Garcinia cambogia is a small, sweet, exotic fruit native to South India and Southeast Asia tat has garnered a lot of attention of late as a popular natural weight loss aid. People have long used the dried Garcinia rinds for chutneys or curries, and sometimes as an aid for stomach problems. But in the late 1960s, scientists identified a substance in the rind of the fruit called hydroxycitric acid, or HCA, which has made it a revolutionary supplement, currently a rage in America, Japan, Europe, and other western countries – ever since it aired on the Dr Oz show in late 2012. Its active ingredient, a derivative of citric acid, called hydrocytric acid or HCA, hinders the work of citrate lyase in the body. Citrate lyase is the enzyme responsible for changing carbohydrates into fatty acids. By halting the carbohydrate conversion process, HCA blocks fat and produces weight loss.

HCA has also been found to be a serotonin booster – this brain chemical regulates mood, appetite and sleep. Elevated levels tend to curb hunger and eliminate food cravings. By lifting depression, serotonin reduces the emotional eating that leads to overweight. But what does Ayurveda say about this fruit?
Garcinia indica also known as Garcinia cambogia (“vrikshamla” in Sanskrit) is mentioned in the ayurvedic “nighantu”-s (or glossaries) as a vata and kapha dosha pacifying dravya or food ingredient. It is known to enhance absorption due to its thermogenic potency; to sharpen the taste buds, clearing away ama or toxic build-up in the oral cavity; and to make the body lighter because it carries the following 3 rasa-s or tastes: amla (sour), katu (pungent) and kashai (astringent). These 3 rasa-s  enhance metabolism in general. More specifically, the amla rasa or sour taste also enhances and supports protein metabolism because it enhances agni in the mamsa dhatu or muscle tissue. In addition, the 3 rasa-s together help clear and unclog the channels too.
Garcinia’s first property is “amla” or sour, and we know that the sour taste is “agneya” or thermogenic. Due to this property, it pacifies kapha in all the 7 “dhatu”-s or tissues. But it also pacifies thirst because it pacifies vata in the stomach, samana vata, as well as in the chest or udana vata. In general, it is a wonderful fruit that balances the entire stomach and all the dosha-s in the stomach, enhancing coordination amongst them all: samana vata, pachak pitta, adn kledak kapha – the 3 principles which support digestion: a) movement of space and air in the stomach; b) enzymatic levels; c) lubrication levels. When the stomach dosha-s are balanced, so many aspects of overall health also follow suit.
But yet another great attribute of this fruit is that it helps produce ama free rasa dhatu, or the very first dhatu or tissue that gets formed after we eat. In general, many health imbalances arise from just this, that an individual makes ama or toxins from the food they ingest. Rasa dhatu is the foundation for all the dhatus, and if it is free of toxins and balanced, all the other tissues that get built on this foundational dhatu or tissue will also be more balanced. In this sense, Garcinia or “vrikshamla” is a very balanced and balancing fruit with unique properties that optimize the healing processes in the body. But modern research has been most interested nowadays in its weight loss properties primarily.
Making ama free rasa dhatu helps to make ama or toxin free rakta  or blood. However, pacifying kapha for all the 7 tissues does not only balance the medha dhatu or fat tissue, but it supports total health. Ayurveda reminds us that for total health we need to consume food ingredients that balance all the dosha-s or tissues, “samadoshaha,” and enhance  metabolism overall in the body (cellular and more) in a balanced way, in Sanskrit “samagnischa.” Garcinia carries these 2 highly desirable properties already. It is because of these that it helps clean the fat tissue and can result in weight loss. It is because it is good for overall total metabolism and a toxin free body that it can help individuals who are trying to detox their fat tissue. And there is an added bonus here as well, because when Garcinia supports the fat tissue, it is also supporting the bone tissue since good fat is food for the bone tissue.
Vaidya’s SVA lineage always recommends that food items be consumed as food, not as capsules with active ingredients isolated – for example consume turmeric as part of your meal, not as a capsule. And the same applies to Garcinia. To achieve the purpose of optimal health or even just weight loss, you need to have a total program including diet and lifestyle. And this involves a very important other ingredient: thakra or buttermilk. In traditional India, in the areas where the use of Garcinia was popular, you would also find that they consumed a lot of buttermilk or lassi. The presence of friendly bacteria only helps to further enhance the benefits of Garcinia.

