Balajeerakadi kashayam is an Ayurvedic medicine for improving respiratory health and immunity.
Benefits of Baaajeerakadi kashayam
Balajeerakadi kashayam is very effective in asthma. It works as a good expectorant, removes the obstruction and clears airways.
It is very effective in allergic respiratory diseases like bronchitis.
It is beneficial in pulmonary tuberculosis.
As the kaphadosha is cleared, Agni starts functioning proper. By improving digestion, this kashayam improves taste and appetite; bioavailability of nutrients in the food also enhanced. Hence general health improved.
By boosting immunity, the severity and frequency of respiratory infections reduce.
Indications of Balajeerakadi kashayam
Swaasa – breathing disorders including asthma
Kaasa -Cough
Ingredients of Balajeerakadi kashayam
| Country mallow | Bala | Sida cordifolia Linn. |
It is anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, contraceptive, and anti-fungal activity. It is a tonic for strengthening nerves and muscles in various neuromotor diseases.
| Cumin | Jeeraka | Cuminum cyminum |
It is very good in improving digestive fire and immunity. It helps in curing various kinds of ulcers, IBS, diarrhea, and other disorders of the gut. It is used in the treatment of mild digestive disorders as carminative. It is useful as an astringent in Bronchopulmonary diseases.
| Indian bael | Bilwa | Aegle marmelos |
It has anti-inflammatory properties and it is effective in peptic ulcer. It is anti-diarrhoeal, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial. Being a part of Dasamoola (group of roots of Ten plants) it helps to enhance its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
| Coco grass, Nut grass, Purple nutsedge | Abda | Cyperus rotundus L. |
It has marked anti-inflammatory action. It also has anthelmintic, antioxidant and antifungal properties. The drug improves lactation, relieves fever, burning sensation, and excessive thirst. It is also used in treating diarrhoea, dyspepsia and skin diseases.
| Adathoda, Malabar nut | Vrisha | Justicia adathoda L.
|
It is an expectorant and is mostly used in respiratory conditions. It helps in the treatment of skin diseases. It is also used in jaundice, fevers, headache, and urinary infections.
| Dried ginger | Viswa | Zingiber officinalis |
It is unctuous and hot in potency with a pungent taste but becomes sweet after digestion. It is an aphrodisiac and balances Vaata and Kapha.
It improves ability to taste and promotes digestion. Relieves cough cold and other respiratory problems. It is not a laxative, rather causes constipation.
| Himalayan cedar | Suradruma
|
Cedrus deodara |
It is useful as an expectorant in cough. It relieves asthma and other respiratory diseases by clearing the airways and enhancing the movements of the respiratory tract.
| Dabra | Prisniparni/Guha | Uraria picta |
It has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and diuretic properties. It is used as a tonic to nerves and the heart. It is useful in bone fracture healing.
| Sugarcane | Ikshu | Saccarum officinarum
|
It is sweet in taste and cold in potency. It cures a burning sensation associated with urinary tract infection. It is a diuretic and increases the quantity of urine. It gives energy and strength. It increases the blood glucose levels fast.
AS ANUPANA/PRAKSHEPADRAVYA-TO BE TAKEN MIXED WITH THE KASHAYA
Laaja/ fried and puffed rice grain.
Details of the manufacturing
As already discussed, Balajeerakadi kashayam is prepared using 9 herbs as its ingredients in equal quantity.
All these ingredients should be washed well and dried up in shade.
Take the prescribed herbs in dried & crushed form in an earthen pot. For your special attention, Viswa should be crushed and tied up separately in a white clean cotton cloth as a Potali. This is to prevent the excess dissolution of the contents and to maintain the exact consistency of the kashayam. Now add 16 times clean water into it. Make it boil and then cook in the open vessel with low fire. Reduce the quantity into one by eighth of the initial quantity. Make sure to mix it in between with a ladle without breaking the potli. Also, the fire should be kept low to make sure that all the active ingredients in the herbs needed are absorbed well into the water. Once the quantity is reduced to one by eighth of the initial amount of water, remove the vessel from the fire. Squeeze and drain through a clean white cloth. Collect the decoction in a clean vessel and discard the solid waste. Drink the mild warm decoction.
Dosha Dooshya Predominance with roga margas.
Balajeerakadi kashayam is kapha Vaata hara.
It acts on abhyantara rogamarga
Dosage and Usage of Balajeerakadi kashayam
Dosage: two Pala.
Usage:
Kashayam is advised to take in empty stomach, once the ingested food is digested well and aahaararasa is formed well.
Usage of kashayam with prescribed prakshepadravyas according to the condition of disease and the patient gives the best results mostly.
Here, the prakshepadravya is 2-3gms of Laaja or fried and puffed rice grain.
Exercises and Yoga.
As balajeerakadi kashayam targets mainly the respiratory system and immunity, only mild exercises are advised. Also, specific yogacharya including naadeesuddhi pranayama, bhujangaasana, is recommended.
Regular exercise helps improve the bioavailability of the medicine and food ingested and leads to positive health.
Yoga can maintain harmony within the body and with the surrounding system.
Nadisudhi pranayama
Bhujangasana
Simple exercises for lungs and heart health
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Recommended diet and behaviour
Diet:
- To be avoided
Drinking ice-cold water – loss of appetite and increased kapha leads to respiratory problems.
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
junk foods- cause disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion
refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening Agni (digestive fire)
Milk and milk products – increase kapha and cause respiratory problems
curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
- To be added
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, honey.
freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain etc
Behaviour:
Protect yourself from cold climate.
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight, wind, rain or dust.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid holding or forcing the urges like urine, faeces, cough, sneeze etc.
Side effects and contraindications
No known side effects reported.
As it contains sugarcane, Diabetic persons should not take it without a prescription from the physician.
Classical references
SAHASRAYOGAM SWASAKASA SHLOKA 2
Equivalent medicines.
Dasamoolakaduthrayam kashayam
Brands Available
AVS Kottakal
SNA OUSHADHASALA
AVP Coimbatore
AVN Madurai
Kerala Ayurveda
Oushadhi
Research papers
Balaa
General study including effect in Swaasa-kaasa due to presence of bronchodialotor vasicinone
Jeeraka
Study o effect on lipid profile. Leads to the efficacy to liquify the block in channels and clearing airways.
Vrisha
Presesnce of vasicine and oxyvasicine beneficial in respiratory diseases.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306020300_Therapeutic_use_of_Adhatoda_vasica