Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Vishnu Krantha (Evolvulus alsinoides)  Did you know that Vishnu Krantha (Evolvulus alsinoides) plant, seen with it’s beautiful small blue or purple flowers on the road sides and waste lands throughout India, is mainly used as a home remedy for improving memory, reducing stress, to treat fevers, for hair growth and to treat wounds? Vishnu Krantha with the scientific name Evolvulus alsinoides, is also known as Shankhpushpi (Blue pea flowers), Vishnukarandhi, Vishnu-kranta, Vishukarandi, Sankaholi, Morning-glory, dwarf Morning-glory, and slender dwarf Morning-glory, and Blue Daze flower. It has a natural pantropical distribution encompassing tropical and warm-temperate regions. This plant with it’s beautiful small purple flowers on the road sides and waste lands is seen throughout India (though originated in Americas and spread widely in Africa), upto an altitude of 1300 m, and is prostrate, much branched herb with small woody rootstock. The genus name comes from the La...

Sorghum or Jowar or Jola  Did you know that Sorghum, termed as God's Crop", is the fourth major cereal in terms of production and fifth in acreage following wheat, rice, maize and barley, in 95 countries of the world including India? Did you know that Sorghum (Jowar or Jola) has many health benefits as it is gluten free, high in protein, good source of iron and fibre, cholesterol free, nutritious and rich in antioxidants, enhances digestive health, energy and improves blood pressure and circulation? Sorghum or Jowar or Jola ಜೋಲಾ, hailed as the "God's Crop", belongs to genus of about 25 species of flowering plants, the grass family Poaceae (grass) and subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Andropogonaeae (the same as big bluestem and sugarcane), and is charachterised by dorsally compressed spikeletts. It is a unique drought resistant food crop produced for domestic and export markets with multiple uses as food, feed, fodder. and fibre.  ...

Mulberry Tree  Did you know that the Mulberry Tree hailed as “the tree of life” with unique healing properties dating back to over 5,000 years, belongs to the genus of Morus, flowering plants in the family Moraceae, with its foliage being the only food for the silkworm (Bombyx mori)? Mulberry Tree, synonymous with silk production, originated near the lower slopes of the Himalayas, is in the Morus genus flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consisting of diverse species of deciduous trees. Said to be more than 5,000 years old, it is more known as the food source of silk worms and also an herb used not only in India but also in China, and in fact was central to life in ancient times, both in the East and West.  Hailed by Emperors, poets, artists and depicted in various literary compilations, throughout India, Asia, Europe, and Middle East not only as a healing food ingredient and as a traditional medicine to restore health, but mostly for its derive...

Suvrnagedde (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) Did you know that Suvrnagedde (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius), Annual soft tuberous herbal tropical crop, known by numerous synonyms, also popular as Elephant foot yam, is an odd looking aroid in the Araceae family of plants, and is an anti malarial and anti diarrhoea folk medicine? Suvrnagedde, also spelled Suvarnagadde (ಸುವರ್ಣಗಡ್ಡೆ) in Kannada language, with scientific name Amorphophallus paeoniifolius with several synonyms is popularly called Elephant foot yam is a topical tuber crop, an odd looking aroid in the Araceae family of plants widely grown throughout India. Its origin though said to be in India is contested and claimed to be from Islands of Southeast Asia, which spread to Thailand and Pacific Islands and then to India and Sri Lanka. It is a giant yam popular for culinary purposes and in folk medicine, and is raised as a cash crop.  In vernacular languages of India, it is called Suvrnagedde or Suvan...

Sesame  Did you know that Sesame, one of India's oldest and most precious plant in Hinduism, is considered to be the oldest known crop to humanity in the form of oil seed (Ellu)? Sesame, with botanical name Sesamum indicuma, a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum, also called benne in English since 1769, is one of India's oldest and most precious crops considered a Divine gift given by God, growing for more than 5000 years and it now accounts for about a quarter of sesame production worldwide.  Sesame plant is a variable, erect, annual plant that can grow from 1 - 3 metres tall. Plants can be branched or unbranched. The root system has a strongly tapering taproot up to 90cm long. Its Leaf arrangement is Alternate-spiral. Its bell shaped flowers, white to pale-rose in colour, ffowering from April to September develop in the leaf axils 6 to 8 weeks after planting and this continues for several weeks. Its fruitrs in the form of deeply goved c...