Thakra or fresh buttermilk
The benefits of friendly bacteria or probiotics have been recognized in Ayurveda for thousands of years. In the SVA lineage they are called yogini-s. Here is a verse from Bhav Mishra’s Bhav Prakash that discusses the properties of thakra or buttermilk:

It’s grahi: so it enhances absorption. That is: it enhances the absorption of minerals and nutrients. It has two main rasa-s or tastes: kashay (astringent) and amla (sour), and its vipak or post-digestive effect is madhur. These properties create lightness in the body, particularly since its potency is warm and it enhances the digestive and metabolic fires. Thakra or fresh buttermilk also increasese the reproductive fluids; it enhances the pranic flow in the cellular system; and it pacifies cellular vata. When people have chronic mal-absoprtion of any kind, it’s the best healthy addition to the diet, because of the unique combination of properties, nurturing yet creating lightness in the body. Vaidya Mishra recommends to make fresh buttermilk by combining 20% fresh yogurt with 80% water (room temperature). Blend for 5 minutes in the blender, take out the foam top, sprinkle Soma Salt to taste. You may also add ¼ tsp toasted cumin seeds or some Mum’s Masala per 16oz of buttermilk.
Make sure to drink only with lunch not dinner. Best is to have a sip and then a bite. The combination of this thakra and Garcinia as a chutney is the best way to balance weight – not just to lose weight, but to maintain a balanced overall weight. Read also Dr Teitelbaum’s article on probiotics in relation to weight loss/balance through the support of probtioics.

This article is authored by Dr. Barbara Davis, MD. Dr Davis has an active practice in Fishers Indiana where she brings together allopathy and ayurvedic knowledge, specifically from Vaidya Mishra’s SV tradition, to address contemporary health issues and concerns. Her practice is called “Mind in Light/Body in Balance, LLC”. For more information or to setup an appointment, contact her clinic at (317)842-5771.

Vaidya Mishra has asked me to outline the benefits of four Ayurvedic herbs that individually and collectively nurture the male physiology: ashwagandha, gokshura, mucuna, and deer antler. Herbs that support the male machine need to support certain energetic principles while balancing those energies with others that are complementary. Students of Vaidya Mishra’s Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA) are familiar with these, but let’s briefly review.

Male physiologies generally have a lot of agni, the heating, activating, energizing, and accomplishing energy in nature. Agni is complemented by soma and marut. Soma is the stabilizing, lubricating, nurturing, cooling, and connecting energy of nature, transformed into kapha and ojas in the physiology. Ojas is the purest and semi-vibrational form of biological intelligence. Marut is the circulating, distributing, managing, and regulating energy of nature. Together, agni, soma, and marut operate as the three sub-energies of prana, the life-supplying vibrational substrate of the material universe.

You’re probably thinking, “Dr. Davis, that’s a lot to absorb in a single paragraph.” True, but we will use these abstract concepts as we now shift to the concrete, beginning with the most common of the aforementioned herbs, known in Sanskrit as ashwagandha and Latin as Withania somnifera.

Ashwagandha
“Ashwagandha” is typically translated as “having the smell (gandha) of a horse (ashwa),” no doubt appealing more to lovers of all things equine than to the rest of us. Vaidya Mishra, as a Sanskrit scholar, takes a fresh look at the etymology of the word by noting that “gandha” also means “character.” In the latter sense, ashwagandha gives us certain characteristics of a stallion, in particular its stamina, endurance, and ability to ramp up the stress it bears to meet the need of the moment. Think of Secretariat, the most famous racehorse ever, and how many of his own records he broke. If you seek your next level of best mentally, physically, and sexually, especially if you are male, ashwagandha could be the right herb for you.

From the standpoint of Ayurveda, ashwagandha is pacifying to vata and kapha, indicating that it is to some degree heating. Perhaps its key benefits physiologically are as a rasayana or adaptogen, a substance that improves the body’s ability to tolerate stress and adapt to new situations, and as a so-called aphrodisiac. Ayurvedic aphrodisiacs, known as vajikarna herbs, increase the strength of the sexual organs and the reproductive tissues. Rather than increasing sexual desire, as some might assume, they give the ability to have fulfilling sexual relations and to be more fertile, though they can also raise libido that has fallen to unhealthy levels. Reproductive tissue is known in Sanskrit as shukra. Ashwagandha creates lots of both the subtle and gross forms of shukra. The subtle form, full of soma, converts to ojas in a healthy physiology. In men, the gross form is semen. Vaidya Mishra’s ashwagandha Herbal Memory Nectar drops and transdermal cream focus mainly on enhancing the subtle form of shukra and moving the herb past the blood-brain barrier.

