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Your Gums May Save Your Life

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Stem cells now have an easy and superior source — gum tissue.As per latest lab report.

……………....CLICK  & SEE

The history of modern medicine has rarely witnessed anything as controversial as stem cell therapy. Exponents swear by its potential to change the face of treatment and alleviate suffering. Taking advantage of this, unscrupulous medicos across the world have used the therapy to make a quick buck. Their claims — which are, of course, unsubstantiated — have caused further damage, almost discrediting this treatment method that explores the possibility of introducing new cells into damaged tissues to cure a disease or an injury.

As the name suggests, stem cells are capable of growing into various types of cells found in the human body. They can help form bones, muscles and even heart and brain cells. Medical scientists hope they can offer an answer to many diseases that have been so far regarded as incurable.

An enormous amount of research is required to take the therapy to a standard where it can be put to use extensively. However, there is a problem — providing more and more researchers easy access to stem cells is a daunting task.

A team of Indian researchers has found a better source for at least one important type of stem cells. Scientists led by Mohan Wani at the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — which have the potential to regenerate muscles, bones and even nerve cells — can be extracted from human gum tissue.

Stem cells are of different types. Some are pluripotent — that is, they can be grown into all types of cells found in the human body. Human embryos are a good source of pluripotent stem cells. Most of the ethical issues relating to stem cell research are in connection with these stem cells.

The MSCs, on the other hand, are multipotent — that is, they can grow into only certain types of cells. Scientists have shown in the lab that MSCs can be used to regenerate bones, cartilage and muscles, but this is yet to become a line of treatment.

Studies in the past have shown that MSCs are present in virtually all organs and tissues in the body. But they are normally harvested from bone marrow, the soft tissue inside the bones. One of the reasons, perhaps, is that the technique to extract bone marrow has been around for more than three decades. Bone marrow transplant has been a popular method of treating many blood disorders, including thalassaemia and certain blood cancers.

However, the process of extracting bone marrow cells is painful, particularly for the elderly. “Harvesting bone marrow from the iliac crest of the pelvic bone is a painful course. Moreover, you need to extract the tissue in a large quantity as the number of MSCs in it is low,” says Wani.

Gum tissue, on the other hand, not only contains more stem cells but also of a more homogenous type. Bone marrow contains more than one type of stem cell. Besides, the process of harvesting stem cells from gum tissue is easy and leaves no scar, says Wani.
…………………….
The NCCS work, which appeared in the latest issue of the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications , says that gum tissue can be a superior source of stem cells for several reasons. The yield of MSCs from bone marrow ranges from 0.001 to 0.01 per cent. In case of gum tissue, “we are expecting a four to six-fold increase,” says Wani.

The study looks interesting, says Maneesha Inamdar, a researcher at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, who works in the area of stem cells. Oral cells are more accessible and hence could be a better alternative to bone marrow, she observes.

Another expert from Christian Medical College, Vellore, however, is not so hopeful. “I do not anticipate people lining up to have their gingival (gum) tissue biopsied to produce these cells, nor do I see any dramatic impact of the use these cells in the clinic in the near future,” says the scientist, who prefers to remain anonymous.

There are other benefits of stem cells extracted from gum tissue, says Wani. The scientists, who grew many generations of the cells in the lab, found that they could hold their inherent properties for much longer than those derived from bone marrow. “These cells exhibited no abnormalities and are hence safe for clinical applications,” Wani told KnowHow.

As the next step, the Pune researchers plan to use to the stem cells derived from gum tissue to regenerate different types of human tissues.

So take care of your gums, for they will take care of you one day, if needed.

Massaging of Gum with a finger and rinsing the mouth at least two to three times daily after  eating, is the easiest way to keep the gum muscles strong &  healthy.

