Sambung Nyawa! (sounds a little bit like the Malaysian for “Open Sesame”…)
Also known as Mollucan Spinach, and several other names I cannot pronounce, Sambung Nyawa is one of our recently-acquired plants-in-residence.
In snooping around seed catalogs, websites, and unusual-to-me plant lists, this one never came up. A lot of Malaysian-and-that-area-of-the-world plants unfortunately are completely off my radar because of the language barrier and their unfamiliarity in Western markets.
Sambung Nyawa is known scientifically as Gynura Procumbens. And as of June 5th of this year, we got Gynura Procumbens! (no, we’re not in quarantine with a horrible skin disease, ha)
About the only way we found this plant, and found out ABOUT it, was in researching alternative herbs for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and other ailments. Its name came up among other plants/herbs, such as Gymnena Sylvestre — plants we have not yet been able to find sources for.
It’s one of those cases where the information in English is scant, but there is a long history of its common use elsewhere, (available in languages I can’t even recognize well enough even to put into a text translator) especially in areas such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Java, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.
Despite that barrier, there’s just enough information to be found in English to pique our interest, and sites of companies researching the medicinal applications and further potential of plants such as Gynura Procumbens/Sambung Nyawa abound.
I found some mentions of this plant/herb in relation to the reduction of blood sugar, and other mentions of its traditional use for reducing hypertension, as well as for the topical treatment of skin disorders.
I suppose this is the perfect place for a mile-long disclaimer about the fact that I’m not a doctor and am not endorsing this plant for any specific use, blah blah blah (meaning in fancy words don’t try it because of me and don’t blame me if you eat it and some body part spontaneously combusts). If I WERE a doctor, I’d be studying this plant, a bigger bankroll, and would have a whopping homestead with a LOT of horses by now, but that’s off topic… In short, do your own research on anything you put on your skin, in your yard, near your pets and children, and especially into your mouth.
That said (whew), I have not spontaneously combusted after trying this herb in ways I believed to be, for myself, safe. But if something does explode into flame, my husband will be writing the next post…ha! (Maybe he’ll include pictures??) Again, off topic (I hope this is not some weird side effect from trying this herb??? Hmmm)
Well, anyway, one of the claims I found was that this plant’s use in reducing blood sugar levels was that its consumption by diabetics produced pleasing results in lowering glucose levels, while in lab tests with rodents, it had no effect whatsoever on non-diabetic rats. This means the possibility exists that this herb, which is simply a “weed” in different areas of the world (like what we call most of our herbs worldwide), adapts to the diabetic person by normalizing the blood sugar without endangering non-diabetic consumers who eat it by lowering theirs at all…non-diabetics are said by some to enjoy the other herbal medicinal benefits of this herb without the danger of having their blood sugar levels manipulated below normal levels.
No wonder research companies are investigating this…
Lest this plant be dismissed as “merely a medicinal,” it’s also used as table food — raw in salad, sauteed lightly like one would spinach, included in soups or anything you would a green, and chopped raw and included in rice dishes. It can also be drunk as a tea, and herbal companies sell the dry herb powder in capsule form. Researchers are more focused on the use of its extract.
That said, let the buyer beware…like I said, it was OUR decision to explore this plant for OUR uses (see disclaimer above again, if in doubt).
Sambung Nyawa/Gynura Procumbens was hard to find anywhere, as far as ordering it. Since I’m not here to endorse particular companies, I’ll keep it at that, but we had to order it from a site outside of this country. We were pretty excited when it arrived! Here’s a pic of the little guys, fresh out of the box…(and next to them, a baby comfrey and Zatar plant. All survived our amateur efforts except the Zatar, may it rest in peace)
Of course, plants of this stature must always be displayed to their best advantage in the cheapest possible repurposed plastic buckets “scientifically-approved growth containers.”
Here they are a few weeks later, right at home in Bucketville our transitional garden.
