Ultimate Guide to Ayurvedic Herbs
Ashwagandha Withania somnifera
Benefits:: helps with anxiety, increases vitality, healthy adrenal function, balances stress hormones, immune system, sexual potency and increases energy.
Use: Add powder to your morning tonic.
Read our Ashwagandha blog for more.
Amalaki Embelica officinalis
Indian gooseberry, is a small, round fruit native to southeast Asia.
Benefits: vitamin C, antioxidants, balances all doshas, boosts immunity, destroys ama, nervous system, improves brain function, helps colds / flu
Use: powder, dried and candied, chyawanprash paste, a spoon of the paste once a day, alone or mixed with warm milk.
Arjuna Terminalia arjuna
The bark of the arjuna tree.
Benefits: cardiovascular health, relieves angina, strengthens blood vessels
Use: tincture, red powder that you stir in warm water.
Brahmi Centella asiatica
Brahmi describes two different Ayurvedic herbs with similar benefits: centella asiatica and bacopa monnieri
Benefits: brain tonic, balance the left and right hemispheres, intelligence, cognition, and memory, improved sleep.
Use: powder or supplement form.
Boswellia Boswellia serrata
Indian frankincense.
Benefits: anti-inflammatory herb used to relieve pain and other symptoms of arthritis and other “-itis” conditions, as well as for asthma, hay fever, sore throat, menstrual cramps, stomach pain, and even pimples.
Use: tablet, cream or capsule.
Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum
Benefits: remove excess Kapha, like mucus, phlegm, weight gain, lethargy, clammy hands, or a sluggish metabolism.
Use: cook with whole pods or use them in your tea.
Cumin Cuminum cyminum
It comes from the seeds of the cuminum cyminum plant originally grown in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Benefits: digestion, removes excess Vata (which casues bloating, gas, constipation, anxiety, insomnia, and dry skin and hair).
Use: add a pinch to your cocktail.
Guduchi Tinospora cordifolia
Benefits: Good for all three doshas, restorative, Reduces ama (toxins) and removes impurities from the body, Helps to support a normal body temperature and reduce excess pitta in the system, Promotes a healthy inflammatory response and comfortable joints, promotes healthy skin.
Guggulu Commiphora mukul
Benefits: pacifies all three doshas. promoting joint comfort, Helps to maintain bone porosity, detoxification, rejuvenation, Kindles agni and reduces excess secretions, supports weight loss, cholesterol
Gymnema Gymnema Sylvestre
Benefits: elevated blood sugar and diabetes, treat polycystic ovary syndrome, reduces insulin resistance and improves metabolism of sugar and starch, and can help with weight loss
Haritaki Terminalia chebula
The fruit that the Medicine Buddha holds in his hands while meditating.
Benefits: works on all three doshas, has five of the six tastes (all except salty), clears the malas (wastes) and helps to cleanse intestines, promote abdominal comfort, support the liver and kidneys, heart health.
Holy Basil Ocimum sanctum
Sacred Indian plant found growing in temple gardens.
Benefits: anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic actions typical of the oregano family, reduce several measures of stress, colds and flu
Use: capsule, tea and in liquid forms. It is dispensed in 600-700 mg doses, twice daily, before meals. As a tea, holy basil is a traditional Indian remedy for colds and flu, and is also used to relieve other respiratory infections, asthma, and seasonal allergies, and to counteract stress and anxiety.
Kumari/Aloe Vera Aloe barbadensis
Benefits: pacifies Pitta, Supports balance during menstruation in teenage and menopausal women, increasing secretions for a mild laxative effect, purify the blood, skin and hair, metabolism, Relieves non-cystic acne, and burning and blood shot eyes.
Manjistha Rubia cordifolia
A vine with heart-shaped leaves and a bright red root that grows in mountain regions.
Benefits: purifies the blood, Pitta imbalance, which can look like inflammation, hyperacidity, feeling hot all the time, foul-smelling sweat, oily skin, rosacea, hives/rashes, anger, impatience, and irritability, anti-inflammatory, helps clear acne, and regulates liver and kidney function.
Use: Take as a powder or add it into tonics.
Neem Azadirachta indica
Flowers that come from the neem tree.
Benefits: blood purifiers and detoxifiers, eczema and psorisas, joint and muscle pain, the oil help with acne and dandruff, antiviral and antibacterial, A remedy for fungal, bacterial, and viral infections, lowers blood sugar.
Use: toothpaste, shampoo, and as the oil for your hair and face.
Shativari Asparagus racemosus
An adaptogenic herb grown in India.
Benefits: female reproductive health, balances hormones, enhances fertility, reduces vaginal dryness when menopausal symptoms begin and after menopause, and reduces hot flashes.
Use: powder, mixed in water, or capsule.
Turmeric Curcuma longa
Benefits: anti-inflammatory, curcumin, the main component in turmeric, may have some anti-depressive properties too.
Curcumin benefits (an extract of Tumeric): remedy for chronic inflammation, relieves arthritis and other pain, cleans arteries, relieves depression, helps with indigestion, and may relieve symptoms of PMS and many inflammatory conditions, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Use: Ever tried a Golden Milk Latte?
Triphala
An herb blend is made up of three fruits: amla, haritaki, and bibhitaki.
Benefits: Triphala has been traditionally used as a digestive remedy, helps balance our Pitta dosha, helps rejuvenate the liver.
Use: take nightly in a pill form
Trikatu
A compliment to Triphala, it is a combination of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum), Indian Long Pepper (Piper longum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale). While Triphala lends a hand to the lower GI tract, Trikatu has its primary effects in the upper GI tract,
Benefits: awakens Agni and destroys Ama, promotes the assimilation of food through the intestines and normalizes gastric emptying.
Use: capsule.
SOURCES
wellandgood.com
Consult with your doctor or an Ayurvedic physician regarding use and dosage before supplementing with herbs.