Yes, we do know: calcium is a mineral necessary for life – our bodies need it in large quantities to build and keep our bones – and teeth – strong and healthy.  But did you know that calcium also helps our blood clot? In addition, it is necessary to nourish our nerves so they can send chemical signals and messages along the neural pathways. Also: it helps our muscles contract.

We need calcium, but we have to make sure the calcium we ingest gets absorbed and used up. If you are supplementing calcium but your body is unable to assimilate it – either because you are taking too much or the kind you are taking is “dumb,” then you will end up having calcification. Calcification is the accumulation of calcium salts in a bodily tissue.  Calcium molecules travel through the bloodstream, they are carried by every cell, therefore, calcification can occur in almost any part of the body. Usually, excess calcium gets deposited in the bones, but you can also find it stored abnormally in soft tissues. This buildup can harden and disrupt our body’s normal processes: calcification can form stones in various shapes and sizes in the body, the most common being gall stones and kidney (urinary) stones.  Our arteries can calcify as well resulting in hardening; the hardening of the arteries is associated with high blood pressure conditions.

In my SVA lineage, we address calcification with Kulthi! Kulthi is a lentil that grows on hard rocky soil in the Himalayan Mountains. My father used to explain that it has the power, the intelligence, to break down calcified formations in our bodies.

The ayurvedic rishis knew well the health benefits of kulthi. In the Raj Nighanthu, we read:

This verse explainthat kulthi has:

svād: good taste;

śūlanāśinī:  Sul means ‘pain’ – it can help in colic pain, mild colic pain in the stomach, by helping clear channels clogged with ama.

arśanāśinī: light and channel opening, eliminates unwanted materials from the physical channels; can thus help with hemorrhoids;

vibandhādhmānaśamanī: Two actions are indicated here: helps if there is a tendency towards mild constipation; and opens channels to help samana vata of the stomach move freely as it should;

cakṣuṣyā: Because it is channel opening and carries a lot of nutrients; it helps with the health and longevity of chakshu, the eyes.

vraṇaropaṇī:  It clears and detoxes the circulatory channels and thus helps any wound or ulcer receive more prana, which may help heal ulcers and wounds.

The Carak Samhita says the prabhava or ultimate effect of Kulthi is ashmarinashan. Ashma means ‘stone’ and Ari means ‘enemy.’ When calcium-bound micro-molecules in the body start accumulating to form a stone, those molecules behave like an enemy.   This is why gallstones and urinary stones are called ashmari.  The ultimate effect or prabhava of Kulthi is therefore known to be ashmarinashan – destroying the enemy, destroying the stones – or any other type of calcification that acts in a hostile manner.

To really appreciate the wonderous work this little lentil does, let’s take a deeper ayurvedic look at the process of calcification.  My father used to explain this process in terms of imbalances in the sandhi, or gap, or in relation to the dhatu agni of the bone tissue – the asthi-agni.  Whenever asthi-agni is  compromised, that is, it can be either: low (manda), high (tikshna), or variable – sometimes low sometimes high, (vishama), the absorption and transformation of calcium goes into trouble, and then calcium goes unused, and starts the calcification process.  Why does the agni in the bone tissue gets compromised in the first place? If/when you consume synethetic, or heavy, or too much fat, your body is unable to process it, then you make ama, toxic build-up, in your fat tissue. Toxins from the fat get deposisted in the fat tissue. Since the fat tissue constitutes the raw material for asthi or the bone tissue, if it is impaired and not functioning well, then the bone tissue will also get impaired. The toxic build-up from the fat tissue gets transmitted to the bone tissue and puts out and imbalances the dhatu agni of the bone tissue. It’s that simple.

So when you are also ingesting unintelligenct calcium made from a bad source – many calcium supplements in the market nowadays are made from eggshells, bone meal, and all kinds of materials which should not be ingested – then you are making the situation worst. If you asthi agni is already compromized, and you are also ingesting bad calcium that is getting deposited further in your bone tissue, you are supporting further calcification. This is one reason that in spite of high calcium supplementation, many women not only still experience poor bone health, but further inflammatory conditions and problems.

As always, I recommend that you EAT what your body needs. That is, if your body needs calcium, try to eat calcium-rich foods before thinking about supplementing. No medicine is needed if you maintain a balanced diet made of fresh intelligent foods. However, if things have gone too far to correct through just food, and calcium supplementation is necessary, then I recommend either my Soma Cal Capsules and/or my Soma Cal HMN (drops.)

Soma Cal is made exclusively from coral calcium branches that are sustainably harvested and ecologically grown. The coral is gathered from ‘above the sea’ coral calcium, not dredged up from under the sea.  For one, this method is more eco-friendly.  Second, due to concerns of radiation contamination, the coral branches we use are sourced from the Caribbean, not Okinawa – a primary source of commercially used coral.

But you should also know that there is more to calcification conditions. Calcification that results from over-supplementation is not the end of the story.  Garvisha (xenobiotics) from pesticides; chemical fumes you may be exposed to in your car, or in house-cleaning products; preservatives you may be consuming through your food; heavy metals (in your tooth fillings); or amavisha, reactive toxic junk that may be sitting in your own body from years of poor detox; all these can fuse with the unused calcium in your body and form virulent toxic crystals.