And here is the wild mess these plants became when they learned to survive our gardening inconsistencies, and began to plot how to take over the world…(note the overgrown weeds we were too freaking lazy to pull before taking this picture stunning biodiversity we allow the plants to co-exist amongst)
In this picture, I had just harvested some gynura leaves as well as our first picking of moringa leaves(another whole post). I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do with them as my first “test,” but I knew I wanted to at least try some in hot water, as a tea or tisane.
The Sambung Nyawa/Gynura Procumbens was easy to harvest…all I had to do was merely pinch off either some leaves or a stalk, and the leaves were firm and fresh on the inside, not woody.
This plant/herb is one that will grow in a number of zones as a perennial, or overwinter in Zones 10-11. We’re on the cusp of Zones 9/10, so we’ll bring it onto the back porch in a more protected area in any weather that looks to dip below the 50s, and likely mulch the daylights out of them during those weeks/months, depending on how our winter goes here. I’m not sure what other zones could do, but possibly they could overwinter in their pots when dormant, in an enclosed garage or other non-freezing space…I’m not sure.
Here it is as I tried it in hot water. The flavor was green and pleasing, and not strong. I drank it with no problems, and then ate the leaves. They tasted better than spinach, lighter and a very slight lemon scent/taste. I’ll be sauteeing them lightly and eating them raw as the days go along, and I’ve tested them in small bits. You know, just to be on the safe side in case of any unknown allergies…
My husband has been eating the leaves raw for some time now, grazing now and then on them, as he does on other plants such as the Herba Buena, Mints, and Aloes. We’ll give no testimonials, but he was very pleased to note that his formerly elevated blood pressure has normalized lately, for whatever reason.
We like the idea of finding supportive herbals, especially ones with a long history of safe use. We’d like to know more about how they work for us, but we’re stepping out cautiously. Nevertheless, we’re pleasantly surprised to find some real treasures…green treasure…that can be grown right in our own garden (or buckets…)
I found a Malaysian site that mentions Sambung Nyawa/Gynura Procumbens as one of several herbs included as forage for organic pastured poultry, so it appears it could have multiple benefits for the homestead, including animals.
What useful plants have you found to be helpful to you and your animals?
I am amazed at the diversity of plants and herbs that exist on this earth…I’m happy some mention is being made of many with traditional uses elsewhere in the world, before they may have been lost to our memory in years to come.
Preserving these is vital to our wellbeing and our health as we see more and more resistant strains of bacteria and diseases that have grown “smart” and “stubborn” due to much of the genetic manipulation modern research has promoted. Hopefully, the gardeners of the world can extend traditional herbs’ survival for the millenia ahead.
What a great post – you shouldn’t joke about your garden inconsistencies, it looks like you don’t have any!
How long did it take the plants to attain that growth?
We don’t have anything that exciting, but I do pick nettles and cleavers for the milk cow.
Fantastic information. I do hereby swear/affirm that I, thecoffeelady or tocco, will never hold you accountable, responsible, or other to blame for any action I decide to take with the wonderful information in the blog post above!
Ps… I love bucketville!
What a fantastic article, I really enjoyed it. This is my first visit here, but I will bookmark the site and be back.
I am living proof that some of the plants in that part of the world (Java, Burma, Singapore, Thailand) can save lives! I would not be here if it were not for those plants and a Dutch Doctor, Henri Hekking, who took care if American prisoners of war being held in that part of the world by the Japanese during World War II. Dr Hekking kept my Dad and many more soldiers alive with those tropical plants.
Dr Henri Hekking was born in Java to Dutch settlers. His grandmother was the local ‘doctor’ in a small village. She taught him that if a disease originated in a particular area, so did the plant that could cure it. Dr Hekking attained a medical degree in the Netherlands, and was serving in the Dutch military when captured by the Japanese and sent to Java.
In Java, my Dad, along with other survivors of the Texas 131st Field Artillery and USS Houston were kept alive for three years by Dr Hekking’s knowledge of tropical diseases and jungle plants while they worked on the Burma-Siam Railway. He foraged the jungles to find plants that would be used to treat the mens’ various diseases since the Japanese were unwilling to supply conventional medicines to their prisoners.
