Bìm bìm, commonly used in folk medicine, serves as a diuretic treatment for edema and frequent urination. Bìm bìm is a type of climbing vine. Its leaves are alternate and divided into five lobes. The flowers are white or purple. It produces capsule-like fruits.
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Bìm bìm (Image: ND) |
The plant grows naturally along hedges and fences.
– To treat edema (swollen abdomen, pale skin, heavy face, swollen eyes, poor appetite, loose stools): Use young bìm bìm leaves, wash them thoroughly, and cook them in soup with snakehead fish or carp. Consume daily until you experience increased urination and reduced facial swelling. Avoid salty foods.
– To treat postpartum edema (swelling in women after childbirth, heavy legs, bloated skin, low urine output): Combine 50g of bìm bìm leaves, 50g of water hyacinth (roots removed), 50g of Chinese milk vetch leaves, 50g of mulberry leaves, 50g of motherwort, 2 lotus leaves, and a small cup of black beans. Chop everything finely, roast until golden, and boil with 400ml of water until only 100ml remains. Divide this into two doses for daily consumption over 10-15 days. Avoid salt.
– To treat frequent and painful urination: Use equal amounts (50g each) of bìm bìm leaves and mảnh leaves, boil and drink.
In some places, people combine bìm bìm vines with other herbs such as tơ hồng (Creeping Lily), đau xương (Bone Pain Vine), and ráy leo (Vine Taro), crush them, mix with a little alcohol, and apply as a poultice to heal fractures.
According to foreign literature, tea made from dried bìm bìm leaves has a laxative effect and helps reduce bloating and discomfort.
Pharmacist Đỗ Huy Bích
