Jul 28, 2013

Meshashringi - Sirukurinjan




Botanical Name: Gymnema sylvestre
Sanskrit: Meshashringi, Madhunashini, Ajaballi, Ajaghandini,Karnika
Hindi: Gurmar, Merasingi
Bengali: Merasingi
Marathi: Kavali, Kalikardori, Vakundi
Malayalam: chakkarakkolli, Madhunasini
Gujarati: Dhuleti, Mardashingi
Telugu: Podapatri
Tamil: Sirukurinjan
Kannada: Sannagerasehambu

Meshashringi is an herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India and Sri Lanka. Chewing the leaves suppresses the sensation of sweet. This effect is attributed to the presence of the eponymously named gymnemic acids. Meshashringi has been used in herbal medicine as a treatment for diabetes for nearly two millennia.

Meshashringi is a large climber, rooting at nodes. Leaves are elliptic, narrow tipped, base narrow. Leaves are smooth above, and sparsely or densely velvety beneath. Pale yellow flowers are small, in axillary and lateral umbel like cymes. Stalk of the umbel is long. Sepals are long, ovate, obtuse, velvety. Flowers are pale yellow, bell-shaped. Corona is single, with 5 fleshy scales.. The leaves are used to make medicine. It has a long history of use in India’s Ayurvedic medicine. The Hindi name 'Gurmar' means "destroyer of sugar."

Gurmar is a famed plant, revered for its use in treatment of diabetes for nearly two millennia.

Medicinal uses: One of the alternative medicines to both diabetes and obesity could be Gurmar plant preparation, as it known to have a good effect for curbing of diabetes by blocking sugar binding sites and hence not allowing the sugar molecules to accumulate in the body.

Indications : 

DIABETES : 
Specific herb to increase insulin production in pancreas. 
Helps to regulate blood glucose levels and enhances glucose tolerance.

Best used in combination with other herbs to address the wide spectrum of symptoms caused by diabetes. Beneficial in types 1 and 2 diabetes.

Gastro Intestinal Tract: 
Regulates the craving for sweet food and excessive appetite. Apply drops to tongue every 3 hours. Hence potentially useful in weight loss.

URINARY : Dysuria 
Eating the fresh leaves numbs the taste buds to the sense of sweet or bitter.Hence the name means 'sweet destroyer'.

It also reduces appetite.

Best used over a period of 6 months for lasting results.

Contraindications :
- Not to be used by hypoglycemics.
- Caution in heart conditions as it can stimulate the heart.

Dosage :
5 - 10g per day

Note: Siddha treatment is based on complete physical examination of the patient, Naadi diagnosis, and other diagnostic criteria of the disease. The content given in this article is purely meant for information and education purpose only. Kindly consult a Siddha physician before any sort of self medication.

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