Herbal Remedies Blog

Raisins soaked in milk every night which is very useful herbal remedy. Chew the raisins such a way that they can get into blood and make it “rich”.

Raisin is routinely given even for little infants as an extract in water to help regular bowel action. Six to ten raisins or more depending on the child’s age are soaked in boiling water and set aside for a while. When cool the raisins are thoroughly crushed to extract their juice into the water. For small children the liquid could be strained and given so that skin of the raisins does not upset stomach. This will give a great solution  from constipation.

Dates as such are supposed to be “heat” as they are difficult to digest but when soaked in milk or water for few hours and fruit extract is squeezed into the liquid, the strained liquid becomes and excellent laxative, cooling and invigorating to the system. The seeds of black currants can cause constipation but the fruit as such is laxative. Black grapes soaked in water overnight and the seed-free extract taken in the morning has softening effect on the bowels. Those suffering from habitual constipation should try this during the black grapes seasons.

If papayas are available widely, do not for around looking for grapes or raisins. Take a glass of papaya juice with your breakfast for normal, soft stools and for good digestion. Include liberal quantities of tamarind in your food. The ripe tamarind fruit pulp is excellent to relieve chronic constipation. There is another useful recipe for moving the bowels. Soak in water the skin and seeds of lime overnight. Drink the filtrate in the morning.

Through castor oil as a drastic purgative is outdated in many urban homes in India, there are innumerable Indians who takes a teaspoonful in warms milk before retiring at night for regular bowel action. Similarly, many mothers even today apply on the tongue of babies a wee bit of the paste obtained form Harir and Bach mixed in a few drops of castor oil, honey or breast milk. For the little infants one rub each of Harir and Bach on the grinding stone will give the quantity of paste required.

For older children and adults there is a useful night beverage which ensures good bowel movement in the morning. Boil in a glass of ten raisins, one cardamom and a quarter teaspoonfuls of aniseed’s. Allow the milk to cool a bit and give as a drink at bedtime. The ingredients in the milk must be chewed and taken in which is a pure homemade herbal remedy. Another mild laxative for adults is a decoction made by boiling in about six ounce of water, two dry fruits of Harir, two cloves and a piece of palm candy. Take the filtered mixture at bedtime for good bowel action in the morning.

Most Indian children’s are started off on a speck of Bach or Vacha to ensure a healthy intestine. The bitter principle in Bach called acorin is an anathema tic. For infants who are about a month old pinch of Bach powder mixed in curd or honey is given once a month to protect from possible worm infection. Most bitters are protect from possible worms infection. Most bitter are considered lethal to worms and sweets favoring the multiplication of intestinal parasites. Whether it is bitter gourd, neem leaves, Chirata, Bach or kalmegh, all are credited with property to destroy worms.

Among fruits pineapple is considered anthelmintic. In Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Malabar Pineapple is taken in plenty . The belief is that it gives protection against worms. Pomegranate is another useful fruit with anthelmintic properties.

The bark of the stem and roots contains an alkaloid called punicine which is very lethal especially to tapeworm. A decoction could be made by boiling the root bark. Also the juice of the fresh bark prepared by grinding and extracting the juice with water could be used. About three doses id the decoction in doses of two to three ounces at an hour’s interval are taken. This followed by a purgative. For round worms even an infusion of the flowers are soaked over night in about a glass of water. In the morning the strained water is taken in divided doses. This is repeated for a couple of days.

Betel leaves, so fondly chewed by many Indians, have anthelmintic properties. Besides, As the pan juice is spat out the immature larvae are brought out thus reducing the severity of the infection. The leaves of adhatoda or vasaka popularly called Malabar nut tree is not only a popular remedy for coughs, bronchitis and other Respiratory problems, but also useful for getting rid of intestinal problems too.

The leaves, bark, the root bark. The fruit and flowers are useful. The decoction of the root and bark in doses of one ounce twice or thrice a day for 2 to 3 days is useful to get rid of intestinal worms. A juice of the fresh leaves can also be used in doses of teaspoonful thrice a day for three days.

Isharmul popularly available at the grocer’s usually consists of the dry root and stems of the plant. As an infusion it is used for intestinal complaints especially to eradicate worms and as an overall stimulant tonic. The wild mustard which is known as hurhur is a traditional used home remedy for worm infection. The seeds are powdered and a teaspoonful in sugar is given twice a day for two days for adults. For younger age group half dose is used. Practically every Indian is familier with the flower sephalika or harsinghar which is used for worship. Fresh juice expressed from the leaves of this tree, a teaspoonful sweetned with sugar is a good remedy for women in children.