The six other tissue types defined by Ayurveda are also strengthened and balanced by ashwagandha, most prominently majja, the tissue type related to bone marrow and nerves. Beyond use as an adaptogen or aphrodisiac, indications for ashwagandha include inflammation,1 autoimmune problems (especially vitiligo),2 and tissue emaciation,3 the most extreme form of which is tuberculosis. Because ashwagandha can provoke pitta, contraindications include peptic ulcer, acid stomach, and high blood pressure caused by excess pitta. Authentic Ayurvedic preparations containing ashwagandha have balancing factors or processing to prevent undesirable side effects. It is very important not to use ashwagandha indiscriminately, without proper understanding of its energetics.

Animal research studies point toward future clinical applications such as:

• radiosensitization (for cancer treatment)⁴
• anti-tumor⁵
• anti-lipid peroxidization⁶
• cardioprotective⁷
• nootropic (“smart” drugs)⁸
• Parkinson’s⁹
• anti-dementia¹⁰

Gokshura
“Gokshura,” the Sanskrit name for Tribulus terrestris, translates as “having the shape of a cow hoof.” In some respects, gokshura has related nourishing benefits to ashwagandha and shatavari (a rasayana for women). In fact, men’s rejuvenative formulations commonly contain gokshura and ashwagandha, along with mucuna, which we’ll discuss next. Women’s rejuvenative formulations can contain gokshura as well, but in combination with other herbs more appropriate to female physiologies. Although not technically a vajikarna herb itself, it is useful as a component of a vajikarna formulation in that it increases both the subtle and gross forms of shukra, while also building all the other tissues. In men, this promotes the production of semen as well as ojas.

Apart from its physical value, gokshura is a satvic herb. Satva is the principle in nature of purity, expansion, and evolution; it is the light (consciousness) of the soul, radiating into and enlightening the mind. Vaidya Mishra’s SVA tradition recognizes the primary importance of satva for those on a spiritual path (which is really everyone, whether they yet know it or not). Gokshura brings the light of the soul into the mind. It is also full of soma. Nature has given this herb an unusual property of having the cooling quality of soma alongside the ability to increase the body’s transformative “flames,” ensuring that the soma gets used by the tissues. These qualities help bring balance to the qualities of both ashwagandha and the agni-dominated male physiology when the herbs are used in tandem.

Animal studies indicate gokshura increases testosterone,11 though to date this has not been demonstrated in human males. Nevertheless, Ayurvedic tradition holds that it does increase physical and sexual stamina. Gokshura is thought to support the intelligence of the urinary bladder and of the whole genitourinary tract. Individuals prone toward renal stones can be helped by gokshura, so long as their diet is correct (especially avoiding the nightshade family). In general, gokshura is a great friend to apana vata, the downward, eliminative force in the body, due to its generous helping of soma. The soma restores the dryness caused by acidic toxins in the elimination organs. Constipation, menstrual problems, prostate issues, hemorrhoids, bladder infections, and slow urination all are symptoms of imbalanced apana vata.

Ayurvedic texts tell us that gokshura gives strength to the lungs and blood and is helpful in chronic cough and breathing problems. Also, the heart needs gokshura’s ability to prevent harmful toxins residing in the urinary system from traveling back to it and causing cardiac imbalances. Men are more prone to heart disease, so this is yet another reason for them to use gokshura.

Research studies of gokshura include its role in:

• diabetes mellitus¹²
• antihypertensive¹³
• diuretic¹⁴
• BPH¹⁵
• anti-inflammatory¹⁶
• adaptogenic¹⁷

Mucuna
This herb is known in Sanskrit as kapikacchu and atmagupta. The Latin name is Mucuna pruriens, from which the common name comes. It is also called cowitch and cowage. “Pruriens” comes from the Latin “prurire,” to itch. This refers to mucuna’s itch-provoking pod barbs. Occasionally, that which superficially annoys has a deeper value. This annual climbing shrub provides one of the best rasayanas for the reproductive system.

Mucuna is best known in Western science as containing high concentrations of L-dopa, a precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine and the gold standard in the treatment of Parkinson’s. Ayurveda has long known that mucuna is an effective treatment for Parkinson’s, and modern science can specify why. A small clinical trial in 2004 indicated that mucuna possibly offers a superior benefit to Parkinson’s patients than L-dopa.18 Most notably, primate studies show that mucuna does not induce involuntary movements, compared to conventional medications.19 Despite these encouraging findings, Parkinson’s patients are not advised to use mucuna without the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner. Patients should add SVA protocols—including diet, lifestyle, and other herbal support—as a foundation for success with this herb.

