www.malaysianherbals.com- (106) Ginsing-ஒரு வகை மருந்து வேர்

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GINSENG-ஒரு வகை மருந்து வேர்

Ginseng is any of eleven different species of short, slow growing perennial plants with fleshy roots. Ginseng is believed to restore and enhance normal well-being. Ginseng is one of the most popular herbal remedies in the world today.

The herbs consist of a light-colored, forked-shaped root, a relatively long stalk and green leaves with an oval shape.

Ginseng is believed by many people to restore and enhance normal well-being and has traditionally been taken to aid a number of medical conditions, which we discuss 

Ginseng is found in eastern hardwood forests and takes a minimum of five years to reach maturity. The plant features pointed green leaves, light green flowers and red berries. Ginseng is the most widely used medicinal plant in the world, largely due to the fact that it is great for stimulating the immune system and increasing energy levels. It’s also been shown to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Feeling sluggish or tired lately? Need an energy boost? Then ginseng may be the answer to your problem. This herb is commonly used as an energy booster or to improve memory or concentration. Ginseng is a very popular herb and can also be used to treat a variety of health problems

Ginseng is a herb that has been used in the Asian culture for thousands of years. Americans have also been using it for quite some time - the Native Americans first used it to treat the wounded and exhausted. There are a few different types of ginseng, but only two that are considered to be the truest forms. The other forms are similar in nature to ginseng, like Siberian ginseng, but lack ginsenosides, the active ingredient in real ginseng.

Ginseng Supplements

Different varieties of ginseng root have been used as treatments in Asia and North America for centuries. Ginseng is one of the most popular herbal medicines in the world.

Why do people take ginseng?

Ginseng has traditionally been used for a number of medical conditions. However, only a fraction of them have been seriously researched.

There are two main types of ginseng: Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Studies have found that the different types have different benefits. In traditional Chinese medicine, American ginseng is considered less stimulating than the Asian variety.

Although many other herbs are called ginseng -- like eleuthero, or Siberian ginseng -- they do not contain the active ingredient of ginsenosides.

Some studies have found that ginseng may boost the immune system. There is some evidence that one particular type of American ginseng extract might decrease the number and severity of colds in adults.

Several studies in people have also shown that ginseng may lower blood sugar levels.

There is some early evidence that ginseng might temporarily -- and modestly -- improve concentration and learning. In some studies of mental performance, ginseng has been combined with ginkgo. While these studies are intriguing, many experts feel that we need more evidence.

Ginseng has also been studied as a way to improve mood and boost endurance as well as treat cancer, heart disease, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, high blood pressure, menopausal symptoms, and other conditions. While some of these uses are promising, the evidence isn’t conclusive.

How much ginseng should you take?

Standard doses of ginseng have not been established for any condition. Quality and active ingredients in supplements may vary widely from maker to maker. This makes it very hard to establish a standard dose.

Always buy ginseng from a well-respected company. Because it’s an expensive root, there is a risk that disreputable manufacturers might sell adulterated ginseng or include less than advertised on the bottle.

Can you get ginseng naturally from foods?

There are no natural food sources of ginseng. Ginseng is sometimes added to energy drinks and foods.

What are the risks of taking ginseng?

• Side effects from ginseng are generally mild. Since ginseng can act as a stimulant in some people. Ginseng has been reported to cause nervousness and insomnia. Long-term use or high doses of ginseng may cause headaches, dizziness, stomach upset, and other symptoms. Women who use ginseng regularly may develop breast tenderness and menstrual changes. There have also been some reports of allergic reactions to ginseng.
• Interactions. Because ginseng may affect blood sugar levels, people taking drugs fordiabetes should not use ginseng without talking to their doctor first. Ginseng can interact with warfarin and with some medicines for depression. Do not take ginseng without consulting your doctor if you take any medications. Caffeine may amplify ginseng’s stimulant effects.
• Risks. To avoid side effects from ginseng, some experts suggest that ginseng shouldn’t be used for more than three months -- or sometimes just a few weeks -- at a time. After a break -- or “holiday” -- your doctor might recommend that you begin taking it again for another few weeks or months.

