A horde of diseases brought about by our own lifestyle is on the rise and threatening the arena of health. These include heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol as well as liver diseases. A certain degree of discipline in the lifestyle is desired to prevent these diseases which are extremely difficult to cure if afflicted with. Exercise and natural food habits play an invaluable role here. Along with that some special medicines that can be used as ottamooli (single ingredient) cure have a prominent part here.
When the efficiency of some vital organs within our body gets adversely affected due to our day to day habits they undergo some changes that could lead them to diseases. For the same reason the disease can be prevented through natural medicines that help to maintain the efficiency of the said organs. These can be used in the initial stage of disease also as a primary form of treatment.
Excess cholesterol and liver diseases are caused mainly by the malfunctioning of the liver. Diabetes is caused by the weakening of the pancreas. Kidneys too have a role in this. If the malfunctioning of heart and blood vessels causes heart diseases and high blood pressure the stomach has a primary role as well. The goal of ottamooli is to energize these parts.
Ottamooli is never a comprehensive treatment. Often they are used to temporarily address the disease symptoms. Here it is used to strengthen the bodily functions.
How does ottamooli become effective?
Modern researchers opine that ottamoolis are effective mainly due to the presence of natural steroids in them. For example, the substance called Allicin present in garlic has been found to be capable of dissolving protein.
Cheating is widespread in this age of advertisement revolutions in the health field. Ottamooli treatment is not a magical trick, but just popular know how from the olden days. This has relevance as a first aid and as disease preventing medicine.
Ottamooli is not a comprehensive treatment method. They are effective in some people may not yield fruits in others.
Even if one medicine is used its dosage and duration of use will be decided by the physician after examining the patient and considering his situation and severity of disease. Therefore, it is better to advise their further use only through a doctor’s prescription.
Reducing cholesterol levels
Cholesterol has become a monster feared the most by people today. Cholesterol is not that dangerous. But if metabolism is not happening properly due to liver disorders, cholesterol depositing as waste will lead to other diseases. This could lead to blocks in the heart and blood vessels. Ottamoolis that are made a habit in order to prevent cholesterol becoming dangerous have been found to work wonders in many people.
1. Curry leaf and garlic
A few curry leaves, garlic and ginger ground together and boiled in a glass of buttermilk once in a while is good for cholesterol metabolism. People with excess cholesterol can practice this daily.
2. Horse gram gravy and coriander water
Cook horse gram water closely and abstract its gravy. Taking a glass of this daily for one month continuously and regularly having water boiled with ginger and coriander to quench thirst are habits that help reduce cholesterol.
3. Neem leaf everyday
Rinsing five neem leaves every morning and consuming them on an empty stomach is good.
Care for the heart
The heart is an important organ that is continuously functioning even when we are asleep. The unhealthy tendencies in the modern lifestyle have adverse effect on the heart. Lack of exercise, digestion disorders and mental stresses are the enemies of the heart. They weaken heart muscles and blood vessels and gradually disease the heart such that it can stop working any moment. Regular exercise, proper food habits and stress-free mind are the security guards of the heart. Some natural medicines along with these will also help.
1. Neermaruthu (Terminalia arjuna) herbal drink
This ottamooli is an effective medicine for the heart mentioned even in the Vedic texts. This is used for heart disease treatment in dried and ground form and as decoction even today. An easy way to make this a habit is using it for drinking water purposes. Peel the skin of neermaruthu, clean it, dry it and keep it cut in small pieces. Add a few into the water boiled for drinking every day. Use this water for drinking purposes. This will be an asset for cardiac health care. People stricken with any heart disease can also use this along with other medicines.
2. Garlic milk decoction
Garlic is an ottamooli excellent for use as milk decoction. Take ten peeled garlic, crush them and add quarter glass milk and one glass water and boil to make quarter glass. Drinking this every morning in empty stomach will prevent unnecessary fat deposits in the heart and smoothen the functioning of the heart. Disease-free people can have it two or three days a week in rainy season and cold season.
3. Chittamrithu (Tinospora Cordifolia) juice and gooseberry
Having 10 ml juice of rinsed and crushed skinless chittamrithu stem and leaf on an empty stomach every morning will maintain the efficient working of glands. Practising this at least once a week will help ward off diabetes.
Wash a handful of raw turmeric well and crush it. Boil it in two litres of water and make it one litre. Keep cleaned gooseberries in it. Have one of these daily to prevent diabetes.
4. Sprouted fenugreek
Rinse two handfuls of fenugreek. Keep it soaked for some time. Sieve it and keep tied in a cloth. Next day heat the sprouted fenugreek and have it mixed with coconut.
Keezharnelli (phyllanthus) for liver diseases
Liver is one of the most important organs of the human body. As an organ that totally controls the metabolism of the body it is essential to take care of the liver for the health and longevity. However the spate of liver diseases seen in our midst in recent times is a reflection of our changing lifestyle and careless attitude to health.
According to Ayurveda liver diseases are caused by a weakening of the liver cells which are the source of bile and blood. For the same reason food and lifestyles that energize these cells are ideal for checking liver diseases. Some ottamooli methods are also effective.
Ottamooli for blood purification
These are effective in cure of many disease conditions through the purification of blood in the liver. Even if there are no visible disease symptoms, those who show abnormalities in liver function test can make use of these ottamoolis.
1. Keezharnelli with root
Keezharnelli is an ottamooli used since olden days as an effective cure for jaundice. The method is to take this plant along with its root, rinse well, grind and roll to a gooseberry shape, mix with diluted milk and take in empty stomach in the morning. They have a special property of healing liver cells.
2. Katukurohini (Picrorhiza kurroa) on empty stomach
If the liver cells are strained due to infection, poisoning, etc, katukurohini is a good ottamooli to remove that and restore the liver to its original state of health. Have 5 g katukurohini choornam boiled in quarter glass water in empty stomach in the morning. This can be taken with honey too. The treatment need to last for one week.
3. Chittamrithu (Tinospora cordifolia) for swelling
The best remedy for swellings in the liver is chittamrithu. After accurate diagnosis rinse and crush the stem and leaf of skin-peeled chittamrithu and have decoction made out of it. This has been found to work wonders in many people.
4. Muringa ila (drumstick leaf) to reduce BP
According to statistics in Kerala at least 30 in 100 people have high blood pressure.
Unhealthy lifestyle, constant mental stresses and hereditary reasons contribute to the incidence of high blood pressure. Although they increase BP through different means, generally bringing down the elasticity of blood vessels and increasing cardiac pressure are two important changes. There are some ottamoolis to solve this.
a. Muringa ila thoran
The leaf of the drumstick plant has been found to have a special BP reducing property. Cook a simple muringa ila thoran and have regularly.
b. Koovalam (bael fruit) leaf juice in empty stomach
Have the juice crushed out of a handful of koovalam leaf every morning for a month. Also observe pathyam (dietary control) by abstaining from non-vegetarian food during this period. It will yield good results.
c. Raw gooseberry juice and honey
Keep two spoons of raw gooseberry juice stirred with one spoon of honey. Add a little turmeric powder and take a teaspoon each thrice before food continuously for two months. This can be done side by side other treatment too.
Information courtesy:
Dr. P.M. Madhu, Asst Professor, Department of Roganidana, Govt Ayurveda College, Pariyaram, Kannur.
Dr. B. Harikumar, Medical Superintendent, N.S.S. Ayurveda Hospital, Vallamkulam, Thiruvalla.