My maternal uncle used to give ground neem leaves in the form of pills for all his children to protect them from worms. The fresh leaf juice of neem with rock salt is supposed to kill intestinal parasites. The fruit and flowers are also useful medically when taken in the form of soup or decoction to destroy intestinal worms.

Other home recipe is to grind neem leaves in form of pills for all to protect them from worms. The fresh leaf juice of neem with rock salt is supposed to kill intestinal parasites. The fruit and flowers are also useful medically when taken in the form of soup or decoction to destroy intestinal worms.

It is also advised 15 to 30 drops of neem oil once in few months to keep their system free from intestinal and other parasites. Thus we see neem in every for, is very useful traditional medicine for curing all kinds of infections including intestinal parasites.

Purgative is best to be given for children’s as a matter of routine once a month which is popular practice in many parts of India is to get rid of intestinal toxins including the cysts of intestinal fluke. The combination of teaspoonful of neem juice with two teaspoonful of castor oil once a month is a recognized herbal recipe to keep children free from worms.

Anal itching could be due to poor hygienic habits or due to worm infection especially pin worms. There are traditional recipes to get rid of this nasty discomfort.Pomegranate fruit skin is roasted till it is brittle and black. It is then powdered. The powdered is mixed with a little vegetable oil and applied over the anus. A paste of thymol and a piece of camphor in oil is also useful. This paste is applied over the anal region to stop itching.

Another home remedy for anal itching is washing the part with harir or pomegranate bark decoction. A paste made by mixing harir powder in a small quantity of oil or butter is then applied over the anus for full relief.The astringent property of harir and pomegranate decreases itching and swelling.

Another useful Herbal Recipe for infective jaundice, which is found mostly used in south..Every Morning for six days concentrated decoction of  kiyarnelli leaves should be consumed, which is a popular hepatitis tonic used for hepatitis in Kerala

The symptom of jaundice is characterized by a yellowish tinting of the skin, yellowing of the whites of the eyes and yellowing of the mucus membrane within the mouth like this child’s image infected by severe Jaundice .

Mostly recommended Karisha-langanni (Ecliptic Alba) extract prepared by grinding the leaves with teaspoonful of thymol in cases of infective hepatitis and sluggish liver. For children suffering from these problem the leaf extract mixed in fruit juice makes an excellent remedy

Sugarcane juice with lime juice or white radish extract with palm candy can ‘hasten recovery in jaundice. They could be had as adjuvant to any other treatment being given for those suffering from hepatitis. It is very essential that the sugarcane juice must be clean, preferably prepared that the sugarcane juice must clean, preferably prepared at home. As resistance is low in hepatitis any infected beverage could make matters worse.

Once the jaundice has started to improve the patient is able to retain solid food, the powder of dried amala or gooseberry mixed with soft rice brings quicker normalization. In many south Indian homes as a herbal remedy even the dry berries of manattakkali fried in very little ghee is mixed with rice and given to those who have recently got over jaundice. Manattakkali increases resistance improves digestion and acts as a -hepatic tonic.

Most chooran powders and pills are various combination of common spices used daily in cooking to add flavor and taste to food. We have already noted the composition of the popularly known ashtachooran.

One or two tiny pieces of Asafoetida dissolved in half a cup of water makes a useful drink to decrease gas. Asafoetida is a well recognized carminative, antispasmodic and anti-flatulent. It is commonly used spice that is added to heavy, rich lentils, or chutney to help digestion. Just as some are averse to the smell and taste of garlic there are others who cannot stand the pungent flavor and taste of Asafoetida . For such people a preparation of cumin will do as well. Take a teaspoonful of cumin, put it in a pan and roast till red. Then added about two cups of water and boil the water for five to ten minutes till the essence of cumin blends into the water and the boiling water is reduced to one cup. This decoction taken once a day decreases flatulence without over irritating the stomach. It is easy to make try it instead of swallowing enzyme tablets.

Ajwain is also used for its anti-flatulent properties. Like the cumin decoction , a decoction could be taken as such or to it could e added a dew pieces of pineapple if easily available. Let the pieces soak overnight in the decoction. In morning squeeze the pineapple pieces and extract all its essence into the decoction. Filter and take the drink as a remedy for excessive gas. The tipe pineapple contains the digestive ferment bromelin which is closely related to the enzyme trypsin naturally occurring in the stomach. This ferment helps in indigestion and reduces flatulence. As pineapple has abortifacient properties, pregnant women should avoid the mentioned home remedy.

