Miracle Herbs

All About Ashwaganda

Description

Ashwaganda, also spelled ashwagandha, is a member of the pepper family known as Withania somnifera. The small evergreen grows in the frost-free drier parts of western India, northern Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. Ashwaganda grows to a height of 2-3 ft (about 1 m) and has oval leaves, showy yellow flowers, and red, raisin-sized fruits. All parts of the plant, including the root, are used medicinally. Ashwaganda is also called winter cherry, withania, asgandh, and Indian ginseng.

General use

Ashwaganda is a major herb in the Ayurvedic system of health and healing. Ayurvedic medicine is a system of individualized healing derived from Hinduism that has been practiced in India for more than 2,000 years. It is a complex system that recognizes different human temperaments and body types. Each of these types has different qualities that affect a person’s health and natural balance.

In Ayurvedic medicine, disease can result from any of seven major categories of factors: heredity, congenital, internal, external trauma, seasonal, habits, or supernatural factors. Disease can also be caused by misuse of the five senses: sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell. Diagnoses are made through questioning, observation, examination, and interpretation. Health is restored by evaluating the exact cause of the imbalance causing the disease or condition and then prescribing herbs, exercises, diet changes and/or meditation to help restore the natural balance of body, mind, and spirit. Prescriptions are highly individualized, so that the same symptoms may require different remedies in different people.

Ashwaganda is used to treat a great many different conditions in Ayurvedic medicine. Every part of the plant is used: leaves, fruit, flowers, and root. In addition, the young shoots and seeds are used to as food and to thicken plant milks in the making of vegan cheeses. The fruit can be used as a substitute for soap, and the leaves are sometimes used as an insect repellent. Although ashwaganda can be taken alone, it is more often combined with other herbs in tonics to enhance its rejuvenating effects.

Indian ginseng

Ashwaganda is sometimes called the Indian ginseng because its actions and uses are in many ways similar to those of Chinese ginseng, although its cost is much lower. In Hindi, the name of ashwaganda means “horse smell.” This unromantic name refers less to the herb’s odor than to a horse’s strength and health. Ashwaganda is supposed to impart that same horse-like strength to the people who use it.

Ashwaganda is an adaptogen. Adaptogens are substances that non-specifically enhance and regulate the body’s ability to withstand stress and increase its general performance in ways that help the whole body resist disease. Ashwaganda is celebrated as an adaptogen that will do all of the following:

• boost strength
• increase stamina and relieve fatigue
• enhance sexual energy and rejuvenate the body
• strengthen the immune system
• speed recovery from chronic illness
• strengthen sickly children
• soothe and calm without producing drowsiness
• clarify the mind and improve memory
• slow the aging process

The powdered root of ashwaganda is normally used for whole body tonics that improve general health and well being. For most of these uses, ashwaganda is prepared as part of a rasayana, or rejuvenating formula that contains many different herbs. The use of ashwaganda in multi-herb formulas makes it difficult for modern laboratory scientists to assess its specific effects as an adaptogen.

Disease-specific uses

In addition to the whole body effects of ashwaganda, the plant is used for many other specific conditions. Different parts are used for different conditions. Ashwaganda is one of the most frequently used remedies in India. It is taken internally for:

• anemia
• arthritis
• asthma
• bronchitis
• cancer
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• colds
• coughs
• depression
• diarrhea
• fluid retention
• hemorrhoids
• hypertension
• hypoglycemia
• leprosy
• nausea
• rheumatism
• sexually transmitted diseases
• stomach ulcers
• systemic lupus erythematosus
• tuberculosis
• tumors

Ashwaganda can also be made into a poultice for external use, as it is thought to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is used to prevent infection in skin wounds and to treat skin diseases, including psoriasis, ringworm, and scabies.

Laboratory studies

University and medical researchers have been studying ashwaganda since at least the early 1960s. Chemical analysis shows that ashwaganda contains compounds thought to have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties. Other compounds have been isolated that are associated with ashwaganda’s sedative and anti-stress effects.

The most rigorous laboratory tests have been done in test tubes and on rats, mice, and other small laboratory animals. There is no proof that ashwaganda affects humans in the same way that it affects rodents. In animal studies, however, ashwaganda has been shown to have consistent anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-stress, and sedative effects. In one well-known study, extracts of ashwaganda root were shown to significantly increase the swimming endurance of rats in a test that is considered a classic stress test.

Experimenters have had mixed results in demonstrating anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties of ashwaganda. Many have found that extracts of ashwaganda root slow the growth of tumor cells in test-tube and small-animal experiments, but these results have not yet been reproduced in human subjects. Some researchers report that ashwaganda makes tumors more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy without increasing side effects caused by these therapies.

