Vyoshadi kashayam is an Ayurvedic medicine for treating anaemia. It also helps to treat oedema, fever and hepatic disorders.
Benefits of Vyoshadi kashayam
Vyoshadi kashayam is an exclusive combination by Keraleeya vaidyas as a Takrakalpana. It is advised to make with buttermilk and is used for anaemia.
It is used in acute and chronic swelling especially associated with anaemia. It is effective both in localised and whole body swelling.
It is found useful in treating recurrent and chronic fever with respiratory infection.
It is beneficial in chronic and productive cough. It is also used in respiratory diseases with immense breathing difficulty.
As it has an effect in proper management of water retention and electrolyte balancing in the body, it is used in many cases of hepatic and renal disorders.
It helps to relieve abdominal pain and other discomforts due to anaemia.
Indications of Vyoshadi kashayam
Pandu – Anaemia
Ingredients of Vyoshadi kashayam
Vyosha/Thrikaru
It is a group of three drugs namely,
Trikatu Churna is helpful in following health conditions.[36]
• Constipation with mucous or sticky stool.
• Loss of appetite.
• Indigestion.
• Gas or flatulence.
• Bloating.
• Abdominal distension.
• Irritable bowel syndrome.
• Common cold (acute phase during running nose).
• Cough with thin white phlegm.
• Asthma (chest congestion due to phlegm).
• Weight loss (obesity).
• Body aches with feeling of heaviness in the body.
• High cholesterol levels.
• Atherosclerosis.
• High blood pressure due to hypercholesterolemia
Dried ginger | Sunthi | Zingiber officinalis |
It is unctuous and hot in potency with pungent taste but becomes sweet after digestion. It is an aphrodisiac and balances Vata and Kapha.
It improves ability to taste and promotes digestion. Relieves cough cold and other respiratory problems. It is not a laxative, rather causes constipation.
Black pepper | Maricha | Piper nigrum L. |
Black Pepper is extremely useful for respiratory disorders and asthma. In conditions like hoarse voice, dental caries, in removing bad breadth (halitosis), the gargling of Black Pepper Powder along with salt and warm water may be used. Black pepper is also used in case of Heavy diets as it aids digestion. Black pepper is also used in the weakness and loosening of the anal sphincter especially in case of piles. For Headache and migraine, nasal drops of Black pepper powder prepared in milk is used. It helps to remove the chronic headache. The same preparation can also be used as local application on fore head in the form of paste. Black pepper reduces itching and discharge through the lesions when used in the form of local application on skin disorders.
Long pepper | Pippali | Piper longum |
It has carminative action and maybe used as appetizer. The fruit and root of Pippali are used in the form of powder to treat fever, diarrhoea, piles, cough, hiccough, asthma, hoarseness of voice, flatulence, colic, vomiting, acid gastritis, oedema, diseases of mouth, eye diseases, diseases of semen, diseases of women, jaundice, and earache.
Pippali mixed with honey alleviates cough, dyspnoea, fever splenomegaly, and hiccough.
Trikatu Churna is helpful in following health conditions.
• Constipation with mucous or sticky stool.
• Loss of appetite.
• Indigestion.
• Gas or flatulence.
• Bloating.
• Abdominal distension.
• Common cold (acute phase during running nose).
• Cough with white phlegm.
• Asthma (chest congestion due to phlegm).
• Obesity
• Body aches with feeling of heaviness in the body.
• High cholesterol levels.
• Atherosclerosis.
• High blood pressure due to hypercholesterolemia
Here in this combination, vyosha and ajamoda improve Digestive fire and act as a vehicle for bioavailability of nutrients and medicine.
Ajwain | Ajamoja/Deepyaka/ Yavaanika | Trachyspermum ammi (L.) SPRAGUE |
The seeds of this plant are used in the form of powder to treat worms. It acts as an appetiser, carminative and aids digestion. It is also beneficial in treatment of colic.
Spreading hogweed | Punarnava | Boerhavia diffusa |
The name Punarnava means it has the capability to repair and regenerate itself. It does the same function in our body also. It is an important anti-inflammatory medicinal herb well known for its diuretic and antioedematous properties. Here it works as a diuretic, by balancing the water retention at the same time helping to reduce oedema in the visceral organs being beneficial in ascites, splenomegaly etc. It can eliminate the unwanted fluid collected in tissues and reduce swelling and thereby reverse inflammation.
Sugarcane | Ikshu | Saccarum officinarum |
It is sweet in taste and cold in potency. It cures burning sensation associated with urinary tract infection. It is a diuretic and increases the quantity of urine. It gives energy and strength. It increases the blood glucose levels fast.
Thin sheets of Iron
Chebulic myrobalan | Pathya | Terminalia chebula RETZ. & WILLD. |
It is one of the main drugs in Ayurveda, one of the Rasayana and a member of an important group, Triphala. It is used in a wide variety of diseases as it possesses anti-bacterial anti-fungal anti-viral anti-diabetic anti-mutagenic anti-oxidant anti-ulcer and wound-healing properties. It acts well in opening the closed channels.
Country mallow | Bala | Sida cordifolia Linn. |
It is anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, contraceptive and anti-fungal activity. It is a tonic for strengthening nerves and muscles in various neuro motor diseases.
Tamarind | Vrukshamla | Tamarindus indica L. |
It is used traditionally in abdominal pain, diarrhea and dysentery, helminthes infections, wound healing, malaria and fever, constipation, inflammation, cell cytotoxicity, gonorrhea, and eye diseases. It has numerous chemical values and is rich in phytochemicals, and hence the plant is reported to possess antidiabetic activity, antimicrobial activity, antivenomic activity, antioxidant activity, antimalarial activity, hepatoprotective activity, antiasthmatic activity, laxative activity, and anti-hyperlipidemic activity.
