HOW TO USE
Cloves reduce kapha and vátha, and increase pitta.
Clove has long been used to fight bacteria, tooth decay, and anesthetize dental pain.
For temporary relief of toothache prior to visiting your dentist, clean your teeth gently and thoroughly. Dip a Q-tip in pure clove oil. Apply it to the affected tooth and surrounding gum area.
CAUTION
Clove should not be given to children under two, or nursing mothers, and should be used with care by pregnant women. External use of the oil may cause a rash.
GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA
LICORICE Mulathi
Licorice is one of the most popular healing herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. It has been used for ulcers and malaria, to treat throat and respiratory problems, and to soothe rashes and infections. Due to its strong, sweet taste, the herb is sometimes used in recipes to mask the unpleasant taste of another herb.
PROPERTIES
Licorice is sweet and astringent. It is a demulcent, expectorant, and germicide, with laxative and alterative properties. It has been used with muscle problems because of its anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic properties. Licorice is antibacterial and antiviral.
Part of Plant Used The root and bark.
Conditions Treated Strengthens the nerves, promotes the memory, treats asthma, bronchitis, throat problems, digestive disorders, disorders of the spleen, liver disease, Addison’s disease, inflamed gall bladder, colds, coughs, constipation, ulcers, and gastritis. Licorice powder has also been used externally to treat genital herpes and cold sores.
Form Taken As a powder, tea or infusion, food, or oil.
Used with Other Herbs? Black pepper, clove, fenugreek, ginger, long pepper, sage, turmeric.
HOW TO USE
Licorice reduces both vátha and pitta.
The herb, a common treatment for bronchitis and colds, may be chewed directly, taken as a tea, or made into a medicated ghee, or clarified butter, preparation.
CAUTION
Licorice may increase blood pressure slightly and can cause mild adrenal stimulation. In pregnant and nursing women, or cases of high blood pressure or high adrenal function, it should be used only on the advice of a physician.
INULA HELENIUM
WILD SUNFLOWER Elecampane, Suria-Mukhi
Traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese herbalists have long used the dried root of the wild sunflower, or elecampane, to treat bronchial infections, asthma, and whooping cough.
PROPERTIES
Wild sunflower is a sweet, bitter, pungent herb with warming, drying qualities. It acts as an expectorant, a tonic for the nervous system, a rejuvenative, and a galactagogue (induces milk secretion). Elecampane’s antibacterial and antifungal qualities support its use in the effective expulsion of intestinal parasites.
Part of Plant Used The roots.
Conditions Treated Colds, bronchial infections, coughs, lung congestion, and infection. It aids digestive disorders, such as amebic dysentery, pinworms, hookworms, and giardiasis. It stimulates the brain, kidneys, stomach, and uterus, and eases sciatica. Wild sunflower has been used to treat menstrual cramps.
Form Taken Inhalations, massage oils, and lotions.
Used with Other Herbs? Cedarwood, cinnamon, lavender, frankincense, musk, tuberose.
HOW TO USE
Elecampane increases pitta, and reduces kapha and vátha with its warming, drying qualities. A decoction treats both respiratory and digestive upsets.
CAUTION
Traditionally used to stimulate the uterus so should be avoided by pregnant women. Some people develop a rash when in contact with the herb or its oil. If so, discontinue use. Do not give wild sunflower to children under two years of age.
Use of the herb may cause photosensitivity in some people.
HYPERICUM PERFORATUM
ST. JOHN’S WORT
St. Johns wort is a bushy, flowering shrub found the world over. The leaves and flowers have long been used for their diuretic, emmenagogic, and antidepressant qualities. The ancient Greek scholar, Galen, describes the herb as the antidote to intestinal worms.
PROPERTIES
Bitter, astringent, sweet, and cooling. St. John’s wort has moisturizing, vulnerary, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory properties. It is an expectorant, a nutritive tonic, and a nervine.
Part of Plant Used The leaves and flowers.
Conditions Treated Spinal problems, skin problems, joint pain, problems associated with aging, trauma, and eczema. St. John’s wort has been indicated for stomachache, colic, congestion in the lungs, insomnia, anemia, headache, jaundice, catarrh, burns, wounds, and sores. It can be used to treat carcinoma, bedwetting, melancholy, depression, uterine cramping, and menstrual problems.
Form Taken As a massage lotion, compress, or salve; as a tea, tincture, or infusion.
Used with Other Herbs? Angelica, chamomile, rosewood, yarrow.
HOW TO USE
St. Johns wort reduces pitta and kapha, and increases vátha. An oil extract of St. John’s wort can be used internally for stomachache, colic, or intestinal disorders. Externally, the oil will soothe wounds, burns, and treat skin cancer. Put the fresh leaves and flowers in a glass jar, and fill it with olive oil. Close the jar and leave it for six to seven weeks, shaking it often. The oil will turn red. Strain the oil through a cloth. If a watery layer appears when the oil has stood for a while, decant or siphon it off. Stored in a dark container, the oil will keep for up to two years.
MEDICAGO SATIVA
ALFALFA
Alfalfa is grown the world over, primarily as food for livestock. The ancient Chinese, noticing their cattle preferred grazing in alfalfa, started to sprout alfalfa shoots to use as a vegetable.
PROPERTIES
Alfalfa is bitter and astringent, with cooling properties. It is high in chlorophyll and nutrients. It alkalizes and detoxifies the body, aids the liver, and is good for anemia, ulcers, diabetes, hemorrhaging, and arthritis. Alfalfa promotes pituitary gland function and contains antifungal agents.
Part of Plant Used The leaves, petals, flowers, and sprouts.
Conditions Treated Alfalfa leaves help to reduce blood cholesterol levels and clean plaque deposits from arterial walls. It has been used to treat anemia, colitis, sciatica, and rheumatism. Sip the infusion for a natural breath freshener.
Form Taken Take as a tea, supplement, or in sprouts.
Used with Other Herbs? Fenugreek, garlic, ginger, saffron, turmeric.
HOW TO USE
Alfalfa