Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Home Remedies for Women - Summary

Most of the gender specific diseases that affect women revolve around menstruation, childbirth and post menopausal complications. Some problems that women face include irregular menstruation, white discharge, vaginal itch, delayed puberty, excessive discharge etc.

Due to the oppressive nature of the male dominated society, almost all women are faced with self-esteem issues. Those who feel bad being born as women are prone to various illnesses and psycho-somatic disorders. Conversely, women with good self-esteem can lead a healthy life. A lucky few are born in a nurturing environment while the rest have to deal with various issues before restoring their self-esteem.

Some problems with menstruation include painful menstruation, scanty or excessive menstruation, and irregular menstruation. Juice of drumstick leaves is helpful in treating painful menstruation. One cure for excessive menstrual bleed is arugampul (Bermuda grass) juice. Powder of mango seeds is another remedy. Powder of Java plum seeds is yet another remedy for this condition.

One disturbing trend observed these days is girls attaining puberty prematurely (before age 10). You need to seek immediate medical intervention if you find your near and dear ones with this condition. Left untreated, this can impair the functioning of internal organs especially the heart.

While abortion is resorted to by couples for various reasons, frequent abortions weaken the womb. This will impair the capacity of the womb to bear child. It may even lead to hysterectomy (removal of womb). One safe way to avoid pregnancy is for women to take a few tulsi leaves in the mornings.

Nausea and vomiting is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. While in most cases, this tapers off with time, in some cases it persists for quite a long time. Lemon juice with a pinch of salt is helpful in treating this condition. Ginger tea is also found to be effective in tackling this problem.

Women need to do some mild exercises during pregnancy to help with easy child delivery. They should not put on weight during this period. After childbirth, taking neem leaves with turmeric is said to heal all internal wounds and help in recuperation. Mutton curry with garlic, pepper and cumin seeds is an excellent rejuvenator. Kurunthotti paal kashayam is a vegetarian alternative for this.

Breast milk is the best food and medicine for the newborn. It would do a world of good for the child if it is fed on breast milk alone for the first four to six months. For adequate of supply of breast milk, women can add drumstick leaves, tender papaya to their diet. Fried sesame seeds also help in improving lactation. Applying a paste of cucumber seeds on the breasts is also beneficial.

Female infertility increases with age. A woman can be infertile due to genetic reasons. Incomplete or improper development of internal sex organs is another cause. Triphala choornam is said to be effective in such cases.

In general, women’s diet should contain adequate amount of fruits and vegetables. Proper rest and some basic physical exercises are necessary. Meditation and a spiritual outlook to life will help in managing the stresses of daily life. Above all, positive self-esteem is the foundation on which a healthy mind and body can be built to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Home Remedies for Women - 6

Menstrual problems occur due to various reasons. One of the main reasons for menstrual disorders is stress, both stress in the household as well as workplace. Anemia, tuberculosis, tapeworms, venereal diseases etc also can lead to menstrual disorders. Before starting any treatment regimen, the root cause behind the menstrual disorder should be identified. This can help in effective treatment of the condition.

Women experience pain in lower abdomen, lower back, and hip regions during menstruation. In addition, some women suffer from headache, stomach ache, pain in hands and legs, back pain and neck pain. Women who undergo pain should increase the quantity of onions, milk, honey, buttermilk, dates in their diet. They should remain active. Inhaling fresh air will help bring down pain.

Women who experience pain in ribs and back, pressure on stomach etc can take raisins and grapes during their periods. A handful of chembaruthi (hibiscus) flower and arugmapul (Bermuda grass) is taken and ground to a fine paste. This is taken with butter. Another alternative is to take 10 hibiscus flowers and ground to fine paste and added to a glass of milk. Taking this on empty stomach during periods is found to be helpful in alleviating pains in the extremities.

Hibiscus flower, rose flower, aavaram poo (Tanner’s Cassia) are taken in equal quantity and boiled in water and reduced to half. This decoction is taken, a spoonful three to four times a day with milk. Dietary restrictions include foods containing, salt and chilli.

Barks of banyan tree, athi (common fig) tree, and naaval (Java plum) tree are dried and ground to a fine powder. The powder is mixed with mondhan plantain (kadhali vazhai) for a night. The resultant liquid is filtered out the next day morning. This is also called as kadhali aasavam. Taking this liquid helps in controlling excessive menstruation.

Maasikkai (Aleppo Oak) is fried to brownish color and ground to a fine powder. A pinch of this powder is taken with honey. This is found to help with excessive menstrual discharge.

