The penguin (Arctostaphylos pungens) is a shrub that is characterized by being erect and measuring between one and three meters in height. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. It belongs to the Ericaceae family and its bark is red and smooth.
When ripe, the leaves are characterized by being shiny, leathery and green in color, oval to wide in shape, and up to 4 centimeters long. The fruit is a drupe with a width of between 5 and 8 millimeters. Its smaller branches and new leaves are slightly woolly.
The shrub thrives in acidic, dry and shallow soils, laden with sand and gravel, in chaparral, forests and deserts. In Mexico it is also known as bearberry, pindicua, manzanita or tepesquite. The fruits are bittersweet and are used to make alcoholic beverages, smoothies, syrups and jams, as well as to flavor soups.
Folk medicine gives it diuretic properties, such as a urinary tract antiseptic, urodilator, and antilithiasic. They also report its usefulness in the treatment of bronchial conditions.
The proximal composition of the fruit (per 100 g of dry matter) is as follows: 2.67% protein, 43.87% carbohydrates, 4% lipids, 31% fiber and 1.15% ash.
Ash analysis indicates that the fruit contains 13 parts per million (ppm) of iron, 8 ppm of copper, 9 ppm of zinc and 1809 ppm of calcium..
Fruits, while edible, tend to be dry and floury, and their high fiber content makes them difficult to digest in large quantities. Like the leaves, fruits contain arbutin, a glycosylated hydroquinone.
The benefits of penguin discussed in traditional medicine are similar to those of its European counterpart uva-ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). Both fruits and leaves are used in therapy.
It is not considered a toxic plant; at least these types of effects have not been reported. However, the leaves contain the glucoside arbutin which is metabolized to form hydroquinone, a possible liver toxin..
By doing this transformation from arbutin to hydroquinone, intestinal bacteria favor the environment for intestinal cancer.
Its consumption is not recommended during pregnancy and lactation or in people suffering from gastritis.
In general, it is not advisable to take very high doses because they can cause stomach disorders such as nausea and vomiting.
In infusion it is prepared by adding in a liter of hot water and 4 tablespoons of the ground dried fruit. It is left to rest for half an hour and then ingested between 3 and 4 cups a day before meals.
Its action is increased if the infusion is prepared by adding 10 g of penguin, 20 g of horsetail and 10 g of corncob threads..
A third variant of the infusion is incorporating other ingredients: in a liter of water add a cup of penguin fruits, two arnica tea envelopes, two chamomile tea envelopes, two tablespoons of tamarind and a cup of Jamaica flower..
First the water is heated and the penguin fruits are added; followed by tamarind and Jamaica flower. When starting to boil, the arnica and chamomile sachets are introduced. Then it is allowed to evaporate until a quarter of the water originally present is lost..
Once the decoction is finished, it is diluted with water to reduce its concentrated flavor and consumed throughout the day.
The preparation for slimming purposes is made according to the following proportions: to a cup of fresh penguin fruits, add a cup of Jamaica flower and two liters of water.
The water is heated and both the Jamaica flower and the penguin are added. Once the water acquires a reddish color, the infusion is allowed to cool. Strain and serve cold with plenty of ice.
For bronchial problems and colds it is recommended to chew 2 or 3 small branches per day.
For oral herpes infections, swish the juice of the branches 3 or 4 times a day and then spit it out.
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