Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Bitterweed ( Andrographis paniculata) is a herbaceous plant from the family Acanthaceae, native to Indo-China and South East Asia. The plant's oppositely placed, glossy, dark green, lanceolate leaves are extremely bitter. Flowers are produced in terminal panicles , the petals are white and splotched with purple spots. These mature to small, upright, hairy capsules that dehisce explosively to release numerous small seeds. Well known for centuries as “wonder drug” in folk medicine. Whole plant extremely bitter to the taste. Leaves can be eaten raw, harvested for medicinal purposes, contain maximum concentration of active constituents when harvested 2 months before plants start flowering. A direct translation of the Malay name, ‘hempedu bumi’ is ‘bile of the earth’. It is traditionally used as a tonic throughout South East Asia, China and India. Scientific testing shows that it can functio...

Medicinal_Plants Acalypha indica (Indian acalypha, Kuppu Khokali) - Euphorbiaceae, a traditional medicinal plant, well-known in many countries, particularly in Africa and Asia as it contain a high iron content, followed by zinc, copper, nickel and chromium which are useful for patients with mineral deficiencies problems.  The leaves are said to be used externally in scabies and other skin diseases. It is also useful in bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. The roots are cathartic.  Reference  Surendra Parihar Ex.Professor and Head. Deptt. of Seed , Science and Technology. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa,  New Delhi,  India 110012

 🥔 UNEARTHING THE POTATO 🥔 Good morning 🌞 friends, today let's meet an underground gem turned culinary star , the humble and versatile, Mr. Potato. 🥔🌿The potato 🥔, often misunderstood as a root tuber, is actually an underground storage stem of the plant Solanum tuberosum. 🌱✨ You can spot its "eyes," that are actually stem nodes, from which new leaves emerge, revealing its true stem nature. 🗓️ Around 7,000–10,000 years ago, Native Americans in the region south of present-day Peru domesticated potatoes. 🌄🥔  🥔🌿Introduced to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century, potatoes have since become a staple food worldwide, ranking as the 4th largest food crop after corn 🌽, wheat 🌾, and rice 🍚. 🥔🌿While the potato tuber itself, rich in starch, is safe for consumption, the plant's stems, leaves, and fruits contain the toxin solanine, which is harmful to humans.💀❌ 🥔🌿The word "potato" comes from the Spani...