Siddha Home Remedies: Medicinal Benefits of Thulasi (Holy Basil)

Herbs have been used in religious ceremonies since time immemorial.  Arugampul (Bermuda grass), vilva, neem, thulasi are some examples.  Thulasi or Holy Basil is the prasada given to devotees in Indian temples.  Thulasi thirtha or holy water infused with thulasi leaves is beneficial to both body and mind.

Thulasi is a kayakalpa herb.  It grows to a height of 75 centimeter to a meter with small hairy leaves and hairy stem.  It has white flowers and small black seeds. Siddha and Ayurveda medicinal systems make use of thulasi to treat fevers, vomiting, dysentery, malaria, bronchitis etc.  Unani medicinal system uses thulasi to purify blood, treat heart conditions and cool the body.

Tulsi is used in treating

•     Ailments of chest including cough, cold, bronchitis
•     Fevers like malaria, pneumonia and influenza
•     Heart conditions
•     Cholera, dysentery
•     Migraine
•     Asthma
•     Smokers cough
•     Inflammation of lungs
•     Blood pressure
•     Abdominal distention
•     Liver diseases
•     Hemorrhoids
•     Anal itch
•     Skin diseases
•     Leprosy
•     Head lice
•     Menstrual disorders
•     Poisonous bites
•     Nail infections

Thulasi for Children

Thulasi or holy basil is known to clear chest congestion in infants.  For this infants are fed milk mixed with juice of tulsi leaves.  This also helps cure indigestion and loose watery stools in kids.  One method to treat whooping cough in infants - collect mature dry tulsi leaves and flowers, long pepper and sweetflag in equal quantity by weight.  Grind and powder all the three to a fine consistency.  Half a teaspoon of this preparation is mixed with honey and given twice a day.

Thulasi for Asthma

Four tulsi leaves and four vilva leaves along with four peppercorns are taken first thing in the morning on empty stomach.  This is thoroughly chewed and then swallowed down.  This helps ease labored breathing of asthmatic patients.

Thulasi for Heart

Juice obtained from thulasi leaves is mixed with honey of equal quantity.  A spoonful of this is taken in the mornings on empty stomach on a regular basis.  This is found to benefit irregular palpitation and strengthen the heart muscles.

Tulsi for Lungs

Fresh tulsi leaves are crushed to obtain 25-50 ml of juice.  This is added to ginger juice of same quantity.  A spoonful of this mixture is taken with honey for a month or two depending on the intensity.  This is found to bring down inflammation of lungs.  This relieves asthma, cough etc.  In case of influenza, a pinch of powdered cloves and salt are added to tulsi steeped water and taken three times a day.

Tulsi for Teeth

Tooth cavity and diseases of gums can be taken care of with the help of thulasi.  Press powdered thulasi leaves, powdered cloves and a pinch of camphor on affected tooth.  The same preparation can also be used as a tooth powder.  This takes care of inflamed gums and removes bad breath.

Thulasi home remedy for Bloody Hemorrhoids

Juice obtained from crushed thulasi leaves 250 ml is added to kuppaimeni juice of equal quantity.  Castor bean oil 250 ml is added to this mixture and boiled thoroughly to remove the moisture content.  50 ml of the resulting oil is taken at night for a week.  This is found to relieve hemorrhoids.

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Siddha Home Remedies: Adathoda Vasica Part II

Couple of my earlier posts on cough, cold and asthma contain preparations made using adathoda. Along with thippili (piper longum), chukka (dry ginger), pepper, adathoda, thoothuvalai (tri lobatum)are the common herbs used in treating all conditions related to lungs, airway passage, throat etc. Of this, adathoda holds a vital position in treating asthmatic conditions.

Adathodai kudineer and manappagu are the two time tested Siddha remedies used in treating asthma. Kudineer is tamil word for decoction. Adhatoda kudineer is prepared by boiling adathoda leaves in water and then cooling down the water for consumption.

Now for the ingredients needed to prepare the kudineer or decoction. Adathodai leaves, chukku or dry ginger, and pepper are taken. They are crushed and put in 1 litre of water and allowed to boil. Once it boils for 3-5 minutes, remove from the stove and allow it to cool. When it reaches a lukewarm state, drink this. This is done three times a day for 3-4 days. This is found to be helpful in clearing cough, cold and phlegm in chest.

