Cassia Angustifolia

Family Name : CAESALPINACEAE

Botanical Name : CASSIA ANGUSTIFOLIA

Common Name : SENNA, INDIAN SENNA, TINNEVELLY SENNA, CASSIA SENNA

Part Used : PODS, STEMS, LEAVES

Habitat : Cultivated in dry lands of Southern & Western India, and indegenous to Arabia.

Uses : It is recognised by British and US pharmacopoeias. It is useful in habitual costiveness. It lowers bowels, increases peristaltic movements of the colon by its local action upon the intestinal wall. It is used as expectorant, wound dresser, antidysentric, carminative and laxative.

Calamus

Family Name : ARACEAE

Botanical Name : ACORUS CALAMUS

Common Name : CALAMUS, SWEET-FLAG, SWEET ROOT, BACH

Part Used : DRIED RHIZOME

Habitat : North Temperate and subtropical regions upto 2200m altitude in Himalayas.

Uses : It is Nauseant, Stomachic, Anthelmentic, Stimulants, Emetic, Expectorant, Carminative, Antispasmodic and Nervine Sedative. Rhizome is used in the cure of host of diseases such as epilepsy, mental; ailments, chronic diarrhoea and dysentary. It is used in incense sticks and dhup and is widely used as insecticide for lice, bedbugs, worms etc.

Boswellia Serrata

Family Name : BURSERACEAE

Botanical Name : BOSWELLIA SERRATA

Common Name : INDIAN OLIBANUM TREE, OLIBANUM, LUBAN, GOND

Part Used : BARK, GUM RESIN

Uses : The bark is sweet, cooling and tonic. It is good in vitiated conditions of Pitta, cough
, asthama. It is useful in fevers, urethrorrhea, diaphoresis, convulsions, chronic laryngitis, jaundice and arthritis.

Basil Herb

Family Name : LAMIACEAE

Botanical Name : OCIMUM SANCTUM

Common Name : BASIL, SACRED BASIL, HOLY BASIL, TULSI

Part Used : LEAVES, SEEDS

Habitat : Found Throughout India.

Uses : It is Diaphoteric, Anti periodic, Stimulating, Expectorant and Anti-catarrhal. It is used in malaria, catarrh, bronchitis and gastric disorders. It also lowers blood sugar levels and its powder is used for mouth ulcers. It is widely worshiped in India.

Bacopa Monniera

Family Name : SCROPHULARIACEAE

Botanical Name : BACOPA MONNIERA

Common Name : HERPESTIS MONNIERIA, THYME LEAVED GRATIOLA, BRAHMI

Part Used : WHOLE PLANT

Habitat : Grows in Marshy places and cultivated South India.

Uses : It is Diuretic, Cardiac, Nervine and Tonic. It is reported to improve intellect, treatment of asthma, hoarseness, insanity, epilepsy. It is a potent nervous tonic and is anti anxiety agent. It is considered good for heart.

Azadirachta Indica

Family Name : MELIACEAE

Botanical Name : AZADIRACHTA INDICA

Common Name : LILAC, MARGOSA TREE, NEEM, NEEM CHAL

Part Used : LEAVES, FLOWER, OIL, SEED

Habitat : It is evergreen and grows throughout India.

Uses : Vermifuge, Insecticide, Astringent, Tonic and Antispetic. It posseses anti diabitic, anti bacterial and anti viral properties and used sucessfully in cases of stomach, worms and ulcers. Root bark posseses anstringent, tonic and antiperiodic properties. It is also useful in Malarial fever. The oil is used in making Neem based soaps, shampoos and toothpaste.

Asparagus Racemosus

Family Name : LILIACEAE

Botanical Name : ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS

Common Name : ASPARAGUS, WILD ASPARAGUS, ASPARAGUS ROOT, SATAVARI

Part Used : TUBEROUS ROOTS

Uses : The roots are bitter, sweet, emollient, cooling, nervine, tonic, constipating, opthalimic, anobyne, aphrodisiac. They are useful in nervous disorders, dyspepsia, tumours, scalding of urine, throat infections, tuberclosis, cough bronchitis and general debility.

Ashwagandha

Family Name : SOLANACEAE

Botanical Name : WITHANIA SOMNIFERA

Common Name : WITHANIA, WINTER CHERRY, INDIAN WINTER CHERRY, INDIAN GINSENG, ASHWAGANDHA

Part Used : ROOT, LEAVES

Habitat : Cultivated throughout drier parts of India.

