Medicinal
Loquat syrup is used in Chinese medicine for soothing the throat and is a popular ingredient for cough drops. The leaves, combined with other ingredients and known as pipa gao (枇杷膏; pinyin: pípágāo; literally "loquat paste"), it acts as a demulcent and an expectorant, as well as to soothe the digestive and respiratory systems.
In Japan, Loquat leaves are dried to make a mild beverage known as Biwa Cha by brewing them using the traditional Japanese "Senjiru" method, believed to beautify skin and heal inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema and for healing chronic respiratory conditions such as in bronchitis.
Eaten in quantity, loquats have a gentle but noticeable sedative effect, lasting up to 24 hours.
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