Medicinal Benefits of Neem Flower

                      

Neem flower has numerous medicinal properties that benefit the young and the old.

• It is useful in treating ailments of the stomach.

• It neutralizes excessive pitha in the body.

• It expels intestinal worms in kids.

• It helps recovery after debilitating fevers.

The neem tree is called ‘village dispensary’ in India.  All parts of the neem tree have medicinal uses.  The neem tree blooms in the months of March and April.  The tiny looking neem flower is an excellent source of antioxidants.

Thoroughly cleaned, fresh neem flowers can be ground to a fine thick paste.  A small marble sized paste of neem flowers can be added to milk and given to children for 2-3 days in the mornings.  This is found to expel intestinal worms.

Decoction made of fresh neem flowers is found to help kids with craving for dirt.  Adults with potbelly can take neem flower decoction on a regular basis to control and bring down their waist size.  Siddha texts recommend eating in moderation, the rule of thumb being the stomach should have 50 percent food, 25 percent water and 25 percent remaining empty.  In short, overeating is frowned upon by the Siddha system.  Eating healthy and in moderation along with neem flower decoction everyday can take care of even stubborn potbellies.

Steam inhalation with neem flowers relieves headaches, ear aches etc.

The flowers collected are cleaned and dried in shade thoroughly.  Dried flowers are soaked in honey and stored in a bottle.  Half a spoonful of this honey soaked neem flowers can be taken in the mornings regularly.  This is found to strengthen the body with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

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Mediicinal Benefits of Banana Flower

All parts of the banana plant have medicinal value including the banana flower.  The banana flower or vaazhai poo in Tamil, is well known in the rural parts of South India for its healing action on stomach ulcers.  The banana flower or banana blossom is available throughout the year.  It is used in preparing some tasty and healthy dishes in South India.

Banana Flower for Stomach

The flower is found to help scanty and painful urination.  Soup made of banana flower is an excellent natural laxative. People suffering from pain and burning sensation in hands and soles of the feet can benefit from taking vaazhai poo on a regular basis.  Bad breath and sweat odor can become a thing of past with regular consumption of banana flower.

Stomach bloating and bilious vomiting can be arrested with consumption of vaazhai poo.  Male infertility can be overcome with regular consumption of vaazhai poo.  Kidney stones can be cleared with vaazhai poo.  Burning sensation in anal area can be cured with consumption of vaazhai poo thrice or four times a week.

Banana Flower for Women

Banana flower juice mixed with honey or palm candy benefits white discharge in women.  This should be taken on empty stomach first thing in the morning.  Similarly women with excessive menstrual flow can benefit from taking banana flower regularly.  This helps with painful menstruation too.

Juice of vaazhai poo 100 ml taken in the mornings thrice or four times a week reduces cholesterol levels in blood.  this also purifies it.

Banana Flower for Obesity

Obese people can take a soup made of banana flower.  Finely cut banana flower, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves are boiled together and reduced to half.  A pinch of salt can be added to taste.  This is taken four to five times a week.  This is found to be helpful in weight management.

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Siddha Home Remedies: Medicinal Benefits of Cumin Seeds

Cumin seed is used extensively in Indian cuisine to add taste and aroma to the recipes.  The Tamil word for cumin seed is seeragam ‘the one that regulates and keeps the body healthy’.  It is an excellent coolant.  It adds vitality and freshness to those who take it regular.  Cumin seeds hold a special place in Siddha medicinal system.

A handful of cumin seeds can be taken either raw or in powered form in the mornings.  Regular consumption helps get rid of worms from the intestines.  Some may experience a sort of burning sensation in the stomach region.  This kind of persists even after drinking good amount of water.  Consumption of gassy foods (potato, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cheese, cream, beer etc) can lead to such conditions.  Or this can be due to indigestion.  To treat such conditions, a paste made by grinding cumin seeds to a fine consistency using a few drops of water, is applied on the stomach as a thin layer.

Pregnant women can tackle morning sickness and other similar problems with the help of cumin seeds.  During the early stages of pregnancy women tend to suffer from nausea and vomiting.  This pregnancy sickness can be a very debilitating and distressing one.  This occurs at any time of the day.  A handful cumin seeds powdered and taken with lemon juice is found to be helpful in dealing this condition.  Women who suffer from excessive menstrual bleed can benefit from taking cumin seeds. 

100 gm of cumin seeds is added to 2 litres of sesame oil and allowed to boil.  As the seeds start to break, the oil is removed from and heat and then stored in bottles.  Regular application of this oil onto the scalp is found to be helpful in treating headache, vomiting, vertigo etc.

Cumin seed is used in treating scorpion stings.  For this purpose a paste of powdered cumin seeds, salt, honey and butter is used.  This mixture is placed on the sting spot.  This helps to neutralize the toxin present in the venom.

