Ayurvedic Herbs Information

Find Ayurveda medicinal plants that benefit nervous system. Ayurveda medicinal plants are useful in the restoration of consciousness, lack or sleep or acting as hypnotic plants, sleepiness or drowsiness, painful conditions acting as analgesic or anodyne, fits acting as anti-convulsant. These are good for our senses - beneficial for vision, and as mydriatics, myotics and as relieving many of ear disorders.

Herbs Restoring Consciousness:
These plants help to restore the consciousness and bring it back to normal state. These herbs have sharp quality and hot active principle.

The Ayurvedic Approach:
Ayurveda considers the Pitta humor to be the responsible physically and Tamas to be responsible psychologically. Further these medicinal plants stimulate the heart as well.

Hinga (Asafoetida or Ferula narthex), Mahanimba (Bead tree or Persian lilac or Melia azedarach), Vacha (Sweet flag or Acorus calamus), Brahmi (Bacopa or Bacopa monnieri) and Jatamansi (Spikenard or Nordostachys jatamansi) are some of the examples of these herbs.

Ayurvedic Herbs Information For Insomnia:
Sleep results from the action of Kapha humor and Tamas, so herbs that increase the kapha and tamas are helpful in Insomnia. Some narcotic herbs are also hypnotic in low dosage.


Charaka mentioned buffalo milk as the best diet or nutritional supplement to induce sleep in the insomnia patients.

Anti-Hypnotic Herbs:
Herbs that are anti-kapha and possess sharp quality are anti-hypnotic. The sharp purification processes of Ayurvedic panchakarma are good for those who feel sleepy all the time.

Ayurvedic Herbs Information For Analgesic Or Anodyne Effect:
All the pains in the body are due to alteration in Vata humor. The herbs having anodyne effect are essentially Anti-Vata. Plus they are usually having hot active principle. The qualities can be unctuousness or dry.

The examples of such medicinal plants are - Guggulu (Gum guggul or Indian bedellium or Commiphora mukul), Kataphala (Box myrtle or Myrica esculentus), Shala (Shal tree or Shorea robusta), Ahiphena (Opium or Papaver somniferum), Ganja (Indian hemp or Cannabis sativa derived product abused for addiction), Suchi (Atropa belladona), Vatsanabha (Aconite or Monk's hood or Aconitum ferox).
Convulsant Herbs:

These herbs have the potential to induce convulsions. e.g. Kupeelu or Nux vomica.

Anti-Convulsant Herbs:
These herbs pacify the convulsions. These are also called Spinal depressants. e.g. Ahiphena (Opium or Papaver somniferum), Suchi (Atropa belladona), Karpura (Camphor), Ganja (Indian hemp or Cannabis sativa derived product abused for addiction), Tobacco. Most of these herbs are having hot active principle.
Ayurvedic Herbs For Sensory Organs

There are five sensory organs - eyes, ear, tongue, nose and skin.

Beneficial Herbs For Eyes:
Most of the diseases of eyes are due to Pitta or Kapha humor. So herbs that are useful for eyes are both hot and cold in active principle.

The herbs with cold active principle are Madhuyasti (Liquorice or Licorice), Triphala (Triple myrobalan - Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica and Emblica officinalis each in equal parts) and the herbs with hot active principle are Shigru seed (Horse radish tree or Drum stick plant or Moringa oleifera), Chakshuya (Cassia absus).

Mydriatic Herbs:
Iris regulates the size of the pupil. Mydriatric herbs increase the size of the pupil. Iris has two types of fibres - the circular and longitudinal - responsible respectively for constriction and dilatation of the pupil.

Mydriatic action is produced by many mechanisms.

1. By depressing the occulomotor or 3rd Cranial nerve - Suchi (Atropa belladona), Dhatura (Datura metel or Thorn apple).
2. By stimulating Sympathetic sensory nerves - Cocaine, adrenaline, Ephedra extract.
3. By depressing the occulomotor center in brain - during asphyxia or loss of consciousness or coma.

Many of the psychological states or emotional conditions are also capable of increasing the size of the pupil like fear and excitement. Activities like dilatation and constriction are due to the action of Vata humor.

Myotic Herbs:
These herbs are responsible for constricting the size of the pupil. These act in two ways -

1. By stimulating the Occulomotor nerve: Tobacco.
2. By stimulating the Occulomotor center in Brain: Ahiphen (Opium or Papaver somniferum) or General Anesthesia.

Myodriatic herbs increase the intra-occular pressure and Myotic herbs reduce the intra-occular pressure.

Ayurvedic Herbs Information For Ears:
The herbs useful for ear exert their effects in different ways.

1. By expelling the sebum like substances from the external auditor or ear canal. These dissolve such substances with them. e.g. oils like unctuous substances.
2. The Alkali substances expel the sebum like substances with them e.g. Apamarga (Prickly Chaff flower or Achyranthes aspera) derived alkali based oil (exerting effect like Hydrogen peroxide)
3. By pacifying the Vata in the ear by their unctuous properties like herbal oils
4. Some herbs stimulate the nerves by their specific properties like Bilwa (Bael or Aegle marmelos).

Source: holistic-herbalist.com