Fish Mint (aka. The Chameleon Plant, Rainbow Plant; Houttuynia cordata) native to Southeast Asia is used as a leaf vegetable and also grown for its colorful foliage as an ornamental.
Fish Mint spreads like an ivy, mounding to about 3 feet tall and wide and displays heart shaped alternate leaves that are green or with various variegations depending on the variety, the most common being the ‘Chameleon’ variety (as pictured).
Strangely, this plant has what is normally described as a ‘fish-like’ smell and flavor, due to volatile oils, yet I would describe it as metallic. It is used as a fresh garnish, like a spice, and enjoyed in some Asian cuisines.
Fish Mint has also been long used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as widely known for its medicinal properties though diverse use in Indian and Asian cultures.
Mostly it has been used for its anti-inflammatory activity, respiratory health, stomach ulcers and muscular strains, among other traditional uses. The aerial parts are processed as an herbal tea and functional beverage, and in some areas incorporated into fermented products and condiments for their antimicrobial and digestive actions.
➡️ In parts of India and Southeast Asia, fresh shoots and leaves are taken as a daily medicinal food to promote “freshness,” good sleep, cardiovascular health, and general resistance to infection.
The fresh leaves and young shoots are widely eaten as a pungent salad herb, garnish, or vegetable in regions of China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Northeastern India, often served raw with chili, fermented fish, or rice dishes, or cooked briefly in soups and hotpots to impart their characteristic flavor.
Extracts from the above‑ground parts are used in cosmetic and dermatologic formulations (lotions, masks, and acne or scalp‑care products) for anti‑inflammatory, anti‑allergic, and sebum‑modulating effects, reflecting increasing demand in the cosmeceutical sector.
Through scientific investigation Fish Mint has been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergic, antimutagenic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anti-obesity, insulin-sensitizing, immunomodulatory and anti- SARS-associated coronavirus activities. Fish Mint has also been found to inhibit herpes simplex virus through NF-kB activation.
In a recent randomized, double-blind clinical study, Fish Mint administered with three other herbs was found to significantly decrease both inflammatory and non-inflammatory skin lesions, and be beneficial for patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
Other studies have found beneficial actions suggesting a coordinated gut-lung axis mechanism whereby H. cordata polysaccharides dampen excessive inflammation yet preserve antiviral defense.
Fish Mint: The Daily Antiviral Garnish
