Herbs : Gulancha

Latin Name

Sanskrit Name

Guduchi, Amrita, Soma-valli

Hindi Name

Gulancha

English Name

Parts Used

Stem and root. Each part has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses

• Considered the best herb for clearing the microcirculatory system and other bodily channels (Shrotas). It is especially effective and unique in its ability to remove both exogenous and endogenous toxins (from external and internal sources). Therefore it is very often included in comprehensive Ayurvedic formulas, since such toxins interfere with all bodily functions and are a factor in almost all diseases. It clears out brain toxins that hinder mental activity.
  
• Guduchi also has a direct Medhya Rasayana effect, which means that it enhances all aspects of mind power, including comprehension (Dhi), memory (Dhriti) and recollection (Smriti).
  
• Because of its ability to cleanse the channels, it aids delivery of nutrients from your foods and from the herbs in a formula.
  
• Guduchi balances and purifies fat tissue, to make fats easier to break down. Fats are an important raw material for building healthy bones.
  
• Guduchi also aids all other aspects of healthy metabolism (the 13 Agnis). It aids digestion, assimilation and proper formation of all the bodily tissues (7 Dhatus).
  
• It helps balance liver function and aids proper assimilation.
  
• It aids purification of the urinary tract and intestines, by balancing lubrication (Shleshaka Kapha) and the downward energy of the body (Apana Vata).
  
• By supporting proper function of Shleshaka Kapha, Guduchi also aids proper communication and coordination between all the various cells and their many related functions for better overall health. This has the added benefit of nourishing the mind-body connection and enhances the psychoneuro immune response (called the PNI).
  
• Guduchi is also a powerful Rasayana (longevity enhancer) even by itself, but especially when combined with complementary herbs. It increases the quality and quantity of Ojas, the master coordinator between mind and body. It helps consciousness slide into the physiology and aids development of full potential.
  
• Guduchi has another rare effect -- it balances all three laws of the physiology (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) at the same time.
  
• Guduchi has a Keshya effect, which means that it directly nourishes the hair for better quality and strength.
  
• Guduchi has now been researched to verify its powerful immunomodulatory effects, meaning that it enhances overall immune function.
  
• When you cut a fresh sprig of Guduchi from the tree and hang it from a cord in the air, it will continue to grow without any visible means of support, gathering its life energy from the five elements in its environment. This makes it very valuable for its ability to bring life into the body. For this reason it is sometimes called Amrita, the Sanskrit word for immortality.