At times, our eyes mislead us. Gokshura, a repulsive and thorny weed often found in wastelands of India country, controls the sewage disposal system inside our body! It assists in the prompt elimination of toxins, stones etc., that clog the genito-urinary tract.
Indigenous to India, every part of this small thorny creeper—its small leaflets, yellow-colored solitary flowers, its five-angled spinous fruit, roots are used medicinally—raw, brewed (50-100 ml), dried (3-5 grams) or pounded.
A chemical analysis of the fruit shows the presence of a fixed oil, sterols, resins, tannins, alkaloids, and potassium. It is proved as a diuretic—the action is ascribed to the alkaloid fraction besides the potassium content. In an experiment conducted in the Indian Institution of Panchakarma, Cheruthuruthy, Kerala, the alcoholic extract of the fruits showed antibacterial action against E. Cob and antifungal action against several fungal pathogens including Candida albicans. In another experiment conducted in the Pharmacological Research Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, scientists recorded the hypotensive effect of the seed extract.
Gokshura is one of the Ten Great Roots that constitute the popular Ayurvedic preparation, Dasamoola. Other important medicines are Gokshuraadi guggulu, Chyawanaprasha etc.
MEDICINAL USES
• Cough due to debility: Powder of gokshura and ashwagandha mixed with honey is taken with milk.
• Urinary stones: Ghee cooked with decoction of gokshura, and eight times milk should be taken. Powder of the seeds of gokshura can be mixed with honey and taken with sheep milk.
• Internal bleeding: Milk cooked with gokshura and shataavari (wild asparagus) checks hemorrhage, particularly urethral.
• Painful urination: Gruel prepared with gokshura and kantakaari (Solanum surattense) and added with liquid jaggery is useful in painful urination. One should take decoction of gokshura seeds mixed with yavakshaara (ash of barley plants) in case of painful urination and urinary calculus. Decoction of gokshura, varuna (Crataeva nurvala) and dried ginger mixed with honey should be taken in urinary stones. Paste of gokshura taken with coconut water alleviates painful urination.
• To promote hair growth: Gokshura and sesame (til) flowers are mixed with equal quantity of honey and ghee. This paste applied on head promotes growth of hair.
• Geriatric tonic: One taking powder of gokshura, aamla and guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) in equal quantities with ghee and honey becomes potent, stable, happy, black-haired and with full life-span.
• Rheumatic pains: Decoction of dried ginger and gokshura used regularly in the morning reduces pain and thus useful in rheumatoid arthritis and sciatica.
PLEASE NOTE
Gokshura should not be used in excess, but only when needed. It can cause dehydration.