Garvisha, or exogenous toxins, carry a vikasi property, that is: they easily cross the gaps of the dhatus to quickly reach the deepest tissues, including asthi dhatu, or the bone tissue.  These toxic crystals, particularly those created from consuming ‘dumb’ calcium, or lack of proper agni or proper transformation, in the bone tissue bind together and result in a great problem.  Sometimes they get deposited in the physical bone or they float in the bone tissue, creating osteopenia or osteoporosis by hindering the proper formation of the bones.  This toxic brew of ama and calcium can also wind up in our feet as gout, or in our fingers as hard bumpy arthritis nodules, or harden our arteries and glands.

Be careful about what goes in your body. When you brush your teeth with chemically preserved toothpaste, for example, the toxins absorbed from your oral mucosa can reach the bones and crystallize with undigested or partially transformed calcium. These xenobiotics can even cross the intelligent barriers of the dhatus and go to majja dhatu or the bone marrow.  When toxic build-up occurs in the bone tissue, cancer or auto-immune related diseases can happen.

Even on its own terms, untransformed calcium can cause gall stones, renal stones, and deposit anywhere else in the body.  In my SVA practice, I often recommend that people age 40 and above consume Kulthi twice a week to disintegrate any possible micro crystals floating in their body. Or to do so if anyone has even a remote tendency to have less asthi-agni. When used correctly and regularly, the kulthi lentil can perform miracles.

My colleague and SVA practitioner, Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum, has been recommending this to her patients for several years. Here is what she had to say about it:

I love these lentils – Vaidya had taught me how to use them first to break up kidney stones. My first case history using them for breaking up kidney stones was in a 60-year-old man who had an extremely large stone. His doctors warned him that it was going to be extremely painful when he passed it. He came to me to see if there was anything he could do to shrink it. I put him on a regimen of kulthi lentils for 3 months. Then he went back and had an ultrasound and the stone was completely gone! 

How Kulthi Breaks the Rocks of Calcification

Kulthi grows in very sunny areas, so it inherently carries a lot of the energy of the sun. It also grows in rocky areas, and is endowed with the ability to break the calcified crystals of amavisha and garvisha, helping clean and clear the circulatory channels and resulting in overall good health.  Kulthi does this by its ashmarinashan prabhava, which increases the asthi-agni, restoring it to its fully functional intelligence.

This action helps in two ways:  If someone is or has been eating dumb calcium, Kulthi lentils can disintegrate and help pull out the unused calcium.  Or, if someone is eating good calcium but has an imbalance in asthi-agni, kulthi can help correct that imbalance.  Even people eating calcium-rich food must still have great asthi-agni to transform that calcium.  Kulthi increases the agni of the bone tissue and disintegrates deposited calcium.  In this way, kulthi nourishes the bones, breaks existing calcifications, and even hinders new formations from occuring.

Kuthi – A Superfood in Its Own Right

I’ve been recommending kulthi to all who come to see me with calcification problems, and they’ve been experiencing great results. However, since it was hard to procure on the market, I decided to make it available through www.chandika.com In addition, since kulthi can also be hard to cook, I’ve decided to give different options to make it palatable and easy to prepare. Let’s talk about that power and how to prepare and use my delicious and nutritious SVA Kulthi, Kulthi Vadis, and my newest Kulthi products – Kulthi Instant Vegan Protein Powder & Kulthi Split Lentils.  

Many SVA clients are already decalcifying their bodies and enjoying the nutty flavor of my wild-crafted Kulthi Dhal.  Kulthi is quite nourishing as well and a good addition to anyone’s diet. It has a very low glycemic index and very few calories. It enhances the digestive fire or pachak agni and the dhatu agnis, making sure that no ama or semi-digested material is formed.  It also provides a good source of vegetarian protein.  On top of that, Kulthi can assist with weight loss or the maintenance of optimal weight, especially when cooked with one of my Garcinia Masalas.  Kulthi owns an excellent nutritional profile.  We might as well just call it an undiscovered ‘Superfood.’

For 100 grams of kulthi lentil, this is what the nutritional contents look like:

 

Kala Channa – Your Other Superfood!

Speaking of Superfoods, I have to also remind you about the amazing nutritional benefits of kala channa, or black chickpeas. I recently launched my Instant Vegan Protein Powder  made from specially processed kala channa – black chickpeas. This high-protein powder for shakes, smoothies, or sprinkling on food is much like Kulthi an amazing addition to any diet, and carries all the properties of a Superfood. I specifically want to mention it here because it also helps build strong bones (calcium), build blood (iron), form strong muscles (protein), fortify immunity (iron and folic acid), and provide a great dietary supplement for everyone.  It’s particularly nutritious and supportive for anyone with auto-immune or blood sugar metabolism problems.

Nutritional Profile and Facts per 100 grams of Kala Channa

•    Carbohydrates: 45 grams

•    Protein: 15 grams (30 percent of daily value) 

•    Calories: 2260 (‘Clean’ calories)

•    Sugar:  9 grams (Very minimal sugar)

•    Glycemic Index: Seven  to eight (A perfect glycemic index)

•    Fat:  0% (Fat only in whole lentil. Removed in roasting process).

