Categories
Health Problems & Solutions

Few Health Questions and Answers

 

Q: Regarding weaning food. Many varieties are available in the market. What do you recommend I start with?

Weaning can begin with simple preparations like powdered rice cooked in water and milk with a little sugar .

[amazon_link asins=’B006XISCNA,B0070767DU,B005MI648C,B01M0TUN2D,B00BUBNZC8,B002KGHUL4,B00PK3WFJ6,B01JA8W6E0,B001EU8IPY’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’cc39feaf-1b47-11e7-81d3-4fe8cbbdcfce’]

A: Weaning should not be started till at least the 120th day. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding exclusively for six months. Homemade preparations are superior to the packaged, ready-to-eat premixes available in the market. You could begin with powdered rice cooked in water and milk with a little sugar and no salt. The consistency should be like that of breast milk. Start with one feed, gradually increasing the number after a week or so.

Careful dosage :
Q: How is the dosage of medicine for children calculated? My mother says I can give my daughter, aged seven, half a tablet of the usual adult medicines.

A: Dosage of medicine for children has to be carefully calculated based on the body weight; it is not a matter of giving one tablet to an older child and half to a smaller one!

[amazon_link asins=’B000YT3V5S,B01M6CFAV0,B01LX0MBN5,B01JU1ALBM,B01LXAEN1E,B01N5EU5J3,B01LMPY9B2,B01N1ZEKVM,B01JU19KYG’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’146b971f-1b48-11e7-af4c-058ceeb81a4f’]

In case of Paracetamol, the dosage is 10-15 mg/kg/dose every 4-6 hours. For many antibiotics, it is 20 or 40 mg/kg/day while for others it is 8 mg/kg/dose. Consult a paediatrician who will weigh the child and assign the dosage appropriately. Do not self-medicate.

Unlatching baby
Q: My baby sucks so hard at my breast that I am unable to pull his mouth loose when needed. Please advise....click & see

A: Pulling yourself backwards or trying to pry the child loose will not work. Instead, insert your little finger into the corner of his mouth to reduce the suction effect. His mouth can then be pried loose.

[amazon_link asins=’B002KGHUL4,B00BUBNZC8,B01M0TUN2D,B006XISCNA,B0070767DU,B005MI648C,B00PK3WFJ6,B001EU8IPY’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5d6b0819-1b48-11e7-ab32-f752d86ada49′]

Master check-up
Q: I am a 50-year-old woman. I want to have a master health check-up. What tests should I ask for?

[amazon_link asins=’B01BJV2XZI,B01K8DPJDQ,B01K8B13NS’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’cfb63737-1b48-11e7-bdcf-b174d4ceed17′]

A: You need the following tests in addition to the regular ones offered as part of the check-up

Get your weight and height measured to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). This should be between 25 and 27. A high BMI indicates obesity and places you at risk for diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis and cancer

Blood tests to screen for diabetes, cholesterol and triglycerides

A bone densitometry if you are post menopausal

A pap smear for cervical cancer

Breast evaluation by mammogram and monthly self-examination

Dental check-up

Eye check-up

The normal values are usually noted on the side. If any of your results are not in the normal range, please follow it up with the concerned consultant. If the follow-up of check-up is not done adequately, your money is wasted.

Facial hair
Q: I am a 23-year-old woman. My problem is that I have a moustache. I think it was there earlier but of late it has become very noticeable. My mother says I should leave it alone. However, I feel self-conscious. What should I do?

A: Please check with an endocrinologist/dermatologist/gynaecologist if you have other associated symptoms like menstrual irregularities or more-than-normal hair on your arms and legs. In the meanwhile, you can always go to a beauty parlour and have the hair on your upper lip removed by threading or waxing. Hair-removing creams can cause allergies. Also, please avoid shaving.

Foul odor
Q: I have terrible body odor in summer. Please help.

A: Perspiration is odourless. The smell arises due to the action of skin bacteria on the sweat. To avoid this .

[amazon_link asins=’B00KTYOUNA,B00QSBH5M6,B00Q5E4JE8,B01LYCSJM8,B01ACWSU20,B01I9INJ98,B01M9DP25F,B01LYV1BHX,B001446JG0′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1fde8ab4-1b49-11e7-ac95-3b97c09d9bb8′]

Wear cotton clothes which will allow the sweat to evaporate and not trap it inside

Bathe twice a day with Neko soap. The bacterial cell wall is destroyed by this soap

Do not apply the soap directly. Use a loofa or wash rag

Avoid talcum powder

Use a deodorant stick or spray.

