Page 9 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Thursday 11 July 2024

Lessons from our elders:

Plants and fruits for medicinal use

Eggplant/Aubergine
Eggplants, or aubergines, are
easy to find in supermarkets
around the world and can
be grown all year round on
the island. Related to potato
and tomato, eggplants are
good to calm nerves. It can
also be used to lower blood
pressure, by steeping its leaves
in boiled water and drinking it. Eggplant kataplan* can also *warapa: term referring to a water
You can also make eggplant be used to treat skin tumors, and sugar solution, a.k.a simple
juice to help purify your blood. abscesses and hemorrhoids. syrup.
However, do make sure to Eggplant kataplan can also *kataplan: porridge-like mixture
drink slowly; let it mix with your be used externally to treat used externally for wounds or
spit and then swallow. arthritis. parts of the body that are painful
or swollen.
(Oranjestad)—Though western diseases, like arthritis.
medicine is now widely used
for common illnesses and to However, breastfeeding
keep our bodies healthy and women who cannot produce
happy, it is still very common much milk are advised not to
in every household in Aruba consume too pineapple, and
(and around the world) to people with acid reflux are
have staple home remedies recommended to not con-
that is passed on through gen- sume any pineapple at all.
erations. Here are some tips
that our elders have passed Arrowroot
on to us over the years. Arrowroot is native to tropical
America and can be sold as
Pineapple a powder or whole. It is said
Pineapple has more uses than that you can take arrowroot
topping it on your Christmas powder and make a “shalup”
ham. According to elders, the (porridge) for stomach pain
skin of a pineapple is great or when you’re feeling weak.
to use to refresh your body. You can make it with milk too,
Clean the skin thoroughly but it is advised to best use
and make tea or warapa* just water. You can also add
with it. It is said that this tea prunes for a bit of sweetness.
can also be drank after an Arrowroot shalup is also good
operation on the ovaries or to treat an unhealthy gut or
uterus. This gets rid of irritation for diarrhea.
and inflammation.
To make arrowroot shalup,
When the fruit is unripe and boil a bit of water and add
green, this can be used to one tablespoon of arrowroot
stimulate menstruation flow powder and stir continuously
in women. This also stimulates until you reach porridge con-
the passing kidney stones. sistency. If you make a shalup
When ripe, the fruit can be with milk, add a pinch of salt.
used for poisoning in the gut Raw arrowroot powder can
and can help treat rheumatic be used to powder babies.