Bhallataka is one of the best, versatile, most commonly used herbs as a household remedy. It has been freely used all over India since centuries. It was held in high esteem by the ancient sages of Ayurveda. Maharsi Caraka has categorized bhallataka as dipaniya an appetizer, bhedaniya – accumulation breaking herb, mutra sangrahaniya – antidiuretic and kusthaghna – anti dermatosis. It has been mentioned as vajikara – an aphrodisiac, especially beneficial in the failure of penile erection and sexual debility. (Sarngadhara Samhita) The great sage Susruta mentions it as stanyasodhana – lactodepurant. Bhallataka is acclaimed as a drug of choice in the treatment of piles of vata and kapha types. It is recommended as a rejuvenative (rasayana) to kapha dosa and asthivaha srotasa.
The word bhallataka describes the sharp attribute of the herb, in comparison to that of a javelin. It has various synonyms, ascribing the different properties, like anala – a fire, sopha krta one which causes oedema, krmighna vermicide, vatari enemy of vata etc.
Bhallataka grows throughout India in hot weather and in Himalaya’s upto 1000 metres height. The plant is found in abundance in Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. It is a medium sixed tree growing upto 10-15 metres in height. The bark is grey in colour and exudes an irritant secretion on incising. The leaves are 30-60 cm long and 12-30 cm broad. They are glabrous above and pubescent beneath. The flowers are greenishwhite, in panicles. Fruits are 2-3 cm broad. The flowering occurs in june and then onwards the plant bears fruits.
The botanical name of bhallataka is Semecarpus anacardium and it belongs to family Anacardiaceae. An alkaloid, Bhilawanol, has been isolated from oil and seeds. Bhilwanol from fruits was shown to be a mixture of cis and Trans isomers of ursuhenol (Naure 1960, 186, 389). Other components isolated are anacardic acid, cardol, catechol, fixed oil, anacardol and semecarpol. From the defatted nuts, three biflavonoids A, B and C have been isolated. A new biflabonoid jeediflavone and galluflavone isolated from nut shells
Properties
Bhallataka is sweet and astringent in taste, sweet in the post digestive effect and has hot potency. It alleviates kapha and vata dosas and possesses light, unctuous sharp (tiksna) and hot (usna) attributes. It is extremely heat generating, appetizer, digestant, rejuvenative, aphrodisiac herb and alleviates the skin and rheumatic disorders. (Bhavaprakasa Nighantu)
Uses
Bhallataka is used both, internally as well as externally. The fruits, their oil and the seeds have great medicinal value, and are used to treat the wide range of diseases. Externally, the oil, mixed with coconut or sesame oil, is applied on wounds and sores to prevent the pus formation. It soothens and heals the cracked feet, when
mixed with fala (Shorea robusta). For better healing of wounds, it works well, when medicated with garlic, onion and ajavayana in sesame oil. The topical application of its oil and swollen joints and traumatic wounds effectively controls the pain. In glandular swellings and filariasis, the application of its oil facilitates to drain out the discharges of pus and fluids and eases the conditions.
Since bhallataka is extremely hot and sharp in its attributes, it should be used with caution. Individuals showing allergic reactions to it, should stop and avoid the usage of bhallataka. It should not be used in small children, very old persons, pregnant women and individuals of predominant pitta constitution. The use of the same should be restricted in summer season. For its allergic reactions like rash, itching and swelling, the antidotes used externally are coconut oil, rala ointment, ghee, coriander leaves pulp or butter mixed with musta (Cyperus rotundus).
Internally, bhallataka is widely used in a vast range of diseases because of its multifarious properties. As it augments the agni, it is extremely beneficial in the diseases like piles, colitis, diarrhea, dyspepsia, ascites, tumours and worms which are caused mainly due to weakened agni. For this, one fruit of bhallataka is hold with tong over a flame and heated slightly. On gentle pressing, the oil starts dripping gradually. This oil is collected on the beatle leaf with small amount of sugar on its surface or in a cup of milk. Approximately 10 drops in children and 15-20 drops in adults are sufficient. It augements the appetite, cleanses the bowels, dispels the trapped gases and eliminates the worms. This is how the bhallataka is used as a household remedy.