Although there is little doubt that ashwaganda contains biologically active compounds that produce some of the healing effects in humans that have been found in test tube and small animal studies, few controlled studies using people have been done. One drawback to arriving at conclusive evidence in humans is that most people take ashwaganda as part of a multi-herb tonic, making it difficult for researchers to attribute specific actions to any one particular component of the formula. Scientific interest in ashwaganda is high, and laboratory studies continue to be performed.

Preparations

Ashwaganda is available in many forms, including powders, decoctions, essential oil, tinctures, and teas made from the root, root bark, and the leaves. Commercially ashwaganda is available as capsules. The usual capsule dosage is 300 mg of powdered root, taken once or twice a day. Tincture dosage is often 2-4 ml (0.5-1 tsp) daily. Ashwaganda tea can be made by boiling the roots for about 15 minutes. Three cups a day is recommended. The fruit is often chewed to assist in convalescence from prolonged illness. These are simply representative doses and uses, since Ayurvedic medicine is highly individualized. The dose recommended depends on both the body type of the person and the nature of his or her illness.

Precautions

Ashwaganda is not recommended for use by pregnant women. Thousands of years of use have shown that this plant is quite safe. On the other hand, laboratory tests indicate that rats given high levels of ashwaganda root extract develop kidney lesions. This effect has not been seen in humans, but using the herb in moderation may be prudent.

Ashwaganda has a sedative effect on the central nervous system. It will enhance the effect of any other central nervous system sedatives (e.g., barbiturates or alcohol) that are taken at the same time. People operating heavy equipment or working in situations that require a high level of alertness should keep this in mind when using ashwaganda.

Side effects

No undesirable side effects have been reported with ashwaganda.

Interactions

There are few, if any, studies of how ashwaganda interacts with traditional Western medicines. It has been used for many years in combination with other Ayurvedic herbs without incident. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that when ashwaganda is combined with other herbs in rejuvenation formulas, it enhances the effects of these other herbs.

Key Terms

Adaptogen

A substance that acts in nonspecific ways to improve the body’s level of functioning and its adaptations to stress.

Decoction

A liquid extract of a herb, made by simmering or boiling the herb in water, then straining out the plant parts.

Poultice

A soft moist mass of cloth, usually containing herbs, applied warm or hot to relieve pain or speed healing in a part of the body.

Psoriasis

A skin disease characterized by dry, scaling, whitish patches.

 

Scabies

A contagious skin disease caused by a mite and characterized by small, raised, red, very itchy pinprick bumps on the skin.

Tincture

An alcohol-based extract of a herb prepared by soaking plant parts in alcohol or a mixture of alcohol and water.

Tonic

A medicine given to strengthen and invigorate the body. Ashwaganda is frequently used as a tonic.

Vegan

Food products made without any animal products such as meat, milk, or eggs. A vegan diet is a nutrition regimen that excludes all animal products.

Source : www.findarticles.com

 

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Allspice

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper, pimento , or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The name “allspice″ was coined by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of several spices, such as cloves, pepper, and even cinnamon and nutmeg.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Pimenta
Species: P. dioica
Binomial name
Pimenta dioica

Flavour

Allspice has a complex aroma, hence its name. It is an aromatic spice with a taste similar to a combination of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, but hotter and more peppery.

History

Christopher Columbus discovered allspice in the Caribbean. Although he was seeking pepper, he had never actually seen real pepper and he thought allspice was it. He brought it back to Spain, where it got the name “pimienta,” which is Spanish for pepper. Its Anglicized name, pimento, is occasionally used in the spice trade today. Before World War II, allspice was more widely used than it is nowadays. During the war, many trees producing allspice were cut, and production never fully recovered. Most allspice is produced in Jamaica, but some other sources for allspice include Guatemala, Honduras, as well as Mexico. Jamaican allspice is considered to be superior due to its higher oil content, which gives it a more appealing flavor.

Preparation/Form
Pimenta dioica Dried, unripe fruits of allspice
Pimenta dioica Dried, unripe fruits of allspice

Allspice is not, as is mistakenly believed by some people who have only come across it in ground form, a mixture of spices. Rather, it is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The fruit is picked when it is green and unripe, traditionally they are then sun dried. When dry they are brown and look like large brown peppercorns.

Allspice is most commonly sold as whole dried fruits or as a powder. The whole fruits have a longer shelf-life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use. Fresh leaves are also used where available: they are similar in texture to bay leaves and are thus infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavour when dried and stored. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop.