Uses : It is Tonic, Abortifacient, Astringent, Deobstruent, Nervine, Aphrodisiac and Sedative. It is official Indian Pharmacoepeia. It is popularly known as Indian Ginseng. It gives vitality and vigour and helps in building greater endurance. It has been used in diseases such as rheumatism, leprosy and arthritis.

Aloe Vera

Family Name : LILIACEAE

Botanical Name : ALOE VERA, ALOE BARBADENSIS

Common Name : ALOE, BARBADOS ALOE, CURACAO ALOE, INDIAN ALOE, GHI KUNVAR

Part Used : FLOWERS, ROOTS

Habitat : South and South Western India.

Uses :It is useful for X ray burns, Dermatitis, Cutaneous and disorders of skin. Drug from juice is tonic and is used in jaundice, ameneorrhoea, atonic and piles. Aloe Vera Gel has the remarkable ability to heal wounds, ulcer and burns.

Indian Herbs

• Aloe Vera
• Ashwagandha
• Asparagus Racemosus
• Azadirachta Indica
• Bacopa Monniera
• Basil Herb
• Boswellia Serrata
• Calamus
• Cassia Angustifolia
• Cassia Fistula
• Cassia Tora
• Centella Asiatica
• Cinchona Officinalis
• Datura Stramonium
• Emblica Officinalis

• Ephedra Vulgaris
• Guggul
• Gymnema Sylvestre
• Hyocyamus Niger
• Hedychium
• Henna
• Liquorice
• Moringa Oleifera
• Mucuna Pruriens
• Papaver Somniferum
• Pudina
• Psyllium Husk
• Pterocarpus Marsupium
• Punica Granatum
• Quince

• Rhubarb
• Safed Musli
• Sarsaparilla
• Sida Cordifolia
• Syzygium Cumini
• Juglans Regia
• Terminalia Arjuna
• Terminalia Belerica
• Terminalia Chebula
• Tinospora Cordifolia
• Tribulus Terrestris
• Valeriana Wallichii
• Vinca Rosea
• Zingiber Officinalis

Ayurveda

According to Ayurveda, the first requirement for healing oneself and others is a clear understanding of the three doshas. The concept of Vata-Pitta-Kapha is unique to Ayurveda and it holds the potential for revolutionizing th healing systems of the West. However, the concept of the three principles and the Sanskrit words, Vata-Pitta-Kapha, are very difficult to translate into Western terms.

Tridosha Concept: Inside the body, there are three doshas which govern the phyico-chemical and physiological activities. These three doshas are Vata (from ether and air), Pitta (from fire and an aspect of water), and Kapha (from water and earth).Individual constitution is acquired at birth and remains constant through life. Through Ayurdic books, teachers, and courses, one is able to determine one's individual constitution and thereby knowing which direction to take for self-diagnosis purposes.

A balance among the tridosha is necessary for health. For example, the air principle kindles the bodily fire, but water is necessary to control fire, otherwise the bodily fire would burn the tissues. Vata moves Kapha and Pitta, since Kapha and Pitta are immobile. Together, the tridosha governs all metabolic activities; anabolism (Kapha), catabolism (Vata), and metabolism (Pitta). When Vata is out of balance, the metabolism will be disturbed, resulting in excess catabolism, which is the breakdown or deterioration process in the body. When anabolism is greater than catabolism, there is an increased rate of growth and repair of the organs and tissues. Excess Pitta disturbs metabolism, excess Kapha increases the rate of anabolism and excess Vata creates emaciation (catabolism).

In childhood, anabolism and the Kapha elements are predominant, since this is the time of greatest physical growth. In adulthood, metabolism and the element of Pitta are most apparent, because at this stage the body is matured and stable. In old age, catabolism and Vata are most evident, as the body begins to deteriorate

Middle Ages

The uses of plants for medicine and other purposes changed little in early medieval Europe. Many Greek and Roman writings on medicine, as on other subjects, were preserved by hand copying of manuscripts in monasteries. The monasteries thus tended to become local centers of medical knowledge, and their herb gardens provided the raw materials for simple treatment of common disorders. At the same time, folk medicine in the home and village continues uninterrupted, supporting numerous wandering and settled herbalists. Among these were the “wise-women,” who prescribed herbal remedies often along with spells and enchantments. It was not until the late Middle Ages that women who were knowledgeable in herb lore became the targets of the witch hysteria. One of the most famous women in the herbal tradition was Hildegard of Bingen. A twelfth century Benedictine nun, she wrote a medical text called Causes and Cures.