Bhallataka is highly praised to treat the piles (haemorrhoids) of vata and kapha types, meaning in non – bleeding conditions. It is an effective adjuvant in the treatment of ascites and tumours. In bronchial asthma and cough, it is one of the best medicament for which, its preparation bhallatakasava is commonly used. It reduces the bronchospasms and their frequency too. Cardiac debility, associated with odema can be treated with great benefit. The milk medicated with bhallataka or bhallataka modaka mitigates the skin diseases like scabies, eczema, ringworm infestations. As a nervine tonic, it is beneficial in the diseases due to vata, like sciatica, paralysis, facial palsy, epilepsy, rheumatic conditions and also asa brain tonic. The combination, bhallataka, haritaki, tila (sesame seeds) powders with jaggery, awards excellent results in chronic rheumatic disorders. Bhallataka is said to augment the memory, as it boosts the sadhaka pitta and nourishes the nervine tissue. It also works well as aphrodisiac by its stimulant action and enhances the seminal fluids. In dysmenorrheal (painful menstruation) and oligomenorrhea (scanty menstruation), the medicated milk or its oil is salubrious. It reduces the urinary output, hence beneficial in diabetes of kapha type,
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
ASHOKA
SARACA INDICA
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Asoka is one of the cardinal herbs recommended in scriptures of Ayurveda for umpteen gynaecological problems in women. This plant is known to us since ages, as mention of this plant has been made in Ramayana, where Sita after abduction was confined in Asoka vatika. We also have references of Lord Buddha’s birth under Asoka tree. The herb is aptly said to be a companion of women as it rejuvenates the female reproductive system and is salutary in treating various gynaecological problems. (Nighantu Katnakara)
Asoka tree grows all over India; it is found growing suitably at an altitude of 750 metres in the Himalayas, Khasi, Garo and Lushai hills. It is an evergreen tree, reaching a maximum height of 9 metres. It is not found to be cultivated on commercial scale, but in gardens, because of its decorative flowers and beautiful foliage. The branches of the tree are glabrous and drooping. The leaves are 30-60 cm in length, in 2-3 pairs of lanceolate leaflets. The flowers are orang-yellow, fragrant, in dense corymbs. They are 8-10 cms across, calys yellow to orange and finally red. Its stamens are 7 to 8 and filaments are filiform. The bark is dark brown to grey in colour and it is collected from the plant by making longitudinal and transverse incisions. Asoka blooms in the summer and bears fruits in October.
The botanical name of Asoka is Saraka indica and it belongs to family Caesalpiniaceae. Asoka has been often confused with Polyalthis longifolia, which is called as false Asoka, Sitosterol, quercetin, kaempferol, glucoside isolated from flowers. Isolation of leucopelargonidin-3-o-d- glucoside, leucopelargonidun and leucocyanidin along with sitosterol from stem bark isolated.
Properties
Asoka is bitter and astringent in taste, pungent in post digestive effect and has a cold potency. It alleviates vata and kapha dosas. It possesses laghu (light) and ruksa (dry ) attributes. (Bhavaprakasa)
It is beneficial in the treatment of excessive uterine bleeding, dysmenorrheal – painful menstruation, bleeding piles, leucorrhea and many other diseases.
Uses
The skin of the bark, seeds, flowers and the fruits of Asoka are used for medicinal purpose. This herb is seldom used externally. When used externally, the paste of its bark – skin is beneficial in combating pain associated with oedema or swelling.
Internally, it is effectively used in women to treat various gynaecological disorders. The decoction of skin of the bark is given in dosage 10 – 15 ml, two or three times daily, to arrest excessive menstrual bleeding. It imparts excellent results in dysmenorrheal, where menstruation is associated with colicky abdominal pain. Asoka reinforces the uterine musculature, hence is benevolent in prolapse or inflammatory conditions of the uterus. It also has a remarkable healing effect of the endometrium or the mucous membrane of uterus and a stimulant action on the ovary. As a whole, it renders the puissant rejuvenative actions on the uterus, hence aptly called as garbhasaya rasayana, menaing – the uterine tonic. The decoction of skin of Asoka by itself, or mixed with equal quantity of milk, effectively mitigates menorrhagia, leucorrhea, the medicated wine of Asoka, Asokarista, is an excellent remedy for irregularities of menstrual cycle. Women who have tendency towards abortions and miscarriages should be treated, with great benefit, with Asokaghrta – the medicated ghee of Asoka from the fourth month of pregnancy onwards (second trimester).
Due to its astringent taste and cold potency, Asoka is salutary in arresting the bleeding or haemorrhages in dysentery, colitis, piles, and raktapitta. (Bhavaprakasa). It combines well with asvagandha as uterine tonic. Asoka seeds are diuretic – increase the quantity of urine, hence used in strangury and urinary stones. The flowers are considered to be a uterine tonic and are used in vitiated conditions of pitta, syphilis, cervical adenitis, and hyperdispepsia – excessive thirst, burning sensation, piles and dysentery.