If it were not for those native plants and the work of Dr Hekking, my Dad would not have survived the ordeal, and I would not have been born. Because of that, I have always been interested in the healing power of plants.
Too cold here for these….. my loss!
Scientific names are written “Gynura procumbens” with only the first word capitalized.
Great article!!!
Nita, to us, nettles and cleavers are plenty exciting! Your cow is living at Club Med if you hand deliver those to her, how neat 🙂 I took the pictures of the overgrown containers a week or two ago, so it took them about 3 1/2 months to get that size. We’ve had plenty of flops in our attempts to grow things. Actually, I think the buckets for now are helping keep certain factors from killing some of the plants off…or at least it keeps the (obvious, in picture)WEEDS from getting in to the plants. 🙂
Christina, lol! You’re always such a breath of fresh air 🙂 there are so many herbs and plants to get to know, we’re just beginning our journey with them. What I always am pleasantly surprised by is the fact that so many types can be taken without the long lists of side effects you’d get with synthetic things. Many herbs are more preventive and work mildly over the course of time rather than being just a magic one-shot solution. Plus, I think a lot of them are just plain pretty, and hardy, in the garden.
EJ, you likely have many plants in your area I can’t dream of having here 🙂
As for the the taxonomic classification, I should be more consistent with that, I suppose, but have been a bit lazy about it since this is less a purely “scientific” writing format and more casual. (Plus, I’m not all hip to “rules” of this and that, per se…) But yes, if I wanted to be “correct,” I’d not only capitalize only the genus, and not the species. The “rules” also state that both genus and species must either be italicized or underlined, neither of which I did in my article.
Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Thanks, Carolyn! 🙂
Nola, how fascinating! How I’d love to know what those medicinal plants were. A lot of the wisdom of what used to grow in our area here and how to use it has been lost, or at least I don’t know where to begin finding it. I noticed that there seem to be “relatives” of certain types of plants across the globe in similar climates, and I totally believe what you’re saying is correct about the illnesses common in certain areas have corresponding native plants that combat them.
Thanks so much for sharing this piece of your personal history!
Robbyn
i try to keep within our zone for growing and even better, native plants, but there are a few that i adore that are not of my area: spilanthes, tulsi and ashwagandha to name a few.
spilanthes is helping me with my self diagnosed tick relapsing fever that i contracted last month and am still battling. it is specific for lyme disease, anti-bacterial and anti-viral, great for treating candida (think thrush, yeast infections…) as well as the whole array of mouth problems…gum disease, etc. it is my new heartthrob as far as herbs go.
tulsi is pretty kick-ass for treating colds/flu and a number of other things.
ashwagandha is a wonderful adaptogen. i have used it to build up my iron/stamina when i was run down after my last pregnancy with much success.
when i try an herb that is not intended for my zone, i generally will pot some up in a container and bring it indoors during the winter as well as cover some with a mini cold frame (wire frame covered with thick plastic) to test the boundaries of its hardiness. i’ve had great results doing this.
great article!
(my apologies to those who may be offended if i misspelled a word or two, i am typing while nursing a toddler and he is wiggly and makes it hard to check things).
I’ve never used or even heard of those herbs, Kristine…thanks for the heads-up. I need something that’s a candida killer, and now I can follow this lead.
I’m pretty impressed with your writing-while-nursing skills and if they give you any flack, I may have to kick their everloving ashwagandhas…
😉
Robbyn
Scientific names are also italicized or underlined and not put in quotations, FYI.
Guess we are all not Linnaeus-types, right Eva?
Thanks so much for the great information. My SO has diabetes and I will be trying that Gynura procumbens (yes, I read all of the above comments, but I don’t have time to figure out how to either italicize or underline the Latin name 🙂 ). I learn SO much from all of the entries here, it seems that there are not enough hours in the day.
Gina 🙂
Barbara, if you find any more information about this plant, I’d love to know it. I learn so much from others here, too!