•    Dietary Fiber:  12 – 18 grams.  (A great source of dietary fiber and pre-biotic)

•    Potassium 477 mg (14% of daily value)

•    Sodium:  300 mg

•    Ratio of Sodium to Potassium:  Idea ratio of these vital minerals

•    Iron: 4.7 mg (28% daily value. Essential for hemoglobin and tissue oxygenation)

•    Calcium:  80 mg  (8% daily value)

•    Folate:  282 micrograms (71% daily value. Helps prevents birth defects; boost immune system; very essential trace mineral.)

 

SVA Guidelines for Consuming Kulthi

In India, Vaidyas traditionally recommend kulthi lentils for gallstones, kidney stones, and other calcifications.  But Kulthi should not be eaten more than 2 x weekly, and it is best to eat it along with binders (okra, taro root, arrow root, barley, etc.). The SVA logic is that once the calcifications disintegrate we need to bind the micro toxins so they come out safely and fully.   This recommendation is mandatory with whole Kulthi, especially in known conditions.  In a heavy dose or with frequent use, whole Kulthi can break the stones rather quickly.  Disintegrated stones can have sharp edges, which can damage the srotas or physical circulaory channels as they pass through and out of the body.

Because of this, I thought about making two additional kulthi products that can be eaten safely – in proper quantity – on a daily basis: SVA Organic Mung Kulthi Vadis and Kulthi Instant Vegan Protein Powder. This is the safest ways to consume this lentil and still get all the benefits.

Kulthi Instant Vegan Protein Powder – For Safe, Daily Use

I am very happy to introduce to you my latest SVA product, the Instant Kulthi Detox Protein Powder. I have taken wildcrafted Kulthi lentils and carefully dry roasted them, de-husked them, and stone-ground them.  Pre-roasting makes the Kulthi lighter and easier to digest, without losing its pranic energy or ashmarinashan prabhava.  With a rich and distinctive nutty flavor, this powder gives the properties and benefits of whole Kulthi without any hassle.  It does ZERO cooking.  Mix in with some water and drink; or sprinkle and mix 2 TBSP per person on your vegetables, or soups or any broth, after cooking.  Unlike whole kulthi, this powder can be consumed daily because I reduced the inherent heat by soaking the lentils in water for 24 hours.  After the water is discarded, I steam clean, dry roast, and remove the husk, which also carries more agneya or heating properties.  This unique process retains the effectiveness while giving greater safety.  For maximum benefit, consume daily but do not exceed 4 tablespoons per day.

Instant Kulthi Vegan Protein Powder Recipes

Shortly after getting the powder from India, I experimented in my kitchen and came up with some tasty and fast recipes. You can also make up your own and email us.

1) Kulthi with Cabbage. Add shredded cabbage to a pan, add a little sesame oil, fine chopped ginger, green chilies (optional) and Soma Salt.  Stir and cover to capture the aroma.  Cook over medium to low heat for about ten minutes.  (Stir again while cooking.) Keep it a little crunchy.  Remove from heat and sprinkle on Kulthi powder, two tablespoons per person.  This dish comes out so flavorful, like a Chinese stir fry – minus the soy and garlic!

2) Kulthi Hummus. A creamy spread that looks and tastes just like hummus, but is better than hummus! Combine two tablespoons of this powder with two tablespoons of my original Instant Vegan Protein Powder. Now add one tsp. of fresh lime juice, Soma Salt per taste, Virgin Olive oil ½ tsp, and one-half tsp of grated ginger.  Mix in water to thicken and give texture.  Or, make a pro-biotic version by mixing with freshly made yoghurt.  Eat as is or as a spread with some crackers or bread.

3) Kulthi Protein Patties.  Make a very thick paste with Kulthi powder, a little olive oil and Soma Salt.  This will give you a nutty tasting protein patty.  To make it tastier (though not necessary) put it in a toaster for a few minutes and serve warm.

4) Kulthi & Rice. Of course, you can get the benefits of Kulthi just by sprinkling the powder on rice with Mum’s Ghee and Soma Salt.  Be sure to mix well.  This will give your rice a delicious, nutty flavor.  You can put original Instant Vegan Protein Powder on your rice as well.

5) Kulthi Instant Beverage. Mix your powder, water, Soma Salt and drink it the instant way.  To make it tastier, blend with lime juice and chopped cilantro leaf.  Gives instant energy. Best way to make when traveling. You can alternately add some yoghurt with the water to make a protein lassi!

Kulthi powder goes great on savory (sour and salty) dishes.  But, it does not go with or taste good with sweet dishes.  For sweet dishes (including use in milk) use my Instant Vegan Protein Powder – made with ground and roasted black chickpeas.

Mung & Kulthi Vadis (Regular & Spicy)

Here is a quick, easy, nutritious way to introduce protein from lentils to your diet with ‘vadi’ – pronounced ba-ree.  A vadi is a ‘lentil dumpling’ popular in North India. It adds a unique texture and flavor to any meal or as a stand-alone. It is light yet highly nutritious.  A safe and delicious way to detox and get your protein intake, the Mung and Kulthi Vadis are more specific for maintaining proper calcium metabolism. You can combine them with your vegetables and protein, in soups or broths, or just eat alone in broth.  They go very well with louki (an indian squash that can be purchased from Indian or Asian grocery stores, sometimes also called “opo”) but these vadis make all dishes delicious!