Cumin seeds is helpful in treating constipation.  Patients suffering from chronic constipation should chew a few cumin seeds thoroughly and swallow down the juice.  This helps in curing indigestion as well as constipation.  A pinch of powdered cardamom and cumin seeds taken in equal quantity is found to benefit people who suffer from gas.  This can be taken three times a day for better results.  Also cumin seeds taken with palm candy, is an excellent rejuvenator.

Cumin seed water is a common drink in South India, especially Kerala.  This is prepared by adding a teaspoon of cumin seeds to boiling water (around 5 litres).  The water is boiled for a minute or two and then allowed to cool.  This cumin seed water is an excellent natural immune enhancer.  It is recommended for colic, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion etc.  It has antibacterial and antifungal properties.  It induces sleep.  Cumin seed water can help singers improve their voice.  It also helps them keep cough, throat irritation etc at bay.

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Siddha Home Remedies: Medicinal Benefits of Bottle Gourd Flower

Bottle gourd, called suraikkai in Tamil, is used in the making of some tasty South Indian dishes. One of the oldest of cultivated plants, the bottle gourd plant is a climber which grows vigorously. The bottle gourd flower looks very tender and matures into bottle gourd. The flower is an excellent coolant. It can be taken raw.

The bottle gourd flower can be added to rice flour and made into an ‘adai’ (a thick dosai or sort of pancake). Taking this ‘adai’ for breakfast provides you with energy and freshness. Also you can soak a couple of these flowers in tender coconut water the previous night. The next day morning you can drink this flower soaked water. This is found to benefit your eyes and helps keep them cool.

A handful of soaked fenugreek seeds and four to five bottle gourd flowers can be ground to a fine paste and taken with milk before going to bed. This is said to cure ulcers in the stomach. Similarly you can make a paste of boiled split green gram and these flowers. This should be mixed in hot rice. A few helpings of this hot rice can help alleviate stomach ache due to “heat”, stomach irritation etc.

One way to cure toothache is to rinse your mouth with bottle gourd flower steeped water.

Thoroughly boil four or five bottle gourd flowers in two glasses of water and allow it to cool. Drinking this liquid is beneficial for those suffering from eye irritation or knee pain.

A couple of bottle gourd flowers along with garlic are sauté in sesame oil. One natural way to relieve abdominal gas is to take these sauté flowers and garlic. This also pacifies the stomach and other internal organs.

Bottle gourd flowers along with bottle gourd act as coolants. In India, you can find these flowers around February – April time. Regular intake of this flower during the hot summer season is found to be beneficial to the stomach.


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Fenugreek A Siddha Home Remedy for Stomach Ache

Some Siddha Home Remedies made with fenugreek will be detailed below as well as its medicinal properties.

The name fenugreek is from the Latin word "Greek hay".

It is mainly used as a digestive aid. It is also widely used by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply. Studies have shown that fenugreek is a potent stimulator of breast milk production and its use increases milk production to as much as 800%. It is available in capsule form in many health food stores.

By itself, fenugreek has a somewhat bitter taste.

Several human trials demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects of fenugreek and helps ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with type-1 and type-2 diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models. It is currently available commercially in encapsulated forms and is being prescribed as dietary supplement for control of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes by practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine.

In recent research, fenugreek was experimentally shown to protect against cancers of the breast. The hepatoprotective property of fenugreek seeds is also well known.

Also fenugreek is found to have the following properties, according to some Siddha texts.

1. Pacifies ‘heat’.
2. Stops diarrhea
3. Cures hemorrhoids
4. Cures halitosis or bad breath
5. Cures mouth ulcers
6. Soothes itching
7. Helps treat skin diseases
8. Arrests hair fall
9. Cools eyes
10. Clears red eyes
11. Softens skin
12. Strengthens body
13. Cures inflammation
14. Cures cough

Following is one of the many Siddha home remedies for stomach ache using fenugreek.

Ingredients

Fenugreek – 100 gm
Cardamom seeds – 25 gm
Sugar candy – 250 gm

Wash fenugreek thoroughly. Dry it in shade. Put it in an earthen pot and pour 300 ml lemon juice to it. Close the pot with a lid and heat it over stove. Reduce the juice to half. Remove from the stove and let it cool. Now filter out the fenugreek seeds and dry it in shade. Once dried, grind the seeds to a coarse consistency.

Similarly clean the cardamom seeds thoroughly and dry it in shade. Once dried, fry the cardamom seeds slightly over fire and then powder the seeds. Add this to the powdered fenugreek. Add powdered sugar candy to this mixture.

How to Use

Take a spoonful of the powder along with a glass of warm water in the morning one hour before breakfast. Similar procedure is adopted in the afternoon and night.

Things to Avoid

Groundnuts, oily food, meat, pumpkin etc should be avoided. Do not keep awake late into the night. Do not wander about in sunlight. Avoid excessive sexual indulgence.

Preferred Diet

Fresh vegetables, ghee, buttermilk, honey, pepper, garlic, pomegranate, orange, banana etc can be taken in plenty.

Source: "Venthayathin Sirappu Maruthuvam" by Dr. Thirumalai Natarajan. (Venthayam is the Tamil word for fenugreek).

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