One other preparation for treating cough is to follow the above-mentioned process using adathoda root and kandankathiri root. Piper longum powder is added to this decoction. This is taken three times a day after food.

In case of chronic wheeze, the following time-tested preparation can be used. Prepare a decoction using adathoda leaves, terminalia chebula (kadukkai), and grapes. Add honey and palm candy to this decoction and take it three times a day after food. Continue this till there is no wheezing.

Another combination is to prepare a decoction of adhathoda root, kandankathiri root, dry ginger, horsegram and adding powder of alli kizhangu (nymphaea rubra) tuber. This is also effective in curing wheezing.

The juice obtained from the leaves can be used to treat bloody stool and mucus in stool.

The dry leaves can be rolled and smoked as a cigar to treat wheezing. The flower of adathoda can be used to treat ailments of eye. For this, the flowers are slightly shown on fire and then placed on the eyelids. Regular application is said to cure eye irritation and other minor ailments.

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Siddha Home Remedies: Adhatoda Vasica

Adhatoda vasica (Adathoda in Tamil and Adalodakam in Malayalam) is a medicinal plant used extensively in treating cough and cold. It is a native of the Asian continent. The flowers, leaves, bark, root are used in preparing Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines to treat various bronchial and lung diseases. It has a bitter taste. It is an expectorant and bronchodilator. Alternative systems use preparations made from this plant to treat asthma.

The general areas of treatment where it would be of use include vata diseases, fevers, stomach diseases, cough, wheeze, vomiting, etc. It improves the tone of your voice.

Juice of the leaves 10-20 drops with honey is found to cure the above mentioned diseases, especially cough, wheeze, fevers.

A decoction made of the leaves plus honey can also do the trick.

Three leaves of adathoda cut to pieces along with a cardamom is soaked in 400 ml hot water. After two hours, filter out the leaves and cardamom.  50 ml of this water is given three times a day for fever and cough due to phlegm.

One time tested preparation for bringing out phlegm in chest as well as treating cough and cold is mentioned below.

Three leaves of the plant are cut into very small pieces.  Using a fresh mud put, fry these finely cut leaves using 2-3 teaspoon honey. Frying will give rise to a nice aroma. Once you get this smell, add finely ground athimathuram 2 gm, thippili 2 gm, thalisapathiri ½ gm, sitrarathai ¼ gm, to the adhathoda leaves along with a litre of water and reduce it to ¼ litre.  This preparation can be given morning and night for a day or two for expelling the phlegm from chest.

More remedies using the adathoda plant to follow.

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Causes of Asthma

Experts of both mainstream allopathic system as well as alternative systems agree that allergy is one of the reasons for asthma and sinusitis. Allergy occurs when one consumes foods that trigger histamines, or when one inhales polluted air. When you consume food that triggers the histamines, it results in asthmatic symptoms. People who live in cities, near factories, inhale carbon monoxide and other toxic gases and this in turn affects the airways. The airways become inflamed, that airway passage reacts to triggers like smoke, dust pollen, cockroach, mold spores etc. The narrowed airway produces excessive mucus, which results in difficult breathing.

When there is mucus in the airway passage, when there is inflammation of the airway passage, when the smooth muscles of the lungs contract, the airway passage gets constricted, resulting in difficulty breathing.

Some fear that asthma can lead to cancer or tuberculosis. This is wrong. Some suggest change of environment as a cure but it is not so. Asthma is not a contagious disease. Some people ostracise asthmatic patients fearing they may contract the same. This is also not true.

There can be many reasons for constriction of airway passage. In some cases, cancer tumour in the airway passage can block free flow of air and can manifest asthmatic symptoms. The inner walls of the bronchial airways become inflamed. Mast cells and lymphocytes abound and pressurise the walls resulting in panting and difficult breathing.

Allopathic system uses antihistamines and nebulizers to control asthma. Prolonged usage can result in increased tolerance to medication, necessitating increased dosage. The side effect of medications is a concern that cannot be wished away.

Herbal remedies on the other hand are less riskier, have no side effects when consumed as prescribed by the physician.

Some herbs that are used in treating asthma, sinusitis etc are neem, vilvam, thulasi (basil), atthi, adathoda, thoothuvalai, kandankathiri, karpooravalli.

There are excellent time-tested Siddha and Ayurveda herbal remedies for asthma. I will elaborate more on herbal remedies for asthma in subsequent posts.


