Treasure of Ayurveda: Immunity Booster Herbs

The Indian Medical Science had been very rich and traces more than 5000 years ago. Ayurveda had different specific specialisations for different kind of diseases including surgical sciences 3500 years back. Varah Mihir, Charak, Shushrut, Nighant etc. are some of the renowned Doctors of ancient India.

Ayurveda is based on the concept of three fundamental energies (doshas) that govern an individual’s inner and outer environments, known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth). These primary forces are the root of the characteristics of an individual's mind and body, and way they respond to any kind of disease or antibody. 

 The imbalance of the doshas is known to cause weakening of immunity, or leading to disease. When there is minimal stress and the flow of energy within a person is balanced, the body’s natural defense systems are strong and can more easily defend against disease or recover any kind of ailment.

1. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a small woody plant native to India and North Africa. It’s considered an adaptogen, which means that it’s believed to help your body manage stress more effectively. Research has shown that it reduces levels of cortisol, a hormone that your adrenal glands produce in response to stress to lower levels of anxiety and improved sleep in people with stress and anxiety disorders. Moreover, research shows that ashwagandha may enhance muscle growth, memory, and male fertility, as well as lower blood sugar levels. 

2. Triphala

 Triphala consists of Amla (Emblica officinalis, or Indian gooseberry), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) & Haritaki (Terminalia chebula). It functions as a natural laxative, reducing constipation, abdominal pain, and flatulence while improving the frequency and consistency of bowel movements in people with gut disorders.

 3. Brahmi

Brahmi (Bacopa monieri) is a staple herb in Ayurvedic medicine and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It also improves learning rates, attention, memory, as well as reduces symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as inattention, impulsivity, poor self-control, and restlessness. Some studies further suggest that brahmi may help improve body’s ability to deal with stress and anxiety. 

 4. Cumin (Jeera)

Research shows that cumin may boost the activity of digestive enzymes and facilitate the release of bile from the liver, speeding digestion and easing the digestion of fats. It also reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as abdominal pain and bloating. Cumin may also protect against type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity. It may also protect against heart disease by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol while reducing triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

 5. Turmeric

Turmeric is the Ayurvedic spice that gives curry its yellow color. Curcumin, its main compound, may help reduce inflammation and improve heart and brain health. However, large amounts are likely needed to attain these benefits. 

 6. Cardamom

Cardamom is an Ayurvedic spice that may lower blood pressure, improve breathing, and potentially help stomach ulcers heal. Inhaling cardamom essential oil may increase the uptake of oxygen into the lungs during exercise.

 

 7. Ginger – Aadrak

Ginger, known as Aadrak or Shunti in Sanskrit, is also known as Vishwa-Aushadh in Ayurveda, the Rasayana that is a cure to many disorders and hence the best immunity booster in Ayurveda. Have an inch long slice of Ginger with a pinch of rock salt prior to lunch, to cleanse the palate and stimulate appetite. This potent combination is also a known and effective antidote to Nausea.

 8. Holi Basil

Holy basil or tulsi, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics.  It is considered a great remedy for cough and cold ailments and is a general booster of immune.

In case these herbs are not available you can directly have Ashwagandha Choorna (Powder), Ashwagandharisht, Trifla Choorna, Tulsi Ark, Chyavanprash etc. from some good company like Dabur, Baidyanath, Zandu, Patanjali etc. Now a days Indian Health department is also advising for these herbs and immunity boosters to fight against corona.

Social Media a Firewall Against Covid 19 in World Wide Lockdown

“Be it a day or be it a night all the moments we hold our social media gadgets tight.”

And it’s not just blame but a grand reality that people have started preferring likes and pokes over the real conversation. Our elder generation goes on nagging that these people are always in their mobile or laptop or palmtop. And with all the hymns and sounds we try to find out some way or avoid them.

Even after being teaches and being drowned in these gadgets we barely would have noticed that Twitter has 6 different forms of communication networks or that Facebook is most active on Fridays, do you still think that you’re a social media guru?

Whether we would have been knowing less or more about what ever social sites we have been using, it doesn’t matter for us. The user friendly feature, the ease of connect even after being apart, that personal touch , caring and sharing from a distance are some of the very charming features which our mechanical life has taught us to strive for.

But these are the only things which were dire needs of the world wide lock-down since March. And certainly social media has helped us to withhold ourselves in our own shells as has acted as a key aid. ‘‘With a projected 25.0% annual growth over the next 5 years Social networks are one of the fastest growing industries in the world’’.  

Here are some of the crucial and interesting facts about 10 top most social media platforms. 

1.      Facebook is the biggest and arguably most powerful social network in the world with 2.23 billion active monthly users. Facebook allows users to post, like and share content (pictures, videos, articles, etc.) with just the click of a button. Much of the content is made public so it can reach as large of an audience as possible.

2.      You Tube with 1.9 billion MAU is a video-sharing platform where users watch a billion hour of videos every day. To get started, one can create a YouTube channel and can upload videos for subscribers to view, like, comment, and share. It is also the second largest search engine after Google.

3.     Whats App with 1.5 billion MAUs is a messaging app used by people in over 180 countries. Initially, Whats App was only used by people to communicate with their family and friends but gradually, people started communicating with businesses too.

4.      Messenger with 1.3 MAUs used to be a messaging feature within Facebook, and since 2011, Facebook has made Messenger into a standalone app by itself and greatly expanded on its features. Businesses can now advertise, create chatbots, send newsletters, and more on Messenger.

5.      We-chat with 1.06 billion MAUs has grew from a messaging app, just like Whats App and Messenger, into an all-in-one platform. Besides messaging and calling, users can now use We-Chat to shop online and make payment offline, transfer money, make reservations, book taxis, and more. Places where social media platforms like Facebook are banned, We-Chat can be a good alternative.

6.      Tik-tok with 500 million MAUs is a rising music video social network. It was the world’s most downloaded app in the first quarter of 2018, beating Facebook, Instagram, and other social media apps.

7.    Twitter is known as the ‘‘in the moment’’ platform and boasts a respectful 255 million active monthly users. Twitter has a character limit to its messages, so messages are more concise and, at times, more informal.

8.     Instagram is a visual platform designed for customers to post, share, comment and engage through digital media. Users can post content on their general news feed or give live video updates as part of the Story feature.

9.    LinkedIn is regarded as the professional social networking site. Professionals can share articles in their field, look for job updates or watch informative training videos to increase their industry knowledge. It largely focuses on b2b marketing rather than b2c.

10.  Pinterest lets users discover new content (pictures, articles and links) based on their favorite interests. They can browse by topic and categorize their findings.

     All though all of the above mentioned platforms had started as social media, but they are very good marketing tools and are being used as digital marketing platforms. The commercialization of these apps has made the market more dynamic and influential. At the same time doors of digital marketing has brought opportunity in disguise to a lot of people.