Nagging cough
Q: I have diabetes and hypertension. Both are well controlled with diet and medication. I have a terrible hacking cough though. I have seen several doctors but to no avail   all they have done is take X-rays and prescribe antibiotics. I do not have fever or sputum so I don’t think I need these antibiotics.

A: Some anti-hypertensive medications cause cough. You can try adding Vitamin C 500 mg at night to your current medication. Also, you can take a cough suppressant like codeine linctus. Avoid exposure to allergens such as incense sticks, cigarette smoke and mosquito repellents (mats, coils as well as liquids). Take steam inhalation twice a day.

[amazon_link asins=’B008X8O0LQ,B004UNYE7S,B06XWLK75T,B00P5VLW38,B008X8O35Y,B06XWK29MT,B00E1NWG04,B008X8O2QE,B00YVETA8Y’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’581ce35a-1b49-11e7-95cf-6d2619e4719b’]

Tummy trouble
Q: My stomach sticks out, making me look very ugly. Will a tummy trimmer work?

A: Spot reduction of the stomach alone is not possible unless you opt for liposuction. You need to go on a diet, exercise and reduce weight overall. In the process, you can also tone up your stomach with crunches or a trimmer.

[amazon_link asins=’B01AXMH3IQ,B01N6V6GLF,B014YQI8FY,B01IBIZHF0,B019YZB2IK,B000UVVX28,B00T41USLC,1605298204,B005VRLT6Q’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’af1f5cb7-1b49-11e7-a5b7-79d54c223797′]

Answered by :Dr Gita Mathai ,paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore.India

Published in the Telegraph (Kolkata,India)

Related articles
Categories
Herbs & Plants

Indian Pennywort(Thankuni)

[amazon_link asins=’B01JOV5GFE,B00KLGP814,B01900LQSU,B00K2E0B8A,B004DMFN26,B00FSVLCLC’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4b657bc9-f90a-11e6-8771-d556be3a8991′]
Botanical Name: Centella asiatica
Family:    Apiaceae
Subfamily:Mackinlayoideae
Genus:    Centella
Species:    C. asiatica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order:    Apiales

Indian Name: Khulakudi or Brahmamanduki
Common Name : PENNYWORT, INDIAN PENNYWORT, ARTAYNIYA-E HINDI, JAL BRAHMI

Part Used : WHOLE PLANT

Location:
Grows in the warmer regions of both hemispheres, it is a slender, creeping plant abundant in swampy areas of India, Sri Lanka, China, South Africa and in tropical areas of Central and South America.

Description:
Centella grows in tropical swampy areas. The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other. It has long-stalked, green, rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The leaves are borne on pericladial petioles, around 2 cm (0.79 in). The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are creamish in color and covered with root hairs.

The flowers are white or pinkish to red in color, born in small, rounded bunches (umbels) near the surface of the soil. Each flower is partly enclosed in two green bracts. The hermaphrodite flowers are minute in size, less than 3 mm (0.12 in), with five to six corolla lobes per flower. Each flower bears five stamens and two styles. The fruit are densely reticulate, distinguishing it from species of Hydrocotyle which have smooth, ribbed or warty fruit. The crop matures in three months, and the whole plant, including the roots, is harvested manually.

click to see the pictures

click to see…>.…..(1)..…....(2).…

Active Constituents:
Flavonoids, glycosides ,saponin glycosides, triterpenoids (asiaticosides)

Medicinal Actions:
Adaptogen, alterative, anti-pyretic, anti-spasmodic, diuretic, nervine, tonic, vulnerary

Medicinal Uses:
Centella is well known as a tonic in Chinese medicine. It is considered to be bitter, pungent, with cold properties entering the spleen, liver and kidney meridians. It is said to clear heat and promote water metabolism and is a yin tonic.

Centella is known to increase the tensile binding strength of connective tissue and to reduce scar tissue formation associated with wound healing. It has demonstrated wound-healing action in treatment of dermal ulcers, dermal tuberculosis and leprosy. It is also said to promote longevity in a manner similar to Panax ginseng and Ganoderma. It is shown to have action in the immune system to reduce fever, has been use as a “blood cleanser”. Some ability to act as an anti-microbial has been demonstrated in tests on animals.

