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By Ben Cal

MANILA – The Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MTFI) has lauded the result of a scientific study conducted by De la Salle Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy finding the medical value of narra as among the world’s top 10 antioxidants that can cure various illnesses.

“This landmark findings about the medicinal value of Narra tree gives us more reasons to pursue our ambitious goal of planting 10 more million trees by 2030,” said MTFI president and executive director Melandrew Velasco.

Researchers from De la Salle Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy based in Cavite revealed the finding of their scientific study on narra extracts during a press conference held at Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City last week.

Professors from the De La Salle College (DSLC) who presided over the press briefing were Dr. Alicia Catabay, Louie Fernando D. Legaspi, Sigfredo B. Mata and Timothy Jay L. Bengala.

They confirmed that the antioxidant properties of the bark and branch wood of the critically endangered narra, the Philippine national tree, has the highest ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, which is No. 1 in the country and it is among the top 10 in the world.

ORAC is a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods.

The ORAC score is also the unit of measure of antioxidants which is the body’s natural defense versus harmful compounds that are linked to multiple illnesses, including weakened immunity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

At the same time, the study revealed that the ORAC scores of all methods tested displayed similarly high levels of antioxidant potency.

“Indeed, our native trees are precious and they have medicinal value waiting to be tapped. It is a matter of time that cure to various illnesses could be discovered and developed into life-saving drugs that can help save millions of lives,” said retired Police Brig. Gen. Reynaldo V. Velasco, chairman emeritus of MTFI.

It may be recalled that Gen. Velasco, who was then chairman and administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), was the prime mover of the successful Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) that saw the planting of 5.2 million trees in five years from 2017 to 2021.

The MTFI, which was established to sustain the gains of the AMTC, targets to plant 10 million more trees in critical watersheds in various parts of the country by 2030.

Over the years, native trees planted in Ipo-Angat watersheds through AMTC and MTFI stakeholders include narra, batino, malaruhat, rambutan, cacao, guyabano, bayog, kawayan tinik, white lauan, mala-igot, malapapapaya, makaasim, lipote, ipil, palosapis, and lago calumpit.

Various native tree species have also been planted by the group in La Mesa and areas around Laguna de Bay, Kaliwa-Umiray and Upper Marikina watersheds.

Narra has antioxidant properties that can help improve the lives of millions of Filipinos.

Scientifically known as Pterocarpus indicus, narra is a tree species that can be found in southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Ryukyu Islands, Solomon Islands, Thailand Vietnam, and the Philippines where it is protected by law.

In the Philippines, it is strictly prohibited to cut down and narra tree without a permit.

“We should really protect and conserve our native trees and reforest our watersheds to protect our water source and ensure a steady supply of important ingredients for life-saving drugs that could save millions of lives worldwide,” Velasco said.

Timothy Bengala, professor and primary investigator of the Narra Research, also cited the health benefits of pterostilbene, according to the study by Xu et al in 2021.

Based on the study, pterostilbene, a potent antioxidant, is proven to be effective as immune-enhancing, anti-asthma, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-ulcer, and anti-allergy.

Narra has been found to have medicinal value and was used as the main ingredient of a dietary supplement for the improvement people with diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, bladder stones and infectious diseases by Ecarma Health Options, a Filipino-owned company founded by Capt. Virgilio Ecarma, who invented and was awarded Philippine, US and South Africa patents for a method of processing narra.

(PNA)

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By Jed Macapagal, Malaya Business Insight

The post NARRA UNDER STUDY: Stricter laws on sale of supplements pushed appeared first on Ecarma Health Options.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has the potential of developing narra, the country’s national tree, as a top source of antioxidant producing food item, based on a study by De La Salle Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy.

However, small pharmaceutical companies will need government support to conduct clinical trials to develop the narra extract as medicine and to protect consumers from fake products in the market.

Researchers disclosed that discarded bark and branch wood of the critically endangered narra have antioxidant properties that can help improve the lives of millions of Filipinos.

“Narra can also be considered as a medicinal plant. It possess certain properties that could help our body fight certain types of diseases,” College of Pharmacy dean Dr. Louie Legaspi said during the Narra Extract Research Study media briefing over the weekend.

“The wide range of activities, including the results of our study, opens opportunities to discover more potential health benefits of narra extracts. We also hope that this improves our perspective on how we see narra, as an important medicinal plant,” he said.

The study determined the different production processes that will be most efficient to the narra sample without sacrificing the efficacy of the product in improving consumer health and wellness.

It showed that the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores of all methods tested displayed similarly high levels of antioxidant potency.

ORAC is a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods.

“There is a list by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the narra extract, based on the ORAC score, ranks among the 10 percent foods that have antioxidant properties. That means to say that the narra extract is number one in the Philippines when it comes to antioxidant properties if we look at the ORAC score,” Narra research professor contributing editor Sigfredo Mata said.