Uses

Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning (the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in mole sauces, and in pickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the Levant where it is used to flavor a variety of stews and meat dishes. In Palestinian cuisine, for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavoring. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain and appears in many dishes, including in cakes. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, such as Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers. Allspice is also a main flavor used in barbeque sauces.

Allspice has also been used as a deodorant, 18th century Russian soldiers would put allspice in their boots.

Folklore suggests that allspice provides relief for digestive problems.

Volatile oils found in the plant contain eugenol, a weak antimicrobial agent (Yaniv, Sohara et al. 2005).

Cultivation

Allspice is a small shrubby tree, quite similar to the bay laurel in size and form. It can be grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics with normal garden soil and watering. Smaller plants can be killed by frost, although larger plants are more tolerant. It adapts well to container culture and can be kept as a houseplant or in a greenhouse. The plant is dioecious, hence male and female plants must be kept in proximity in order to allow fruits to develop.

To protect the pimento trade the plant was guarded against export from Jamaica. It is reported that many attempts were made at growing the pimento from seeds, all failed. At one time it was thought that the plant would grow nowhere else except in Jamaica where the plant was readily spread by birds. Experiments were then performed using the constituents of bird droppings, however these were also totally unsuccessful. Eventually it was realized that an elevated temperature, such as that found inside a bird’s body, was essential for germinating the seeds.

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Alkanet

The name alkanet generally refers to Alkanna tinctoria or Dyer’s Bugloss (though it may be used for Anchusa officinalis or Common Bugloss).

It is a member of the Borage family Boraginaceae.

Alkanna tinctoria is also known as orchanet, dyer’s bugloss, Spanish bugloss or bugloss of Languedoc. Its name comes from the Spanish word alcana, from Arabic al-hena, after henna, (Lawsonia inermis).

Alkanet is grown in the south of France and on the shores of the Levant. It has a dark red root of blackish appearance externally but inside showing a blue-red meat, surrounding a whitish core. Its root yields a fine red colouring matter which has been used as a cloth dye and to tint tinctures, oils, wines, varnishes, etc. It was often used to improve the appearance of poor grades of port and similar wines, and to give the appearance of age to port wine corks. It is commonly used today as a food colouring.

It was listed in the 1918 U.S. Dispensatory.

venus

protection
AKAs
Enchusa
Orchanct
Spanish Bugloss

Medicinal Parts : flowers ,roots, seeds

‘It is an herb under the dominion
of Venus, and indeed one of her darlings,
though somewhat hard to come by.
It helps old ulcers,
hot inflammations,
burnings by common fire
and St. Anthony’s fire.

For these uses the best way
is to make it
into an ointment if made a vinegar
of it, as made a vinegar of roses,
it helps the morphy and leprosy ….

it helps the yellow jaundice,
spleen, and gravel in the kidneys.

Dioscorides saith,
it helps such as are bitten
by venomous beasts,
whether it be taken
inwardly or applied to the wound, nay,
he saith further, if any that hath newly
eaten it do but spit into the mouth
of a serpent, the serpent instantly dies….

It kills worms.

Its decoction made
in wine and drank,
strengthens the back, and easeth
the pains thereof.

It helps bruises and falls.
a remedy to drive out
the smallpox and measles
as any is
an ointment made of it
is excellent for green wounds,
pricks or thrusts.’

Herb to the privities,
it draws forth the dead child.
Besides the common name,
it is called Orchanct and Spanish Bugloss,
and by the apothecaries, Enchusa.

It has a great and thick root
of a reddish color, long,
narrow hairy leaves, and small
blue or reddish-purple flowers.
Where to find
It grows in weedy places
along the verges
of roads and on waste land.
It likes a dry sandy soil.
It is cultivated commercially
for the red dye extracted
from the roots.

Flowering time
It flowers from mid to late summer,
but the root is in its prime,
as are Carrots and Parsnips,
before the herb runs up to stalk.

Astrology
It is under the dominion of Venus,
and is indeed one of her darlings.

Medicinal Virtues
It helps old ulcers,
hot inflamations, burnings
by common fire and St Anthony’s fire,
by antipathy to Mars.

For these uses your best way
is to make it into an ointment.

If you make a vinegar of it,
as you make Vinegar of Roses,
it helps the morphy and leprosy.

It helps the yellow jaundice,
spleen and gravel in the kidneys.

Modern Uses
Red dye is used
to color-ointments.

The flowers, roots and seeds
have expectorant properties.

It is used by some as a blood purifier.

But it is not in general
use and not recommended
for internal use domestically.

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