The Spiritual Health

Herbs play a very important role particularly in modern times when the harmful effects of over-medication and food processing have assumed startling proportions. Herbs are generally related to six tastes i.e. sour, salty, sweet, bitter, pungent and astringent. They are now being more and more used in cosmetics, tea and food, as well as alternative medicines.

The rising interest in herbs is a part of the progress towards the change in life-styles. This change is based on our thinking that plants have a huge potential of being used as remedial medicines for a number of ailments.

India has been acclaimed internationally as the warehouse of herbal ayurvedic secrets. There are numerous Indian herbs which are used by many people for the purpose of skin care, which are as follows:

Aloe Vera

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

Amla

Emblica offencialis (Amla) also called as the Indian Gooseberry which is a good source of vitamin C has anti aging properties. Also, the plant has antibacterial properties which are good for skin disorders.

Neem

The tree has many medicinal values. It is vermifuge, Astringent, antiseptic in nature. Due to its antibacterial properties, it is used in most of the cosmetic products such as tooth paste, shampoos and creams.

Henna

The roots are basically bitter, depurative, diuretic, refrigerant, abortifacient, trichogenous and abortifacient and are effective in burning sensation, amenorrhea and leprosy skin diseases. Henna is extensively used for drawing tattoos, designs and arts. Leaves are useful in ulcers, wounds, strangury cough, dysentery, bronchitis etc. The fruit is believed to have emmenagogue properties.

Pudina

The whole plant is antifibrile, antibacterial. It gives up menthol and an essential oil which exert, by way of their rapid evaporation, anaesthetic, aslightly and anodyne local effect. It is useful in headache, cough sore throat, rhinitis, prurigo, colic and vomiting. Menthol obtained from this is used in balm. It is also used as flavoring agent in preparations of culinary.

Thus, there are numerous Indian herbs which are used for the purpose of skin care by several people.

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Even in the history of India, the ayurvedic vaidyas used these medicinal herbs since a very long time. The knowledge of ayurvedic medicines developed amongst the Hindu’s through the four sacred books of Hindu wisdom. The rig-veda, contained the sacred Hindu chants, medicine formulations, description of the surgeries, amputations etc. along with the help of numerous herbs. The ayurvedic vaidyas and the other literates used these herbs in a number of forms like oil, concoctions, paste, filtrate etc. as a treatment for numerous diseases. The oral medicines that were taken are usually in the form of pills or powders which were combined with sugar. Somewhere around in 1200, BCE a literate named Punarvasu Atreya initiated the first medical school in India in the state of Punjab. Later, some seven years after this a professor from this school, named Charaka gathered about 500 distinct herbs and created herbal remedies from them and thus created the Charaka Samhiti which today is considered as one the greatest ayurvedic books. The Hindu herbal medicines mainly are categorized under two main categories.

• The ones which cleanse with cathartic actions.
• Sedatives.

In the early 250 BC when the great emperor Asoka converted himself into Buddhism, he sent Buddhist monks trained in the medicinal uses of ayurveda to the countryside to heal large masses of people. During this phase, the Indian healing technique reached new level and also became more popular amongst the common people. People from various places like the Middle East, China etc. came for treatment using these herbs. In the beginning of the 600 CE, when the Islamic armies started to expand their rule, also learnt about the magical effects of ayurveda and then took these remedies to their home and in Europe. The healing aloe gel, oil extract from castor, sesame oil, the sandalwood and the use black pepper were all discovered in Europe.

There are innumerable Indian herbs that have found great importance as cures in the present world. For instance some of the most famous herb of India include aloe vera, nutmeg, cardamom, sesame oil, eclipta alba, tulsi etc.

Are you suffering from a sore throat or other problems like acne, hair fall, stomach ache etc? If you are, then check the medicines you are taking for them. Most of the modern day medicines are made from the plant extracts or are the identical chemical molecules of the chemicals extracted from the herbal plants. The herbs are very useful in various diseases treatments and are also effective for increasing resistance power of the body.

Since the prehistoric times, humans have been using plants and their products for shelter, clothing food and also as medicines. In the early 5^th century BC, Hippocrates a Greek doctor had listed about 400 important medicinal herbs that were used very commonly in the regular life.

Amongst the other countries, the use of herbs to cure diseases was a common practice in the countries like ancient China and ancient India. India has always been renowned as a storehouse of herbal plants and Ayurvedic remedies used to treat a series of diseases and illnesses. Nearly 4,500 years ago the Rig Veda an oral tradition was practiced by the people and books on the medicinal herbs was written along with the prayers and the description of the surgeries and prescriptions for the various diseases created from 67 different Indian herbs.

Herbs are generally related with their six tastes which are- sweet, bitter, sour, pungent, salty and astringent.

• Sweet: Wild asparagus or shatavari, ashvagandha etc. have a cooling taste.
• Bitter: Jeera, neem, coriander seeds etc. are mainly bitter in taste but help to reduce the accumulation of toxins in the body.
• Sour: Herbs like tamarind, gooseberry, lemon etc. are sour in taste and are heat producing herbs.
• Pungent: asafetida or hing, garlic/ lasan are very pungent in taste but act as an antidote for obesity and also help in weight gain.
• Salty: The rock salt is recommended by the experts as a cooling agent which also benefits the eyes.
• Astringent: various other herbs like the turmeric etc. are astringents which are used often as cooling herbs.

A number of various combinations made from these different herbs categorized by their taste are used to for the treatment of a number of diseases and illnesses. Some of the herbs that are used on daily basis include basil, aloe vera, ginger, garlic, turmeric, castor oil etc. Each of these herbs has a wide range of uses and beneficial effects on our body’s system.

Herbs maybe any parts of the plant such as leaves, barks, roots, flowers or seeds. The herbal extracts from any part of the plant are usually used in small quantities.  Large quantities or extracts of these herbs may affect or poisoned the body and results into various side effects. Thus it is very important to make a research before using any herbs as a medicine or home remedies for any type of disease. Utmost caution is very necessary for using any type of herb.

The herbs were always overwhelmed in the ancient science of ayurveda and have been seen to have a very gentle, soothing yet powerful effect thus improving the health and the beauty of humans.