Medical schools known as Bimaristan began to appear from the 9th century in the medieval Islamic world, which was generally more advanced than medieval Europe at the time. The Arabs venerated Greco-Roman culture and learning, and translated tens of thousands of texts into Arabic for further study.[14] As a trading culture, the Arab travellers had access to plant material from distant places such as China and India. Herbals, medical texts and translations of the classics of antiquity filtered in from east and west.[15] Muslim botanists and Muslim physicians significantly expanded on the earlier knowledge of materia medica. For example, al-Dinawari described more than 637 plant drugs in the 9th century,[16] and Ibn al-Baitar described more than 1,400 different plants, foods and drugs, over 300 of which were his own original discoveries, in the 13th century.[17] The experimental scientific method was introduced into the field of materia medica in the 13th century by the Andalusian-Arab botanist Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati, the teacher of Ibn al-Baitar. Al-Nabati introduced empirical techniques in the testing, description and identification of numerous materia medica, and he separated unverified reports from those supported by actual tests and observations. This allowed the study of materia medica to evolve into the science of pharmacology.[18]

Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine (1025) is considered the first pharmacopoeia,[19][20] and lists 800 tested drugs, plants and minerals.[21] Book Two is devoted to a discussion of the healing properties of herbs, including nutmeg, senna, sandalwood, rhubarb, myrrh, cinammon, and rosewater.[14] Baghdad was an important center for Arab herbalism, as was Al-Andalus between 800 and 1400. Abulcasis (936-1013) of Cordoba authored The Book of Simples, an important source for later European herbals, while Ibn al-Baitar (1197-1248) of Malaga authored the Corpus of Simples, the most complete Arab herbal which introduced 200 new healing herbs, including tamarind, aconite, and nux vomica.[14][22] Other pharmacopoeia books include that written by Abu-Rayhan Biruni in the 11th century[20] and Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar) in the 12th century (and printed in 1491),[23] The origins of clinical pharmacology also date back to the Middle Ages in Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine, Peter of Spain's Commentary on Isaac, and John of St Amand's Commentary on the Antedotary of Nicholas.[24] In particular, the Canon introduced clinical trials,[25] randomized controlled trials,[26][27] and efficacy tests.[28][29]

Alongside the university system, folk medicine continued to thrive. The continuing importance of herbs for the centuries following the Middle Ages is indicated by the hundreds of herbals published after the invention of printing in the fifteenth century. Theophrastus’ Historia Plantarum was one of the first books to be printed, but Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica, Avicenna's Canon of Medicine and Avenzoar's pharmacopoeia were not far behind.

Herbs in history

In the written record, the study of herbs dates back over 5,000 years to the Sumerians, who described well-established medicinal uses for such plants as laurel, caraway, and thyme. Ancient Egyptian medicine of 1000 B.C. are known to have used garlic, opium, castor oil, coriander, mint, indigo, and other herbs for medicine and the Old Testament also mentions herb use and cultivation, including mandrake, vetch, caraway, wheat, barley, and rye.

Indian Ayurveda medicine has been using herbs such as turmeric possibly as early as 1900 B.C.[12] Many other herbs and minerals used in Ayurveda were later described by ancient Indian herbalists such as Charaka and Sushruta during the 1st millenium BC. The Sushruta Samhita attributed to Sushruta in the 6th century BC describes 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources, and 57 preparations based on animal sources.[13]

The first Chinese herbal book, the Shennong Bencao Jing, compiled during the Han Dynasty but dating back to a much earlier date, possibly 2700 B.C., lists 365 medicinal plants and their uses - including ma-Huang, the shrub that introduced the drug ephedrine to modern medicine. Succeeding generations augmented on the Shennong Bencao Jing, as in the Yaoxing Lun (Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Herbs), a 7th century Tang Dynasty treatise on herbal medicine.

The ancient Greeks and Romans made medicinal use of plants. Greek and Roman medicinal practices, as preserved in the writings of Hippocrates and - especially - Galen, provided the patterns for later western medicine. Hippocrates advocated the use of a few simple herbal drugs - along with fresh air, rest, and proper diet. Galen, on the other hand, recommended large doses of drug mixtures - including plant, animal, and mineral ingredients. The Greek physician compiled the first European treatise on the properties and uses of medicinal plants, De Materia Medica. In the first century AD, Dioscorides wrote a compendium of more than 500 plants that remained an authoritative reference into the 17th century. Similarly important for herbalists and botanists of later centuries was the Greek book that founded the science of botany, Theophrastus’ Historia Plantarum, written in the fourth century B.C.