•    Mung and Kulthi Vadi: 80% Organic Mung and 20% Wild-Harvested Kulthi, Organic Turmeric Powder, & Soma Salt

•    Spicy Mung and Kulthi Vadi: 50% Mung with 50% Kulthi, along with Mum’s Masala, Thai chilies, and traces of Asafoetida and Black Salt for deeper detox.

Cooking Instructions:  Place 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of vadis in a dry pan, stir and toast until color turns golden and aroma is released. Add Mum’s Ghee or the oil of your choice, add the spices of your choice (cumin seeds, ginger, curry leaves, or Mum’s Masala).  Mix well, then add 1/2 cup water. Cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until soft. Your vadis with broth are ready to serve. You may add fresh squeezed lime and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. You may also add vegetables or protein to your vadi.  Add these just before adding the water to make the broth. If you are adding paneer, it will not need additional cooking time; however, chicken will need to be precooked or pre-steamed. Vadis also go great with rice or quinoa. Learn more about Mung and Kulthi Vadi and how to prepare them on my YouTube channel.

Wild-Crafted Kulthi Dhal (Black and Brown)

I have two types of whole Kulthi – Black & Brown.  Black Kulthi is very rare and has more minerals and a slightly different nutty flavor.  This Kulthi is very powerful.  I recommend this one for people who have a known problem, especially long-standing problem, of calcification.  Brown Kulthi is also powerful, but more appropriate for on-going consumption.  Consequently, neither of these dhals should be eaten more than 2 x weekly and no more than 2 tablespoons at a time per person.

Whole Kulthi takes lots of time to cook because of its hard rocky nature. In order to remedy this, dry toast it in a pan, grind in a coffee/spice grinder, then soak overnight.  Cook the next day.  You don’t have to grind it before each use.  Grind and toast a large quantity, store in a glass jar, and remove a portion for each use.

Don’t eat Kulthi alone.  It’s too powerful.  It’s always best to cook 50% Kulthi with 50% mung or masoor lentils along with any recommended or desired spices.  Combining Kulthi with the other lentils is a samyog (intelligent combination) that minimizes the potential to over-heat the bone tissue -asthi dhatu.

Your dhal will need at least 45 minutes cooking time in 32 ounces of water. (About 20 – 30 minutes in pressure cooker.)  Always cook with one teaspoon per person coriander powder, some Mum’s Ghee, and add Soma Salt per taste at the end.  Coriander will pull out toxins through the urinary system and Mom’s Ghee will smooth the micro particles of calcification (and any toxins released) and lubricate the channels.

Ingredients: Wild-Crafted whole Kulthi lentils (Black & Brown)

Directions: Use only two tablespoons of Kulthi per person.  Mix with vegetables, soups, broths, on rice, etc.  Consume only 2 x weekly.

Kulthi Split Lentils

This is a new product, also useful – but more convenient – when a person has a specific calcification condition and for on-going consumption.  It is split, pre-toasted, and de-husked.  It saves preparation time; and because it has no husk, it cooks faster – about 20 minutes.  But, the cooking directions are basically the same as above.  Use the same amount of water, as it’s best taken a little soupy.  Please note that neither the split lentils nor the whole lentils will become totally mushy.  No matter how much you cook them, they will be crunchy in the middle.  This is normal.

Ingredients: Wild-Crafted brown Kulthi pre-toasted, de-husked, and split.

Directions: Use only two tablespoons of Kulthi per person.  Mix with vegetables, soups, broths, on rice, etc.  Consume only 2 x weekly.

Kulthi with Garcinia Masala (Excellent for Weight Loss & Maintenance)

Another way to use Kulthi Dhal is cook it with Garcinia, the ‘holy grail of weight loss.’  You can use it this way to lose or maintain your weight.  To make this easy for you, I formulated three different Garcinia Masalas (spice mixes): Vata, Pitta and Kapha. In weight gain situations, shleshaka kapha typically goes high.  But sometimes due to channel blockage, vyana vata can go high; and due to a hot liver and hot stomach, pitta can go high too.  That’s why I made three kinds of Garcinia Masala.  Choose accordingly the Vata, Pitta or Kapha masala.

Simply cook either your whole Kulthi (Black or Brown) or your Kulthi Split Lentils as previously described.  You simply modify those recipes by adding ½ tsp. your choice of SVA Garcinia Masala.  Besides helping with weight loss or maintenance, Kulthi with Garcinia Masala tastes incredible!

So to wrap things up, calcification is quite common, and while it may not always cause major stone formations, in the big picture, it does impact our health.  Eating highly nutritious Kulthi not only supports the body’s calcium metabolism, it’s also great for our energy and daily requirement of essential nutrients. Here’s to your health – enjoy!

Precautions: Whole Kulthi and Kulthi Split Lentils – Do not consume more than 2 x weekly and not more than 2 tablespoons per serving in a day.  The Kulthi Vegan Protein Powder can be taken daily up to 4 tablespoons.  Anyone with a known or recurring calcification condition is advised to first consult with their primary medical provider. Do not give any of the Kulthi products to children 10 years or younger.