You may click to see:->Home Treatments for Gum Disease

Source : The Telegraph (Kolkata,India)

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Thymoma

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Introduction
Thymoma, the most common neoplasm of the anterior mediastinum, originates within the epithelial cells of the thymus.

click to see the pictures
The thymus is a lymphoid organ located in the anterior mediastinum. In early life, the thymus is responsible for the development and maturation of cell-mediated immunological functions. The thymus is composed predominantly of epithelial cells and lymphocytes. Precursor cells migrate to the thymus and differentiate into lymphocytes. Most of these lymphocytes are destroyed, with the remainder of these cells migrating to tissues to become T lymphocytes. The thymus gland is located behind the sternum in front of the great vessels; it reaches its maximum weight at puberty and undergoes involution thereafter.

In human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper anterior portion of the chest cavity just behind the sternum. The main function of the thymus is to provide an area for T cell maturation, and is vital in protecting against autoimmunity.

Etiology:-
The etiology of thymomas has not been elucidated; however, it has been associated with various systemic syndromes. As many as 30-40% of patients who have a thymoma experience symptoms suggestive of MG. An additional 5% of patients who have a thymoma have other systemic syndromes, including red cell aplasia, dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematous, Cushing syndrome, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.

History:-
The thymus was known to the Ancient Greeks, and its name comes from the Greek word ??µ?? (thumos), meaning heart, soul, desire, life – possibly because of its location in the chest, near where emotions are subjectively felt; or else the name comes from the herb thyme (also in Greek ??µ??), which became the name for a “warty excrescence”, possibly due to its resemblance to a bunch of thyme.

Galen was the first to note that the size of the organ changed over the duration of a person’s life.

Due to the large numbers of apoptotic lymphocytes, the thymus was originally dismissed as a “lymphocyte graveyard”, without functional importance. The importance of the thymus in the immune system was discovered in 1961 by Jacques Miller, by surgically removing the thymus from three day old mice, and observing the subsequent deficiency in a lymphocyte population, subsequently named T cells after the organ of their origin. Recently, advances in immunology have allowed the function of the thymus in T cell maturation to be more fully understood.

Function:-
In the two thymic lobes, lymphocyte precursors from the bone-marrow become thymocytes, and subsequently mature into T cells. Once mature, T cells emigrate from the thymus and constitute the peripheral T cell repertoire responsible for directing many facets of the adaptive immune system. Loss of the thymus at an early age through genetic mutation (as in DiGeorge Syndrome) or surgical removal results in severe immunodeficiency and a high susceptibility to infection.

The stock of T-lymphocytes is built up in early life, so the function of the thymus is diminished in adults. It is largely degenerated in elderly adults and is barely identifiable, consisting mostly of fatty tissue, but it continues to function as an endocrine gland important in stimulating the immune system.[8] Involution of the thymus has been linked to loss of immune function in the elderly, susceptibility to infection and to cancer.

The ability of T cells to recognize foreign antigens is mediated by the T cell receptor. The T cell receptor undergoes genetic rearrangement during thymocyte maturation, resulting in each T cell bearing a unique T cell receptor, specific to a limited set of peptide:MHC combinations. The random nature of the genetic rearrangement results in a requirement of central tolerance mechanisms to remove or inactivate those T cells which bear a T cell receptor with the ability to recognise self-peptides.

Iodine, thymus and immunity:-
Iodine has important actions in the immune system. The high iodide-concentration of thymus suggests an anatomical rationale for this role of iodine in immune system.

Phases of thymocyte maturation:-
The generation of T cells expressing distinct T cell receptors occurs within the thymus, and can be conceptually divided into three phases:

1.A rare population of hematopoietic progenitor cells enter the thymus from the blood, and expands by cell division to generate a large population of immature thymocytes.

2.Immature thymocytes each make distinct T cell receptors by a process of gene rearrangement. This process is error-prone, and some thymocytes fail to make functional T cell receptors, whereas other thymocytes make T cell receptors that are autoreactive. Growth factors include thymopoietin and thymosin.

3.Immature thymocytes undergo a process of selection, based on the specificity of their T cell receptors. This involves selection of T cells that are functional (positive selection), and elimination of T cells that are autoreactive (negative selection).