It has been used as a trophorestorative, which means it has a sedative action to reduce anxiety, yet helps focus thinking and to promote memory. It is said to calm the mental chatter, promoting calm and clarity. It probably has this action due the adaptogenic action of restoring the normal stress response in maladapted individuals.
Pharmacy:
Infusion: 1 Tbl/cup H2O BID – TID
Tincture (1:5): 2-5 ml TID
Fluid Extract (1:1.5, 1:3): 1-4 ml TID
Powder Extract: 100 mg – 200 mg TID

Origin, Distribution and Composition:
Indian pennywort is a perennial wild creeper which grows horizontally and is small and smooth. It has slender branches and small internodes. A number of leaves shoot out at each node on the upper. side and numerous roots grow into the soil at each node. The creeper thus has abundant leaf growth and new plants shoot out of various nodes.
Edible Uses:
In Myanmar cuisine, raw pennywort is used as the main constituent in a salad made also with onions, crushed peanuts, bean powder and seasoned with lime juice and fish sauce.
Centella is used as a leafy green in Sri Lankan cuisine, being the most predominant of all locally available leafy greens, where it is called gotu kola (???? ???). The adjective gotu in Sinhalese, is translated as “an inverted conical shape” (like the shape of a colander) and kola as “leaf”. It is most often prepared as malluma (???????), a traditional accompaniment to rice and curry, and goes especially well with vegetarian dishes, such as dhal, and jackfruit or pumpkin curry. It is considered quite nutritious and is often the very first leafy green a weaning toddler is introduced to. In addition to finely chopped gotu kola plants, the gotu kola malluma almost always contains grated coconut, diced shallots, lime (or lemon) juice, and sea salt, and may also contain finely chopped green chilis, chili powder, turmeric powder, chopped carrots as additional ingredients. The Centella fruit-bearing structures are discarded from the gotu kola malluma due to their intense bitter taste. A variation of the nutritious porridge known as kola kenda is also made with gotu kola by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka. Gotu kola kenda is made with well-boiled red rice with some extra liquid, coconut milk first extract, and gotu kola purée. The porridge is accompanied with jaggery for sweetness. Centella leaves are also used in modern sweet “pennywort” drinks and herbal teas. In addition the leaves are served stir-fried whole in coconut oil, or cooked in coconut milk with garlic or dhal.

In Indonesia, the leaves are used for sambai oi peuga-ga, an Aceh type of salad, and is also mixed into asinan in Bogor.
In Vietnam and Thailand, this leaf is used for preparing a drink or can be eaten in raw form in salads or cold rolls. In Bangkok, vendors in the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market sell it alongside coconut, roselle, chrysanthemum, orange and other health drinks.
In Malay cuisine the leaves of this plant are used for ulam, a type of Malay salad.

It is one of the constituents of the Indian summer drink thandaayyee.
In Bangladeshi cuisine mashed centella is eaten with rice.

Centella is widely used in various Indian Regional cuisines. It is known as vallarai in Tamil. It is an important component of unave marunthu concept which translates to food is medicine. Vallarai Kootu is a dish made out of centella and Dal. Vallarai thuvaiyal/thugaiyal, poriyal, spice podi (to be mixed with rice and ghee) and chutney are all various applications of centella in home cooking.

cloick to see the pictures..………………………………………..

The leaves of the plant are simple or of one blade, thickish, almost round or kidney-shaped and yellowish green in color. The fruits are small, flat circular and hard. The fresh leaves have an aroma due to the presence of an oily matter called vellarine. The aroma is lost on drying.
Stem
The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish green in color, interconnecting one plant to another. It has long-stalked, green, reniform leaves with rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The leaves are borne on pericladial petioles, around 20 cm. The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are creamish in color and covered with root hairs.

Flowers
The flowers are pinkish to red in color, born in small, rounded bunches (umbels) near the surface of the soil. Each flower is partly enclosed in two green bracts. The hermaphrodite flowers are minute in size (less than 3 mm), with 5-6 corolla lobes per flower. Each flower bears five stamens and two styles. The fruit are densely reticulate, distinguishing it from species of Hydrocotyle which have smooth, ribbed or warty fruit.

The crop matures in three months and the whole plant, including the roots, is harvested manually.

Indian pennywort is indigenous to India. It was known to Sanskrit writers from ancient times. This plant is found throughout India both in the plains and hilly tracts upto 2000 metres. It grows abundantly in moist areas and river banks, thriving in shade.

You may click to see the pictures

Several other substances have been isolated from the herb, These include an essential oil, a fatty oil, sitosterol, tannin and a resinous substance. The dry plant yields an alkaloid, hydrocotylin. The leaves and roots contain a bitter principle, vellarine, pectic acid and resin. The leaves of the plant have a mixed taste-sweet, sour, astringent and bitter. The cellulose content is very low.