The other primary use of mucuna, as mentioned, is maintenance of reproductive vitality. In this respect, mucuna is often combined with ashwagandha, shatavari, and gokshura. Animal studies and long-term traditional use confirm mucuna’s powerful effects of normalizing sexual dysfunction and erectile problems20 and reversing oxidative stress causing reduced sperm count, motility, and viability.21 Other areas of study include:

• diabetes²²
• anti-tumor²³
• metal chelation²⁴

Deer Antler
The first known use of deer antler as a medicine comes from China. A 2000-year-old Chinese scroll documents 52 diseases responding to it.25 The growing bone and cartilage that develop into deer antlers lie in an unusual zone of biological activity. In general, mammals cannot regenerate complete bodily appendages. Apparently, deer somehow use a stem-cell-based process to regenerate antlers, a mechanism distinct from limb regeneration in amphibians. Despite their enormous growth rate, antlers resist malignant transformation, and this makes them of interest to cancer research.
Traditional uses of deer antler preparations include:

• high blood pressure
• increasing hemoglobin levels
• recuperation from exertion
• glandular health
• inflammatory arthritis
• erectile dysfunction
• menstrual disorders
• enlarged prostate
• raising testosterone levels

Clearly, deer antler has related benefits to ashwagandha, gokshura, and mucuna. It can help both men and women, in that it contains both androgens and estrogens. It also contains enzymes, minerals, vitamins, anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor).

A review of the scientific literature indicates that this complex substance is powerful and poorly understood and must be used with caution. Vaidya Mishra’s bhasma (calcined ash) of deer antler reduces it to a more gentle, non-toxic form that can be used safely in a balanced formula, as part of comprehensively applied SVA.

Conclusion
The outlined herbs are a pharmacopeia unto themselves and deserve much more coverage than the present overview allows. Nonetheless, this quick survey makes an adequate case that combined use of the herbs can provide the male physiology with a significant boost of energy and sexual vigor. Men desiring peak performance in the bedroom and boardroom have an important ally in Ayurvedic herbs coming from antiquity.

