Do you know that mangoes can increase semen quality ? Have you ever tried ginger for your motion sickness ? In any case, you can't pretend not to know that red peppers cure sleepiness quite quickly. How well do you know your Pakriti ? Are your Doshas in harmony ? Welcome to Ayurveda - The Science of Life.

Ayurveda is a form of alternative medicine in use primarily in the Indian subcontinent. Ayurveda like many other local traditional medicines all over the world, believes that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value. The medicinal properties of these materials have been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicines to cure illness and/or help maintain health. Ayurvedic medicaments are also made from herbs or mixtures of herbs, either alone or in combination with minerals, metals and other ingredients of animal origin.

Today, Ayurveda is gaining lots of interest in the western world. The most commonly practiced Ayurvedic treatments in the west are massage, and dietary and herbal advice. Treatment is aimed at restoring harmony or balance to the mind-body system. Ayurveda teaches two main principles:

?Preservation of health - how to maintain health and what to do to keep the human body healthy and fit to avoid sickeness

?Methods, medicine, and tactics for management of diseases and ailments to cure and procure a return to normal health.

Ayurvedic medicine are administered in several forms, most of which lend their use to the basic concept of food as medicine. The forms of Ayurvedic medicaments are:

Fresh juice of herbs

Quath : Crushed herbs, used as decoction or tea

Churna : Fine powdered herbs, used as medicine with water or in food

Tail : Herbs cooked in edible oil

Ghrat/Ghrit : Herbs cooked in special butter

Asav/sura : A kind of light wine obtained after fermentation of herbs

Arka : A distillation of herbs

Rasausadhi : Herbs mixed with metals, minerals and animal kingdom ingredients (also called Kharliya Rasayan)

Bhasma : Ashes

Parpaty : combinations of Metals , Minerals, Animal Kingdom ingredients and Herbs

Kshar/Salt : these are specially prepared medicaments (also called Lavan/ Drava)

Avaleha/Prash : Herbs cooked in Jaggery or sugar (also called Modak/Paak)

Bati/Gutika : Mixtures of medicines shaped in pills, pillules or tablets ( also called Goli)

Pralep/Anjan : Liniments, drops, paint, paste etc.( also called Varti /Dhoop )

However administering Ayurveda is not that straightforward. Ayurveda sees everything in the universe, including human beings, as composed of five basic elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. These five elements in turn combine with each other to give rise to three bio-physical forces (or Doshas) - Vata (air & space), Pitta (fire & water) and Kapha (water & earth). Every individual has within them all three bio-physical forces, but it is the dominance of any one or two or all three that makes up a person's individual constitution.

The efficacy of each medicine depends on the body type or prakriti, which are determined by proportions of the three doshas . Contrary to scientific understanding of germs, viruses and genetic faults, Illness and disease are considered to be a matter of imbalance in the doshas. A questionnaire obtainable at the web site of Health Junction ( http://tinyurl.com/nmu0q ) shows how anyone can determine their pakriti. Ayurveda does not advise anyone to eat any food/ medicine which does not agree with the pakriti.

Nevertheless, the following are basic food herbs commonly used in Ayurveda for common ailments. Many you will also recognise in some other traditional medicinal products and in your greengrocer or garden shop.

Acacia - Useful Jaundice, malaria fever, flatulence, mild Laxative

Indian Gum Arabic Tree- Astringent, gonorrhoea, diarrhoea, dysentery, diabetes,

Sweet Flag- Bitter Tonic, ague, constipation, flatulence, panic attack, colic, epilepsy, dropsy, glandular diseases, rheumatic swellings, useful for children's ailments teething etc.

Malabar Nut- For relief of bronchitis, whooping cough & bronchial asthma. To support lung functions. Have immune system-boosting properties.

Bael Tree- For intestinal problems such as amoebic dysentery & diarrhoea. Is digestive, anthelmintic, & anti-inflammatory, useful in Irritable Bowel syndromes and Inflammatory condition of Bowels

Garlic- To control excess conversion of lipids & cholesterol

Indian Aloe- Useful in Ophthalmic disorders, mild laxative, tonic, increases semen quality, spleen and liver disorders, cysts formation, blood disorders. Skin disorders.

Indian Dill- Useful in improving appetite, digestive, abdominal colic, intestinal colic, Ophthalmic disorders, pelvic inflammatory disease conditions, analgesic, body pain

Asparagus- To nourish the female reproductive system, promote lactation

Neem- For skin disorders. Has blood purifying & immune-boosting properties. As an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal agent.

Bacopa- For improving alertness. As an anti-anxiety agent.

Indian Bdellium Tree- Anti-spasmodic, stimulant, tonic, useful in rheumatism, nervous diseases, blood purifier, useful in skin ulcers

White Pumpkin- Purifies blood, appetiser, cures constipation, normalise bowel movements / as a remedy useful in Mental disorders, Epilepsy, Mania,

Himalayan Birch- In ear disorders, bile disorders, anti-obesity, anti-toxin.

Boerhaavia- For efficient kidney & urinary functions. In urinary tract infections.

Red Pepper- Relieves indigestion, helps to heal ulcers, relieves hoarseness, sleepiness.

