A herb has gone viral recently on social media. Already, several Face book pages have started selling it. Hundreds of photos have been posted showing this climbing vine, or its stem.
Yeah, gurjo wasn't as prized as he is today.
India's celebrated yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, also promoted its use a few months ago. Using this herb in combination with ginger, turmeric, tulasi, and pepper, he said, might increase the immunity of people in order to prevent coronavirus. His declaration brought popularity to this plant too.
The planting, selling, and consumption of gurjo (Tinospora cordifolia) is also thriving in Nepal in the midst of a storm of hypes. This newly famed medicinal herb has been used in ayurvedic medicine to treat many illnesses and chronic diseases such as cancer, cold, diabetes, chronic fever, asthma, and many more. It sounds shocking to many.
Old use
Dr. Kopila Adhikari, an Ayurveda doctor (medical officer) at the Chitwan Ayurveda District Health Centre, confirms that this herb has been part of Ayurvedic medicine for years. "We, Ayurveda doctors, have been prescribing this herb as a medicine, particularly for chronic health problems, so that other diseases or infections do not attack patients," she says, sharing her experience.
"Many Nepalese and people from ethnic groups know and typically use this herb to treat many ailments such as heat exhaustion (heat sickness), jaundice, and others. It is just that the media are writing heavily about it these days.
Describing the plant, she says gurjo is an extensively growing and spreading herbaceous vine that has heart-shaped leaves with several elongated twining branches. "In addition, she says," Gurjo can be found abundantly in the wilds of our country's hills and plains. "This climbing herb belonging to the family of Menispermaceae is generally not found at a higher altitude.
This herb has many names in Hindi, such as 'giloy'. Ayurvedic texts used different terms to refer to this plant: Amrita (as it is expected to give longevity), Chakralakshanika (as per the identification of it from other herbs based on its anatomical characteristics), Chinnodbhava based on cultivation (as it can be cultivated by stem cutting and will never be extinct), Rasayani (agents of rejuvenation), and Guduchi. This plant is found mainly in Indian subcontinent tropical regions which also include Nepal.
Use against Covid-19
As the nation is now battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the plant has been used by Ayurvedic medicine practitioners to improve people's immune capacity. Dr Adhikari explains that Ayurveda says that this plant has one of the best rejuvenating agents ('rasayana drabya') which keeps the entire human body's 'dhatus' (tissues) safe.
She says that people's immunity, especially those already suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney problems and daily medications, is naturally weak. It is obvious that when the novel coronavirus infects certain individuals, She says that the immunity of people is naturally weak, especially those already suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney problems and regular medications. It is clear that when such individuals are infected by the novel coronavirus,
Gurjo 's health advantages are not limited to only improving the immunity. This herb is filled with chemicals such as alkaloids , terpenoids, lignans, steroids and others that have antioxidants, antimicrobial, antibacterial , antifungal, anti-diabetic and antistress properties, hypolipidaemic effects, anti-cancer and anti-HIV ability, anti-osteoporotic effects, anti-toxic effects, Wound healing activity, anticomplementary activity, and immunomodulation.
In addition, Dr Adhikari says, "Gurjo is considered the best medicine to treat gouty arthritis." Other than this, diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, jaundice, skin disorders, and respiratory problems are also commonly used for treatment.
"In addition, she says, "The use of guduchi is specifically stated in Ayurvedic texts for the treatment of 'shwasa roga' (asthma/breathing problem),' pratishyaya roga' (common cold), and 'kasa roga' (cough). Interestingly, all three are counted as Covid-19 symptoms. Interestingly, all three are counted as Covid-19 symptoms.
While in the Ayurvedic medicine method all the 'panchanga' (whole plant) from roots to leaves are used, the guduchi stem is of greatest utility. Precisely, Dr Ahikari says, "The stem is used mainly for all the above-mentioned health problems. Similarly, its leaves contain a hepatoprotective (liver tonic) chemical. It's sometimes used for skin disorders, too.
Dr Adhikari also advise people to be vigilant about the use and consumption of guduchi in highlighting these properties and health benefits. Although the toxicity or side effects of haphazardly consuming gurjo are not yet apparent, she finds the way people eat it almost every day today, without consulting the doctors concerned, troublesome.
She clarifies minutely, "Medicines are administered after having observed those symptoms. When prescribing gurjo or any other medicine to the patient, We (physicians) use various diagnostic tools such as 'nadi pariksha' (diagnosis of pulse), 'jihwa pariksha' (diagnosis of tongue), and others that consider nature, age, 'agni' (digestion capability) status, 'dosha' (Vata: movement energy, pitta: digestion and metabolism energy, and kapha: body structure energy) and their health conditions.
We prescribe the dosage, timings of the medication and the way or state medication should be consumed only after the disease is diagnosed, including mixing gurjo stems with crystal sugar, giving its powder, and so on. And, that's a big difference.'
Therefore, after consulting Ayurvedic physicians, she suggests consuming gurjo, while noting that there are many such Ayurvedic health institutions and professionals in the region.
