Luffa, Si Gua Luo 丝瓜络 Loofa, Loofah, Luffa, Vegetable SpongeDhamargava, Mahakoshtaki (Ayurveda)Mozhukupeerankai, Pikku (Siddha)Si Gua Luo (TCM)Gser phud (Tibet) Luffa cylindricaBlanco, M., Flora de Filipinas, ed. 3 (1877-1883) Luffa sponge showing exocapr(Photo by Muséum de Toulouse) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Luffa cylindrica (syn. L. petola, L. aegyptiaca, L. pentandra, Cucurbita luffa, Momordica cylindrica)L. acutangula Parts used: Dried skeleton of fruit with seeds and exocarp removed Temperature & Taste: Neutral/Slightly Cool, Sweet Classification: B. Clears Heat and ToxinT. External Medicines Uses: 1. Clears Heat and Toxin, Reduces Swellings: (TCM, Tibet)-Boils, Carbuncles, Abscess, Toxin Sores (internally and topically)-Breast Abscess, acute Heat Breast Lumps (internally and topically)-also traditionally used to clear Heat from the Blood-“Cools the blood Heat and detoxifies Toxin”. (Li Shi Zhen)2. Clears Wind, Opens the Channels, Resolves Obstruction:-Wind-Damp pain of the muscles or joints (mild effect)-Joint stiffness; Pain of the muscles and sinews-distention in the chest and hypochondria-Trauma, Bruising-Uterine Bleeding (Charred)-Amenorrhea (when dry-fried)-“Metrorrhagia and Metrostaxis” (Li Shi Zhen)-“dredges through the Channels and Collaterals, motivates the flow of Blood”. (Li Shi Zhen)3. Clears Phlegm-Heat:-Heat-type Cough with Fever, Chest pain and hard-to-clear sputum-Catarrh, Sinusitis (Ayurveda)-also used for Phlegm obstruction-used for diseases caused by Phlegm and Bile in Tibetan Medicine4. Promotes Milk:-insufficient Breast Milk…

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