Disclaimer:
These products and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or compliment medical advice.

 

 

How do I, as an ayurvedic expert, determine on ayurvedic grounds, which foods to include and which to avoid in our daily diet, specially when they are not mentioned in the Charak Samhita?

More than anything else, health is all about what you eat. And don’t eat. Particularly in SV Ayurveda. I receive a lot of questions about new food trends, such as the superfoods: Goji berries; Chia seeds; Flax seeds; Kombucha. But I also repeatedly get questions about what I tell people not to eat: the infamous 4 members of the nightshade family – tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and bell-pepper; and onion and garlic. There seems to be growing confusion about whether or not these are good for you. Whether they should be consumed, a little, or not at all. The situation gets a little trickier because the main sourcebook of Ayurveda, the Charak Samhita, does not talk about all or some of these items, since they were not used or eaten in those days. For example, tomatoes. You probably know that tomatoes were introduced into modern culture only a few hundred years ago, and that at a very slow rate, since they were originally known to be toxic and non-edible. In my SVA linage, in Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda, I still strongly advise against consuming them even though they are an essential ingredient in every single cuisine of the world. They have also been adopted by Ayurveda – recipes and cookbooks casually call for the use of tomatoes.

On the other hand, there are some ingredients that are mentioned in the ancient ayurvedic texts, but are not meant for daily consumption. For example: onion and garlic. The chemical make-up of garlic and onion gives them great therapeutic properties for specific chronic conditions. But they are not meant for daily use. I will further elaborate on how and why, on solid ayurvedic grounds.

Ayurveda gives us tremendous tools for understanding the impact that food, and food ingredients can have on our physiology, through the study of their properties. This is not about nutritional content etc, it’s about the:

1. rasa – therapeutic properties through taste;
2. guna – effect in the stomach;
3. virya – impact on the liver;
4. vipak – post-digestive effect after it gets absorbed in the colon; and
5. prabhava – ultimate effect on the mind/body complex – includes all aspects of health beyond the physical, but that operate from the physical level. The prabhava of a plant is what is felt on the subtle body/mind complex, but it emerges from the actual physical properties and make-up of the plant.

In Ayurveda, because of this in-depth understanding of a dravya or raw material, even toxic ingredients can be processed through the protocols of cleansing, called Nirmali karan, and the protocol of making an item into a rejuvenative product, or Amriti karan. But it is important to be able to identify the properties, specially if they are not found in the classical texts. But Ayurveda makes provisions for that. Ayurveda remains pertinent to us today, even though we are so far removed from it not only chronologically, but historically and culturally. Ayurvedic principles adapt to changing times even as life evolves, because its basic underlying principles are universal. As the expressions goes, “there’s nothing new under the sun,” there can be nothing new to Ayurveda, when you are well steeped in the in-depth knowledge that it gives you and empowers you with.

A knowledgeable vaidya knows how to discover and determine the gunas, or properties, of new ingredients, in order to decide whether an item is healthy for consumption or not. A few centuries ago, Bhav Mishra was one such scholar of Ayuveda. His book, the Bhava Prakash, is part of the minor canon of ayurvedic texts. He helped adopt and identify many new dravyas or ingredients into Ayurveda, that only existed in foreign lands. Another more recent eminent scholar of Ayurveda, P.V. Sharma, created new verses, in Sanskrit, to list the properties of new ingredients or dravyas not found in the ayurvedic pharmacopeia. A good example for this is the plant Digitalis purpurea L., used for heart disease. It has come to be known as “hrit patri.” It was adopted by Bhav Mishra – he talks about it in his Bhava Prakash Nighantu (materia medica) part 1 – page 825, (published by chokamba)

In his Dravyaguna Vigyan, part 2, PV Sharma (published by Chokamba – 1952), we find on pages 203-206, further elaborations on the Digitalis plant.

Another dravya new to Ayurveda was Marshmallow root also adopted by Bhav Mishra. Bhav Mishra identifies the plants guna-s or properties, determining it to be safe and effective for ayurvedic use. P.V. Sharma further elaborates upon the Marshmallow root, Althaea officinalis. Marshmallow root is now called “khatmi.” P.V. Sharma completes the work started by Bhav Mishra, but adding a verse on “khatmi:”

Did you know that even licorice, highly used in Ayurveda, is not indigenous to India? It was adopted from “foreign land.” It appears in the Charak Samhita and is identified as having come from foreign land. Bhav Mishra elaborates on it further. In the Bhav Prakash Nighantu, page 65, Bhav Mishra uses the word “klitakam” for licorice – something that came from out-of-the-country.

Studying foreign plants in order to determine whether they should be adopted or not is not a new prarctice in Ayurveda. But we should study them. We do not simply adopt them. We need to determine the properties of the dravya, to understand whether they will be safe and beneficial, or toxic for consumption. In addition, whether they are approved for daily consumption. Or only for thereapeutic medicinal use. And this point is crucial. Lack of discrimination in this context is what has led us to adopt ingredients only meant for therapeutic use, as daily edible ingredients. For example, garlic. But more about this later. Let’s look at this very important distinction first: ahar, or food, vs aushadhi or medicinal?