Anatomy:–
The thymus is of a pinkish-gray color, soft, and lobulated on its surfaces. At birth it is about 5 cm in length, 4 cm in breadth, and about 6 mm in thickness. The organ enlarges during childhood, and atrophies at puberty. Unlike the liver, kidney and heart, for instance, the thymus is at its largest in children. The thymus reaches maximum weight (20 to 37 grams) by the time of puberty. It remains active only until puberty. Then with growing age, it starts to shrink. The thymus gland of older people is scarcely distinguishable from surrounding fatty tissue. As one ages the thymus slowly shrinks, eventually degenerating into tiny islands of fatty tissue. By the age of 75 years, the thymus gland weighs only 6 grams. In children the thymus is grayish-pink in colour and in adults it is yellow.
Presentation:-
Peak incidence of thymoma occurs in the fourth to fifth decade of life; mean age of patients is 52 years. No sexual predilection exists. Although development of a thymoma in childhood is rare, children are more likely than adults to have symptoms. Several explanations for the prevalence of symptoms in children have been proposed, including the following: (1) children are more likely to have malignancy, (2) lesions are more likely to cause symptoms by compression or invasion in the smaller thoracic cavity of a child, and (3) the most common location for mediastinal tumors in children is near the trachea, resulting in respiratory symptoms.

Four cases of patients who presented with severe chest pain secondary to infarction or hemorrhage of the tumor have been reported. Cases of invasion into the superior vena cava resulting in venous obstruction have also been reported.2  The clinician should be aware of these rare presentations of a thymoma.

The thymus will, if examined when its growth is most active, be found to consist of two lateral lobes placed in close contact along the middle line, situated partly in the thorax, partly in the neck, and extending from the fourth costal cartilage upward, as high as the lower border of the thyroid gland. It is covered by the sternum, and by the origins of the sternohyoidei and sternothyreoidei. Below, it rests upon the pericardium, being separated from the aortic arch and great vessels by a layer of fascia. In the neck, it lies on the front and sides of the trachea, behind the sternohyoidei and sternothyreoidei. The two lobes differ in size and may be united or separated

Problem:-
No clear histologic distinction between benign and malignant thymomas exists. The propensity of a thymoma to be malignant is determined by the invasiveness of the thymoma. Malignant thymomas can invade the vasculature, lymphatics, and adjacent structures within the mediastinum. The 15-year survival rate of a person with an invasive thymoma is 12.5%, and it is 47% for a person with a noninvasive thymoma. Death usually occurs from cardiac tamponade or other cardiorespiratory complications.

Frequency:-
Thymoma, the most common neoplasm of the anterior mediastinum, accounts for 20-25% of all mediastinal tumors and 50% of anterior mediastinal masses

Two primary forms of tumours originate in the thymus.

Tumours originating from the thymic epithelial cells are called thymomas, and are found in about 10-15% of patients with myasthenia gravis. Symptoms are sometimes confused with bronchitis or a strong cough because the tumor presses on the recurrent laryngeal nerve. All thymomas are potentially cancerous, but they can vary a great deal. Some grow very slowly. Others grow rapidly and can spread to surrounding tissues. Treatment of thymomas often requires surgery to remove the entire thymus. Tumours originating from the thymocytes are called thymic lymphomas.

Radiation Induced:-
People with enlarged thymus glands, particularly children, were treated with intense radiation in the years before 1950. There is an elevated incidence of thyroid cancer and leukemia in treated individuals.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resources:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/193809-overview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymus

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Green Tea is Good for Leukemia

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Mayo Clinic researchers are reporting positive results in early leukemia clinical trials using the chemical epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient in green tea. The trial determined that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia can tolerate the chemical fairly well when high doses are administered in capsule form and that lymphocyte count was reduced in one-third of participants.

“We found not only that leukemia patients tolerated the green tea extract at very high doses, but that many of them saw regression to some degree of their chronic lymphocytic leukemia,” says Tait Shanafelt, lead author of the study. “The majority of individuals who entered the study with enlarged lymph nodes saw a 50 percent or greater decline in their lymph node size.”

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.

