Dr. Sarin T.

Shunti or Ardraka or Ginger (Zingiber officinale) belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is a branched perennial herb of aromatic rhizome is one of the most common spices used since centuries for its versatile medicinal actions. Ardraka is the wet form of ginger while Shunti is its dried form. Shunti is useful for the treatment of various gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular and sexual disorders. Dioscorides, listed ginger as an antidote to poisoning, as a digestive, aphrodisiac and as being warming to the stomach in his treatise “De Materia Medica”. Records suggest that ginger was highly valued as an article of trade and…

Bhumyalaki is an annual winter weed herb which grows in the wild after first showers of monsoon. It is native to India mainly seen in the tropical coastal areas and found in a variety of tropical and subtropical countries around the world. In India it is seen in States of Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, etc.  “Bhumi amla” is commonly known as Chanca piedra, stone breaker and seed under leaves or gale of the wind. “Phyllanthus” means “leaf and flower” because the flower, as well as the fruit, seem to become one with the leaf. Bhumyamalaki had shown a wide spectrum of…

Safed Musli or Dholi Musli is a herb native to India and grown as a medicinal plant which has been recognized for its aphrodisiac, immune-modulatory, and antioxidant qualities. The aphrodisiacal and spermatogenic properties of Safed musli have earned it the nicknames “herbal viagra,” & “sex vitalizer”. It belongs to the group of “Vajikaran Rasayana” corroborated to its rejuvenating, aphrodisiac, natural sex tonic properties and effective in alleviating sexual disorders. They are widely distributed and grown in forest areas all over the world. Safed Musli was brought to India from South Africa, and its center of origin is thought to be…

Sarpagandha or Rauwolfia sepentina, a Ayurvedic herb which is considered to be very potent one among the Ayurvedic system practices for centuries. Commonly it is referred as Indian snakeroot, or serpentina root which is widely distributed in moist areas of subtropical Himalayas and plains of Punjab to Assam, Khasia Mountains, and Deccan Peninsula. The plant is native to India, Bangladesh and different areas of Asia. Sarpagandha roots, leaves, and juice have been considered of therapeutic significance from ancient times. Sarpagandha is a potential antioxidant, anticancerous, antidiuretic, antiarrhythmic, antidysentery, antidiarrheal, antihypotensive, anticontractile, and tranquillizing agent. The root and rhizome of Sarpagandha…

Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) is a small, dwarf, hairy, perennial, rhizomatous plant which is mostly cultivated in high altitude areas like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Moreover, it is widely distributed in the subalpine to alpine areas of India, Pakistan, Nepal, China and Yunan. Jatamansi is commonly called as ‘Indian nard’ or ‘Spikenard. The rhizomes and roots of jatamansi are mainly used as a drug. In Ayurveda, the rhizomes of the jatamansi are utilized mostly as an anticonvulsant and anti-stress agent. The essential oil extracted from the rhizomes part of the jatamansi is widely utilized in the market…

Tambula (Paan/betel leaves) is a drug which is closely related with our Indian culture especially among Hindus as the Betel leaves are used in many traditional ceremonies like marriage, Vidhyarambham, Homa (ritual in which making offerings into a sacred fire), Puja (worship), offering made to any priest and also in all the main cultural & religious ceremonies. Betel leaf is commonly known as betel vine. There are more than 90 varieties of betel vine found all over the world of which 45 varieties are found in India and grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It is widely used for chewing…

Tulsi or Tulasi or Vaishnavi or Holy Basil is a sacred plant of India with great spiritual, medicinal and therapeutic value in Hindu belief. Hindus regard it as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi; who was a great worshipper of the god Vishnu. In Hindu rituals, Tulsi leaves are offered in every havan and ritualistic worship of Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. Tulsi leaves are widely used in several ancient systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Greek, Roman, Siddha, and Unani. Our ancestors used Tulsi widely as home remedy for treatment of injury, respiratory disorders, hepatic disorders, viral infection, earache,…

Brahmi,” Bacopa monnieri L. (Family: Scrophulariaceae) is a semi- succulent perennial herb that grows in marshy, humid and moist environments all over India. Bacopa monnieri,is a native to India and Australia, known in Hindi as “Brahmi” and “water hyssop” in English. The name Brahmi is derived from “Brahma”, the legendary “creator” in the Hindu pantheon. Brahmi literally means the energy (Shakti) of Brahma. One may understand it as a property of creation of the world. Since the cerebrum is responsible for creative activity, any material that enhances the mind capability is called B. monnieri (Brahmi), which additionally signifies “bringing information…

Shigru (Moringa oleifera Lam) commonly known as Drumstick plant or Horse Radish Tree, is a medium sized, evergreen or deciduous tree is a native to India and commonly cultivated throughout India. Every component of the Moringa tree, including the bark, leaves, blossoms, and roots, has a special function in enhancing health, which makes it extremely special. It has a pungent and bitter flavour to its juice. This plant is of high nutritional value, ecologically and economically beneficial with its unique combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids potentially acting as a “Super drug” or “Natural nutrition for the tropics” which…

“Breast milk is the churned love of a Mother to her Child” Importance of breast milk for the newborn is very well documented in our rich wisdom of Ayurvedic classics. In modern science also, the importance of colostrum and breast milk for the newborn is well established. But currently, a stressful lifestyle with unhealthy eating habits, has shaped our society to encounter many challenges like Stanyakshaya (hypogalactia) or stanyanaasha (agalactia), especially with primiparous mothers. So, we have to look out for herbal remedies or drugs which can stabilize or boost the sthanya or breast milk which are generally called galactagogues.…