Uses : : It is Tonic, Diuretic and Alterative. It is used in treatment of leporasy and known to ameliorate the symptoms of the disease and improves general health of the patient. It is a brain tonic and stimulates hair growth.

Healing Power and Curative Properties

The herb corrects the disordered processes of nutrition, by which organism ingests, digests, absorbs, utilizes and excretes food substances and restores the normal function of the system. It counteracts inflammation and is a mild purgative. It also increases the secretion and discharge of urine.

All the parts of the creeper are used both for therapeutic and culinary purposes.

Improving Memory
The leaves of the Indian pennywort are considered beneficial in improving memory. The powder of the leaves taken with milk in small doses for this purpose helps in correcting the disorders.

Dysentery in Children
The leaves of the plant are an effective remedy in the early stages of dysentery in children. Three or four leaves can be taken with cumin and sugar in addition to applying a paste of the leaves on the navel.

Bowel Complaints
In case of bowel complaints amongst children, half a cup of an infusion of its leaves with fenugreek (methi) can be taken, in a single dose.

Nervous Disorders
The herb is effective in nervous disorders including nervous debility. A powder of the leaves dried in shade and taken in doses of 3 to 6 decigrams, thrice a day’ for adults, is effective. Reduce the dose to 0.75 to 2.5 decigrams for children.

Female Sterility
Indian pennywort is effective in female sterility when combined with another herb called chotakulpha, (trichodesma Indicum). The two herbs should be uprooted when matured and dried in the shade for use. An equal quantity of both herbs should be taken, powdered with sugar candy in the ratio 2:1. Three grams of this powder should be taken both in the morning and evening with cow’s milk for 3 consecutive days after menstruation. However, the woman using this recipe should be free from menstrual pain, leucorrhoea, obesity or any such disease. If she has any, these should be treated before going in for this remedy.

Elephantiasis
The drug is useful in treating elephantiasis of the scrotum and legs, which is marked by gross swelling. The juice extracted from a portion of the fresh plant or the dried stem and leaves of the plant ground with water, should be applied locally to the affected parts. A poultice of the fresh leaves or an ointment made of four grams of the leaf extract with 30 grams of lanoline is equally efficacious.

Skin Disorders
Indian pennywort is a common household remedy for skin diseases like chronic and persistent eczema, chronic ulcers and syphilitic sores. A fine powder of the dried leaves can be used as a dust in skin eruptions and syphilic ulcers. To check fever associated with these diseases, the juice of the leaves should be taken thrice a day in doses of I to 5 drops.

Dosage: the drug is generally given as a decoction in doses of 30 to 60 ml or as powder in doses of 21 to 6 decigrams thrice a day. The leaves of the plant can be taken in doses of 30 to 60 grams. The juice of the leaves can be taken in doses of 60 to 100 ml and the decoction of the leaves from 120 to 150 ml.

Precautions: It is advisable to take the raw juice of the leaf in small doses as the juice is very potent and an excess intake may lead to coma.

Other Uses:
The leaves of Indian pennywort have culinary uses too and can be used for making soup, raw chutney, tea, raw juice and chapatis (mixed with wheat flour).

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein  is intended for educational purposes only.Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centella_asiatica

http://www.naturalmoms.org/botanical_materia_medica/Centella_asiatica.htm

http://indiangyan.com/books/therapybooks/Herbs_That_Heal/indian_pennywort.shtml

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
News on Health & Science

Viagra may harm male fertility

[amazon_link asins=’B01MQ1JLWY,B01JAHQ1HE,B01IZ9CCRG,B06XSGHW79,B00O4CPW6C,B001NJQUI8,B01DYZXSSS,B001NJXLHQ,B017HL4FVO’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0b5862cb-8183-11e7-adfa-4150bb79ccac’]

Laboratory studies conducted at Queen’s University Belfast, UK suggest that taking the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may adversely affect sperm function and possibly male fertility.
Recreational users of Viagra need to be informed of the drug’s potentially harmful effects on sperm function, the investigators say. In their experiments, David R J Glenn and colleagues observed that exposure of cultured sperm to Viagra, compared to no exposure, led to a “sustained enhancement of motility,  both in numbers of progressively motile sperm and their velocity.

However, exposure to Viagra   at concentrations equivalent to the average maximum total blood concentration present 30 minutes after a single oral dose of 100 milligrams — also caused a premature  crosome reaction. Acrosomes are structures that cover the head of the sperm and contain a variety of enzymes that help the sperm penetrate the outer membrane of the egg.

