Medicinal Properties

Pepper from Piper Nigrum is one of the oldest and world's most important spice. Black pepper is the dried fruit of Piper nigrum L. Native of Malabar coast of South Western India; pepper is also called the King of Spices.

Pepper is used in certain tonic and rubefacient preparations and also used as flavour ingredient in most major food products including non alcoholic beverages, candies, baked foods, meat and meat products, Cheese, Condiments and relishes.

The fruits are acrid, bitter, carminative, aphrodisiac, diuretic, digestive and stimulant. They are useful for arthritis, asthma, fever, cough, dysentery, dyspepsia and flatulence.

Black Pepper's aromatic, slightly musty odour. Comes from the volatile oil found largely in the flesh and skin and its pungent bite comes from the alkaloids and resins found mostly in seeds. The Oil goes into perfumes and flavouring. The scaring substance has served many purposes. They have been used as carminative, reducing stomach and intestinal gas and have been found to stimulate the activities of the heart and kidneys. Piperine is also an effective insecticide against houseflies and is also used for spraying against different types of pests in garden.

Cube berries, the fruits of a closely related cubeb pepper, P.Cubeba contain substances that have been used as antiseptics, carminative and diuretics. Ground into powder and added to cigarettes, they are smoked in the tropical areas. This variety is grown into tropics since it gives relief from throat inflammation. Oil of Cubeb is a constituent of some throat Lozenges.

Pepper In Ayurvedic And Siddha

Kat Rasa, Kat Vipakam, Ushna Veriyam, Vata Kapha haram, Pitta haram, Tikshnam, Ruksham, Lagu, Dipanam in Swasam, Soolam, Krimi hicca.

Pepper In Unani

The black pepper as a culinary spice and condiment is well known throughout the world. It removes baIgham, carminative, aphrodisiac, used in colic.

The Malabar Pepper is the best and as stimulant and carminative, is prescribed in cholera, dyspepsia, flatulence, diarrhea and various gastric ailments.

A popular unani medicine called JAWA RISHAI THURUSH is used for indigestion and good for curing acidity in stomach, consists of pepper, ginger, embelia, ribes, black salt, rock salt, sodium chloride one palm each, mentha sativae two palms, powdered and mixed with juice of 10 Lemons. Dose: ¼ to ½ tola twice a day.

Black pepper is useful in dyspepsia and flatulence, in doses of 10 to 15 grains of the powder and in haemorrhoids, in the form of confection.

Black pepper is occasionally employed as antiperiodic in obstinate fever either alone or with other drugs preferably quinine. With Calumba and bismuth it is used in dyspepsia and with asafoetida and comphore in flatulency. It is largely used in Cholera Pills. It is a useful ingredient in tooth powder.

The ILAJ-UL-GURBA; a pill is recommended for Syphilis is made by black pepper, root of Calotropis Gigentia and Jaggery. Dose in one such pill twice daily. Eternally it is applied to bowls in the form of paste, also in cases of relaxed sore throat, piles, alopecia and other skin diseases. Strong friction with pepper, onions and salt will make the hair grow again upon the bald patches left by ringworm of scalp.

Powdered black pepper and sesame oil well mixed and heated over a mild fire form an efficient application over the affected parts in case of paralysis.

In Cholera, the following pills were held in high reputation in Bengal; Black Pepper, asafoetida and opium, each 20 grams; beat them well together and divided into 12 pills; of these one was the dose, repeated every hour or every two hours, if required.

For diarrhoea pills containing the same ingredients but in different proportions viz., Two, one, ¼ grams respectively in each pills.

A compound powder consisting of pepper, ginger, long pepper, caraway and rock salt in equal parts is a nice digestive, after food in doses of ½ to one 1 drachmas.

For piles in aged and debilitated persons a confection made of black pepper powder of one ounce; caraway powder 1½ ounces and honey 7 ½ ounces, is useful in doses from one to two drachmas twice or thrice daily.

It proves useful also in cases of old and weak people suffering from descent of the rectum.

For, Jaundice, ILAJ-UL-GURBA recommends a preparation made up of equal parts of black pepper and leaves of Cassia, accidentalis powdered well and mixed with some water. It is to be prepared and taken twice daily. Some recommends a preparation for local application in night blindness; it is prepared out of black pepper, long pepper and Kamila all in equal parts.

An infusion of black pepper (one in 80) forms a useful stimulant gargle in relaxed sore throat and hoarseness dependent there on and in toothache also.

Piperine is given with many benefits in ague, gonorrhoea, haemorrhoids etc. in doses of three to ten grains.