Anthropology of herbalism

People on all continents have used hundreds to thousands of indigenous plants for treatment of ailments since prehistoric times.The first generally accepted use of plants as healing agents was depicted in the cave paintings discovered in the Lascaux caves in France, which have been radiocarbon-dated to between 13,000-25,000 BC. Medicinal herbs were found in the personal effects of an "ice man", whose body was frozen in the Swiss Alps for more than 5,300 years. These herbs appear to have been used to treat the parasites found in his intestines. Anthropology or anthropologists theorize that animals evolved a tendency to seek out bitter plant parts in response to illness.

Indigenous healers often claim to have learned by observing that sick animals change their food preferences to nibble at bitter herbs they would normally reject.[4] Field biologists have provided corroborating evidence based on observation of diverse species, such as chimpanzees, chickens, sheep and butterflies. Lowland gorillas take 90% of their diet from the fruits of Aframomum melegueta, a relative of the ginger plant, that is a potent antimicrobial and apparently keeps shigellosis and similar infections at bay.[5]

Researchers from Ohio Wesleyan University found that some birds select nesting material rich in antimicrobial agents which protect their young from harmful bacteria.[6]

Sick animals tend to forage plants rich in secondary metabolites, such as tannins and alkaloids.[7] Since these phytochemicals often have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antihelminthic properties, a plausible case can be made for self-medication by animals in the wild.[5]

Some animals have digestive systems especially adapted to cope with certain plant toxins. For example, the koala can live on the leaves and shoots of the eucalyptus, a plant that is dangerous to most animals.[8] A plant that is harmless to a particular animal may not be safe for humans to ingest.[9] A reasonable conjecture is that these discoveries were traditionally collected by the medicine people of indigenous tribes, who then passed on safety information and cautions.

The use of herbs and spices in cuisine developed in part as a response to the threat of food-born pathogens. Studies show that in tropical climates where pathogens are the most abundant, recipes are the most highly spiced. Further, the spices with the most potent antimicrobial activity tend to be selected.[10] In all cultures vegetables are spiced less than meat, presumably because they are more resistant to spoilage.[11]

A Closer Look at Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic medicine, also called Ayurveda, is a whole medical system* that began in India and has evolved there over thousands of years. The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words--ayur, which means life, and veda, which means science or knowledge. Thus, the word Ayurveda means "the science of life."

In the United States, Ayurveda is considered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Many therapies used in Ayurveda are also used on their own as CAM, such as herbs, massage, and yoga. NCCAM is supporting some research studies on Ayurvedic therapies.
What Is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a whole medical system that is based on various theories about health and illness and on ways to prevent, manage, or treat health problems. The aim in Ayurveda is to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This is believed to help prevent illness and promote wellness. Ayurveda also has treatments for specific health problems.

Ayurveda is based on ideas from Hinduism, one of the world's oldest and largest religions, and ancient Persian beliefs. In India, Ayurveda has long been the main system of health care, although conventional (Western) medicine is becoming more common there, especially in urban areas. Ayurveda and variations of it have been practiced for centuries in some other countries as well.
Looking at Health and Disease

Ayurveda has some basic beliefs about health and disease that might be described as follows:

* People, their health, and the universe are all related. Health problems can result when these relationships are not in balance.
* A person's constitution is called his prakriti. The prakriti is thought to be a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics and the way the body functions. Three qualities called doshas form important aspects of the constitution and control the activities of the body. They are known as vata, pitta, and kapha in Sanskrit.
o Every person has a unique balance of doshas, with one usually the most prominent. Each dosha tends to correspond with a certain body type and personality type, and a greater chance for certain types of health problems.
o An imbalance in a dosha can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle or diet, too much or too little mental and physical activity, or not being properly protected from the weather, chemicals, or germs.
* In Ayurveda, health and disease are believed to be related to the way a person's doshas are balanced, the state of his physical body, and mental or lifestyle factors.