 

Ahar vs Aushadhi Dravya

In Ayurveda, we classify dravyas or materials, as ‘ahar dravya’ or ‘aushadhi dravya’. Ahar dravya is what constitutes our daily food: rice, lentils, vegetables, fruits, milk, ghee, etc. Things we need to consume on a daily ongoing basis for nourishment.

Aushadhi ahar, or aushadhi dravya, on the other hand, is medicinal food. These are foods used only on occasion for therapeutic purposes to correct imbalances or nourish in specific ways. This is the point that I try to make to people all the time: the nightshade vegetables fall in this category. Yes, it is true that scientific research has isolated active ingredients that are health promoting. However, this is not sufficient, because they carry other properties that are toxic. For example, Curaderm is a brand name cream with claims to heal non-melanoma type skin cancers. The active ingredient in this cream is reported to have  been extracted from the eggplant. Another example: the antioxidant activity of lycopene – found in tomatoes – and its use in cancer prevention and cardiovascular disease, have been widely documented. But this does not mean that we should consume them daily. Even at all. Let me explain why.

Let’s look further into this category of aushadhi vs ahar dravya-s or materials. Ahar itself also carries 2 sub-categories: 1) pure ahar or food; and 2) medicinal diet or aushadhiya ahar. In this categories, for example, you will find the spices. Or onion and garlic also fall under this category – more about these ingredients further down in this article.

How do you determine which material falls under which category? The catgorization for food is based primarily on the rasa property, or the property of taste, for food. Food heals through the 6 tastes. This is how you determine if a dravya should be a daily dravya or not.

Dravyas whose action is based on the remaining properties, guna, virya, vipak, prabhava, are known to be aushadhi dravyas, or therapeutic materials. Not to be consumed daily.

 

The Deadly Nightshades

My SVA lineage never strayed from the teachings of the Charak Samhita. This is our reference manual. Some of my patients and colleagues have pointed out that the nightshades (with the exception of the eggplant) were ‘imported’ from the Western world and were unknown to Charak, therefore they should be ok to use. So why is it that SVA recommends against eating them on a regular basis when they are not even found in the original texts? More importantly, how do we know to avoid them?

As I explained above, even though the Charak Samhita may not list them, the text nevertheless gives us the basic foundations and tools to understand any dravya (substance) no matter where it is from. The Charak Samhita also teaches us how to evaluate and determine the properties of new items, and their bio-chemical effects on our body, helping us determine whether we should consume them regularly, as food items, or occasionally as medicine, or not at all – unless they undergo processes of transformation.

Modern science proves the wisdom of the Charak Samhita, as well as other ayurvedic shastras. Even though it comes at it from a different angle. It is scientifically known that these plants from the nightshade family contain many neuro-toxins: nicotine, atropine, solanine, scopolamine, amongst others. What do these substances do? For one, they are addictive. But they also carry another property which makes them even more toxic: they travel very quickly in the body, finding short cuts where needed, in order to bypass the body’s normal metabolic pathways. In other terms, these toxic plants and fruits spread their toxicity even quicker all over the body.

When talking about the nightshade family members (specifically: eggplant, bell-pepper, potato, and tomato) we highlight two significant prabhavas (specific actions/effects) of the nightshades plant members: Vyavāhī and Vikāsī. These prabhavas, or properties, are also carried by dravya-s that also have nicotine, and similar chemicals. Such as tobacco. Or opiates. Here, pay attention, we are reversing the formula and going Science to Sutra, to help us determine the edibility of ingredients uncategorized by the Charak Samhita. Let’s look at the first prabhava according to the Adarsh Nighantuh, where Bapa Lal talks about bhang (cannabis) – incidentally, tobacco is also a nightshade and carries this prabhava as well.

व्यवायी
vyavāyī
पूवर्ं व्याप्यािखलं कायं ततः पाकं च गच्छित।
व्यवािय तद् यथा भंगा फेनं चािहसमुद्भवम्॥
िन. आ.
pūrvaṁ vyāpyākhilaṁ kāyaṁ tataḥ pākaṁ ca gacchati|
vyavāyi tad yathā bhaṁgā phenaṁ cāhisamudbhavam||

To paraphrase, this means the drugs which get absorbed immediately even before going through the digestion process, and only undergo digestion during their circulation in the body, these are called vyavayi. They are predominantly made up of vayu and akash mahabhuta. Vayu produces the motion and akash keeps the capillaries (srotas) open. Example: morphine, bhang (cannabis), and other purely poisonous toxic dravyas. These drugs have a micro-molecular make-up, and thus are very easily dispersible, they do not have to undergo natural stages of digestion, absorption, spread and excretion. From the SVA perspective, the chemical constituents of some of the members of the nightshade family, namely: eggplant, bell-pepper, potato, and tomato, also carry this vyavayi prabhava. They immediately go to the nadis or vibrational channels, disturb these nadis, and through these vibrational channels deliver poison to the entire physiology very rapidly.

