Puttur: Amrutaballi in Great Demand as Panacea for Swine Flu
 
Reports: U L Uday Kumar, Pics: Arun Uppinangady
Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SB)

Puttur, Aug 30: In the recent scenario with increasing spread of diseases such as swine flu, dengue and chikungunya, greater part of the people are leaning towards natural cure thereby opting for medicinal plants that boost their immunity system and thus brace themselves to fight the diseases. One of the most sought after medicinal plants is Amrutaballi or Tinospora Cordifolia, especially after yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Sri ravishankar of Art of Living exhorted its use to cure swine flu.   

Amrutaballi is a vine that was once common in the garden of every house and disappeared once people changed their lifestyle. The vine is also known as Gudichi, Madhuparni, Amruta or Kundalini in Sanskrit.

The stem of the vine is fleshy and is the most important part of the plant. The bark of the vine is of cream colour and is green beneath. Dr Ramakrishna Bhat, doctor at Jyothirayurvedalaya, Golitottu says that the vine is very effective in balancing the three entities or tridoshas in our body mentioned in Ayurveda namely Vaata, Pitta and Kapha. It is also useful in making the body healthier by helping boost the immune system as well as by easing the disorder.

While the juice of fleshy stem of the vine when consumed with ghee will alleviate Vaata, consumption of the same with sugar and honey, respectively will help Pitta and Kapha subside. The vine can be used as medicine in three forms namely liquid, powder and solid which is effective for several other diseases, informs Dr Bhat. Though measurement prescribed for its consumption for different diseases has been fixed, if the measurement varies during consumption patients suffer with no side-effects, he adds.