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1.  Mishra, L.C., Betsy B. Singh, and Simon Dagenais. “Scientific Basis for the Therapeutic Use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha).” Alternative Medicine Review 5 (2000): 334.
2. Venkata Subbaiah, K.P., and N. Savithramma. “Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Withania somnifera—An Important Ethnomedicinal Herb of Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India.” Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res. 22(1), Sep–Oct 2013; no 40: 216–222.
3. Nagavalli, D., T. Vetrichelvan, N. Gayathri, P. Poongothai, K.P. Sivasankari, and S.V. Vadamalai. “Validation of Ashwagandha Churnam.” Ancient Science of Life 20, no. 4 (2001): 86.
4. Devi, P. Uma. “Withania somnifera Dunal (Ashwagandha): Potential Plant Source of a Promising Drug for Cancer Chemotherapy and Radiosensitization.” Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 34, no. 10 (1996): 927.
5. Mishra et al., “Scientific Basis” 335.
6. Ibid., 339.
7. Mohanty, I., D.S. Arya, A. Dinda, K.K. Talwar, S. Joshi, and S.K. Gupta (2004). “Mechanisms of Cardioprotective Effect of Withania somnifera in Experimentally Induced Myocardial Infarction.” Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 94: 184–190.
8. Tohda, C., K. Komatsu, and T. Kuboyama. “Scientific Basis for the Anti-Dementia Drugs of Constituents from Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) (Chemical & Pharmacological study).” (2005) http://hdl.handle.net/10110/2316.
9. RajaSankar, S., T. Manivasagam, and S. Surendran. “Ashwagandha Leaf Extract: a Potential Agent in Treating Oxidative Damage and Physiological Abnormalities Seen in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease.” Neuroscience letters 454, no. 1 (2009): 11–15.
10. Tohda et al., “Anti-Dementia Drugs.”
11. Hussain, A.A., A.A. Mohammed, H.H. Ibrahim, and A.H. Abbas. “Study the Biological Activities of Tribulus terrestris extracts.” World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 57 (2009): 433–435.
12. Amin, A.M.R., M. Lotfy, M. Shafiullah, and E. Adeghate. “The Protective Effect of Tribulus terrestris in Diabetes.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1084, no. 1 (2006): 391-401.
13. Sharifi, A.M., R. Darabi, and N. Akbarloo. “Study of Antihypertensive Mechanism of Tribulus terrestris in 2K1C Hypertensive Rats: Role of Tissue ACE activity.” Life Sciences 73, no. 23 (2003): 2963–2971.
14. Phillips, O.A., K.T. Mathew, and M.A. Oriowo. “Antihypertensive and Vasodilator Effects of Methanolic and Aqueous Extracts of Tribulus terrestris in Rats.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 104, no. 3 (2006): 351–355.
15. Arora, R.P., R.L. Nayak, V. Malhotra, N.K. Mohanty, and S.K. Kulkarni. “Role of Herbal Drugs in the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Himplasia.” Medicine Update 11 (2003): 55-8.
16. Kamboj, P., M. Aggarwal, S. Puri, and S. K. Singla. “Effect of Aqueous Extract of Tribulus terrestris on Oxalate- Induced Oxidative Stress in Rats.” Indian Journal of Nephrology 21, no. 3 (2011): 154.
17. Shivakumar, H., T. Javed, T. Prakash, R. Nagendra Rao, B.H.M. Jayakumar Swamy, and A.V. Goud. “Adaptogenic Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Tribulus terrestris L.” Journal of Natural Remedies 6, no. 1 (2006): 87–95.
18. Katzenschlager, R., A. Evans, A. Manson, P.N. Patsalos, N. Ratnaraj, H. Watt, L. Timmermann, R. Van der Giessen, and A.J. Lees. “Mucuna pruriens in Parkinson’s Disease: a Double Blind Clinical and Pharmacological Study.” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 75, no. 12 (2004): 1672–1677.
19. Lieu, C.A., K. Venkiteswaran, T.P. Gilmour, A.N. Rao, A.C. Petticoffer, E.V. Gilbert, M. Deogaonkar, B.V. Manyam, and T. Subramanian. “The Antiparkinsonian and Antidyskinetic Mechanisms of Mucuna pruriens in the MPTP-Treated Nonhuman Primate.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012 (2012).
20. Suresh, S., and S. Prakash. “Effect of Mucuna pruriens (Linn.) on Sexual Behavior and Sperm Parameters in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Male Rat.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine 9, no. 12 (2012): 3066–3078.
21. Suresh, S., E. Prithiviraj, and S. Prakash. “Effect of Mucuna pruriens on Oxidative Stress Mediated Damage in Aged Rat Sperm.” International Journal of Andrology 33, no. 1 (2010): 22–32.
22. Majekodunmi, S.O., A.A. Oyagbemi, S. Umukoro, and O.A. Odeku. “Evaluation of the Anti–Diabetic Properties of Mucuna pruriens seed extract.” Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine 4, no. 8 (2011): 632–636.
23. Rajeshwar, Y., M. Gupta, and U. K. Mazumder. “Antitumor Activity and in vivo Antioxidant Status of Mucuna pruriens (Fabaceae) Seeds against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma in Swiss Albino Mice.” Iranian Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics 4, no. 1 (2005): 46–53.
24. Dhanasekaran, M., B. Tharakan, and B.V. Manyam. “Antiparkinson Drug—Mucuna pruriens Shows Antioxidant and Metal Chelating Activity.” Phytotherapy Research 22, no. 1 (2008): 6–11.
25. www.lef.org/magazine/articles/velvet.htm

 

Male health as a medical specialty, or andrology (from the ancient Greek for andros or man, + logia or study), developed only in the late 1960-s. But it has been in place for thousands of years in Ayurveda. Ayurveda has known and used many different herbs, plants, preparations and methods to address ill-being and diseases for men, specially pertaining to the reproductive organs.

The Vedic shastras speak of human objectives or “purusharth:” “dharm, arth, kam, moksh.” These four objectives sum up the pursuits of humans: dharm or ethical duty towards oneself and the collectivity one is born into; arth or pursuit of affluence; kam or pursuit of desire. Kam is usually understood to be carnal desire, and this is not a deviation that leads to the gates of hell, but rather a natural and necessary part of an individual’s evolution towards the final stage of total spiritual liberation, or moksh. In the vedic tradition, the human lifespan is understood in 4 strokes: 1)Brahmachari ashram or early childhood and youth when one is primarily a student in many ways and where one abstains from sexuality; garhasta ashram or the stage of the householder when one is active professionally and personally; vanaprasht ashram or turning away from the “things of this world” to develop a detachment; and sanyas ashram or leading the life of a total renunciant.

