Some Indigenous Medicines Their Uses as Spices and Effects on Seasonal Diseases

In this era of modern traditional indigenous medicine refers to “the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plants, animal and mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being”.

Written by

DR. MD. AMANULLAH

Published on

July 21, 2022

In this era of modern traditional indigenous medicine refers to “the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plants, animal and mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being”.

In Asian and American countries up to 80 per cent of the population relies on traditional medicines for their primary healthcare needs. The traditional medicine, also known as indigenous or folk medicine, comprises medical knowledge systems that developed over generations within the various societies before the era of modern medicines. It practises indigenous systems of medicines including herbal, Unani, Islamic, Ayurveda, Sidha medicines, and other medical knowledge and practices all over the globe. The indigenous system of Unani medicine includes some spices that are frequently used in food preparation. These spices of medicinal value are following:

Quaranfal/pippali – pipper longum (long pipper);

Filfil-e-seyah/Black Mirch – Piper Nigrum (Black Pepper);

Darchini – Cinnamomum Zelanicum (Cinnamon Bark);

Tejpatta – Cinnamomum Tamala (Leaves);

Elaichi – Ellettaria Cardamomum (Cardomumum);

Saunf – Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel);

Zanjabil/Sonth – Zingiber Officinale (Ginger);

Garlic/Lahsun – Allium Sativum Linn (Liliaceae);

Onion/Peyaz – Allium Cepa (Lily);

Coriander/Dhania – Sativum Lin (Apiaceae); and

Turmeric/Haldi – Curcuma Longa (Zingiberaceae) Rhizome.

 

USE OF INDIGENOUS MEDICINES IN FOOD

Food is also given equal impetus in Unani system of medicine. Food can be improvised or potentialised with a blend of herbs/spices. Mostly, in the Indian kitchen we find a box of mixed spices, which are generally added to all the vegetables, meats, fishes and pulses while cooking. In spite of these spices, there are four spices – Garlic, Onion, Coriander and Turmeric – that are widely used to cook food.

Adding these spices to food enhances the flavour of food, makes food delicious, tasteful and palatable, and reduces the harmful effects in food. It also helps in preventing the diseases, prolonging life and promoting good health in our society. Approximately, 60 per cent diseases are self-curing only if food is taken in a judicious manner and immunity is maintained.

 

SEASONAL EFFECTS

According to the Unani system of medicine, “The health is a state of equilibrium of four khilt” that is called akhlat – dam (blood), balgham (sputum), safra (bile), and sauda (bile salt). Seasons are also responsible for the predominance of diseases. Because some diseases occur in a particular season/climate. For instance, Cold, Cough, and Coryza as well as Asthma and Arthritis mainly affect us in the winter season. Commonly, the winter season aggravates the diseases of balgham-origin like cold, cough, coryza, asthma and arthritis due to disproportion of the equilibrium of the khilt (balgham).

 

ROLE OF INDIGENOUS MEDICINES

All the spices play a role of antidote. For instance, Ginger, Garlic and Turmeric reduce the balgham (sputum) and split the fat. Garlic, Black Pepper and Ginger reduce the hyperacidity; Piper Longum, Turmeric, Onion, Black Pepper and Cardamom reduce the balgham and inhibits the cough; Cardamom and Coriander also reduce the dangerous effects of Turmeric and Red Chilli. These actions of the spices inhibit the formation of balgham and help to prevent and treat cold, cough, coryza and asthma that make us face unbearable pain, mostly in the old age.

 

INDIVIDUAL ROLES OF GINGER AND TURMERIC

Individually, Ginger is the most beneficial in Rheumatoid Arthritis. In one study, Indian resources administered three to seven grams of ginger a day to 28 people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. More than 75% of those participating in the study reported at least some relief from pain and swelling. Even after more than two years of taking these high doses of ginger, none of the people reported side effects. Many people drink Ginger tea for arthritis. A Ginger compress is also beneficial for Arthritis.

Dosage – 6-50 grams fresh or powder ginger a day.

Turmeric has been widely used for centuries as indigenous medicine for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory conditions and other diseases. These medicinal properties have been attributed mainly to curcuminoids, in particular to curcumin. Curcumin has been shown to possess a wide range of pharmacological qualities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, wound healing properties and anti-depressant effects. Curcumin also has been shown to be as effective as Cortisone or Phenylbutazone in certain models of inflammation. Curcumin also exhibits many beneficial effects on liver function. To take it with honey (Unani Therapy) is effective in Asthma and Arthritis due to properties of anti-inflammatory and as a cortisone or phenylbutazone.

The typical dosage of curcumin is 400 to 600 mg. 3 times daily. Curcumin is sometimes administered in combination with equal dose of an extract of the pineapple plant called Bronnelain which appears to process anti-inflammatory properties of its own. Curcumin is thought to be quite safe. Side effects are rare and generally limited to occasional allergic reaction and mild stomach upset. However, safety in very young children, pregnant or nursing women and those with severe liver or kidney disease, has not been established.

 

RECENT CANCER RESEARCHES

The anti-cancer potential of curcumin stems from its ability to suppress proliferation of a wide variety of malignant cell types as well as tumour initiation promotion and metastasis presumably due to its myriad biological properties, mostly proliferation, anti-inflammation and anti-angiogenesis. The Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, published an article that says that curcumin increased the effect of chemotherapy regime in suppressing proliferation and inducing apoptosis growth of prostate cancer cell. At University of Texas M.D Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, the researchers had a clinical trial 2nd on curcumin and found interesting results where a patient was classed stable diseases for 18 months for pancreatic cancer.

 

OTHER ROLE OF ONION AND GARLIC

Onion and garlic enhance the sexual power. Onion increases the productivity of semen, and garlic, traditionally lahsun chatni or lahsun daal along with ghee is taken to increase sexual power. Garlic can exert some of its therapeutic properties by increasing Nitric Oxide (NO) production in the body. NO is the principal vasodilator in the penis. NO activates Guanylyl Cyclase, present in the cell membrane. Activation of this enzyme results in an increase in the level of Cyclic Guanosine Mono-Phosphate (CGMP) leading to the relaxation of smooth muscles of the corpora cavernousa, thus allowing inflow of blood that helps erectile the penis.

But “inappropriate use of traditional medicines or practices can have “negative or dangerous effects” and as such “further research is needed to ascertain the efficacy and safety” of several of the practices and medicinal plants used by indigenous system of medicine.