You’re from Tennessee (sighhhhh)…oh how I LOVE TN…I hail from the western part of the state for a good chunk of my life 🙂
Robbyn
Robbyn,
Right now I live about an hour south of Nashville,
But up until about 4 years ago, I lived in West Tennessee. I grew up in Gibson County, but lived in Memphis for a long time. could we have been in the same county at the same time do you think?
barbara
I would dearly love to get one of these plants, could you please post a link, I couldn’t find anything in Aussie!
Love the blog BTW and will be back
Blessings:)
Hi Robbyn,
Ooh, I order herbs from them also! I don’t have experience with this one so thanks for the post!
It is funny this summer my love for spilanthes is growing stronger. I really love it. It seems I am in good company after tansy’s post. I agree with her about tulsi also. I love brushing past it in the garden.
Barbara…oh my gosh…I’m from Memphis, too (13+ years there), and moved away from there 4 years ago…wow! My husband kidnapped me and stole me away to Florida..y’know, only 30 minutes away from the most gorgeous of beaches…oh, how I suffer 😉 Wow, another Memphian..SAL-UTE!!
Molly, I’ll find the link for you tomorrow and be sure to post it here…sorry I left it out 🙂
Plantain, your herbs so rock, and yes I’ll have to check out spilanthes and tulsi…I’ve never had any of them.
Cool! I was looking up that spilanthes that Tansy mentioned, and it’s that fun “Eyeball Flower” I was going to grow for my kids.
Molly, the link to the company we ordered the plants from is http://www.richters.com/ They’re out of Canada.
Matriarchy, can’t wait to go nuts with seed catalogue wish lists, especially the herbs (bliss!)…the list continues to grow! eyeball flower that’s a medicinal? who can resist?
Many thanks Robbyn.
Blessings:)
Hi
I was very excited to see your website. My wife who is from Thailand says that it is eaten as a salad and cooked like spinich in Thailand. Its used in country Thailand to control blood sugar as a traditional medicine. Having recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes getting access to this plant in Australia is wonderful. Are you able to sell seeds or seedings? Apparently these plants are self seeding so once established grow well.
Hi Claude,
I received your email yesterday and assumed from the address you’re in the UK. Since you’re in Australia, there is a nursery there that grows this plant, since I helped another Aussie locate a source last year. If this is not within driving distance, they may be able to ship to you…here is the link I found. Please let me know if they cannot, and I’ll help you keep on looking for a source. Richter’s in Canada is where we got ours (by mail) but unless their policy has changed, I don’t think they were able to mail this plant to Australia. Here’s the link to the Nursery in Australia that appears to carry it…http://herbs-to-use.com/contact-us.html (Shipard’s Herb Farm) Let me know how this works out!
Robbyn
P.S. the best way to propagate more of these plants is to make cuttings of the starter plant, strip the leaves from part of the stem (eat the leaves, of course) and root the stem in a glass of water. Then plant and keep moist, they grow like gangbusters! They can be grown indoors or out, as long as you have light and it’s not too cold. Hope you get yours and they do well for you!
Can anyone give me specific instructions on how to grow this plant indoors and outdoors? Is it a perineal? I just bought a starter plant. I know I need to re-pot it. The pot it was sent in is quite small. Really want to be ready to eat in month or two.
Candy,
I know it’s a late answer, but this info may help others:
Sambung is a perennial of SE Asia origin, so sub-tropical/tropical by nature, but don’t let that discourage you if you live in a temperate to cold climate, as folk keep them indoors quite well and take them outside in the warmer weather.
Re-pot in a rich well draining organic mix.
Most other things are covered above, but I will add:
Malays eat the leaves and shoots as a green vegetable, (better than spinach, tastes like beans). Add to stirfrys etc.
Others (myself included) eat a few young leaves on a daily basis, as a preventative herbal tonic. Or can be used as a tea.
It is known to be:
Anti diabetic, anti cancer, anti inflammatory ( rheumatism and the like) and as a “life extender”
As Robbyn stated, the herb is available from Isabell Shipard (in Oz), she may sell seeds internationally.
Regards,
Bruza.
I am base in the U.K. and interested to cultivate this plant, i am wondering where i can purchase a seedling or seeds. Thanks.