Timothy Bengala, professor and primary investigator of the Narra Research, also referred to the health benefits of pterostilbene, according to the study by Xu et at in 2021. Pterostilbene — a potent antioxidant — is found in plants like the narra tree.

Based on the study, pterostilbene is proven to be effective as immune-enhancing, anti-asthma, anti-cancer, antifungal, anti-ulcer, and anti-allergy.

As early as 2002, narra has been found to have medicinal value and was used as the main ingredient of a dietary supplement to improve the quality of life of those with diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, bladder stones and infectious diseases.

Currently, narra food supplements are available at select drug stores and on e-commerce websites.

To establish narra extract as medicine, clinical trials must be done to secure license from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dr. Alice Catabay, professor and head of research and development at De La Salle Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy, said clinical trials cost from P3 million to P6 million.

“Medicinal plants can undergo the same process. The problem is how do we help small manufacturers to go to clinical trials,” she said.

And if they do push through with clinical trials and secure FDA license, the government must help protect small manufacturers from competition to recoup their investment as an innovator, Catabay said.

“That’s what we can encourage the government to give us, a window of time to manufacture and sell, just like in the US,” she said.

Pharmacists are also lobbying for strict regulation on medicine and supplements sold online.

“Actually we are lobbying (for government) to be strict with medicines and supplements sold on the Internet…. When it comes to drugs, you have to be strict,” Catabay said.

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BY JEL SANTOS, Manila Bulletin 

Narra, the Philippine’s national tree and is one of the hardest woods in the world, has been found to have antioxidant properties that can help improve the lives of millions of Filipinos, a recent study disclosed.

This was revealed in the study conducted by the De La Salle Dasmariñas (DLSU) College of Pharmacy during its research aimed at determining if narra could improve human health and wellness.

“Using the ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods, the research team decided to measure and compare the ORAC Scores of each process combination. The ORAC Score is also the unit of measure of antioxidants which is the body’s natural defense versus harmful compounds that are linked to multiple illnesses, including weakened immunity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer,” read the statement from the team of experts.

The study, entitled Narra Extract Research Study, revealed that the ORAC scores of all methods tested displayed similarly high levels of antioxidant potency.

“There is a list by the United States Department of Agriculture and the narra extract, based on the ORAC score, ranks among the 10 percent foods that have antioxidant properties. That means to say that the narra extract is number one in the Philippines when it comes to antioxidant properties if we look at the ORAC score,” said Sigfredo Mata Professor Contributing Editor of the Narra Research.

Timothy Bengala, professor and primary investigator of the Narra Research, referred to the health benefits of pterostilbene according to the study by Xu et al in 2021. Based on the study, pterostilbene, a potent antioxidant, is proven to be effective as immune-enhancing, anti-asthma, anti-cancer, antifungal, antiulcer, and anti-allergy.

“As early as 2002, Narra has been found to have medicinal value and was used as the main ingredient of a dietary supplement to improve the quality of life of those with diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, bladder stones and infectious diseases,”the statement read.

Currently, narra food supplements are available at select drug stores and on e-commerce websites, according to DLSU Head of Marketing and Founding Dean Alicia Catabay.

“One company selling Narra supplements is Ecarma. For these companies like Ecarma, this study on Narra can really help their credibility. There are many other supplements on the market that have no studies showing their effectiveness. Ecarma will have similar characteristics in the study,” she noted.

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by Jel Santos, Manila Bulletin

“A million trees can save millions of lives.”

This was emphasized by the Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MTFI), a non-profit organization and advocacy group, as it bared plans to plant 10 million native trees such as narra in critical watersheds around the country by 2030.

The MFTI cited a report by the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy which revealed how the bark and branch the critically-endangered Philippine national tree have the highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) in the country, and among the Top 10 in the world.

“Indeed, our native trees are precious and they have medicinal value waiting to be tapped. It is a matter of time that cure to various illnesses could be discovered and developed into life-saving drugs that can help save millions of lives,” said BGen. Reynaldo V. Velasco (Ret), chairman emeritus of MTFI.

ORAC is a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods. The ORAC Score, on the other hand, measures the antioxidants which are the body’s natural defense versus harmful compounds that are linked to multiple illnesses, including weakened immunity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The DSLU study revealed that the ORAC scores of all methods tested displayed similarly high levels of antioxidant potency on narra.

But since narra is already critically endangered, planting such native tree is now a necessity.

“These landmark findings about the medicinal value of the Narra tree give us more reasons to pursue our ambitious goal of planting 10 more million trees by 2030,” said MTFI President and Executive Director Melandrew Velasco.

Velasco, the former chairman and administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, is the prime mover of the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) that saw the planting of 5.2 million trees from 2017 to 2021.

The MTFI, established to sustain the gains of the AMTC, said planting 10 million more trees by 2030 will protect and sustain critical watersheds in various parts of the country.