Given the lack of evidence about its safety, ginseng is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

See the links below for in-depth information on the two main types of ginseng: American ginseng and Asian or Korean ginseng.

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www.malaysianherbals.com - Red chilly -Chili pepper (105)சிகப்பு மிளகாய்

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Chili pepper  - சிகப்பு மிளகாய்

Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. The most recent research shows that chili peppers were domesticated more than 6000 years ago in Mexico, in the region that extends across southern Puebla and northern Oaxaca to southeastern Veracruz, and were one of the first self-pollinating crops cultivated in Mexico, Central and parts of South America.

Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to encounter them (in the Caribbean), and called them "peppers" because they, like black and white pepper of the Piper genus known in Europe, have a spicy hot taste unlike other foodstuffs. Upon their introduction into Europe, chilies were grown as botanical curiosities in the gardens of Spanish and Portuguese monasteries. But the monks experimented with the chili culinary potential and discovered that their pungency offered a substitute for black peppercorns, which at the time were so costly that they were used as legal currency in some countries.

Chilies were cultivated around the globe after Columbus

The substances that give chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is also the primary component inpepper spray, a less-than-lethal weapon.

When consumed, capsaicinoids bind with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and release of endorphins. A 2008 study reports that capsaicin alters how the body's cells use energy produced by hydrolysis of ATP. In the normal hydrolysis the SERCA protein uses this energy to move calcium ions into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. When capsaicin is present, it alters the conformation of the SERCA, and thus reduces the ion movement; as a result the ATP energy (which would have been used to pump the ions) is instead released as thermal energy.

Red chilies contain large amounts of vitamin C and small amounts of carotene (provitamin A). Yellow and especially green chilies (which are essentially unripe fruit) contain a considerably lower amount of both substances. In addition, peppers are a good source of most B vitamins, and vitamin B₆ in particular. They are very high in potassium, magnesium, and iron. Their very high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the uptake of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains.

Evolutionary advantages

Birds do not have the same sensitivity to capsaicin, because it targets a specific pain receptor in mammals. Chili peppers are eaten by birds living in the chili peppers' natural range. The seeds of the peppers are distributed by the birds that drop the seeds while eating the pods, and the seeds pass through the digestive tract unharmed. This relationship may have promoted the evolution of the protective capsaicin. Products based on this substance have been sold to treat the seeds in bird feeders to deter squirrels and other mammalian vermin without also deterring birds. Capsaicin is also a defense mechanism against microbial fungi that invade through punctures made in the outer skin by various insects

Benefits of Green Chili

Vitamin A

The most abundant nutrient in green chili is vitamin A, according to World's Healthiest Foods. The vitamin is a carotenoid, also known as retinol, associated with the antioxidant beta-carotene. Vitamin A is essential for the health and maintenance of bones, teeth, mucous membranes, eyes and skin, according to Medline Plus. The vitamin is essential for healthy eyes, as it produces retina pigmentation and promotes night vision. Vitamin A deficiencies result in weakened vision and immunit

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is the second most abundant nutrient in green chili. It acts as both an antioxidant and a vitamin, says Medline Plus. It is essential for the formation of collagen, scar tissue, ligaments, blood vessels and tendons. It also helps the body to maintain and repair wounds, bones, teeth and cartilage. As an antioxidant, it strengthens overall health and helps the body fight infections.

The leaves of every species of Capsicum are edible. Though almost all other Solanaceous crops have toxins in their leaves, chili peppers do not. The leaves, which are mildly bitter and nowhere near as hot as the fruit, are cooked as greens in Filipino cuisine, where they are called dahon ng sili (literally "chili leaves"). They are used in the chicken soup tinola. In Korean cuisine, the leaves may be used in kimchi. In Japanese cuisine, the leaves are cooked as greens, and also cooked intsukudani style for preservation.

