Cat's whiskers

Last Updated: September 28, 2022

Orthosiphon stamineus (Java or Cat's Whiskers) is a plant whose leaves make a health tea, used mostly for its antiinflammatory and urinary health properties. It appears to be a large source of both rosmarinic acid and methylated flavonoids.

Cat's whiskers is most often used for

Summary

Orthosiphon stamineus (Java tea) is a leaf that is commonly brewed as a tea for a variety of purposes, but said purposes (beyond just liking the taste of the tea) tend to revolve around treating inflammatory disorders or treating ailments of the urogenital tract. It originates from the oceanic region and was introduced to mainland Asian countries and the West sometime near the beginning of the 20th century.

It is currently in preliminary stages of research and a lot of research is a bit complicated since it all originates from one research group located in Malaysia and needs to be replicated independently of the country from which it originated from (potentially a problem for scientific validity, since some studies investigating local herbs tend to be over promising in their effects and this excessive promise is attenuated a bit when other research groups look at it).

Nevertheless, there appears to be promise for this herb as a fat burner since the 70% ethanolic extract has been noted in two studies to stimulate leptin production in fat cells and increase in leptin have been noted in serum following oral ingestion of the leaf; reductions in food intake have been noted at only higher levels of intake, but are still thought to be associated with leptin.

While there is potential for this leaf as an antiinflammatory agent and diuretic, it has no practical research for the former that shows promise and while the evidence for the latter is a bit promising in rodents (does not exceed reference drugs in potency) the lone human study on the topic failed. There is one very promising study on colon cancer which definitely needs to be replicated by another research group, since reasonable oral intakes of the leaves potently suppressed colon tumor growth in mice.

All in all, pending future research this can be a potential new non-stimulatory fat burner for lean persons especially; we need quite a bit more evidence to confirm this though.

What else is Cat's whiskers known as?
Note that Cat's whiskers is also known as:
  • Java
  • Misai Kucing
  • Kumis Kucing
  • Cats Whiskers
  • Rau Meo
  • Cay Bac
  • Remujung
  • Moustaches De Chat
  • Yaa Nuat Maeo
  • Orthosiphon Stamineus
Cat's whiskers should not be confused with:
  • Java (Coffee nor the location it came from)
Dosage information

There is not enough information to get an ideal dose, but at this moment it seems that a 70% ethanolic extract would be the most prudent supplemental dosage for the production of leptin in the body. Since this has been noted in a highly variable range (as low as 20mg/kg in mice, as high as 450mg/kg in rats) it is uncertain what the best oral dose to take would be. Nonetheless, human equivalents for the above range are:

  • 110-4,900 mg for a 150lb person
  • 150-6,500 mg for a 200lb person
  • 180-8,100 mg for a 250lb person

The diuretic effect has been noted with tea, and thus brewing a tea from the leaves may be sufficient.

Examine Database: Cat's whiskers
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