That Viagra may induce early activation of the acrosome reaction has “important clinical implications because sperm that acrosome-react before contact with the oocyte are incapable of fertilization,” the researchers note in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

“Given that the majority of sperm acrosome react on exposure to (Viagra), the drug may cause significant impairment to their fertilizing potential,” they write. This is a concern, Glenn and colleagues say, given that Viagra and other like-drugs are widely available on the Internet and are increasingly being used “recreationally” by young healthy men of reproductive age as sexual enhancers.

Source : The Times Of India

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Indian Podophyllum

Botanical Name: Podophyllum hexandrum
Family: Berberidaceae
Genus: Podophyllum
Species: P. hexandrum
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales

Synonyms : Podophyllum   emodi.

Common Name : Himalayan mayapple or Indian may apple

Indian Name: Papri or Banbaigan

Habitat :  Indian Podophyllum  is native to E. Asia – Afghanistan to China. It grows on   the scrub forests and alpine meadows, usually in humus rich soils, 2000 – 3500 metres in the Himalayas. Very abundant in fir forests in Kashmir.

Description and Composition
Indian Podophyllum is an erect, succulent herb with a creeping root stalk. It has flower-bearing erect branches leafy at top. The plant has toothed, purple spotted leaves, deeply divided in 3 to 5 lobes. The flowers are white or pinkish, cup-shaped and solitary. Its fruit is egg-shaped and scarlet in colour. The dried rhizomes of the plant constitute the drug.

The perennial herb Podophyllum hexandrum (syn. P. emodi), bearing the common names Himalayan mayapple or Indian may apple, is native to the lower elevations in and surrounding the Himalaya. It is low to the ground with glossy green, drooping, lobed leaves on its few stiff branches, and it bears a pale pink flower and bright red-orange bulbous fruit. The ornamental appearance of the plant make it a desirable addition to woodland-type gardens. It can be propagated by seed or by dividing the rhizome. It is very tolerant of cold temperatures, as would be expected of a Himalayan plant, but it is not tolerant of dry conditions.

CLICK & SEE  THE PICTURES

The plant is poisonous but when processed has medicinal properties. The rhizome of the plant contains a resin, known generally and commercially as Indian Podophyllum Resin, which can be processed to extract podophyllotoxin, or podophyllin, a neurotoxin. It has been historically used as an intestinal purgative and emetic, salve for infected and necrotic wounds, and inhibitor of tumor growth. The North American variant of this Asian plant contains a lower concentration of the toxin but has been more extensively studied.

The active principle of Podophyllum is contained in the resinous mixture known as podophyllin. The other constituent of the root is podophyllotoxin. The rhizomes yield podophyllol, a sticky resin, quercetin and podophyllotoxin.

According to Viehoever and Mack (1938), the only active crystallisable substance isolated from either podophyllum or podophyllin is podophyllotoxin. Probably, it is not the chief cathartic principle, which is still to be isolated.

Podophyllum Emodi (Indian Podophyllum), a native of Northern India. The roots are much stouter, more knotty, and about twice as strong as the American. It is not identical with, nor should it be substituted for, the American rhizome. It contains twice as much podophyllotoxin, and in other respects exhibits differences. Indian podophyllum is official in India and the Eastern Colonies, where it is used in place of ordinary podophyllum.

Cultivation :    

Prefers a moist peaty soil and filtered light or shade. Grows well in a moist open woodland. Hardy to about -20°c, it takes some years to become established but is very long lived in a suitable habitat. Young leaves may be damaged by late frosts but otherwise the plants are quite hardy. Over collection of the plant from the wild is becomimg a cause for concern as local populations are being endangered. Young plants only produce one leaf each year, older plants have 2 or 3 leaves each year. Plants in this genus have excited quite a lot of interest for the compounds found in their roots which have been shown to have anti-cancer activity. There are various research projects under way (as of 1990). The sub-species P. hexandrum chinense. Wall. has larger flowers and more deeply divided leaves.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in a cold frame in early spring. The seed germinates in 1 – 4 months at 15°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shady part of the greenhouse for at least 2 growing seasons. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the winter when the plants are dormant. Division in March/April

Edible Uses:     Fruit  is eaten raw. It must only be eaten when it is fully ripe. Juicy but insipid. The fruit is about 5cm long. The leaves are edible according to one report but this must be treated with some caution, see notes on toxicity above

Constituents.  ”The chief constituents of Indian podophyllum are podophyllotoxin (2 to 5 per cent.) and podophylloresin (compare Podophylli Rhizoma). The drug yields from 6 to 12 per cent. of podophyllin when treated in the same way as the American rhizome, but the podophyllin so obtained is not identical with, nor should it be substituted for, that from the American drug, since it contains approximately twice as much podophyllotoxin, and in other respects exhibits differences (compare Podophylli Rhizoma).

