#Morusalba

For centuries, the humble leaves of the Morus alba tree—known in Thailand as “หม่อน” or “มอน” in the Northeast—have been valued both as a nourishing food for silkworms and as a cornerstone of traditional herbal remedies. But in recent decades, white mulberry leaf has been rediscovered by health enthusiasts, scientists, and wellness practitioners as a botanical treasure trove with a remarkable intersection of cultural heritage and biomedical promise. Today, as researchers probe the centuries-old claims of Thai and East Asian herbalists, Morus alba stands as a sterling example of how traditional wisdom and scientific inquiry can enrich one another.

White mulberry, Morus alba, has long nourished silkworms and featured in Thai traditional medicine. In Thai Isan and broader East Asia, leaves are boiled for fevers, added to tonics for recovery, and eaten as a green with nutritional value. Thai practitioners view these leaves as supporting liver health, acting as mild diuretics, and easing “wind” symptoms, a concept rooted in humoral health. This cultural reverence is echoed in Thai pharmacopoeia and herbal clinics, highlighting the leaf’s enduring relevance and its connection to East Asian botanical heritage.