Classical Ayurvedic Preparations
Asokarista
Asoka ghrta
Asoka vati
Asokadi kvatha etc.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Asoka is one of the cardinal herbs recommended in scriptures of Ayurveda for umpteen gynaecological problems in women. This plant is known to us since ages, as mention of this plant has been made in Ramayana, where Sita after abduction was confined in Asoka vatika. We also have references of Lord Buddha’s birth under Asoka tree. The herb is aptly said to be a companion of women as it rejuvenates the female reproductive system and is salutary in treating various gynaecological problems. (Nighantu Katnakara)
Asoka tree grows all over India; it is found growing suitably at an altitude of 750 metres in the Himalayas, Khasi, Garo and Lushai hills. It is an evergreen tree, reaching a maximum height of 9 metres. It is not found to be cultivated on commercial scale, but in gardens, because of its decorative flowers and beautiful foliage. The branches of the tree are glabrous and drooping. The leaves are 30-60 cm in length, in 2-3 pairs of lanceolate leaflets. The flowers are orang-yellow, fragrant, in dense corymbs. They are 8-10 cms across, calys yellow to orange and finally red. Its stamens are 7 to 8 and filaments are filiform. The bark is dark brown to grey in colour and it is collected from the plant by making longitudinal and transverse incisions. Asoka blooms in the summer and bears fruits in October.
The botanical name of Asoka is Saraka indica and it belongs to family Caesalpiniaceae. Asoka has been often confused with Polyalthis longifolia, which is called as false Asoka, Sitosterol, quercetin, kaempferol, glucoside isolated from flowers. Isolation of leucopelargonidin-3-o-d- glucoside, leucopelargonidun and leucocyanidin along with sitosterol from stem bark isolated.
Properties
Asoka is bitter and astringent in taste, pungent in post digestive effect and has a cold potency. It alleviates vata and kapha dosas. It possesses laghu (light) and ruksa (dry ) attributes. (Bhavaprakasa)
It is beneficial in the treatment of excessive uterine bleeding, dysmenorrheal – painful menstruation, bleeding piles, leucorrhea and many other diseases.
Uses
The skin of the bark, seeds, flowers and the fruits of Asoka are used for medicinal purpose. This herb is seldom used externally. When used externally, the paste of its bark – skin is beneficial in combating pain associated with oedema or swelling.
Internally, it is effectively used in women to treat various gynaecological disorders. The decoction of skin of the bark is given in dosage 10 – 15 ml, two or three times daily, to arrest excessive menstrual bleeding. It imparts excellent results in dysmenorrheal, where menstruation is associated with colicky abdominal pain. Asoka reinforces the uterine musculature, hence is benevolent in prolapse or inflammatory conditions of the uterus. It also has a remarkable healing effect of the endometrium or the mucous membrane of uterus and a stimulant action on the ovary. As a whole, it renders the puissant rejuvenative actions on the uterus, hence aptly called as garbhasaya rasayana, menaing – the uterine tonic. The decoction of skin of Asoka by itself, or mixed with equal quantity of milk, effectively mitigates menorrhagia, leucorrhea, the medicated wine of Asoka, Asokarista, is an excellent remedy for irregularities of menstrual cycle. Women who have tendency towards abortions and miscarriages should be treated, with great benefit, with Asokaghrta – the medicated ghee of Asoka from the fourth month of pregnancy onwards (second trimester).
Due to its astringent taste and cold potency, Asoka is salutary in arresting the bleeding or haemorrhages in dysentery, colitis, piles, and raktapitta. (Bhavaprakasa). It combines well with asvagandha as uterine tonic. Asoka seeds are diuretic – increase the quantity of urine, hence used in strangury and urinary stones. The flowers are considered to be a uterine tonic and are used in vitiated conditions of pitta, syphilis, cervical adenitis, and hyperdispepsia – excessive thirst, burning sensation, piles and dysentery.
Classical Ayurvedic Preparations
Asokarista
Asoka ghrta
Asoka vati
Asokadi kvatha etc.
How to improve your Brain
How to improve your Brain
Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a cognitive reserve' that will help you stay sharp as you age.
1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly exercising the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental pictures.
4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.
5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine) . A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants— broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don't really learn people's names at first because we aren't really concentrating on remembering them. You'll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you'll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it, right? It's a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker's name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you'll find it easier to remember all four.
11. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn't improve your memory, you'll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won't have to search for your keys anymore).
12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice “mindfulness� meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep a minimum of seven hours a night may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.
15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.
Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a cognitive reserve' that will help you stay sharp as you age.
1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly exercising the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental pictures.
4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.
5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine) . A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants— broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don't really learn people's names at first because we aren't really concentrating on remembering them. You'll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you'll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it, right? It's a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker's name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you'll find it easier to remember all four.
12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice “mindfulness� meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep a minimum of seven hours a night may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.
15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.
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