Vivekam Exports

Ashwagandha is a wonder plant predominantly found in India. Widely used for its therapeutic value, ashwagandha has been present in ayurvedic formulations since the ancient times. Backed by contemporary western science and a long history of medicinal use in India, this herb shows great potential for athletes and anyone who wants to maintain good health.

Description

It is a stout shrub which has small red berries enclosed in inflated papery orange-red seed cases. Ashwagandha is native to the Indian subcontinent. It grows in abundance across in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Though in recent times it is know to be flourishing well in the climatic conditions of North America. Apart from the arid highlands of India subcontinent and North America, it is also cultivated in northern Africa and the Middle East.

Ashwagandha belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Ashwagandha is used widely to treat inflammation, fevers, and to protect against infection or illness. It is also used to boost the immune system, improve memory and to promote overall well being in matters of health.

Etymology

The scientific name of Ashwagandha is Withania somnifera. But apart from that it is also known as Indian Ginseng, Winter cherry, Ajagandha, Kanaje Hindi, Chinese Lantern Plant, Bladder Cherry, Physalis Alkekengi and Samm Al Ferakh.

Medicinal Uses/Health Benefits

The shoots of the Ashwagandha shrub are used in in food and in India seeds of the Ashwagandha are used to thicken milk. It has similar properties as ginseng. Ashwagandha is heat neutral which means it has no warming or cooling properties. Unlike ginseng which is a warming herb. Ashwagandha is usually crushed and used in a traditional Ayurvedic formula called shilajit.

It is any of the various herbs of the genus Angelica in the parsley/Apiaceae family. These herbs usually have feather like compound leaves and small white or greenish flowers in flat-topped or rounded flower cluster. The stems are sweet in taste. . It is native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as Iceland and Lapland.

Angelica is used extensively in both Western healing and traditional Chinese medicine. Usually the dried root is used medicinally. The pale green, celery like stalks are most often candied and used as decorations for cakes and other desserts.

Etymological Background

The name angelica apparently has been derived from a story of an angel who appeared to a monk in a dream and revealed to him that a plant would cure the plague. The herb has since then been known as Angelica.

Angelica is sometimes known by the nickname of 'Root of the Holy Ghost'. Its is so called because angelica was thought to be under the protection of Michael the Archangel as it blooms on his feast day, May 8th according to the old Julian Calendar. While according to others this holy name is due to its seeming ability to cure anything and everything. For both reasons, it was considered to be a great defense against evil spirits, witches, spells and even the plague.

Medicinal Uses

The root stalks, leaves and fruit possess carminative, stimulant, diaphoretic, stomachic, tonic and expectorant properties, which are strongest in the fruit, though the whole plant has the same virtues.

Angelica is a good remedy for colds, coughs, pleurisy, wind, colic, rheumatism and diseases of the urinary organs, though it should not be given to patients who have a tendency towards diabetes, as it causes an increase of sugar in the urine.

It is generally used as a stimulating expectorant, combined with other expectorants the action of which is facilitated, and to a large extent diffused, through the whole of the pulmonary region.

An infusion may be made by pouring a pint of boiling water on an ounce of the bruised root, and two table spoonsful of this should be given three or four times a day, or the powdered root administered in doses of 1O to 30 grains. The infusion will relieve flatulence, and is also of use as a stimulating bronchial tonic, and as an emmenagogue. It is used much on the Continent for indigestion, general debility and chronic bronchitis. For external use, the

We will often come across mothers making children wear the fine, thin Neem twigs in their newly pierced earlobe as they know that this would prevent the holes from closing and act as antiseptic too.Across the Indian subcontinent, we find the rural people peel off the bark of the twig and then chew it so that it becomes like a soft brush , which they then use to rub around their gums and teeth.

Native to India and Burma, neem is a botanical cousin of mahogany. It is tall and spreading like an oak and bears masses of honey-scented white flowers like a locust. Its complex foliage resembles that of walnut or ash, and its swollen fruits look much like olives. It is seldom leafless, and the shade it imparts throughout the year is a major reason why it is prized in India.

We happen to throw in a few Neem leaves here and there in our bookshelves and put them inside old books to prevent silverfish and other bugs from eating paper.

Description

Neem is a tall, usually evergreen. It is widely cultivated in tropical Asian countries of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar for its timber, resin, bitter bark, and aromatic seed oil, which is used medicinally and as an insecticide.

The tree has small white flowers and produces a smooth, yellow-green fruit. All parts of the tree have medical uses. In India, neem is sometimes called "the village pharmacy." Over 100 pharmacologically active substances have been identified in this plant, and it has many traditional applications. Beyond all the possible pesticides and pharmaceuticals, neem provides many useful and valuable commonplace materials. For instance, oil extracted from the seeds goes into soaps, waxes, and lubricants, as well as into fuels for lighting and heating. The solid residue left after the oil is removed from the kernels is employed as a fertilizer and soil amendment. In addition, wood from the trees is valued for construction, cabinetry, and fuel. The bark is tapped for gum and extracted for tannins and dental-care products. The leaves are sometimes used for emergency livestock feed. And the profuse flowers are a prized source of honey.

The leaves of a perennial Eurasian herb of the mint family, having aromatic leaves. The dried leaves are used as seasoning are pleasantly pungent or tart in taste - kind of spicy flavor. The flavor makes it a perfect addition to traditional Italian and Mexican cuisines. Unlike some herbs, whose fresh characteristics mellow upon drying, oregano’s flavor and aroma intensify—the dried form is actually preferred to fresh in many dishes. Oregano and basil are natural complements, and combined, they are indispensable in pizzas, pastas and other Italian dishes.

Botanically speaking oregano refers to the Origanum vulgare, which is known as wild marjoram in Europe owing to its close resemblance to the herb that is known as sweet marjoram. It is a small shrub with multi-branched stems covered with small grayish-green oval leaves and small white or pink flowers. In Mediterranean climates oregano grows as a perennial plant, but in the harsher climates of North America, they grow as annuals. The English used oregano as an ingredient in snuff and as a perfume in sachets.

Etymological Background

The English word oregano derives from the Latin origanus/origanum which in turn originated in the Greek oreiganon. The Greek word was probably a corroboration of two words oros + ganos i.e.