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Siddha Home Remedies for Asthma

Asthma is a condition where the patient experiences difficulty to breathe, and it is the primary symptom. It starts with cough, inability to breathe, and tightness in chest.

Persons afflicted with asthma suffer from difficult breathing and exhalation would be more difficult than inhalation. During a flare up they may even find it difficult to speak.

Children and grown up alike are prone to asthmatic attacks. It is not a contagious disease, you won’t contract asthma by talking to a asthmatic patient.

People with asthma urinate a lot and the urine might look salty. They may not be able to sleep at night. During flare-ups, the patient’s face would become pale, the body chill and the pulse racing.

Some may experience the attacks in the mornings, while the majority suffer at night.

Though it is not contagious, heredity and environmental pollution are the main causative factors. If it runs in your family, the probability of you getting it is very high.

Siddha Remedies for Asthma

Adathodai kudineer and adathodai manappagu are excellent remedies for asthma. Regular intake two times a day for a month can bring about a drastic reduction in the symptoms.

Thippili chooranam is yet another time tested remedy for asthma.

Ingredients

Arisi thippili
Siru nerunjil
Chukku
Kandankathiri seeds
Athimathuram
Akkarakaram
Sitrarathai

30 gm of each of these are taken and powdered to a coarse consistency and stored in a bottle.

Take a pinch of this powder with honey thrice a day after food.

Dietary restrictions: Avoid cold items like banana, ash gourd, radish, lemon, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower etc during the intake of medicine.

More siddha home remedies for asthma to follow.

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Siddha Home Remedies for Cough and Cold

Some Siddha home remedies for cough and cold are given below.

Chitharathai kudineer or infusion

The ingredients are chitharathai (alpinia officinarum) 10gm, perichan (phoenix dactylifera) 10 gm, chukku (zingiber officinale) 10 gm, and athimathuram (glychyrrhiza glabra) 10 gm.

These are powdered coarsely and bundled in a cloth. This mixture is boiled in 50 ml milk adding 50 ml water to it. Continue heating at a low heat for sometime and then decant it. Add 10 gm of palm candy to this.

This should be taken (25 ml) twice a day for five days.

Over the counter preparations

Thalisaathi vadagam – One three times a day.

Korojanai mathirai – Two tablets three times a day with honey or milk.

Siddha Herbal Remedies for Asthma

Some symptoms of asthma are difficulty breathing, tightness in chest, wheezing and unproductive cough.

Adathodai kudineer is an excellent siddha herbal remedy for asthma.

This is explained in one of my earlier posts ‘Siddha Herbal Remedies for Cough and Cold’.

Adathodai manapagu is also useful in treating this.

Pavala parpam is a Siddha remedy available at Siddha stores useful in treating this condition. 100mg three times a day with milk or ghee is the standard dosage.

These are some Siddha home remedies for Cough, cold and asthma.

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Thulasi Home Remedies for Cough, Cold, Asthma

Thulasi is well known for its action on lungs and associated problems. The lungs are affected due to cold, phlegm, cough, sneezing, runny nose etc. All these can be classified as kapha diseases.

In case of phlegm in chest, gather a handful of basil leaves, clean them and add a teaspoon of pepper to it. Add a glass of water and heat the combination. Reduce it to half glass, and then filter the water. Add honey to this water and drink it three times a day. Another alternative is to take 1-2 teaspoon of thulasi leaf juice once every four hours.

In case of allergy that results in sneezing, runny nose etc the following preparation is found to be useful. Powder of dried thulasi leaves 100 gm, powdered clove 100 gm, powdered cardamom 100 gm all these mixed thoroughly and stored in a bottle. Take a pinch of this mixture to a teaspoon of honey and take it morning and night after food. Regular intake can cure this annoying problem.

For people suffering from asthma, thulasi leaves 6 nos, pepper corn 6 nos and vilva leaf 6 nos are taken together raw first thing in the morning. Chew the combination and swallow down the juice such that it passes down the throat slowly. This will help relieve the attendant uneasiness.

For smokers cough thulasi is an excellent remedy. A handful of thulasi leaves, toothuvalai leaves and kandakathiri leaves are collected. Put all these leaves in a litre of water. Now add 5 gm each of dried ginger (chukku), pepper and thippili to this and heat it. Reduce it to half and then let it cool. Add honey and take it twice a day. Do this for 21 days, preparing this combination fresh each day. This can help cure smokers cough.

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