It is also useful for intermittent fever, obstinate intermittent fever and flatulent dyspepsia. The black pepper drug is also used in Scorpion-Sting.

A mixture of a pinch of pepper powder and a quarter teaspoon of common salt is an excellent dentifrice. Their daily use prevents dental caries, foul breath, bleeding from the gums, painful gums and toothaches.

Fenugreek Remedies

The use of Fenugreek in food is well known. In India use of this spice as a medicine is many centuries old. From generation to generation, the practice continues. The continuous use is the best proof of the credibility of Fenugreek for medical applications.

Here are a few tips in Cosmetics

a) For Dandruff : Fenugreek seeds made into a paste could be applied over the scalp. Leave it for an hour, then wash and dry. This could cure dandruff (Ref : "Natural Home Remedies got Common Ailments" - by H. K. Bakkhrup)

b) Application on the head helps the growth of hair and prevents hair fall.

c) Fenugreek seed flour is used as a poultice to inflamed parts and is applied on the skin as a cosmetic. (Ref: Indian Materia Medica - Dr. K. M. Nadkami - vol.ll P. 1240 - 1243)

d) Fenugreek extracts are used in certain perfume bases as well as in soaps, detergents, creams and lotions with maximum use level of 0.2% reported in perfumes. (Ref: Encyclopedia of Common natural ingredients used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics - 2nd edition page 243 - 246)

e) For Acne: A paste of Fenugreek leaves applied over the face over night before going to bed could help in preventing pimples and black heads.

How to clear a sore throat

Powder cardamom seeds. Take a bit of cinnamon. Boil both spices in water. Add salt when water comes to the boil. Filter this well, and use for gargling. Brings instant relief to sore throats and prevents further infection.

A daily health food

For the past 65 years I've been eating cardamom mixed with honey at least once daily. They say it improves eyesight, strengthens the nervous system and keeps one healthy. I'm eighty now, I read without glasses, walk without a stick and am disgustingly healthy. Like all those other home remedies, I think this one also works.

SPICY REMEDIES

CARDAMOM

Uses in Unani

Checks nausea, vomiting, headache, refrigerant, liquifies matter, resolvent, cardiac stimulant, absorbs moisture, expels wind, helps digestion, hepatic colic (Therapeutic use).

A compound powder in Ayurvedom [traditional Indian medicine] is famous and known as Eladi Choornum.

It has been used In India for 1000 years as a digestive remedy.

Eases stomach pain, carminative, aromatic, warming digestive stimulant and antispasmatic It has a lasting reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Cardamom is aromatic, stimulating and refreshing. It also enkindles digestive fire. It refreshes the mind and is a heart stimulant, is slightly astringent, sweet and little pungent. It relieves gas.

Cardamom is a stimulant and it cools the body in extreme heat and that it aids digestion.

Cardamom is used against urine retention and stomach disorders.

Pharmaceutical preparations are eladi-choorna, eladi arishtaa, eladi gulika, eladya-modak, eladl-kwath, lavanabhaskar-churna, talisadi-churna, sitopaladi churna, pippalay-asav, ashtanga lavara, khadirarista, chandanadi-vati and chandraprabuvati.

TURMERIC

Turmeric [Curcuma longal] is exceedingly useful in the treatment of Meha (obstinate urinary disorders including diabates mellitus). Turmeric is beneficial in the treatment of measeba.

Stimulates secrtion of bile, anti inflammatory, eases stomach pain, antioxidant and anti bacterial.

When applied to skin and exposed to sunlight, turmeric is strongly antibacterial.

Turmeric improves the action of the liver and is a traditional remedy for jaundice in both Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine.

To ease liver complaints and ulcers turmeric is used.

Turmeric is aromatic, mild digestive and in Asian countries it is taken to ease liver complaints and stomach ulcers.

In India, the powdered rhizome is commonly administered as an agent that rids the body of parasitic worms.

Used as a cleanser

Pharmaceutical preparations are Haridra-khand, chandraprabha-vati, laghuvis-garvataila, pippalesav, punarnava mondus, sudarson churna, videngadi lep.

A fresh Juice from the rhizome or a paste prepared from turmeric or decoction is often used as a local application as well as internally in the treatment of leprosy, snake bite, vomiting associated with pregnancy and the offlicluis of liver.

In case of smallpox and chickenpox, turmeric is applied as a powder or as a paste to facilitate the process of scabing.

Turmeric powder is alum powder are mixed in a proportion of 1 to 20 and this is blown in to the ear which is having a chronic discharge or otorrhoea.

It is used by the Unani practitioners to expel phlegm or kapha, opening out the blood vessels to improve blood circulation.