In the following verse, the Sarangadhara Samhita (1200-1500 AD), one of the three supplemental classical books on Ayurveda – next to the Ashtanga Samgraha and the Madhava Nidanam – describes the vikāsī prabhava exhibited by the members of the nightshade class:

िवकासी
vikāsī
िवकासी िवकसन्नेव धातुबन्धान् व्मोक्षयेत्।
सिन्धबन्धाँश्च िशिथलान् करोित िह िवकािस तत्।
िविश्लष्यौजश्च धातुभ्यो यथा क्रमुककोद्रवौ॥
शा.
vikāsī vikasanneva dhātubandhān vmokṣayet|
sandhibandhā

The first line says that vikāsī dravyas dilate the dhātubandhān – the gaps between the tissues.

The second line says that vikāsī makes the joints weak – loosens the grip of the joints.

The third line says that it takes away (destroys) the ojas from the dhatus or bodily tissues. In this context, the Sarangadhara text is referring to a grain called kodrav, that carries this effect.

Vikasi drugs spread very rapidly into the body and destroy ojas. They also over-dilate the nadis, vibrational channels, and impact the nerves – their first victim. Our nerves act as a bridge between the nadis and the body. All tissues and joint movements get sluggish. These drugs are predominant in vayu mahabhuta. Example: areca nut, or intoxication brought about by tobacco is due to their vikasi action.

You probably already know that a great deal of research has been carried out on the effects of nightshade vegetables on joint pain and muscle inflammation. One good article is: Inflammatory Foods: Nightshades. I encourage any sceptics on the toxicity of nightshades to do some research on the topic, easily accessible on the web.

Dr. Lisa Raskin, one of my best SVA expert practitioners, has done a lot of research on nightshades. You may view her entire YouTube video on this topic Dr. Lisa Raskin Research on Nightshades. Here are a few highlights from her video:

• Nightshades constitute a very large family of plants containing about 2000 species. The main common factor uniting all these species is a type of chemical compound called alkaloid. There is one type of alkaloid that causes the most trouble and that is called Solanine. Solanine is a neurotoxin. Nightshades contain at least 6 OTHER neurotoxins, including atropine and nicotine.

• The next great neurotoxin in the nightshades is atropine, a blocker preventing nerve transmission.

• Alkaloids that are found in nightshades help protect the plants from insects, so you understand how these alkaloids primary function is to serve as a pesticide – did you know that some potatoes are actually bred just to make pesticides…. they are dehydrated and pulverized into dust and spread over plants.

• Eggplant has a long history of being identified as a toxic plant. A few spoonfuls of eggplant contain the same amount of nicotine you would inhale if you were sitting in a closed room with a light smoker for three hours!

• It has also been found that solanine can cause joint damage and inflammation. Many people experience stiff joints, painful wrists, ankles and knees when regularly consuming nightshades. Researchers think that these nightshades cause excessive loss of Calcium from the bone and excessive deposits of calcium into soft tissue.

I was a great lover of nightshades myself. When I was growing up, my father was very strict with my diet. No nightshades were allowed in my mother’s cooking. However, I discovered them later as a student living away from home. And I also got addicted to them! I had to wean myself off of them when my father reminded me. Point is, I don’t want you to think that I am telling you not to eat them because of a personal distaste. On the contrary; but I know what they do to your body. So it is really not worth jeopardizing your health and mental peace. You can skip the eggplant parmiginia, and the tomato paste pizza.

 

About Garlic and Onion

In the Vishnu Purana and Shiva Purana, ancient classical narrative texts, we read of allegorical stories depicting the genesis of life on earth. For example, the emergence of garlic on earth. It is told, that garlic emerged after the churning of the ocean. Tradition has it that when Lord Vishnu, in his Mohini (female) form, was distributing the nectar of immortality (amrita) to the gods, a demon in diguise snuck into the line-up. By the time Mohini realized a demon was hiding under the hooded cloak, the demon had already received his share of the amrit in his mouth. The Sun and the Moon, witnessing this event, prompted Mohini to hasten and behead the demon lest he attain immortality. The nectar of immortality had not been swallowed, and was still in his throat, when Mohini cut off his head in one blow. The demon Rahu’s blood mixed with the amrit stuck in his throat trickled down and fell on the earth. Upon touching the earth, a plant sprouted: it was garlic. That is why garlic is said to have countless life-supporting and healing properties in addition to being “tamasic” – toxic for the mind and spiritual health. This allegorical story is meant to illustrate why garlic should be used not as an ahar dravya, a daily food item for daily consumption, but as an aushadhi dravya, to consume only when needed in medicinal doses. And this is what the ayurvedic shastras recommend: where other dravyas fail, even in great quantities, garlic, even in small quantities, works as a highly effective medicine, as for example, in the case of some infectious conditions; or for joint and rhumatic conditions. In my lineage, we discuss this at greater length by looking at the chemical make-up of garlic: it contains high levels of sulphur – useful as an antibiotic.

