MUÑA
Scientific name: Minthostachys mollis
Family: Limaceae
Origin: Andes
Muña grows in the Andes above 2,700 meters above sea level (9,000 feet). It is a bush measuring up to 1.2 meters tall (4 feet) with small leaves and white flowers.
Uses
In high altitudes, muña is excellent for an upset stomach, dizziness and difficulty breathing.
Altitude sickness
When tourist show symptoms of altitude sickness, guides from the Lake Titicaca region usually give them muna branches. These branches are then rubbed between their hands and inhaled, relieving dizziness, freeing the bronchi, and decongesting the respiratory tracts.
Stomach diseas
Muña leaves and flowers are drunk in a tea to relieve swelling and stomach pain, aiding in digestion and preventing gas. It also helps eliminate intestinal parasites. Recent studies in 2007 showed that muña helps eliminate the helicobacter pylori organism, bacteria responsible for stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, food poisoning, gastritis and gastroenteritis, as well as the majority of ulcers.