Apat-apat or Rosas Baybayon: Miracle Herb

They add sprays of color in the landscaped gardens of malls, schools, and the more affluent homes. They also accentuate dull streets and beautify even the most humble abodes. It's one of those flowers that transcend social barriers and, more recently as we discovered, geographical locations because of its ability to adapt in climatic differences and to spread its seeds far and wide. And wherever its seeds go, they grow.

The Rose Periwinkle (Catharantus roseus) is believed to be a native of the tropical regions of America, but is now naturalized in the pan-tropic region. Studies show that it best thrives in sandy seashores, but in the Philippines, it is our beloved Chichirica, which also goes by the name apat-apat (literally, four-four), or rosas baybayon (rose by the sea). It grows everywhere and people love it because of its ornamental value more than anything.

But a few years back, we learned about its curative, not just preventative effects. A lady we knew, who was diagnosed with myoma and who was scheduled to go under the knife, boiled the periwinkle's flowers, leaves, and roots in water, and gulped the decoction by glassfuls religiously several times a day for about a month. When she went back to her doctor for a final check up before the operation, the abnormal growth in her reproductive system disappeared, so the surgery was cancelled, saving her money, the risk, and the inconvenience. And that's not the only case of disappearing myomas after that incident that we knew of.

At our household, we take the periwinkle decoction regularly to ease the discomfort of pre-menstrual symptoms, like dysmenorrhea and bloating. During menstruation, it also helps to stimulate blood flow and the release of toxins brought about by hormonal changes. However, those planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant should not take the rather pungent and bitter liquid as it can induce abortion, especially during the first trimester.

If taken regularly, the periwinkle drink may reduce blood pressure and regulate blood sugar levels. Although studies in the United States revealed that periwinkle does not directly cure diabetes, some of its effects on other body processes help maintain a healthy sugar level in the body. Somebody we knew had a severe case of diabetes that caused his total blindness as well as his gangrenous leg. He was already scheduled for an amputation when a friend told him about apat-apat. He took a rather concentrated decoction (more roots and leaves boiled in less water) and the next day, the pus on his leg dried up and the smell of rotting flesh was eliminated.

It has also been discovered that periwinkle contains 70 kinds of alkaloids and some of it are used in cancer treatments. So in this day and age of carcinogenic products and foodstuff, the periwinkle decoction is the cheap and easy antidote.

Root decoction is also a vermifuge drug, a remedy for toothache, and cure for digestive problems like constipation, dysentery, and dyspepsia. On the other hand, leaves in infusion are effective for diarrhea.

One word of caution though, the pot used for boiling periwinkle should not be used for cooking food because the plant's natural smell and taste remain on the pot even after several washings. This goes true with the pitchers used for storing the decoction. The decoction can be stored in the refrigerator for a week and taken cold, or reheated if desired. Just don't reheat any more than you can take at a single time.

In the Philippines, Apat-apat capsules are also available in selected outlets for those who could not stand the periwinkle's taste and aroma. It's more convenient, too. It is produced by a group of nuns who are cultivating the plant extensively around the province.

Acknowledgement: Some information was furnished by The Sisters of Rural Mission, Camingawan, Bacolod City.