Golden Shower Tree- FRUIT-BODY: Mild laxative, Anti-fever, useful in cardiac problems, ROOTS: Very strong purgative, should not be used alone

Deodar Cedar- BARK and STEM is used: promotes sweating, promotes urination, relieves skin disorders, Anti-oedema, Anti-arthritis, relieves joints pain, joints swelling.

Camphor- Useful in relief of throat problems, intestinal worms, also mouth freshener, analgesics, antipyretic. Treats low blood pressure and asthma,

Pomelo- Mild laxative, digestive, appetiser, loss of appetite, abdominal colic, worms, vomiting, nausea

Lemon- Appetite stimulant, promotes digestion.

Citron- Useful in heart disorders, abdominal colic, vomiting, nausea, indigestion, haemorrhoids

Cucumber- Diuretic, useful in haemorrhages, as a food to renal stone patients

Cumin- SEEDS: appetiser, useful in abdominal colic, flatulence, wind formation, offensive flatus, dysentery, diarrhoea, indigestion, inflammed bowels,gonorrhoea, nausea, vomiting etc.

Carrot- SEEDS: useful in flatulence, renal disorders, impotence, female genital disorders, ROOT: vermifugal, physical weakness, cardiac problems, piles, colic burning sensation, asthma, hiccough, mouth freshener, EXTERNAL: Burns, abscess

Thistles- JUICE: useful to teeth, skin and hairs, indicated for the treatment of, cough, bronchitis, worms, asthma, skin diseases, oedema, mucous disorders, anaemia, digestive disorders, liver disorders, loss of appetite, vertigo, piles, indigestion, headache, weak vision, EXTERNAL; Burns, skin diseases, hair falling, alopecia

False Black Pepper- FRUITS: stimulant, relieves skin diseases, rheumatism, diuretic, laxative, purgative

Eucalyptus- EXTERNAL: deodorant, useful in skin disorders, muscular and joints pain : INTERNAL; for excessive salivation, digestive, antipyretic

Banyan Tree- Nausea, diarrhoea, bloody dysentery, haemorrhages, bleeding, dysentery, blood disorders, vaginal discharge, increased fertility in women

Fennel- Mental fatigue, weakness of eyesight, nausea, vomiting, weak appetite,dysentery, piles, cardiac disorders, blood , cough,disorders bronchitis, pulmonary disorders, fever, skin disorders.

Indian Wintergreen- OIL: stimulant, antipyretic, promotes sweating, diuretic, antispasmodic, pain relief, useful in cardiac disorders, joints pain, sciatica, flatulence, ab, Rheumatic pain,

Seabuckthorn- Used in respiratory disorders, asthma, cough, cardiac pain, glandular swellings, rheumatism, arthritis, tuberculosis, pulmonary disorders, joints pain, increases sexual desire in male and female both, Impotency EXTERNAL: paste is applied in pleuritis, pneumonia, backache, painful inflammatory condition with swelling

Jasmine- Relieves painful scratches, blood disorder, oral problems, tooth problems, eye disorders, headache, migraine, OIL: heals wounds, blood disorder, useful in skin disorders, stomatitis

Walnut- Useful in ringworm, oedema, dropsy, swelling, purgative, laxatives, pulmonary tuberculosis, cardiac disorders. syphilis, gonorrhoea, dermatitis, skin disorders and as blood purifier,

White Lily- Useful in increasing sperm count, semen thickness, increasing lactations in feeding mothers,

Mango- RIPE MANGO: sweet, increases semen quality, appetite stimulant , wound healer.

Tea Tree- Diarrhoea, skin disorders, bronchitis, cough, dermatitis, joints pain, muscular pain,

Ginger- In digestive disorders like low appetite, indigestion, nausea, vomiting & motion sickness.

Alum- INTERNAL: Dysentery, worms, EXTERNAL: Piles, wound, traumatic wounds and conditions, stings, itching, eczema, conjunctivitis, gonorrhoea, tonsillitis, throat problems

Conch Shell- Loss of appetite, indigestion, peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers, hyperacidity, bronchitis, Asthma, cough, respiratory disorders

Sodium carbonate- INTERNAL: useful in constipation, Diuretic, Colic, pain abdominal, worms intestinal, flatulence, abdominal winds, Irritable bowel syndromes EXTERNAL: promotes suppuration of boils, burns, pimples, leucoderma, white patches of skin

Sodium Bicarbonate- Antitoxic, cough, bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary respiratory disorders, antipyretic, loss of appetite, EXTERNAL: eczema, ringworm, itching of skin, vaginal infection.

Cowrie Shell- Diarrhoea, loss of appetite, iritable bowel syndromes, improves digestion, asthma, bronchitis, dry cough, tuberculosis.

Natural Zinc- Night Blindness, jaundice, liver disorders, hepatitis, asthma, cysts, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, bacillary dysentery, gonorrhoea, impotency, vomiting and nausea

Some of the above may look quite scary. But actually Ayurveda is considered a complete way of life. It is prevention-oriented, is free from harmful side-effects and treats the root cause of a disease rather than just the symptoms. Ayurveda views illness as caused by an imbalance in a person's physical or mental constitution and therefore seeks to gently bring a person's body and mind back into a healthy balance. Ayurveda is not just for people who are ill but also for healthy individuals, because the use of Ayurvedic techniques maintains good health.