Action and Uses. Indian podophyllum rhizome is official in India and the Eastern Colonies, where it is used in place of ordinary podophyllum; it is stated to be twice as active as the latter.

Healing Power and Curative Properties
The herb Podophyllum is used as a hepatic stimulant and as an agent to promote the flow of bile. It is also useful as a purgative and as a drug to correct disordered processes of nutrition and to restore the normal function of the system. It is a bitter tonic which helps induce vomiting.

Chronic Constipation
The drug is highly beneficial for treating chronic constipation and is used as a purgative. The safe single dose is 0.01 gm. Its action is slow but strong. In large doses, it can cause acute irritation and griping. It should therefore be administered either in combination with belladonna or Indian aloe.

Skin Disorders
Podophyllum is reported to be useful in many skin diseases and tumorous growths. It has acquired importance in recent years for its possible use in controlling skin cancer.

Other Uses:  A medicinal resin is obtained from the plant. It is extracted with alcohol

Precautions: Podophyllin greatly irritates the eyes and the mucous membranes. The resin does not affect normal skin but may be absorbed by irritated or abrased skin and helps purging. It is an effective purgative, but in toxic or over doses it produces intense enteritis or inflammation of the small intestines which may sometimes result in death.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein  is intended for educational purposes only.Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

References:

Miracles Of Herbs

http://indiangyan.com/books/therapybooks/Herbs_That_Heal/indian_podophyllum.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podophyllum_hexandrum
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/bpc1911/podophyllum-emod.html

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Podophyllum+hexandrum

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Yoga

Ardha Matsyendra Asana (Yoge Exercise)

[amazon_link asins=’B074L47QC5,B019F2NTGA,B019F2NNMK,B019F2NKL4,B018GN1DJO’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6c78a9d1-830d-11e7-9f47-455ba10b5cd2′]

It was Matsyendra rishi (saint)who designed and practiced this Asana (Yoga Exercise), and hence its name Masyendrasana. This Asana(Exercise) in its original form is difficult to practice, therefore, it was simplified which is called ‘Ardha Matsyendrasana’. After sufficient practice of this Asana, it becomes possible to practice Matsyendrasana.

.
Pre position Sitting Position.
How to do the Exercise:

1. Bend the left leg in the knee and place it on the other side of the right knee.
2. Bend the right leg in the knee and fold it fully.
3. Cross the right hand over the left leg and hold its big toe.
4. Turn the shoulders and the neck to the left as much as possible. Encircle the waist by the left hand keeping the palm inside out. Turn the neck also to the left and continue smooth breathing.

Position:

1. While taking the right hand over the knee of the left leg, keep the right arm touching the standing knee of the left leg and keep the downward part of the right hand parallel and very close to the knee.
2. The folded left leg is pressed by the right arm in order to twist the trunk to the left. At this point do not try to sit on the fold of the right leg.
3. Keep the folded right leg free.
4. While twisting the trunk to the left, outstrech the chest. Straighten the spinal column and the neck, and then turn to the left as much as possible.
5. This twisting process is further enhanced by encircled left hand round the waist.
6. This turning process is facilitated, if it is done with exhailing. Once the final position is attained, the smooth breathing should continue.

Releasing:

1. Turn the neck and the sight to the front.
2. Restore the hands to their place.
3. Straighten the right leg.
4. Bring the left leg to its place and take the sitting position.

Note: Do this Asana (Exercise) by taking up the right leg with necessary relevant changes in taking and releasing the Asana.(Exercise)

.
Duration: In whatever form this Asana is taken up, it should be maintained for two minutes on each side. Then, try to have the ideal position and stabilize it for two minutes. After a good deal of practice, it can be kept for five minutes on each side.

.
Benefits: This is the advanced stage of Vakrasana. Naturally, all the advantages of that Asana(exercise) are experienced more prominently in this Asana(exercise). It has favourable effects on constipation and loss of appetite and digestive system as a whole.

.
Precaution : Maintaining the Asana with bearable strain, it should be released as stated above. Persons having spinal column complaints, should do this Asana(exercise) after consulting some Yoga Experts.

Reference Book:- Yoga Pravesh

css.php