Puranakittabhasma – Madoorabhasma
Lemon | Jambeera | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F. |
It is used as a part of widely. It acts as an appetiser, and taste enhancer. Being a rich soure of Vitamin C and anti-oxidants, Lemon plays a viatal role in proper nourishment, especially in the absorption of non-haem iron and thereby relieving anaemia. Recently scientifically proven therapeutic activities of C. limon include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-fungal, and antiparasitic activities.
Turmeric | Nisa | Curcuma longa L. |
Turmeric is used to help with heartburn or bowel problems like diarrhoea, intestinal gas, and bloating. It is famous for its anti-cancerous and detoxification effects. It is widely used in skin diseases. Some may use it to help with memory problems or problems with the liver or gallbladder. It may also help to lessen swelling and help with signs of arthritis. It has marked anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action.
Veld grape | Vajralatha | Cissus quadrangularis L. |
It is an osteogenic agent. It helps to reduce pain, swelling, and fragment mobility in fracture of bones and accelerate the regrowth in the fracture of bones.
Creeping tick trefoil/ three flower beggarweed | Tripadi | Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC. |
It has anti-oxidant, anti-spasmodic, anti-spasmodic, hepato-protective, CNS stimulant, anti-proliferative, anthelmintic and diuretic properties. It can be used in wounds, ulcers & skin problems, diarrhoea & dysentery, cough & upper respiratory tract disorders, intestinal parasites, etc. It improves breast milk in lactating women.
Amla – Jambeera, Vrukshamla and takra(improves absorption of Iron)
Katu-Ushna and rooksha – Trikatu ajamoja
Kashaya-Tikta and Srotosodhana and Vaikruthapittahara- Pathya, Punarnava
Madhura and Ballya – Bala Tripadi and ikshu
And Iron supplements
Details of the manufacturing
As already discussed, Vyoshadi kashayam is prepared using 13 herbal ingredients and direct sheets of iron or processed iron powder in equal quantity.
In the text it is advised to take all the ingredients wash well and crush. These should be put into the buttermilk overnight. It should be strained and drank in the morning.
But when manufactured in a large quantity, buttermilk is avoided for prolonged shelflife.
All the ingredients other than Iron sheet, Jambeera and Puraanakittabhasma should be washed well and dried up in shade. Jambeera should be taken fresh and washed well.
Take equal quantity of all ingredients in dried & crushed form in an earthen pot. For your special attention, Jambeera should be cut and tied up separately in a white clean cotton cloth as a Potali. This is to prevent the excess dissolution of the contents and to maintain the exact consistency of the kashayam. Now add 16 times clean water into it. Add thin iron sheets and Puraanakittabhasma into the pot. Make it boil and then cook in the open vessel with low fire. Reduce the quantity into one by eighth of the initial quantity. Make sure to mix it in between with a wooden ladle. Also, the fire should be kept low to make sure that all the active ingredients in the herbs needed are absorbed well into the water. Once the quantity is reduced to one by eighth of the initial amount of water, remove the vessel from the fire. Squeeze and drain through a clean white cloth. Collect the decoction in a clean vessel and discard the solid waste. Drink the mild decoction adding takra to it.
Dosha Dooshya Predominance with roga margas.
Vyoshadi kashayam is Kapha-Pittahara and Rasa-Raktaprasaadana.
It acts on aabhyantara, madhyama and bahya rogamargas
Dosage and Usage of Vyoshadi kashayam
Dosage: two Pala.
Usage:
Kashayam is advised to take in empty stomach, once the ingested food is digested well and aahaararasa is formed well.
Usage of kashayam with prescribed prakshepadravyas according to the condition of disease and the patient gives the best results mostly.
Here it is advised to take it adding buttermilk to it. Some doctors prescribe powdered Iron to be added into the kashaya while taking it.
Exercises and Yoga.
As Vyoshadi kashayam targets mainly hepatic disorders, only mild exercises are advised. Also, specific yogacharya including naadeesuddhi pranayama, is recommended.
In persons with severe anaemia, fever and urinary/hepatic infections, physical exercises are not recommended.
Regular exercise after regaining normal health helps improve bioavailability of the food ingested and leads to positive health.
Yoga can maintain harmony within the body and with the surrounding system.
Nadisudhi pranayama
Simple exercises for lungs and heart health
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Recommended diet and behaviour
Diet:
- To be avoided
Oil and salt as a part of food.
Drinking ice-cold water – loss of appetite and increased kapha, leads to indigestion and respiratory problems.
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
junk foods- cause disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion
refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening Agni (digestive fire)
Milk and milk products – increase kapha and cause respiratory problems
curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
- To be added
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, pomegranate, dates and jaggery.
freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain etc
Behaviour:
Protect yourself from extreme hot & cold climate.
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight, wind, rain or dust.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid holding or forcing the urges like urine, faeces, cough, sneeze etc.
Side effects and contraindications
No known side effects reported.
Classical reference
SAHASRAYOGA PANDU SHLOKA 3
Equivalent medicines
Karimpirumpadi kashayam
Brands Available
Oushadhi
Research papers
Punarnava
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053255/
Hareetaki
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21170247/
https://www.jreim-ayushjournal.com/?mno=192170
Vrukshamla
Jambeera
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7020168/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4708628/
Vajralatha
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784127/
Effect of Ca on Fe absorption
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19087437/
Vit C and Iron metabolism (Iron sheets, Puranakittabhasma and Jambeera in Vyoshadi kashayam)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584914003220
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, United States. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please consult your GP before the intake.
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