Garhasta ashram is about being together with a partner, supporting one other to thrive and to develop through and as a family, inviting new souls into the world, to keep the wheel of evolution going. In this sense, in Ayurveda, the topic of male virility is particularly important, as it goes hand in hand with the continuation of the world as we know it. The Charak Samhita devotes a specific chapter to this topic entitled “Vajikarna.” In this chapter, several approaches are discussed to maintain, cure, and improve male virility. From recipes to the use of single herbs or herbal synergies, different protocols are listed and explained (to learn more on this topic, listen to Vaidya Mishra’s Love and Prana II available on www.chandika.com

In particular, the chapter discusses herbs that carry the following “prabhava”s or ultimate subtle post-digestive and post-absortpion effect: vrishya – increases shukra dhatu or the reproductive tissue; bhringhana – supports all 7 tissues including shukra or the reproductive tissue; vajikarna – increases libido; and rasayana – overall rejuvenative also essential for healthy and graceful aging. The Charak Samhita lists and discusses herbs or recipes that containing any dravya-s or plant materials that carry these properties. Some of these herbs have already been the subject of scientific studies that have confirmed the conclusions of the ayurvedic texts – see Dr. Barbara Davis’ article for the scientific references. Here are some of these herbs that help balance and rejuvenate the male physiology physically, emotionally, and mentally, as discussed in the Sanskrit sutra-s.

Mucuna – also called “kapikachu” in Sanskrit. The seed of the mucuna plant is “vrishya” or increases the reproductive tissue; it has a sweet rasa; it is bhringhana or nourishing to all the 7 tissues, and particularly the reproductive tissue; it can be a little heavy on digestion; bitter in taste; it pacifies vata or the principle of air and space in the body; it increases stamina, pacifies pitta and kapha doshas or principles as well. It is also vajikar or increases libido. It carries all 4 qualities that are needed for male stamina. It is cited by both Bhav prakash and Shodhal.

White Musali is another important dravya or plant. It is sweet, cooling, and vrishya – enhances the reproductive tissue. It supplies nourishment and stamina overall. Due to its slippery properties it supports kapha and pacifies pitta, eliminating inflammation and fatigue.

Gokshura – tribulus: cooling, enhances stamina, sweet, and vhringhani – increases and nurtures all tissues particularly the reproductive tissue. Supports the flow of urine; de-crystalizes urinary stones; cools the urinary system; it’s a rasayana for the genito-urinary tract; enhances stamina; it’s vrishya – nourishes the reproductive tissue.

Ashwagandha: just as famous as Gokshura, it is astringent in taste; pungent; bitter; it pacifies vata and kapha; enhances shukra or the reproductive tissue; enhances stamina; is a well known rasayana.

Shring bhasma: or deer antler calcined ash, has been used by the ancient rishis or seers in so many ways, including the support of male health overall. For more information on this subject, watch Vaidya Mishra’s YouTube video on his SVA Health channel.

Yasad bhasma Zinc calcined ash, is a famed rejuvenative mineral that supports the nerves. It is an essential ingredient for male health as the prostate gland needs ample amounts of zinc to maintain its healthy balance. Watch Vaidya Mishra on YouTube on this topic for more details.

Daily Protocol: with the SVA alternative advanced delivery systems, you can add all these herbs to your daily routine.

Herbal-Memory Nectar Drops are a subtle efficient trans-mucosal way of getting the “intelligence” of these herbs into your physiology safely and effectively.

To 32 oz of high pH spring water, add:

• 3 drops of zinc,
• 3 drops of musli,
• 3 drops of aswhagandha,
• 3 drops VJK

Then take 1 capsule of Tribulus Plus after breakfast, and 1 capsule after lunch.

Crush 1 tablet of Ashwagandha with 2 tablets of Mucuna plus, add to spring water, bring to a boil, filter and drink as a tea after lunch.

Needless to say, to get the full effect and benefits of any of these herbs you will need to keep an optimally fresh and intelligent diet and routine, also keep a balance between rest and activity. Daily self-massage or abhyanga with Vata massage oil with Vit D and magnesium will help nurture and relax the physiology. With a balanced life-style and the “prabhava” of these herbs, you are sure to live according to the tenets of the shastra-s enjoying the most out of each stage of life in accordance with the desires that animate us all humans.