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www.malaysianherbals.com-Piper sarmentosum-KADUK(104)-காட்டு வெற்றிலை

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Piper sarmentosum--காட்டு வெற்றிலை

Piper sarmentosum is an erect herb with long creeping stems.  Its leaves are alternate, simple and heart-shaped. Young leaves have a waxy surface. Flowers are bisexual or unisexual, in terminal or leaf opposite spikes. Fruit is small, dry, with several rounded bulges. The plant has a characteristic pungent odour. It is found from the tropical areas of Southeast Asia, Northeast India and South China, and as far as the Andaman Islands. In Malaysia, the plant is usually found as a weed in villages and places with plenty of shade. It is also popular in urban landscape gardens as ground covering shrubs.

சாதாரணமாக குழந்தைகளுக்கு வரும் இருமலுக்கு இதனை சாறு பிழிந்து கொடுக்கலாம்.

The common names are varied :  In Tamil it is called kaatu thipily or kaatu vetrilai .In Cantonese: 'Ka Lao' ; In Malay:  Kadok ; In Thai : Cha Plu ; In Lao : phak i leut or pak eelerd ; In Vietnam : Piper lolot – lá l

This plant is often mistaken for its cousin Piper betel leaf plant.

Its Uses And benefits

It is a common plant used in traditional medicine and cooking.

The subtly peppery taste of the heart-shaped and glossy leaves adds zest to omelets and other viands. In cuisine, P. sarmentosum leaves are sold in bunches and are usually eaten raw. In Thai cuisine, it is used to wrap miang kham, a traditional snack. In Laotian cuisine, it is eaten as part of a salad.

In Malay cuisine it is shredded for ulam, a type of Malay salad.

A study conducted by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) shows that extracts from Kadok leaves have anti-oxidant properties. Piper sarmentosum is often made into drink to relieve the symptoms of malaria. The roots could be chewed to stop toothaches. A portion made from its roots is said to be diuretic. The drink has also been known to be effective in treating coughs, flu, rheumatism, pleurosy and lumbago. Young leaves are taken as ulam (condiment).

In most of Southeast Asia, the betel leaf is used largely for the chewing of areca nut (erroneously called “betel nut” by colonialists) and as a medicinal herb. It has a very intense taste – bitter, hot, and unpleasantly medicinal – and can numb the tongue. Such a strongly flavored leaf would be far from the leaf of choice among sensible cooks for wrapping the tasty tidbits inmiang kam; It would only ruin the intricate balance of flavors of such a delightful Thai snack


Piper sarmentosum is a plant in the Piperaceae family used in many Southeast Asian cuisines. The leaves are often confused with betel, but they lack the intense taste of the betel leaves and are significantly smaller.

There is no "official" English name for it, but it is sometimes called wild betel. It is known as chaphlu (ชะพลู,pronounced [t͡ɕʰá.pʰlūː]) or cha phlu (ช้าพลู, pronounced [t͡ Thɕʰáː pʰlūː]) inai; phak i leut or pak eelerd (ຜັກອີ່ເລີດ) in Lao; and pokok kadok in Malay. In Vietnam, the local name of Piper lolot – lá lốt – is applied to P. sarmentosum also.

P. sarmentosum leaves are sold in bunches and are usually eaten raw.

• In Thai cuisine, the leaves are used to wrap miang kham, a traditional snack; they are also one of the ingredients of theKaeng khae curry of Northern Thailand.^[3] The curry is named after these leaves, which are known as khae in Northern Thailand.
• In Laotian cuisine, it is eaten as part of a salad.
• In Malay cuisine it is shredded for ulam, a type of Malay salad.

P. sarmentosum leaves are used in traditional Asian medicines.^[4] Chemical analysis has shown the leaves contain the antioxidant naringenin. Amides from P. sarmentosum fruit have been shown to have anti-tuberculosis and anti-plasmodial activities.

Climbing herb (up to 10 m) long with long runners. The plant has a typical pungent smell.

It has simple, alternate, heart-shaped leaves (7–14 cm by 6–13 cm). Young leaves possess a waxy surface.

It bears small, white flowers in the form of spikes. The fruits are small, black, dry, and with rounded bulges.

 Uses

The plant serves to aid digestion and treat fever. Functioning as an expectorant, the fruits help in bringing up mucus and other material from the respiratory tract. The roots have multiple uses, ranging from treating toothache, coughing, and asthma to treating pleurisy and fungal dermatitis on the feet.                                                                                  (104)

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