The term “chronic” in chronic lymphocytic leukemia comes from the fact that it typically progresses more slowly than other types of leukemia. The “lymphocytic” in chronic lymphocytic leukemia comes from the cells affected by the disease, a group of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which help your body fight infection.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common subtype of leukemia in the United States. Currently it has no cure. Blood tests have enabled early diagnosis in many instances; however, treatment consists of watchful waiting until the disease progresses. Statistics show that about half of patients with early stage diseases have an aggressive form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia that leads to early death. Researchers hope that EGCG can stabilize chronic lymphocytic leukemia for early stage patients or perhaps improve the effectiveness of treatment when combined with other therapies.

The research has moved to the second phase of clinical testing in a follow-up trial, already fully enrolled, and involving roughly the same number of patients. All will receive the highest dose administered from the previous trial.

These clinical studies are the latest steps in a multiyear bench-to-bedside project that began with tests of the green tea extract on cancer cells in the laboratory of Mayo hematologist Neil Kay, M.D., a co-author on this article. After laboratory research showed dramatic effectiveness in killing leukemia cells, the findings were applied to studies on animal tissues and then on human cells in the lab.

In the first clinical trial, 33 patients received variations of eight different oral doses of Polyphenon E, a proprietary compound whose primary active ingredient is EGCG. Doses ranged from 400 milligrams (mg) to 2,000 mg administered twice a day. Researchers determined that they had not reached a maximum tolerated dose, even at 2,000 mg twice per day.

Source:Eleminets4Health

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Cytopenia

DEFINITION:

Cytopenia is a reduction in the number of blood cells. It takes a number of forms:
*Low red blood cell count: anemia.
*Low white blood cell count: leukopenia or neutropenia (because neutrophils make up at least half of all white cells, they are almost always low in leukopenia).
*Low platelet count: thrombocytopenia.
*Low granulocyte count: granulocytopenia
*Low red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelet counts: pancytopenia..

Click to see the picture

Blood cell development. A blood stem cell goes through several steps to become a red blood cell, platelet, or white blood cell.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cancer patients may frequently develop cytopenia, a disorder in which the production of one or more blood cell types ceases or is greatly reduced. Cancer and chemotherapy used to treat cancer, and sometimes radiation therapy, may sometimes cause cytopenia.

TYPES:
A deficiency of red blood cells which  is called anemia; a deficiency of white blood cells, or leukocytes, leukopenia or neutropenia (neutrophils make up over half of all white blood cells); and deficiency of platelets is called  thrombocytopenia.

Pancytopenia is the deficiency of all three blood cell types and is characteristic of aplastic anemia, a potentially life-threatening disorder that requires a stem cell transplant.

Blood Cells
The blood consists of three different  types of cells: red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets. Erythrocytes contain hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to all cells in the body. Proper cell function depends on an adequate oxygen supply. When cells are oxygen deprived, organ function can be seriously impaired.

Leukocytes (white blood cells) protect the body against viral, bacterial, and parasitic infection and detect and remove damaged, dying, or dead tissues. Someone with a deficiency of white blood cells is extremely vulnerable to infection.

The term “leukocyte” refers to all six types of white blood cells; each plays a unique role in the immune system:

1. Basophils circulate in the blood and initiate the inflammatory response.
2.Eosinophils kill infecting parasites and produce allergic reactions.
3.Lymphocytes produce antibodies and regulate immune responses.
4. Mast cells are fixed in tissues and initiate the inflammatory response.
5. Monocytes capture infecting organisms for identification, ingest infecting organisms, and remove damaged or dying cells and cell debris. When monocytes become fixed in tissue, they are called macrophages.
6.Neutrophils identify and kill infecting organisms, and remove dead tissue.

Platelets are essential factors for blood clotting. Sudden blood loss triggers platelet activity at the site of the wound. Exposure to oxygen in the air causes platelets to break apart and combine with a substance called fibrinogen to form fibrin. Fibrin has a thread-like structure and forms a scab, or external clot, as it dries. Platelet deficiency causes one to bruise and bleed easily. Blood does not clot at an open wound, and there is greater risk for internal bleeding.