Fully dried white arugampul (Bermuda grass) and pepper are powdered and taken with goat milk. This should be done before food in the mornings. This is said to arrest excessive flow. Kernel from the seed of fully ripe mango is a very good remedy. This is dried in shade and ground to a fine powder. This powder is taken with honey.

Women who turn anemic due to this condition can regain their health by taking juice of fresh Bermuda grass (arugampul) before food in the mornings.

One of my earlier posts mentions the importance of adding Black gram and sesame to the diet to deal with most of the menstrual disorders. Dishes made of black gram and sesame can be taken both as a delicacy as well as medicine. Regular and judicious intake of these grains will help in overcoming most of these painful conditions.

Decoction of Asoka tree bark is yet another remedy. Asokarishtam is a boon for all menstrual disorders.

Meditation, prayer, etc will help in dealing with the stresses of day to day life. A genuine spiritual approach to life offers strength and solace to the much stressed women of this century.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Lifestyle Changes and Menopause

Women in their late 40s and early 50s face a lot of physical and psychological disturbances during cessation of their menstrual process. Some physical symptoms include hot flashes, sudden onset of sweating, sensation of heat throughout the body etc. Coupled with this is the risk of postmenopausal weight gain.

To tackle this condition and to effect a smooth transition to the postmenopausal stage Ayurveda suggests some lifestyle changes. Ayurveda regards menopause as imbalance of doshas. Its recommendations include consumption of fresh fruits and leafy vegetables and reduction of intake of hot and sour foods. An exercise regimen consisting of brisk walking in open space for 30 minutes is recommended. Meditation and prayer can help to calm the mind and provide the much needed psychological support.

To neutralize the hormonal imbalance, chandraprabha gulika is taken three times every day after food both morning and night. This preparation is available in two forms, the conventional small peppercorn sized balls and the modern tablets. In case of tablets, two of them can be taken. The conventional balls should be taken after soaking them in a few drops of milk and squishing them to a paste. To complement this, Chandanaasavam and usirasaavam are mixed together and 50 ml of this combination is taken after food both in the mornings and evenings. Application of pinda thailam once or twice a week can take care of body aches and hot flashes. Women who are in the throes of menopause can follow this regimen, even if they do not experience the symptoms mentioned above.

Observation of some dietary restrictions helps in preventing weight gain in postmenopausal women. Intake of sugar, carbohydrate and milk should be reduced to the minimum. Daytime nap is a strict no, no. The importance of consumption of fruits and leafy vegetables cannot be stressed enough. Adequate water intake is also necessary in flushing out waste products from the body.

Some of the ayurveda preparations that can help women facing menopause are asokarishtam, triphala choornam, satavari lehyam, balarishtam etc. These are some of the safer alternatives to the risky hormone replacement therapy recommended to menopausal women by the conventional system.

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Ayurvedic way to tackle menopause

As of July 2003, around 10 million women in the U.S. were taking some form of hormone therapy.

Hormone therapy for treatment of post-menopausal symptoms came under a cloud when a U.S. study linked it to increased risks of stroke, clotting of blood vessels and cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration cautioned post-menopausal women to weigh benefits and risks of hormone therapy before choosing treatment. The FDA also advised healthcare providers to use the lowest dose of hormones for the shortest possible duration.

There may be conflicting signals on hormone therapy for post-menopausal symptoms, but Ayurveda has a time tested approach to the problem.

Ayurveda regards menopausal symptoms as imbalances of `doshas' (`pitha', `vata' and `kapha'), which occur as a consequence of ageing.

Menopause should be a smooth experience for every woman where it should be regarded as just cessation of the menstrual flow.

Ayurveda has excellent solutions for a safe and happy menopause. There are several preparations that can be taken by women who are nearing the age of menopause and remain symptom-free.

Ayurvedic treatment involves correcting the imbalance by making use of a diet rich in phyto oestrogens and medications and internal detoxification.

These drugs are called Rasayanas (rejuvenators) that act on the whole body, especially the brain cells and uterus (garbhashaya utthejaka-uterine rejuvenators).

Asokarishtam, Balarishtam, Chandanasavam, Shankha bhasma (a natural calcium supplement), Satavari lehyam, Ashwagandha rasayanam, Brahmi ghritam(ghee), Triphala choornam can be taken according to the `prakriti' (body constitution).

A competent Ayurveda physician can help you select the appropriate remedies based on your constitution.


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