Blood sugar can be controlled with curry leaves and French beans and cancer can be fought with hibiscus, tulsi leaves and carrot juice.

Leaf therapist Raj Merchant believes herbs can do wonders and the Mumbai-based doctor has taken up the mission to popularise use of herbs.

“Today, people look at herbs with respect and want to try it out for curing ailments,” says Merchant, who is in a three-day trip to the city to finalise the setting up of a leaf therapy centre in Calcutta. Be it the octogenarian Bismillah Khan or the 30-something Manoj Bajpai, Mumbai’s movers and shakers consult Merchant for ailments ranging from knee problems to high blood pressure.

“I have lots of patients in Calcutta, so I decided to open a centre here,” adds Merchant.

To begin with, a centre will be opened in the city and preparations are already on. A team of doctors — trained by Merchant — will run the show in the city and Merchant will occasionally visit Calcutta to treat patients.

“We have started growing herbs in a farm near Bantala,” says Sushila Tikmay who, along with Jyoti Jaita, will handle the centre’s city branch.