All blood cells have a lifespan: erythrocytes have a lifespan of about 120 days; leukocytes, 1 to 3 days; and platelets, approximately 10 days. The body continually replenishes the blood supply through a process called hematopoiesis.

Blood Cell Formation—Hematopoiesis, the formation and development of blood cells, occurs in bone marrow. Bone marrow is a nutrient-rich spongy tissue located mainly in the central portions of long flat bones (e.g., sternum, pelvic bones) in adults and all bones in infants.

All blood cells derive from blood-forming stem cells that reside in bone marrow. Stem cells replicate indefinitely and develop into mature, specialized cells. A hormone produced in the kidneys, erythropoietin, stimulates blood stem cells to produce all three types of blood cells.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS:-

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy both reduce the number of blood-forming stem cells in cancer patients, but chemotherapeutic agents have a greater adverse effect because they suppress bone marrow function in several ways.The degree of damage is related to the particular drug(s) and the dose.

Chemotherapeutic agents can produce deficiencies in all blood cell types by

* damaging blood-forming stem cells,
* suppressing the kidneys? production of erythropoietin (hormone that stimulates blood cell production), and
* triggering red cell destruction (hemolysis) by inducing an immune response that causes the body to mistakenly identify erythrocytes as foreign bodies and destroy them.

Malignant tumors can cause anemia and other cytopenias when they directly invade bone marrow and suppress marrow function. Malignant cells also can migrate from tumors in other parts of the body to bone marrow. Tumors also can replace normal blood-forming stem cells with abnormal clones.

SIGN & SYMPTOMS:-

Anemia
A deficiency in erythrocytes reduces the amount of oxygen reaching all cells in the body, thus impairing all tissue and organ function. Severe fatigue is the most common symptom of anemia and is experienced by approximately 75% of chemotherapy patients. Patients find it more disabling than other treatment side effects, including nausea and depression.

Anemia also produces these symptoms:

* Confusion
* Dizziness
* Headache
* Lightheadedness
* Loss of concentration
* Pallor (pale skin, nail beds, gums, linings of eyelids)
* Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
* Shortness of breath (dyspnea)

Neutropenia
Patients with a white blood cell deficiency experience frequent and/or severe bacterial, viral, and/or fungal infections; fever; and mouth and throat ulcers.

Complications—Bacteremia, the form of sepsis characterized by the presence of bacteria in the blood, can develop in immunocompromised patients who have neutropenia. Fever, rapid heart rate, and quick shallow breathing are signs of early sepsis, usually a reversible condition.

Untreated bacteremia can lead to severe sepsis, in which one or more organs become dysfunctional. Septic shock is severe sepsis with low blood pressure. The risk for death increases with the development of septic shock. Even aggressive treatment can fail to reverse the condition.

Thrombocytopenia
Platelet deficiency causes patients to bruise and bleed easily. Bleeding occurs most often in the mucous membranes lining the mouth, nose, colon, and vagina. Tiny reddish-purple skin lesions (petechiae), evidence of pinpoint hemorrhages, may appear on the skin or in the mouth.

Pancytopenia
Patients who are deficient in all blood cell types experience signs and symptoms associated with each, but bleeding from the nose and gums, and easy bruising usually appear first. Symptoms of anemia (e.g., fatigue, shortness of breath) are also common. Patients may look and feel well, otherwise, despite the seriousness of their condition.

Anemia
People with anemia (reduced red cell production) are advised to rest and eat foods high in iron (meat, fish, poultry, lentils, legumes, iron-enriched grains and flours).

If immediate remedy is necessary, treatment may include medication that helps restore the red blood supply and a transfusion of packed red blood cells.

Epoetin alpha (Epogen®, Procrit®)is a synthetic erythropoietin (normally produced by the kidneys) that stimulates stem cells to produce red blood cells. Restoration of the red blood cell supply with medication is gradual.

Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp®) also stimulates red blood cell production but requires fewer doses and less disruption of daily living.

