Herbs for Urinary and Kidney Health

16 Sri Lankan medicinal plants traditionally used for this purpose. Open a herb to see its Sinhala, English and botanical names, the parts used, how it is prepared, the research behind it and safety notes.

Use with care: Traditional use does not prove that a herb works or that it is safe for you. Talk to a doctor or a registered Ayurveda practitioner before using herbs to treat a condition, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medicines, or treating a child. Read our disclaimer

Flowers

Aswenna (Alysicarpus vaginalis): The Traditional Diuretic Herb

(Alysicarpus vaginalis)

Aswenna (Alysicarpus vaginalis) is one of those small plants that most people walk past and cattle e

Fruits & Seeds

Alu Puhul (Benincasa hispida): The Cooling Ash Gourd of Sri Lankan Homes

(Benincasa hispida)

Alu puhul (Benincasa hispida) is the big, pale gourd dusted with chalky white bloom that is piled up

Flowers

Nil Katarolu (Clitoria ternatea): The Blue Flower Tea That Turns Purple with Lime

(Clitoria ternatea)

Nil katarolu (Clitoria ternatea) is the slender climber whose deep-blue flowers peep out of hedges a

Bark & Wood

Ceylon Cinnamon (Kurundu): True Cinnamon, Coumarin and the Evidence

(Cinnamomum verum)

Kurundu (Cinnamomum verum) is Sri Lanka's most famous export and the reason European fleets once fou

Leaves

Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus): The Fragrant Ceylon Herb Science Rediscovered

(Plectranthus zeylanicus (syn. Coleus zeylanicus))

Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus) carries Ceylon in its scientific name and its scent in every Sri

Leaves

Thebu (Costus speciosus): The "Insulin Plant" and What the Evidence Really Says

(Costus speciosus (syn. Hellenia speciosa))

Ask any Sri Lankan gardener about thebu and you will hear the same instruction: "one leaf a day for

Fruits & Seeds

Thambili (Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca): Sri Lanka's Orange King Coconut

(Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca)

On any hot afternoon along a Sri Lankan road you will see bunches of bright orange thambili hanging

Leaves

Akkapana (Kalanchoe pinnata): The Life Plant and Its Cardiac Glycosides

(Kalanchoe pinnata)

Akkapana (Kalanchoe pinnata) earns its English names — Life Plant, Miracle Leaf — honestly enough: d

Leaves

Heen Bopath (Biophytum sensitivum): The Miniature Tree That Folds

(Biophytum sensitivum)

Heen Bopath (Biophytum sensitivum) is one of the loveliest plants in Sri Lanka and one of the smalle

Leaves

Polpala (Aerva lanata): The Traditional Kidney and Urinary Herb

(Aerva lanata)

Polpala (Aerva lanata) is a modest, woolly weed that most people would step over without noticing. I

Leaves

Heen Pitiyawakka (Phyllanthus): Stonebreaker, and What Hepatitis B Actually Needs

(Phyllanthus debilis)

Heen Pitiyawakka (Phyllanthus debilis, and its close relatives P. niruri and P. amarus) is a weed th

Fruits & Seeds

Nutmeg (Sadikka): The Calming Spice That Must Be Measured

(Myristica fragrans)

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is a rare thing among kitchen spices: one where the difference between a

Leaves

Karal Heba (Achyranthes aspera): Apamarga, the Backward-Pointing Weed

(Achyranthes aspera)

Karal Heba (Achyranthes aspera) is the weed whose seeds you carry home on your trousers. Its flower

Leaves

Sarana (Boerhavia diffusa): Punarnava, the Weed That Renews

(Boerhavia diffusa)

Sarana (Boerhavia diffusa) sprawls along roadsides and waste ground with pink-purple flowers no bigg

Roots & Rhizomes

Diyamitta (Cissampelos pareira): The Velvet-Leaf Vine Tested Against Dengue

(Cissampelos pareira)

Diyamitta (Cissampelos pareira) is a slender climber with soft, heart-shaped leaves that Sri Lankan

Roots & Rhizomes

Sevendara (Chrysopogon zizanioides): The Cooling Root in the Water Pot

(Chrysopogon zizanioides)

On hot afternoons in many Sri Lankan homes, a small bundle of pale, wiry roots is tied inside the cl

Other uses

Digestion (42) Coughs and Colds (22) Skin Conditions (22) Blood Sugar and Diabetes (18) Fever (16) Cooling the Body (14) Joint Pain and Arthritis (13) Wound Healing (12) Sleep and Stress (9) Immunity (8) Diarrhoea (8) Oral and Dental Health (8) Constipation (7) Cholesterol and Heart Health (7) Hair Care (7) Liver Health (6) Asthma and Breathing (5) Women's Health (4) Inflammation and Swelling (4) Memory and Brain Health (4) Eye Health (4) Weight Management (3) Piles (Haemorrhoids) (3) Intestinal Worms (3)