My father, Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra, used to repeat, over and over and over again that our gut is our primary locus of health. All that you eat gets absorbed and delivered through your gut, where your friendly bacteria are hard at work making this absorption happen. Colonies of friendly bacteria need to be maintained. The balance is precarious. Their population grows or shrinks depending on what you are consuming, as well as other stressors that can impact your overall health. In this context, Sulphur, is not a great friend of the friendly bacteria in our gut, becuase it does not discriminate. Sulphur is not only effective to eradicate infectuous bacteria, but it also kills our friendly bacteria. We need friendly bacteria for our immunity and for mineral absorption in the colon. One of my father’s favorite SVA sayings was:

This means: “the brain of the brain resides in the gut” – to express his conviction of the vital role that friendly bacteria play for our total health. About 50 years ago, this was confirmd by modern science. More recently, there has been a great emphasis on consuming friendly bacteria, even in capsule form, for overall health. I have also written about this at length on my blog and why it is not ideal. But to get back to our topic at hand: friendly bacteria (yoginis) manufacture in the colon most of the neuro-transmitters necessary for our brain functions. This is one of the reasons why, in SVA, garlic and onion are NOT consumed as part of our daily regular meals, because they are known to harm the colonies of friendly bacteria in our gut.

We do also find other textual references on the origin of garlic from the Gadanigraha Khanda Nighantuh, also exemplifying through metaphorical terms how garlic is a “mixed” dravya, and therefore not for daily consumption:

लशुनकल्कं
laśunakalkaṁ
राहोः अच्युतचक्रेणलूनाद् ये पितता गलात्।
अमृतस्य कणा भूमौ ते रसोनत्वमागताः॥
॥ गदिनग्रह खण्ड २॥
rāhoḥ acyutacakreṇalūnād ye patitā galāt|
amṛtasya kaṇā bhūmau te rasonatvamāgatāḥ||
|| gadanigraha khaṇḍa 2||
rāhoḥ: garlic
acyutacakreṇalūnād: Vishnu’s chakra severed the head
amṛtasya: amrita (nectar)
kaṇā: molecule (drop)
bhūmau: earth
rasonatvamāgatāḥ: rasona (garlic) fell

Along with garlic, onion is also not good to consume regularly. Onion carries properties similar to that of onion. Not considered an edible item for daily use. But rather to be used as an aushadhi dravya – a therapeutic medicine ingredient.

Onions (Palāṇḍu)

Palāṇḍu is the Sanskrit name for onion. The verse below is from Bhava Prakash. In line two of the verse he says that “All persons full of wisdom say/know that onion has the same properties as garlic.”

पलाण्डु (प्याज)
palāṇḍu (pyāja)
पलाण्डुयर्वनेष्टश्च दुगर्न्धो मुखदूषकः।
पलाण्डुस्तु बुधैज्ञेर्यो रसोनसदृशो गुणैः॥
भा. प्र. िन. हरीतक्यािदवगर्॥ २२६॥
palāṇḍuryavaneṣṭaśca durgandho mukhadūṣakaḥ|
palāṇḍustu budhairjñeyo rasonasadṛśo guṇaiḥ||
bhā. pra. ni. harītakyādivarga || 226||

palandu: onion

vanestasca: 2 kinds of onion, one is domestic, the other grows wild

durgandho: carries strong foul smell

mukhadusakah: it particularly pollutes(imbalances) the oral cavity

palandustu: that onion

budhairjneyo: the one who has wisdom

rasona: garlic (like)

sadrso: equal

gunaih: properties

Much like garlic, onions also carry a high sulphur content – you can tell from their smell . In my SVA lineage, we place just as much emphasis on addressing and treating the vibrational body as much as we do the physical body. We say that our food and the environment are made up of dual primary vibrations: asura and sura. Sura means all that is life-supportive and life-promoting. It is equated with godly attributes. Asura means all that resists the growth and development of life and is therefore considered, to use metaphorical terms, destructive or demonic! Sura is when all vibrations flow and progress in the direction of more life, more bliss, and more peace. When all is all good, constructive and nurturing, it is sura. While an a-sura vibration, literally a vibration that is missing harmony, is known to be destructive and to promote distress, despair, destruction. Asura vibrations are considered rajasic or tamasic based on their intensity. Coming back to garlic and onion, these are categorized also as tamasic and rajasic. When ingested regularly and not for medicinal purposes, they infuse the mind and behaviour with rajasic and tamasic properties. In SVA terms, they shut down the “vibrational heart lotus.” What does this mean? It means that some people will feel depressed/sad for no reason; or they will harbor feelings and thoughts of ill-will, or jealousy, anger, or anguish. Things will seem grim and the heart will feel despondent. When the heart lotus shuts down, it hinders the original blissfull light to en-lighten the mind, the sattva cannot send its guidance to the mind. In ayurvedic terms, frequent garlic and onion consumption leads to ignorance, lethargy, anger, aggression, over stimulation of the senses, increase in sexual desire and anxiety, and overall aggressivity.

And the regular daily consumption of these 4 members of the night-shade family will further aggravate our state of dis-ease – inflamming our joints, slowing down and clogging our circulation, and causing vibrational irreversible damage on our subtler body.

The greatest gift Ayurveda gives us is the power to be masters of our own lives and health. Ayurveda teaches us to be independent by giving us the blueprint for Nature’s laws of functioning in our own bodies, so that when we are faced with new situations and conditions never before encountered, we will still know what to do and come out victorious, stay happy, and always prosper. Here’s to discovering more of life with Ayurveda, and through SV Ayurveda teachings. Thank you!