In March 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about these medications in response to studies indicating that they may increase the risk for blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks in some patients (e.g., patients who have kidney disease).

Thrombocytopenia
People with an abnormally low platelet count should avoid bruising or breaking the skin, and should carefully brush their teeth. A persistently decreased platelet count may be treated with a transfusion of platelets.

Neutropenia
The patient with a low white blood cell count is advised to  do the following:

*Avoid contact with people who are ill,
*Monitor closely for signs of infection (e.g., fever), and
*Take antibiotics when appropriate.

Medication, a colony-stimulating factor (CSF), may be prescribed to speed the development of white blood cells and shorten the period of susceptibility to infection.

Growth Factors
Growth factors are synthetic versions of substances involved in stimulating red and white blood cell production. Physicians exercise caution when prescribing these medications for people with tumors that involve the bone marrow, because growth factors might stimulate malignant cell growth.

These medications include the following:

Epoetin alpha (Procrit®, Epogen®; stimulates red blood cell production)
G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; e.g., filgrastim [Neupogen®]; stimulates neutrophil production)
GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; stimulates production of several white blood cells, including macrophages)

Leukocytes and other cells that contain granules are also called granulocytes.

Side effects
Fever, fatigue, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and paresthesia (prickling sensation) are side effects associated with epoetin alpha.

Bone pain, malaise, headache, flu-like symptoms, muscle ache, redness at the injection site, and skin rash may occur with GM-CSF.

G-CSF commonly produces bone pain.

MEDICATIONS:-

Medications used to treat bacterial infection and other illnesses also can contribute to immune system suppression.

Some of these are :

* Antacids: cimetidine (Tagamet®)
* Antibiotics: chloramphenical (Chloromycetin®), sulfonamide (Thiosulfil®, Gantanol®); cephalosporin (Cephalaxin®), vancomycin (Vancocin®)
* Anticonvulsants: phenytoin/hydantoin (Dilantin®), felbamate (Felbatol®), carbamazepine (Tegretol®)
* Antimalarials: chloroquine (Aralin®)
* Antivirals: ganciclovir (Vitrasert®), zidovudine (AZT®)
* Cardiac drugs: diltiazem (Cardizem®), nifedipine (Procardia®), verapamil (Calan®)
* Diabetes drugs: glipizide (Glucotrol®), glyburide (Micronase®)
* Hyperthyroid drug: propylthiouracil
* NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs): phenylbutazone (Butazolidine®), indomethacin (Indocin®, Indochron E-R®)—Due to potentially severe gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects, NSAIDs should only be used as instructed.
* Rheumatoid arthritis drugs: auranofin (Ridaura®), aurothioglucose (Solganal®), gold sodium thiomalate (Myochrisine®)

Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation:-
The treatment of choice for the pancytopenic patient with a matched bone marrow donor is stem cell transplantation. The goal of transplantation is to restore blood-forming stem cells to the marrow.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resources:
http://www.oncologychannel.com/cytopenia/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytopenia
http://www.cancer.umn.edu/cancerinfo/NCI/CDR378089.html

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Herbs & Plants

Pushkaramul (lnula racemosa)

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Botanical Name :lnula racemosa
Family:    Asteraceae
Genus:    Inula
Species:I. racemosa
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:    Asterales
Family Name: Asteraceae
Hindi Name: – puskarmul
Sanskrit Names:
Padma patra– As its leaves are like lotus petals
Kashmira– As it generally grows in Kashmira area
Kushthabheda– As its characteristics and actions are like Kushtha(Saussurea lappa)

Part Used : Stem, Root

Click to see the picture.
Habitat : It grows in the hilly regions in the northwestern himalayas.
Description:
Inula are members of the daisy family, seldom seen in gardens. This selection forms an imposing clump of coarse green leaves, best sited towards the back of a sunny border. Large, shaggy yellow daisies are produced in mid to late summer. Excellent for cutting. Nice at the waterside or in the meadow garden where it can act as a specimen plant. Combines especially well with late summer blooming ornamental grasses. Seed heads may be useful for dried arrangements.

