat leaf produces two chemicals that increase insulin production: tormentic acid and polysaccharides.