Ayurvedic herbs

Bacopa monneria has been shown in recent studies to stimulate hair growth in laboratory mice. Traditionally, this Ayurvedic herb, known as brahmi, was used to increase hair growth, stimulate cerebral circulation, and treat impaired memory and poor concentration. 

Bedi KL, Zutshi U, Chopra CL, Amla V. Picrorhiza kurroa, an Ayurvedic herb, may potentiate photochemotherapy in vitiligo. J Ethnopharmacol 1989 27 347-352. 

This ayurvedic herb contains andrographolides in its leaves and roots which, in addition to tasting very bitter, have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiallergic properties and act on the immune system of the body (Coon and Ernst 2004). 

Table 6.3 shows some common ayurvedic herbs that have been used for various cosmetic applications. Despite the use of numerous herbs and extracts over the ages for... 

TABLE 6.3. Some Common Ayurvedic Herbs Most Commonly Used for Various Cosmetic Applications... 

The Indian folk medicine, called Ayurvedic medicine, can be traced back 3000-5000 years and was practiced by the Brahmin sages of ancient times. The treatments were set out in sacred writings called Vedas. The material medica are extensive and most are based on herbal formulations. Some of the herbs have appeared in Western medicines, such as cardamom and cinnamon. Susruta, a physician in the fourth century ad, described the use of henbane as antivenom for snakebites. 

In Ayurvedic medicine, coconut oil infused with herbs has been used medicinally for almost 4000 years as an effective treatment for skin diseases caused by infestation with parasites, such as scabies and head lice. Today, about 20 billion coconuts are grown each year, and although the major producers are the Philippines, India, and Indonesia, virtually everywhere the coconut palm grows — in the tropical regions of Latin America and East Africa, as well as Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Philippines — coconut products serve as a dietary staple. ... 

The most important manoyl oxide derivative is forskolin (9), Fig. (7), (7p-acetoxy-8, 13-epoxy-la, 6p, 9a-trihydroxylabd-14-en-ll-one) [151-153]. It belongs to the labdane series of diterpenes and was isolated from the Indian herb Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. (Labiatae). Since ancient times it has been used in Hindu and Ayurvedic traditional medicine [154]. The plant Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. has been extensively studied, and from its extracted roots a group of diterpenoids, with the basic skeleton of 11-oxo-manoyl oxide, have been isolated. The main compound, forskolin, presented remarkable chemical and biological properties [155]. Analogues of forskolin were then prepared by semisynthesis [156] or obtained by microbial transformations [157]. New analogues, more soluble than forskolin have shown activities comparable to and even higher than forskolin [158]. 

Benefits Echinacea is held to be one of the most effective detoxifying herbs in Western medicine for a range of ailments, and is now used in ayurvedic medicine. The polyynes and cichoric acid components are reported to have antibacterial and virostatic effects. Echinacea also demonstrates an anti-inflammatory effect due to the alkamides component. As an immune stimulant, it significantly raises immunoglobulin M levels. Antiviral activities against both the Herpes simplex virus Type I and the influenza-A virus have been observed. 

Guggulsterone are an extract of the herb Commiphora Mukul, clinically proven to restore lagging metabolic rate caused by dietary calorie deficiency such as during diet phases. Ayurvedic medicine has utilized the unprocessed herb for centuries to treat energy deficiencies related ailments. 

The Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Native (North and South) American cultures all have traditional systems of herbal medicine. In China and Japan, the use of herbal remedies is officially promoted by a government ministry and included in national health systems. In India, herbalism is part of the ancient but still widely used system of Ayurvedic medicine. Native Americans use herbs in a spiritual sense, placing emphasis on their purifying and cleansing properties both physically and mentally. 

Herbal products are considered a type of alternative medicine (e.g., herbal medicines, Chinese herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, biofeedback, color therapy, music therapy, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy. Ayurvedic medicine, massage, therapeutic touch, Bach flower remedies, chiropractic, reflexology, naturopathy, and more). According to the Office of Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), characteristics of alternatives medicine include treatments that lack sufficient documentation in the United States for safety and effectiveness against specific disease and... 

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). A common herb of Southeast Asia, this creeping plant has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine. Traditionally, it has been used as a diuretic, a cerebral tonic, and a treatment for leprosy as well as for inflammatory skin and muscle conditions. It is applied topically as a... 

I am not trained in Ayurveda, India s ancient system of medicine, but I thought it would be interesting to compare an Ayurvedic view of Serenoa (although Ayurveda practitioners do not use this herb) with the traditional Chinese medicine and Western views. I invited a noted scholar of this medical system, Allan Tillotson, M.A., AHG, to do this analysis. According to Allan, "Saw palmetto fruit would be considered sweet and slightly pungent in taste. It is... 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that four billion people— 80% of the world population—use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary healthcare. Herbal medicine is a major component in all indigenous peoples traditional medicine and is a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. Opinions about the safety, efficacy, and appropriateness of medicinal herbs vary widely among medical and health professionals in countries where herbal remedies are used. Some countries professionals accept historical, empirical evidence as the only necessary criterion for herbal medicine s efficacy. Others would ban all herbal remedies as dangerous or of questionable value. 

An aromatic shrub or small tree native to northeastern Africa, it has a long history as a heating and rejuvenating herb, e.g., in Ayurvedic medicine. The oleo-gum-resin produced contains terpenes that have been shown in vivo to inhibit certain solid-tumor eaneers. In Chinese medieine, mo yao shu, mo yao. 

Rege, N.N., U.M. Thatte, and S.A. Dahanukar. 1999. Adaptogenic properties of six rasayana herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. Phytother. Res. 13(4) 275-291. 

Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic contraindications. In Chinese and Ayurvedic therapeutic traditions, most herbs have contraindications based on an individual s constitutional strengths and weaknesses, seasons, climate, and other factors that can only be understood in the context of the specific tradition. These traditional concerns have not been included in the text unless they can also be interpreted in a modern biomedical context, such as contraindication in pregnancy. Gastrointestinal disturbances. Reports of nausea or emesis from excessive doses, or occasional and/or minor gastrointestinal disturbances, have been noted but have not been considered in establishing safety classification, unless frequency or severity of such reactions warrants consideration. 

Bane, K. 1996, Clinical Applications of Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbs, Phytotherapy Press, Warwick. 

Ayurvedic medicine (India) Occasional adulterant in chharUa (see Parmotrema nilgherrense). Mixed with other aromatic herbs, such as Valeriana jatamansi for favoring and curing tobacco, along with U. longissima, U. subsordida, Everniastrum nepalense, E. cirrhatum, and Ramalina inflata (Shah 1998)... 

Drug contamination Ayurvedic medications (traditional Hindu medicines) consist of herbs that may be intentionally combined with metals such as lead, mercury, iron and zinc. Their practitioners and patients believe that the toxic properties of the metals are reduced or eliminated during preparation and processing. 

Sample material Ayurvedic churna, herbs, spices... 

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