Over the years, native trees planted in Ipo-Angat watersheds through AMTC and MTFI stakeholders include Narra, Batino, Malaruhat, Rambutan, Cacao, and Guyabano, Bayog, Kawayan Tinik, Malaruhat, White Lauan, Mala-igot, Malapapapaya, Makaasim, Lipote, Ipil, Palosapis, Malaruhat, Lago Calumpit, and Palsoapis.

Various native tree species have also been planted by the group in La Mesa and areas around Laguna de Bay, Kaliwa-Umiray, and Upper Marikina watersheds.

Scientifically known as Pterocarpus indicus, narra can be found in southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam, and the Philippines, where it is protected by law. In the Philippines, it is strictly prohibited to cut down and harvest narra tree.

“We should really protect and conserve our native trees and reforest our watersheds to protect our water source and ensure a steady supply of important ingredients for life-saving drugs that could save millions of lives worldwide,” Velasco noted.

The post 10M endangered but beneficial trees to be planted by 2030 — advocacy group appeared first on Ecarma Health Options.

by Ben Cal

MANILA — Extracts from Narra tree have been found to be a leading source of antioxidants to prevent diabetes, hypertension, asthma, cancer, a weakened immunity, ulcer, allergy, and other illnesses.

This was announced by a research team from De La Salle College of Pharmacy during a press conference at the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City on Saturday.

The research study group used the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), a measure developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging “to measure the antioxidant capacity of different food, the research team decided to measure and compare the ORAC Scores of each process combination.”

“The ORAC Score is also the unit of measure of antioxidants which is the body’s natural defense versus harmful compounds that are linked to multiple illnesses, including weakened immunity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer,” the research team said.

The study also revealed that ”the ORAC scores of all methods tested displayed similarly high levels of antioxidant potency.”

Prof. Sigfredo Mata, contributing editor of the Narra Research Team, said “there is a list by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Narra extract, based on the ORAC score, ranks among the 10 percent of foods that have antioxidant properties.”

That means “the Narra extract is number one in the Philippines when it comes to antioxidant properties if we look at ORAC score,” he said.

Narra, which is abundant in the Philippines, is the country’s national tree.

Other members of the research team who attended the press conference were Louie Fernando Legaspi, Timothy Jay Bengala, and Dr. Alicia Catabay.

(PNA)

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In a recent research published by Ohio State University, it was found that daily consumption of green tea can improve one’s health by lowering blood sugar. Other research has linked daily drinking of green tea to improved heart health, too. That’s because green tea is rich in antioxidants that boost brain health, promote better mood, lower stress, and enhance sleep quality.

But did you know that there’s an alternative to green tea that can also help lower blood sugar, among others? It comes from the country’s national tree, Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), which is known for its hardwood used for cabinets, tables, and other furniture. And thanks to a study conducted by the De La Salle-Medical & Health Sciences Institute, College of Pharmacy, we have discovered that the Narra extracts contain the highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores in the country, and among the top 10% of the US Department of Agriculture List of the top 326 food items with antioxidants in the world.

The antioxidant properties of the Narra tree’s branch and bark are now made available in tea and capsule form, making it a very convenient green tea alternative that addresses more than just your blood sugar and heart health. The recent study found that one of the Narra tree’s potent antioxidants, pterostilbene, has been proven to be effective against asthma, cancer, fungal infections, ulcer, and certain allergies. Narra also contains phytochemicals like isoflavones and polyphenols that help against certain cancers and heart disease. It’s also been used as a dietary supplement for people who have diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, bladder stones, and other diseases.

The wonders of Narra are still waiting to be discovered. From being used as a traditional folk medicine and diuretic to now being used as a health supplement, its health benefits continue to grow. Drinking Narra extracts daily in its herbal tea form can be as enjoyable as drinking green tea, too. Have your Narra herbal tea 3x a day with meals, after waking up, or before bedtime. Each Ecarma tea bag can also be reused for a second cup of Narra tea.

Find your nearest Mercury Drug branch in Metro Manila: https://www.mercurydrug.com/store-locator.html

Also available nationwide through Shopee & Lazada!

Read more about Narra’s health benefits: https://www.ecarmahealthoptions.com/narra-benefits/

The post Narra Tree Herbal Tea: Your Best Alternative to Green Tea appeared first on Ecarma Health Options.

Ecarma is back in Mercury Drug! The same, reliable brand that gives you nothing but the best benefits of Narra extract is back on the shelves of Mercury Drug branches in Metro Manila!

Find your nearest Mercury Drug branch in Metro Manila: https://www.mercurydrug.com/store-locator.html

Also available nationwide through Shopee & Lazada!

Read more about Narra’s health benefits: https://www.ecarmahealthoptions.com/narra-benefits/

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Ecarma Narra tea & capsules are now available in ALL St. Joseph Drugstores! Find your nearest branch: https://stjosephdrug.com/call-or-text

Read more about Narra’s health benefits: https://www.ecarmahealthoptions.com/narra-benefits/

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