Beluntas

What is Beluntas?

Beluntas (Pluchea indica) is a leafy shrub in the Asteraceae family that grows throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other parts of tropical Asia. Its leaves are eaten fresh as a side vegetable (lalapan) in Indonesian cuisine and brewed as an herbal tea in folk medicine. The plant is best known in traditional practice for its remarkable ability to reduce unpleasant body odor from the inside out.

How does Beluntas work?

Beluntas leaves are rich in flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help calm internal inflammation and support healthy metabolism. Its essential oils, including camphor and limonene, are thought to contribute to its natural deodorizing effect by influencing how the body processes odor-causing compounds through sweat and breath. The tannins and chlorogenic acid in the leaves also support digestive function by soothing the gut lining and discouraging the growth of odor-producing gut bacteria.

What forms does Beluntas come in?

In its home regions, Beluntas is most commonly consumed as fresh leaves added to meals or brewed as a simple leaf tea. Powdered and encapsulated forms are increasingly available through Indonesian and Southeast Asian herbal supplement brands. Traditional topical use involves crushing the leaves into a poultice for minor skin irritation or joint pain.

Where it comes from:

Beluntas has been documented in Javanese and Malay traditional medicine systems (jamu and ubat kampung) for at least several hundred years. It is one of the most widely recognized body-odor remedies in Indonesian folk medicine, used both as a daily food and a medicinal herb. The plant is also listed in Philippine traditional medicine records for fever management and as an appetite stimulant.

What does Beluntas help with?

• Body odor (internal deodorant): Beluntas is perhaps best known in Southeast Asian folk medicine for reducing unpleasant body odor when eaten regularly. Its essential oils and antimicrobial compounds appear to work from the inside, reducing odor-producing bacteria in the gut and influencing how sweat smells.
• Digestive discomfort and bloating: The tannins and essential oils in Beluntas leaves help soothe the gut lining, ease cramping, and reduce gas and bloating. It has been used traditionally as a gentle digestive tonic taken before or after meals.
• Mild fever: Beluntas has long been used in Filipino and Indonesian folk medicine as a natural way to bring down mild fevers, likely through its anti-inflammatory flavonoid content. It is typically prepared as a warm tea during illness.
• Joint and muscle pain: Applied as a warm leaf poultice or taken internally as tea, Beluntas is traditionally used to ease mild joint aches and muscle soreness. Its quercetin and luteolin content suggests a genuine anti-inflammatory action underlying this use.
• Appetite loss: Traditional Southeast Asian herbalists use Beluntas as a gentle appetite stimulant, particularly for children or people recovering from illness. This is consistent with its role as a culinary herb in Indonesian cuisine.
• Skin infections (topical): Crushed Beluntas leaves applied directly to the skin are used traditionally in Malaysia and Indonesia for minor cuts, skin infections, and itching. The plant's tannins and essential oils provide mild astringent and antimicrobial effects.
• Anxiety and restlessness: In traditional Javanese jamu practice, Beluntas tea is considered mildly calming and is given for restlessness and nervous tension. This is thought to relate to its alkaloid content, though modern clinical research on this use is still limited.
• High blood sugar (early support): Preliminary research suggests Beluntas leaf extract may help support healthy blood sugar levels, likely through chlorogenic acid's effect on glucose absorption and insulin sensitivity. This is an emerging area of study, not yet confirmed in large human trials.
• Menstrual irregularity (traditional use): Beluntas is listed in Indonesian and Filipino herbal tradition as a mild emmenagogue — a herb that encourages regular menstrual flow. This use is based on traditional documentation and has not been studied in modern clinical trials.
• Respiratory congestion: The camphor-rich essential oils in Beluntas give it mild expectorant properties, and it has been used in folk medicine to ease nasal and chest congestion. It is often combined with other herbs in traditional respiratory remedies.

What can Beluntas help prevent?

• Oxidative cell damage: high antioxidant flavonoid content (quercetin, kaempferol) supports cellular defense against free radicals
• Bacterial skin and gut infections: antimicrobial essential oils and tannins may help suppress growth of common odor- and infection-causing bacteria

Which foods are rich in Beluntas?

1. Beluntas fresh leaves (lalapan)
2. Beluntas leaf tea (infusion)
3. Beluntas in jamu herbal drinks

Practical Tips:

Beluntas is itself a food plant — the leaves are eaten directly in Indonesian cuisine. If fresh leaves are unavailable, foods rich in the same key compounds (quercetin and chlorogenic acid) include capers, red onions, apples, and green tea. These won't replicate Beluntas's unique essential oil profile but support similar antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways.

What are the side effects of Beluntas?

• Mild stomach upset at high doses
• Nausea if taken on an empty stomach in large amounts
• Allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae (daisy) family
• Not recommended in pregnancy at medicinal doses (traditional emmenagogue use)
• Possible mild drowsiness at very high doses

Good to know:

Beluntas is well tolerated at typical culinary amounts and as a mild herbal tea. High-dose supplemental use has not been extensively studied in humans, so caution is advised beyond traditional food-level consumption. Pregnant women should avoid medicinal doses given its traditional use as a menstrual stimulant.

How much Beluntas should you take?

• Recommended daily: Culinary use: 5–15 fresh leaves daily as food. Herbal tea: 2–4 grams of dried leaf steeped in 200 ml hot water, 1–2 times daily. Standardized extract capsule: 300–500 mg once or twice daily (follow product labeling, as standardization varies by brand).
• Best time of day: Tea or fresh leaves are best taken in the morning or with meals. Capsules can be taken at any time of day with food.
• With or without food: Best taken with food to minimize any chance of stomach upset and to support absorption of fat-soluble compounds in the essential oils.
• Time to effect: Digestive and body odor effects: 1–2 weeks of consistent daily use. Anti-inflammatory and blood sugar support: 3–6 weeks.
• How long to take it: Can be used continuously as a culinary herb with no known need to cycle. For concentrated supplement forms, a 4–8 week course followed by a reassessment is a reasonable approach until more long-term human safety data is available.