Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Dioscorea bulbifera (Commonly known as Air potato, Aerial yam, Potato yam, Bitter yam) –  Dioscoreaceae, an herbaceous twining vine with heart shaped leaves. The bulbils grow in the air and hang down from the vine. Air potatoes are a good source of flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits. Air potatoes have been growing since ancient times, are native to Asia and Africa, and have been spread throughout the world. Today Air potatoes are being sold at local markets in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, Northern Australia and the United States. It is an important vegetable crop of hilly region of Uttarakhand and the tubers are called ‘Genthi’. The tubers are harvested during October-November and stored for preparing / cooking vegetable during winter season by boiling / cooking it like potatoes. The curry is considered to provide warmth during night in snow clad region. These are also used in folk medic...

अळू (शास्त्रीय नाव : Colocasia esculenta, कलोकेशिया एस्क्युलेंटा ; इंग्लिश: Taro, टॅरो ;) ही कंदमूळ प्रकारात मोडणारी, अरॅशिए सुरण कुळातील वनस्पती आहे. मुळात आग्नेय आशियातली ही वनस्पती आता आफ्रिका व आशिया खंडांतील उष्ण कटिबंधीय प्रदेशांमध्ये सर्वत्र आढळते. अळू बारमाही उगवणारा असून, याची पाने व कंद खाण्याजोगे मानले जातात. अळू ही एक औषधी वनस्पती मानली जाते. मराठवाड्यात अळूला 'चमकोरा/चमकुरा' असे पण म्हणतात.विदर्भात पांढरा आणी काळा असे अळू आढळतात.तसेच लाल खोडांचे पण अळू आढळतात.यात शोकेस् प्रकार पण भरपूर आहेत. महाराष्ट्रात लग्नसमारंभांत याच्या पानांची पातळ भाजी करतात. त्या भाजीला कोंकणात अळूचे फदफदे असे म्हणतात. अळूच्या पानांवर हरबऱ्याच्या डाळीचे भिजवलेले पीठ आणि इतर मसाले थापून पानाला उभी घडी घालून उकडतात. नंतर त्या पानाच्या वड्या पाडतात. या वड्यांना गुजरातमध्ये पात्रा म्हणतात. उपवासाच्या दिवशी अळूचे कंद उकडून खातात. या कंदांना अळकुडी असे नांव आहे. गुजराथीत आरवी असे म्हणतात. भाजीचा अळू, वडीचा अळू आणि...

🫛🌿🌎The Velvet Bean, scientifically known as Mucuna pruriens, is a tropical legume plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. Native to Eastern India and China, it is widely cultivated in Australia and South America as well. In Ayurveda it is known by the name Kaunch beej. 🫛🌿🧗Velvet Bean is a shrubby climber, with long, twining stems covered in velvety itchy hairs when the plant is young, but the hairs fall off the stem as the plant matures.  🫛🌿The leaves are trifoliate, and the plant produces purplish or white flowers in axillary panicles, which eventually give rise to fuzzy pods. The hairs on these pods can cause severe itch upon contact with skin. Hence the common name cow-itch bean.  🫛🌿🫘The seeds inside these pods are the valuable part of the plant, known for their medicinal and agricultural significance. 🫛🌿💊Velvet Beans have a rich history of medicinal use in traditional systems of medicine. They contain L-DOPA, a ...