According to Indian mythology, the Haritaki had originated from the Holy Nectar.  When Lord Indra was drinking the Nectar in heaven, a drop fell on the Earth and became a Haritaki plant. So, it is believed that the plant possesses all the medicinal properties of Nectar. Along with Amla and Vibhitaki, Haritaki forms the herbal formula called ‘Triphala’. Triphala is a popular traditional Ayurvedic remedy for a number of chronic disorders including diabetes.

Botanical name: Terminalia chebula
Family: Combretaceae
English name: Black Myrobalan, Chebulic Myrobalan , Indian gall nut , Yellow myrobalan
Hindi name : Harda , Haritaki , Peele Hara

Haritaki is an ever green medium sized to big sized tree.
Leaves: alternate to sub opposite in arrangement, ovalhttp://www.rvita.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6910&sec_id=10&cat_id=-1&mode=research&sub_itemid=3

Vibhitaki in Sanskrit means ‘fearless’. The story goes that this large, deciduous tree was avoided by the Hindus of Northern India as it was supposed to be inhabited by demons. And so, only the fearless ones would go and sit in its shade. Introduced to the West from India by the Arabs, Vibhitaki is one of the most effective rejuvenative and preventive medicine herbs. It is one of the three fruits that are used in preparing Triphala, the well known Ayurvedic formula for detoxification.

Botanical Name: Terminalia bellerica
Family: Combretaceae
English name: Belleric myrobalan
Hindi name: Vibhitaki, Beheda
 
Vibhitaki is a large deciduous tree, 10-12 m or more in height, commonly found in plains and forests and small hills. Its fruits ripen towards November.

 

http://www.rvita.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6912&sec_id=10&cat_id=-1&mode=research&sub_itemid=3

Leaves: alternate, broadly elliptic or elliptic-obovate, clustered towards the ends of the branches, puberulous when young but glabrous on maturity, veins are prominent on both sides.
Flowers: axillary spikes longer than the petiole but shorter than the leaves

Shatavari, meaning ‘a woman possessing hundred husbands’, is a versatile herb used in the Indian traditional healing system to help balance the female hormonal system.  It is also known to promote positive emotions while calming fiery emotions such as hatred, resentment, anger, irritability, and jealousy.

Shatavari is a climbing under shrub with woody stems and recurved or rarely straight spines.
Roots: tuberous and succulent; up to 1 m in length, smooth, tapering at both ends
Young stems: very delicate, brittle and smooth
Leaves: chaffy scales and spines
Flowers: white, fragrant, in simple or branched racemes………..  http://www.rvita.com/index.php?option=com_content&sub_itemid=3&task=view&id=6896&sec_id=10&cat_id=-1&mode=research

Botanical name: Azadirachta indica (Family: Meliaceae - Mahogony family)
English name: Margosa tree, Indian lilac
Hindi name: Neem, Nimb

Ayurvedic practitioners and veterinary medicine practitioners consider the Neem to be a very useful plant for healing and preventing a wide array of conditions. Various parts of the plant – the fruit, the seed, the root, the flower, the bark – are used in India since the days of Vedic civilization.

The margosa tree is medium to large in size, 15 – 20 m in height with a clear bole of 8 m grayish to dark grey tubercle bark.

Garlic is one of those herbs that is always in my kitchen and I seemingly try to incorporate it into all of my dishes whether it calls for that ingredient or not.  I have all different types of garlic in my refrigerator and my pantry- I could probably start my own garlic store, but my favorite is definitely FRESH garlic.  I have tried cooking with all the different types but, none tastes as divine as FRESH.  My first cooking encounter with garlic was probably the first dish that I ever learned how to cook AND cook by myself.  The dish is called Adobo and it is a native Philippino chicken dish. Garlic is one of the main ingredients and I have made this dish several times for friends and family; it has become my signature dish.

Garlic is a SUPER-Herb - it’s medicinal and non-medicinal properties far outweigh any other herb that I know. Humans are considered the SUPERIOR species for many reasons and  Allium sativum has unique constituents that make it SUPERIOR among the herbs.

