Medicinal Uses of 'Touch Me Not' Plant |
The ‘Sensitive Plant’ (Touch-me-not) ‘thotta chinungi’ in Tamil and ‘thotta vaadi’ in Malayalam has been the subject of extensive studies over the recent years for its medicinal properties.
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Medicinal Uses of 'Touch Me Not' Plant |
Coriander seeds and leaves have been used as home remedies to cure various ailments from time immemorial. Known as cilantro in
Coriander leaves when digested turn sweet and alleviate irritations in the intestines. They stimulate appetite and help in easy digestion too. They have magnesium, potassium and fiber in plenty. So regular consumption boosts immunity and purifies blood. They stimulate insulin production and hence help prevent diabetes.
Just as mint leaves, coriander leaves too help in dealing with headaches. A paste made of coriander leaves is smeared on the forehead and temples for a quick relief from headaches. This should be followed by thorough rest. Coriander leaves also cure mouth ulcers. For this a handful of coriander leaves are ground to a not so fine paste and then masticated thoroughly for a few minutes. This is done two to three times a day for a few days. This is a time tested home remedy for mouth ulcers.
People suffering from pitta aggravation due to excessive consumption of tea or coffee have an excellent remedy in coriander to pacify the aggravated pitta. It also helps in breaking the addiction to coffee and tea. It is an excellent alternative to tea and coffee. A handful of coriander seeds are fried and then powdered to a nice consistency. A spoonful of this powder is then added to a glass of milk with sugar and then taken instead of tea or coffee. Regular consumption can help break addiction to tea and coffee.
Half a teaspoon of coriander seed powder (prepared as mentioned above), a pinch of sandalwood powder, and four or five dried gooseberry pieces are added to a glass of water, boiled and reduced to half a glass. This is then taken at lukewarm temperature. This kashayam is a time tested home remedy for aggravated pitta due to excessive consumption of tea and coffee.
For relief from menstrual pain, women can take around twenty five thoroughly cleaned coriander seeds and boil them in a glass of water. This is reduced to half and allowed to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Sugar can be added as needed. This kashayam helps in relieving menstrual pain.
For painful urination in summer, coriander seeds offer an excellent cure. A teaspoon full of coriander seeds is added to four glasses of water, boiled and then allowed to cool to room temperature. Taking this water throughout the summer often will help in combating the summer heat as well as painful urination. This also keeps one fresh all through the day.
Coriander leaves are found to be effective in alleviating digestive problems. The leaves are washed thoroughly, ground to a paste and then pressed to obtain a tablespoon of juice. One teaspoon of cumin seeds are powdered thoroughly. Both are added to a glass of water along with a pinch of salt. This is an excellent home remedy for indigestion. This is found to cure indigestion as well as induce appetite within minutes.
Mint has been used as an herbal remedy for ages all over the world for treating various ailments ranging from halitosis (bad breath), headache, indigestion, to toothache and more. It induces appetite and cures bloated stomach. It contains menthol and is used in aromatherapy for its essential oils. According to Wikipedia there are 13 to 18 varieties of mentha or mint found all over the world. This is an invasive herb that can grow and spread very rapidly. It grows to a height of 30 to 100 cm. Both fresh and dried mints are used in preparing herbal remedies.
People suffering from phlegm in chest, bronchial infections etc can turn to mint leaves for strengthening their lungs. Once cured of these problems, they should strengthen the lungs to prevent recurrence of infections. This can be done by taking a spoonful of juice obtained from mint leaves along with carrot juice and honey of same quantity. For best results this mixture should be taken in the mornings on empty stomach. This is found to strengthen the lungs.
Mint is an excellent remedy for pitta aggravation. Some of the symptoms of excessive pitha are nausea in the mornings, headache, vomiting of bile etc. For those suffering from excess pitha one time tested remedy is to take a spoon of mint juice, one half lemon juice, and one spoon of honey and mix them together. This mixture is then taken for a few days to pacify the aggravated pitta.
Mint is also useful in treating halitosis. For this dried mint leaves are used. Thoroughly dried mint leaves are ground to a fine powder and this powder is used in cleaning the teeth. Regular application is found to be effective in curing halitosis. This also strengthens the gums and roots of the teeth.
Some are prone to nausea while travelling on a bus or car etc. This is a very embarrassing social problem which can cause undue stress in these individuals. Mint is a handy remedy for this annoying condition. You need to take a handful of fresh mint leaves and curry leaves and sauté them in sesame oil. Add a little bit of tamarind and fried Black gram to these leaves and grind them to fine paste adding water as needed. This paste known as thuvaiyal in Tamil is taken before travel. This is a general remedy for nausea and vomiting.
Mint is rich in protein, vitamin A and C etc. Water content in this herb makes it an excellent remedy for urinary retention. It is used to treat urinary tract problems. Mint is also a time-tested remedy for headaches due to stress and heat. A paste made from fresh mint leaves is smeared on the forehead and temples for a quick relief from these types of headaches. This paste is also very effective in removing dark circles under the eyes. For this purpose the paste can be applied as a thin layer in the affected area before going to bed. This is then cleaned with cold water the next day morning. Regular application for a week or two will help get back the lost complexion in these areas.