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plant low growing groundcovers in front to allow the entire plant to be seen. The basal leaves are 1 m (40″) long by 20-25 cm (8-10″) wide. The flowers are 2 m (6’6″) tall.
All Panicums will complement this plant as well as Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’

Flowers: 200-250 cm (6-7′); bright yellow daisy-like flowers that are clustered along the stalk; blooms July through September; dries to a shiny bronze colour in early winter

Medicinal uses:
Antianginal, digestant, appetizer, vasodilator, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. In ayurvedic practice, it is mainly used as an expectorant and bronchodilator. It has been used in the treatment of tuberculosis and topically in the treatment of skin diseases.

The rhizome is sweet, bitter and acrid in taste with a neutral potency and act as antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and mild diuretic. It is used in the treatment of contagious fevers, anginapectoris, heart disease and ischemic heart disease. It is also used in cough, hiccup, bronchial asthma, indigestion, flatulence, inanorexia and in fever. Externally, the paste of its roots is used effectively, in dressing the wounds and ulcers as the herb possesses antiseptic property. Also used to boost the appetite.

Home remedies:
1.Its paste should be applied on the chest to reduse chest pain.
2.In dyspnoea with cough, 1 gm root powder of Pushkarmula should be taken with honey.
3.Daily intake of pushkarmula provides you a healthy heart

Inula racemosa root powder was investigated in patients with proven ischaemic heart disease. The powder prevented ST-segment depression and T-wave inversion as observed in the post-exercise electrocardiogram. This indicates that one of the constituents of Inula racemosa may have adrenergic beta-blocking activity.
Inula racemosa exhibites antiperoxidative, hypoglycaemic and cortisol lowering activities, it is suggested that its extracts may potentially regulate diabetes mellitus.
Inula racemosa possesses potent antiallergic properties.
The herb Inula racemosa was shown to help lower the stress hormone, cortisol, which in turn leads lower blood sugar levels.

Useful part: Roots

Doses:
2-4gm

Some Useful combinations of Pushkara moola:
Pushkaradi choorna; Pushkar guggulu

Effect on Tridosha (Three bio humors):
Pushkara mool pacifies Vata and Kapha bio homors i.e. it is useful in management of diseases with Kapha/ Vata origin or both.

Actions according to Ayurveda:
Kasa-shwashara- Pushkarmool is useful in cough and respiratory discomfort
Hikka nigrahana- Pushkarmool alleviates hicough
Parshwa shoola hara- Pushkarmool helps in pain in thorax region
Shophaghna- Pushkarmool is useful in all edematous conditions
Pandunashanam- Pushkarmool is useful in Anemia and its complications
Ardit vinashanam- Pushkarmool is useful in conditions involving nervous system specially the facial paralysis
Hrich chhulaghna- Pushkarmool alleviates pain in heart region

Parts used: roots

Properties and uses:
The roots are bitter, acrid, thennogenic, aromatic, stimulant, antiseptic, deodorant, anodyne, antiinflammatory, digestive, canninative, stomachic, cardiotonic, expectorant, bronchodilator, diuretic, uterine stimulant, aphrodisiac, sudorific, emmenagogue, resolvent, febrifuge and tonic.

They are useful in vitiated conditions of kapha and vata, foul ulcers and wounds, hemicrania, cardiodynia, hepatalgia, splenalgia, arthralgia, inflammations, anorexia, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, cardiac debility, hiccough, cough, cardiac and bronchial asthma, bronchitis, strangury, nephropathy, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, skin diseases, cerebropathy, pneumonosis, emaciation, anaemia, fever and general debility.

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.

Resources:

http://www.chakrapaniayurveda.com/pushkarmool.html
http://www.ayurvedicdietsolutions.com/Pushkarmool.php

http://www.ayurvedakalamandiram.com/herbs.htm#pashanabheda

http://www.perennials.com/seeplant.html?item=1.293.150
http://www.esveld.nl/htmldiaen/i/inrson.htm
http://www.motherherbs.com/inula-racemosa.html

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