I will list some of the more impressive, certainly not all, of the many constituents that I found:

    * Allicin- The substance in garlic that is believed to be largely responsible for garlic’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.  This is the odorous factor in garlic
    * Alliin- A sulfur-containing amino acid in garlic from which allicin is made by the action of the enzyme alliinase.  Russian studies ascribed the antibiotic effect of garlic to its alliin content.
    * Diallyldisulphide-oxide- A chemical compound into which allicin is changed in the system.  The essential oil of garlic contains 6% allylpropyldisulphide and 60% diallydisulphide.  The cholesterol- and lipid- lowering effect of garlic is attributed to the presence of this factor.
    * Allithiamine- Garlic is an excellent source of biologically active compounds of vitamin Bı.  Japanese researchers have isolated from garlic a substance, allithiamine, which is formed by the action of vitamin Bı on alliin.  This component has been found to have beneficial therapeutic properties and to be effective in preventing and curing beriberi
    * Selenium- Garlic is an excellent source of biologically active selenium.  Garlic’s anti-atherosclerotic property (preventing platelet adhesion and clot formation) is believed to be due to its high selenium content.  Selenium also normalizes blood pressure and has been shown to protect against infections.

Garlic and Your Health

Garlic has been clinically proven for its preventative and/or therapeutic properties in the treatment of:

    * High blood pressure
    * Atherosclerosis
    * TB
    * DM
    * Arthritis
    * CA
    * Hypoglycemia
    * Bronchitis
    * Asthma
    * Whooping cough
    * Pneumonia
    * Common cold
    * Allergies
    * Intestinal worms
    * Intestinal purification and detoxification
    * Parasitic diarrhea
    * Dysentery
    * Insomnia 

Contraindications

Garlic is not recommended for those planning to have surgery within two weeks of treatment and for those with bleeding or blood clotting disorders.

Caution

Nursing mothers should know that garlic may cause or worsen colic in infants.

Interactions

Garlic has the same effect as NSAIDS, Warfarin (anticoagulant), Ginkgo biloba. Thus lower dosages or none at all should be taken when on these meds/supplements.

More About Garlic

Garlic kills yeast and thus cures a yeast infection.  The trick is to catch the infection in the early stages when you just begin to feel the “tickle of itchiness.”  The treatment consists of inserting an unpeeled clove of garlic at the onset of the infection into the vagina before bed and then removing it the next morning.  The reason stated for the bedtime application was because of a connection between the mouth and the vagina in which the woman would have the taste of garlic in her mouth, thus it might be unpleasant during the day. For the most severe stage (inflamed and sore labia w/ cottage cheese looking discharge), it is recommend to cut the garlic in half and proceed as described above.  For a yeast infection somewhere in between onset and severe, it is suggested to cut a few fingernail slits in a clove and continue with the above treatment. The dosage/ potency is determined by the inside exposure of the clove- uncut = lower and cut in half = highest.  It is not recommended to try a cut piece in a healthy vagina, as it will “burn” the lining.

Garlic and Dracula             

In Hollywood, Dracula by Bram Stoker, is portrayed as a vampire, ablood-sucking, photophobic, supernatural being, with an absolute disgust for garlic.  Thus was born the ancient theory in many cultures that if you keep garlic around your house or around your neck you would ward off evil.  This part of the book went on to say that Dracula was based on a documented person from Transylvania, a land of the eastern Carpathian mountains.  It suggests that these type of people did and still do exist, just not as described in the movies (horrific and supernatural).  These people have a rare disease called Porphyria. “It is caused by a genetic defect or acquired metabolic disturbance, in which the porphyrin synthesis in the blood-generating organs and/or the liver is affected.”  The porphyrin causes extreme light sensitivity, which upon exposure causes skin lesions- this would explain why Dracula was nocturnal.  These patients suffer from many other symptoms, but the one most fascinating to me was the deficiency of iron-containing hemoglobin, the red pigment of the blood, which is of vital importance for oxygen transport.  “The sulfur-containing ingredients of garlic exacerbate the disease.  This would be a very plausible explanation for the legendary preference of Count Dracula and his “Undeads” for fresh blood and his abhorrence of garlic odor.  The blood sucking could possibly be interpreted as a primitive attempt to treat his disease.”

I thought that this was a very interesting take on the whole Dracula “thing” and even if it’s not true it was well thought out and it sounds good to me!