LICORICE / YASHTIMADHU is Indian herb that has been used since antiquity. Speciality of this drug is, can be consumed by all age groups, it is sweet in taste and is helpful in various diseases with varied number of uses and health benefits.
GENERAL DISCRIPTION:
Latin name: Glycyrrhiza glabra.
Family: Fabaceae.
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS:
Liquorice is useful in obesity, generalised weakness, fatigue, ulcers, headache, menstrual cramps, premenstrual symptoms, digestion issues,
skin infections, hormonal imbalances, respiratory infections, Migraine, classical headache, joint pain.
Almost every Indian house contains mulethi or mulethi powder as it provides instant relief in sore throat / cold and cough.
HOMELY USES:
- Liquorice powder + rock sugar / honey: relieves cold and cough.
- Liquorice (whole) + basil leaves + mint leaves + water: hot infusion helps to reduce inflammation, relieves blocked nose, ambient intake induces digestive fire and promotes process of digestion. Water boiled with these ingredients not only helps in respiratory infections but is also very light to digest and is also helpful in haemorrhoids and abdominal menstrual cramps.
- Mulethi (few pieces) + water: boiling and reducing it to half the quantity, consumption of this decoction helps to reduce undesired uncontrolled thirst (trishna), also helpful in reducing tastelessness (anorexia / aruchi). In quenching thirst one must drink mulethi water to keep gut healthy and flush out toxins, regular intake of this water flushes out toxins, relieves constipation, helps in inducing satisfactory sleep and helps to maintain healthy balance in biological clock.
- Ghee cooked with paste of liquorice + Indian Gooseberry: helpful to reduce epileptic episodes, nourishes brain and lubricates the muscles and acts as rasayana dravya (Invigorating the body).
- Powder of Liquorice + glass of milk: one among the best medhya rasayana dravya (Invigorating mental health).
- Liquorice + honey: used as the snuff and instantly helps to relieve Migraine.
- Liquorice powder (250mg) nasal administration relieves frontal sinusitis, classical menstrual headache, headache due to acidity, general debility, fatigue, reduces strain on head, improves blood circulation, relaxes head and induces sleep in patients suffering from insomnia.
- Liquorice powder + sugar (equal quantity): helps in skin diseases
- Local application of ghee cooked with mulethi: helps in alkali caused burns.
- In case of excessive menstrual bleeding one must consume mulethi (10gms) + rock sugar (10gms) + rice water , provides instant relief in bleeding and menstrual cramps.
- Paste of liquorice + sesame seeds + ghee helps to heal different ulcers: gastric ulcers.
- Gargle the decoction of liquorice: reduces the mouth ulcers and pain of mouth ulcers.
- Local application of haritaki + mulethi + almond oil + castor oil + reetha powder : apply this hair mask once a week, helps to reduce baldness, greying of hair, promotes hairgrowth reduces hairfall.
DOSAGE:
Dosage of liquorice root depends upon person to person, age, sex, mental status, physical strength and critical analysis of prakruti.
General dosage varies in between of 1 to 3 grams to increase immunity for particular time intake, followed by warm milk or warm water.
(NOTE: One must consult their Ayurvedic Doctor for dosage before starting this medication, long term usage of (yashtimadhu) liquorice may induce water retention, bloating, can also cause hypertension, can also cause preterm delivery in pregnant women.)
REFRENCESES:
- The Anti-inflammatory activity of glycyrretic acid and its diacetate was similar to that of hydrocortisone on formalin induced arthritis in albino rats (Tangri et al., 1964).
- The oral administration of powdered root in 5 cases of pemphigus, who had been kept free from the bullae with prednisolone, could considerably reduce the dose of prednisolone without reappearance of the lesions. (Saxena et al; 1965 a).
- Dravyaguna vignan Dr. Nishteswar, Dr. Hemadri.
- Netmed (yashtimadhu).