One thing we all know by now is that modern pharmaceuticals, while they may be life-saving at times, are also riddled with side effects. Which means you take the remedy for one condition and it creates another problem somewhere else in the body, which, at times, could be even worse than the ailment you are taking it for.
The good news is that just about all the herbs we use for healing have the exact opposite effect — which means they actually can create side BENEFITS!
That’s why the same herb we use for healing the nerve tissue in cases such as MS or other demyelinating diseases can also be used for fertility or as an antibacterial or anticonvulsant.
Today I’d like to talk about the use of deer antler, known in Ayurveda as Shring Bhasma. This remedy is obtained from deer and antelope horns, incinerated repeatedly and made into a powder. Heating the antlers makes the molecules small enough for absorption into the cells. The remedy which results from repeated incinerations is known as a bhasma and in Ayurveda it is recommended to prepare all of the minerals in this way for best absorption — minerals such as zinc, silica, calcium, iron and many others.
Here in the West since we only focus our attention on the nutrients the remedies contain we forget that just as important is what needs to be done to ensure the actual absorption of those nutrients into the insides of the cells.
So, for example, since the calcium molecule is very large and can’t absorb out of our arteries and into our bones, it tends to remain stuck in the arteries, hardening them and forming plaque. This is just one example of how the ancient doctors prescribed for each and every herb not only what it could be used for, but its effects once taken into the body and what you need to put in each formula to enhance the absorption into the cells. This is why all the minerals we use in Ayurveda have been carefully burnt into an ash before being taken into the body.
This is also why many of the formulas contain different spices to open the channels so the remedy can absorb deeply into the cells, and why many of the herbal formulas are cooked into ghee since ghee has the capability of sliding the nutrients in the formula into the inside of the cell, across the cell wall which is made of cholesterol.
So the science behind Ayurveda goes beyond just the nutritional value of the food, spice, herb or remedy, but what needs to be done to enhance its absorption so it can exert its influence at the maximum level possible.
Shring Bhasma is famous for healing the wear and tear on the joints and specifically strengthens and prevents the breakdown of the cartilage and discs in the body. So it is used for various forms of arthritis. Which is great, because as we age the cartilage in our joints and the discs in between the vertebra in our spines wears down, causing bad arthritic pain, stiffness and swelling. So this wonderful remedy helps to slow up the process of the effects of aging on our joints.
And a very important sidenote: shring bhasma contains glucosamine chondroitin. This is the alive version, full of pranic energy which comes from nature, from the actual horns of animals. Many people are now taking glucosamine chondroitin found in pharmacies and health food stores which has been synthetically made. Again, this is yet another example where Ayurveda prides itself on using remedies which are naturally made, containing nature’s healing energy, which will have a better affect as it combines more efficiently with the body’s own intelligent cellular system and not have the side effects which can come from remedies which are synthetically made in a lab and vibrationally dumb or dead, giving a dumb reaction at the deepest level of the cells.
Now, at the same time that the shring bhasma heals cartilage, discs and joints, it also has an estrogenic effect in women and even supports the hormonal system of men. So it can prevent the aging process by helping us to keep our hormone levels up into old age. Many people think that we don’t make hormones after menopause, but we in fact still do, and taking this remedy helps us to make sure the decline in hormones isn’t rapid, which could invite symptoms of old age, such as loss of strength and stamina.
Now we can switch gears and show that this same deer antler is very good for healing the lungs and is used in cases of bronchitis, asthma, coughs, and pleurisy and it is used to help thin out the mucus and as an expectorant. I personally use it successfully in treating all the hundreds of cases of lung diseases I see each year.
Now switch gears again and we can see that Shring Bhasma is used for acid reflux, especially when we mix it in with Ayurvedically prepared coral calcium and other herbs, which are then made into a bolus by mixing it into ghee. This is excellent for treating heartburn and acid reflux. So many of my patients tell me this formulation works even better than the acid reflux medications on the market.
And it has also been shown to relieve the pain of intercostal neuralgia, which is a severe inflammation in the nerves between the ribs which can happen for example by coughing too much.
And if that wasn’t enough, many Ayurvedic doctors use it for treating hiccups.
In fact, the list of health benefits goes on and on. And this is true for just about every herb we use, which is great to know after having to worry about all the side effects of modern medicine.
So if you count the hundreds of herbs we use, along with all the potential healing benefits they offer, it becomes quite apparent that you can treat just about anything using herbs due to all the collateral side benefits and far reaching healing they can create.
So don’t be confused if you find yourself taking an herb for acid reflux and your best friend is taking the same herb for sciatic pain. I’ve had so many patients call me and say, you know the remedy you gave me for constipation? Well I looked it up online and it says it’s good for asthma. And they think I gave them the wrong remedy. So I always have to explain to them this is how it is with herbs — they have these amazing side benefits, which is great because I’ve had many people, for example, who need the healing aspect of the shring bhasma for their joints, and also need it for their lungs and hormonal issues as well. So instead of giving three remedies they only need to take one to accomplish healing in all 3 areas.
So the next time you need an herb, don’t worry about its side effects. Chances are more than likely you will be pleasantly surprised that it helps not only the original symptom you are taking it for, but you’ll start to notice other ailments clearing up which you hadn’t counted on. All from the same remedy. Which is a breath of fresh air after hearing the commercials on TV about the latest and greatest pharmaceutical and how it takes away one symptom, but then wreaks havoc somewhere else in the body.
I hope this information is of benefit to you as you seek to heal yourself using truly natural remedies.