For those who are lazy to prepare elaborate home remedies here is a quick recipe crush a few grains of fenugreek seeds and lick it with a pinch or two of sonchal which is a pink variety of naturally occurring rock salt. This salt is popular all over Maharashtra, Gujarat, U.P and Punjab.. A quarter teaspoonful of this salt dissolved in glass of water and taken on an empty stomach in the morning acts as a carminative and decreases wind formation. For those suffering from heaviness and frequently belching here is a popular Gujarati recipe. Boil in dilute milk two small pieces of dry ginger. To it add a pinch of rock salt and take the drink warm at bedtime. In the morning one feels lights and hungry.

There are many who frequently complain of gaseous distention of the abdomen. They may take home remedies not only for quick relief but also as a long term treatment to improve poor digestion and decrease gas formation.

A pithy slogan “ A garlic a day to keep gas away” Every morning on an empty stomach he religiously takes two garlic cloves crushed in ‘ Bengal gram’ water  to keep flatulence under control.

Garlic soup is one of the best remedies to decrease intestinal gas and to increase digestive power. It is a recognized home remedy for flatulence due to any cause overheating, poor digestive capacity, lack of appetite and excess of gas after prolonged illness, in  the post delivery period or when suffering from chronic intestinal problems.

Here is an easy way to make garlic soup. Grind a few garlic with a little cumin, a few black pepper seeds and some coriander seeds. Mix in about six ounces of water and bring to boil. Take this in two doses. If you are one who does not like the smell of garlic, there are various other alternatives.

Digestive powders and pills are very popular in many Indian homes. Even young children who have over eaten are given chooran pills to digest what has gone in. This practice is more common especially among the north Indians who take plenty of fried food as a matter of routine. There is a common fear among most Indians that a heavy stomach could lead to various other problem frequent headaches, biliousness, chest pain and stiffness of the joints. Hence this excessive concern about keeping the stomach light with digestive choorans.

For vomiting due to indigestion or biliousness antiemetics are rarely indicated. One or two vomits throw the toxins out and the sick person feels better. Most of us must have been given a teaspoonful of ginger juice with sugar or concentrated aniseed water by mother or grandmother to arrest vomiting. Cumin is also commonly chewed to check vomiting as it acts as a digestive.

Here is a useful remedy for sudden vomiting and indigestion. Boil in a glass of water a few small pieces of ginger, one cardamom. A few tulsi leaves and a little aniseed. Allow the water to cool. Take an ounce thrice a day for stopping vomiting. A similar decoction can be made with the rind of lime (small or large) instead of ginger and an ounce taken thrice a day to check nausea and vomiting.

In rural India there is a very interesting practice to arrest vomiting, A piece of peacock feather with its white central rib is burst; about half a teaspoonful of this charred feather is mixed in honey and given. The dose is repeated, if necessary a few times. Even for the little infants this treatment is supposed to work effectively. However one cannot go vomiting unless one has a few feathjers in stock or has a pecocok feather fan handy  to pluck out a feather.

A more herb remedy is to fry a couple of cloves, powder them, mix in honey and lick down slowly to stop vomiting. The anesthetic  action of clove benumbs the gullet and stomach and vomiting stops.

Biliousness or bitter mouth is associated with problem like poor digestion, dyspepsia, flatulence,etc. It is often due to improper functioning of the liver and gall bladder. After a full meal there is a bitter taste in the mouth. In the morning one gets up with a sour feeling. A simple home remedy for this would be take a glass of lime juice ( one lime to six ounce of water) with a piece of ginger crushed into it. When there is no lime available ginger pieces in jaggery will serve the same purpose.

For the most dyspeptic disorders lime is a panacea. But for its full effectiveness take the dilute juice as such or with a crystal of rock salt. Over sweetening lime decreases its medicinal value. However it retains its nutritive value in all forms. Only contraindication for taking lime would be when one is specifically allergic to citrus fruits, or when there is excess acid secretion of gastric juice with increased hunger and pain in upper abdomen when the stomach is empty.

