Dokudami is a medium-sized flowering plant that grows in many Asian countries, including Japan, China, Korea, and other Asian nations. Known to many gardeners as the chameleon plant, it produces a fishy odor when the leaves are pressed or crushed. This plant can be found in dark, damp areas and will grow almost anywhere that meets this criteria, including hills, fields, and even asphalt cracks. It is considered perennial and blooms in summer.

Dokudami has a long history as a medicinal herb. Dokudami means “poison blocking plant” and was used to treat many ailments throughout Asian history. It is one of the few herbs listed in the Japanese Pharmacopeias. This plant contains phytochemicals and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used to control fever, regulate blood pressure, stop bleeding, relieve indigestion, and calm allergic reactions. It has also been used as a detoxifier, diuretic, and as an anti-inflammatory agent. Some studies even show that it can help prevent certain types of cancer.

The most common way to use dokudami for medicinal purposes is to dry the leaves. Many people in Japan believe that this plant helps keep the skin clean and clear, as well as delay the aging process. It is also used to relieve congestion by collecting and crushing the leaves and then rubbing them inside the nostrils. The leaves can also be collected and rubbed on a wound to prevent infection. This plant is also a key ingredient in some detox foot pads.

Dokudami is also the main herb used in Ten Chi Cha, a Japanese tea known for its medicinal purposes. Studies have shown that quercitrin, found in the leaf of the plant, can help reduce the hardening that occurs in the arteries. Other herbs included in this tea include hardy rubber tree leaf, large-fruited adley, sickle, nomame senna, kuma-zasa, Chinese boxwood, mulberry leaf, persimmon leaf, medlar, shiso and border leaf. Each of these 11 additional herbs has its own medicinal benefits. Ten Chi Cha is used for a variety of purposes, including detoxification, maintenance of regular gastrointestinal function, and assistance with healthy blood flow. This tea is caffeine and sugar free and has no bitter taste. It also contains no calories, making it a very popular drink option.