Ayurvedic Treatment
In working with patients, an Ayurvedic practitioner uses various techniques, including questioning, observation, touch, advising, a treatment plan, and specific therapies. Patients are expected to be active participants in their treatment, because changes in diet, lifestyle, and habits are often required.
Ginger

Ginger is a medicinal herb in Ayurveda.
© Ran Plett

The goals of Ayurvedic treatment are to:

* Eliminate impurities. A process called panchakarma focuses on the digestive tract and the respiratory system.
* Reduce symptoms. The practitioner may suggest treatment options such as:
o Yoga
o Stretching
o Breathing exercises
o Meditation
o Herbs
o Specific foods and diets
o Tiny amounts of metal and/or mineral preparations
o Hands-on therapy (such as massage of "vital points")
o Lying in the sun
* Reduce worry and increase harmony in one's life.
* Help eliminate physical and psychological problems.

Practice in the United States

Practitioners of Ayurveda in the United States have various types of training. Some are trained in the Western medical tradition (such as medical or nursing school) and others in a whole medical system called naturopathic medicine, before or after they study Ayurveda. Many learn at one of India's many colleges for Ayurveda. Practitioners may differ as to which aspects of Ayurvedic practice they are trained in (for example, being trained in massage but not in preparing herbal treatments, and vice versa).

The United States does not have a national standard for certifying or training Ayurvedic practitioners. Some Ayurvedic professional organizations are collaborating to develop licensing requirements. Consumers should know that not all practitioners who offer services or treatments that are called "Ayurvedic" have been trained in an Ayurvedic medical school. (Services in spas and salons often fall into this category.) It is important to ask about a practitioner's training and experience.
Does Ayurveda Work?

Because Ayurveda includes many types of therapies and is used for many health concerns, answering this question is beyond the scope of this article. Very few rigorous, controlled scientific studies have been carried out on Ayurvedic practices. In India, the government began systematic research in 1969, and the work continues. You can check for any research findings either in the PubMed database or by contacting the NCCAM Clearinghouse.
Safety and Medications

Properly trained Ayurvedic medicine practitioners are taught the importance of using carefully prepared plant, metal, and mineral preparations to protect their patients. However, some Ayurvedic medications have been found to be adulterated with undesired materials and have the potential to be toxic. Many ingredients have not been thoroughly studied in either Western or Indian research.

In the United States, Ayurvedic medications are regulated as dietary supplements. Thus, they are not required to meet the rigorous standards for conventional medicines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received 12 reports of lead poisoning in 2004 that were linked to the use of Ayurvedic medications. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004 found that out of 70 Ayurvedic remedies purchased over-the-counter (all were manufactured in South Asia), 14 (one-fifth) contained lead, mercury, and/or arsenic at levels that could be harmful.1

Whenever two medications or more (whether Ayurvedic or not) are used together, they may interact in unexpected ways. For example, an Ayurvedic medication called guggul lipid may increase the activity of aspirin in the body, which could lead to bleeding problems.

If you are considering or using Ayurveda as CAM…

* Discuss it with your regular health care provider. This is for your safety and a complete treatment plan.
* Any diagnosis of a disease or condition should be made by a provider with substantial conventional medical training and experience managing that disease or condition.
* Proven conventional treatments should not be replaced with an unproven CAM treatment.
* Do not try to treat yourself. It is better to use Ayurvedic remedies under the supervision of an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner.
* Ask about the practitioner's training and experience.

from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez

AyurvedaAyurveda (Devanāgarī: आयुर्वेद, the 'science of life') is a system of traditional medicine native to India[1] and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.[2] In Sanskrit, the word Ayurveda[3] consists of the words āyus, meaning 'life', and veda, meaning 'related to knowledge' or 'science'.[1] Evolving throughout its history, Ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia.[4] The earliest literature of Ayurveda appeared during the Vedic period in India.[2] The Sushruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita were influential works on traditional medicine during this era.[2] Ayurvedic practitioners also claim to have identified a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for curing various ailments and diseases.[5]

As per Indian heritage and science, "Ayurveda" is an Upa Veda or annexure of four main vedas (Knowledge Systems). The famous treaties of Ayurveda are "Charaka Samhita" by Sage "Charakan", which details the prevention and treatment of disease, and "Sushruta Samhita" of Sage "Sushruta", which deals with Ayurvedic surgical procedures. In the Ayurvedic system, the prevention of all types of disease has a prominent place in treatment, including restructuring a patient's lifestyle to align with the course of nature and the four seasons to guarantee complete wellness.

Ayurveda is considered to be a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the western world, where several of its methods, such as the use of herbs, massage, and Yoga as exercise or alternative medicine, are applied on their own as a form of CAM treatment.[6] However, such alternative therapy approaches are not unique to Ayurveda because they are also available under the systems of Unani Medicine, Greek Medicine and Islamic Medicine.

from wikipedia