Kurchi (Holarrhena Antidysenterica) and berberine are well recognized ayurvedic anti-diarrhoels which are now days incorporated even in homeopathic preparations. Kurchi is very useful for intestinal problems-primarily for diarrhea and dysentery. The decoction of the roots and leaves of Kurchi are used as such or in combination with bael and turmeric for effective control of diarrhea. Alkaloid cones-sine and kurchicine are effective in killing the Diarrhea germs. The roots of Kurchi is one of the ingredients of dasamul, an ayurvedic preparation for digestive disorders. The extract of the berries and root bark decoction of chitra tree (berberine aristata) is available as rasant a popular herbal remedy for diarrhea and dysentery in many parts of the north. This sherbet which is rich in anti-infective, antiseptic and astringent properties contains berberine.

With the first signs of the loose stool, a little gripe in the abdomen or vomiting it would be safe to start with the home remedies mentioned. In the great majority of cases die tic restriction with traditional binders and astringents, the intestinal inflammation gets healed. However, in severe forms of intestinal affection to keep using home remedies when more effective allopathic cures are available is inexcusable.

Many paternal grandfather had  simple home remedy for condition of dysentery when there is pain in the abdomen frequent stools with traces of mucus. It is a tumbler of tea decoction with a teaspoonful of ghee in it. Tea with its tannin content and ghee as a demulcent help cure the inflammation of the intestines associated with dysentery. Some of my north Indian patients have mentioned about the usefulness of the common vegetable ‘dudhi’ in dysentery and intestinal gripe. Not only is the soup of this vegetable useful, but even the skin dried in shade and powdered and stores come handy to cure blood in the stool. A teaspoonful of the powder mixed in water and taken twice a day controls blood dysentery.

Pomegranate as mentioned earlier is a cure for various intestinal problems. All parts of the plant and fruit have medicinal value. The dry flowers as an infusion is very helpful in dysentery. The fruit juice is highly recommended in all forms of diarrhea and dysentery.  Even for small children pomegranate’s very useful. I have routinely recommended the fresh juice diluted in water for diarrhea. For curing dysentery the following prescription has been found useful. A piece of the skin of the fruit is roasted over charcoal and crushed into fine powder. Mixed with a little honey this is given twice or thrice a day. In dyspeptic diarrhea due to indigestion,dry or fresh ginger is very useful. Take a piece of dry ginger and powder it along with crystal of rock salt. A quarter teaspoonful of this powder taken with small piece of jaggery bring quick relief. Ginger is a carminative, aids in digestion by stimulating the gastric-intestinal tract.

For severe diarrhea my grandfather used equal quantities of onion juice and lime juice. She would give this mixture first before trying any other remedy. Onion is antiseptic, digestive and anti flatulent. Lime juice is astringent and nutritive ; it is rich in anti infective Vitamin C and citric acid. A combination of onion and lime juice should naturally help. She also had another useful recipe to check diarrhea. She would powder about half dozen tamarind seeds with a teaspoonful of cumin, Mix it with sweetened water. This is given also to stop dysentery. While the tamarind fruit pulp is laxative the seed are astringent and biding and help to control loose stools.

Mango seeds are very useful for diarrhea and dysentery. During the mango season collect the seeds,dry them in the shade, powder well, sieve to remove big particles and preserve the powder for use when necessary. A small roll of the powder in jaggery thrice a day is useful remedy for recurrent diarrhea. In combination with powdered ‘ Jamun’ seed this is dramatically effective.

Another easy to make home remedy for dysentery has poppy seeds as the main ingredient. About quarter teaspoonful of the powder of poppy seeds roasted to golden brown in honey twice a day gives relief from the symptoms of dysentery. As these seeds have sedative effect do not take the remedy for more than tree days. It is the seeds of the poppy plant from which opium is obtained.

A very useful intestinal antis pectic is turmeric. Turmeric rhizome as such, Its juice or dry powder in buttermilk or plain water is very helpful to cure chronic intestinal problems, specially chronic diarrhea. Turmeric in addition is a gastric stimulant, a blood enrichment and a tonic.

For those who are particular about home remedies and are willing to take the trouble of getting a few out of the way items here are few recipes :

The banyan and bamboo are very useful in traditional medicine. The banyan tree is found practically in every part of India, especially in the countryside. The buds of the banyan tree soaked in water overnight and taken as infusion help in chronic diarrhoeal complaints.

In many parts of the India the leaves of the bamboo arch used in the f0orm of decoction to tart diarrhea. The young shoots of the bamboo are however poisonous due to the content of hydrochloric acid in them., They are used only externally as a poultice for chronic infective condition of the skin. Hence it is better to avoid remedies which if carelessly made and taken could lead to serious side effects. Babul bark is available in any shop. A decoction of this bark is highly effective in chronic diarrhea. Bring highly astringent, it binds the bowels and controls diarrhea.