Nature offers many ways to heal ourselves, and just as many ways to help you stay healthy. One of these ways is through the main Ayurvedic herbs. Thanks to their principles, we can try to keep the body in harmony to counteract any diseases.

Ayurvedic medicine: the basics

Ayurvedic medicine comprises a set of therapeutic measures that aim to re-establish or maintain balance and harmony between the elements and forces in one’s body. The main source of well-being for our body arises from this balance  because it is important to help ourselves stay healthy to discourage attack by external diseases.

But let’s start with the terminology: ayurveda is a word composed of ayur, lifespan or longevity, and veda, revealed knowledge. As already mentioned, it is a vast system that includes particular aspects of prevention and treatment, which allow you to live longer by improving your health.

This type of medicine was born in India and has been practiced since ancient times, but remains very widespread today. It can also be found rooted in the Indian hospital system, however no scientific evidence has so far proven its effectiveness. Furthermore, some Ayurvedic practices involve the addition of metals to pharmaceutical compounds, metals that are often very toxic to humans.

However, some herbs used in this medicine can be useful for physical improvement if ingested through infusions and herbal teas. A natural contribution that can open the spirit and help us recover our inner energies.

Main Ayurvedic herbs

So let’s explore in this new article some of the main Ayurvedic herbs and their benefits.

Andrographis

Vegetable and Herb, Hand Drawn Illustration of Kariyat or Andrographis Paniculata Plants

Native to India and Sri Lanka, this plant produces purple or pink flowers and fruits rich in beneficial effects for the body. It contains active ingredients that act as antioxidants and can have a very bitter taste which reveals its positive action on the liver. It is also called Kalmegh (translated black cloud) or Nila-Vembu (translated neem of the earth), terms that indicate its strong and bitter flavor, just like that of the large neem tree. In Malaysia, it is then known as Hempedu Bumi (translated as earth bile), because it is one of the most bitter plants used in traditional medicine.

It has always been used in India to prevent and treat fever and flu and it can also have a great anti-inflammatory action.

Coleus forskohlii

Coleus forskohlii. Ayurveda. Natural herbs. Ayurvedic herbs, medicines. Herbal illustration. A medicinal plant. The style of doodles. Medicines for health from plants. Aromatherapy. Wildflowers

Also known as Indian mint or False Boldo, this plant is native to India, Nepal, and Burma, where it is also used as a condiment or spice for food purposes. Its roots are fleshy and aromatic and constitute the part of the plant richest in active ingredients. It is mainly used for the treatment of disorders that may involve the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the respiratory system.

Shatavari

Shatavari. Realistic medicinal plant. Branch with flowers, leaves and root.

This plant is defined as a “friend of women”. It is used a lot for female well-being and the benefit of many hormonal problems related to the female reproductive sphere, also indicated for increasing the production of breast milk.

Her name in Sanskrit means she who possesses a hundred roots or she who possesses a hundred husbands, thus underlining her ability as a natural invigorator. Some of the major areas where it can benefit are fertility, sexual desire, and regularization of the menstrual cycle. It counteracts physical and mental tiredness.

Trikatu

Indian Ayurveda medicinal plant – Trikatu.

It is a mixture composed of the union of three different plants: ginger, black pepper, and long pepper. Each of these spices performs a function in synergy with the others to improve digestion.

Black pepper, especially Indian pepper, is considered the king of spices as it contains a high concentration of piperine, which stimulates the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes and tone the intestinal walls, aiding the digestion process. However, it is a remedy that you need to pay close attention to if you suffer from stomach and intestinal problems, as trikatu is composed of warming spices, which act actively and energetically on the intestinal level.

In tune with our body

One of the fundamental principles of Ayurvedic medicine is that of being able to enter into harmony with our body so that the mind and spirit are aligned with the corporeity of existence. Spices are a great natural link between what we are and what we could be.

Believing in their benefits is a good starting point for getting in tune with our body.