GILOY SATVA

Description

INTRODUCTION

Satva in general is the essence or the sara bhaga of a plant material. Here the plant material is Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia). Giloy Satva is a classic Ayurveda medicine (water soluble extract) and is mainly used in pitta related disorders.

PRODUCTS INFO

• Size Per Unit: 5 gms
• Shelf Life: It is estimated up to 3 years with proper storage. But it is better to finish the contents within 1 month after the bottle is opened.

ABOUT GILOY (TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA)

Giloy (Guduci in Sanskrit) is a medicinal plant. Latin name Tinospora cordifolia and is included in menispermaceae family. Tinospora cordifolia is an extensively spreading dioecious perennial shrubby twiner with succulent stem and whip cord like aerial roots. Mature stems are covered with pappery skin and 3 beaked nodal swellings. Medicinal part used is stem. The plant is distributed throughout the tropical parts of India. It is a common wild plant in the deciduous and dry forests growing over small tress and hedges.

In Sanskrit, giloy possess a lot of synonyms. This includes:-

• Amrita – elixir; persons using this plant live long as youth
• Tantrika – presence of aerial roots like strings of musical instruments
• Chinna, chinnaruha – indicates the remarkable capacity of the cut bits to withstand adverse conditions to produce buds to develop new plants (vegetatively propagated).
• Jeevanti, somavalli, rasayani – rejuvenating twiner
• Chakralakshanika – indicates wheel like appearance of vascular bundles in the cross section of the stem.
• Chandrahasa – strong drug. It is believed to have strong powers like ‘RAVANA’.

Giloy is mainly used in intense thirst, burning sensation, cough and asthma, jaundice, vomiting, diabetes, clammy hands and so on.

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES OF GILOY

• Rasa (Taste) – Kashaya (astringent), katu (pungent), tiktha (bitter)
• Veerya (Potency) – Ushna (hot)
• Vipaka (Taste After Digestion) – Madhura (sweet)
• Guna (pharmacological action) – Snigdha (unctuous), laghu (light)
• Dosha Effect – balances vata pitta and kapha. Primarily reduces pitta and vata

THERAPEUTIC USE OF GILOY

• Giloy juice with honey if taken in the morning cures jaundice
• Giloy juice with milk if taken is good for arthritic conditions
• Giloy juice with oil if applied externally  reduces arthritic pain
• Bolus made of giloy leaf taken along with buttermilk cures jaundice

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF GILOY

• Alkaloids – tinosporin, berberine
• Glycoside – giloin

PREPARATION OF GILOY SATVA

Stem of the giloy plant is cut into smaller pieces of 2 to 3 inch length and outer husk is removed. Stem pieces are crushed and soaked in enough quantity of water for about 8 hours. Later the mixture is macerated rigorously to facilitate the release of starchy material into the liquid. Then the fibrous and woody particles are removed. The liquid is placed undisturbed to allow the starchy particles to settle down at the bottom. The stable clear water above is carefully siphoned out without disturbing the starch sediment. The starch sediment is washed with a little quantity of water, dried in shade completely and stored in air tight containers. The yield will be grayish white powder. Only 5 % of the drug used is obtained as end product.

DOSAGE OF GILOY SATVA

500 mg to 1 gm twice daily or as directed by the physician. It is always best to take before meals. But it can be used any time as recommended.

PROPERTIES OF GILOY SATVA

• Sweet in taste and has laghu guna
• Immune booster and immune modulator
• Aphrodisiac  – nourishes the reproductive fluids, purifier of sperm
• Purifies the breast milk
• Health promoter
• Helps to increase memory and intelligence
• Nerve tonic
• It is carminative. Kindles the digestive Agni
• Increases appetite
• Daily use helps to keep youth
• Good for eyes
• Can be taken as a food supplement
• Promotes the union of fractured bones
• Promotes lubrication
• Reduces the aggravated pitta
• Reduces excess perspiration and thirst
• Anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties
• Anti allergic actions
• Anti viral actions
• Natural antacid
• Helps in body detoxification
• Reduces burning sensation
• Improve liver functions (hepato protective). Balances the levels of SGPT and SGOT
• Improve the functions of spleen
• Promotes the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downwards (cholagogue).
• Diuretic
• Anti hypertensive
• Balances blood sugar level
• Improves skin tone
• Helps in weight loss
• Mild anti pyretic potency
• Antioxidant
• Demulcent
• Anti cancer properties
• Offsets the ulcerative and toxic effects of chemo radiotherapy
• Effective in elevated uric acid levels

The list is innumerable. Truly giloy Satva is an elixir.

INDICATIONS OF GILOY SATVA

Giloy Satva has a wide range of therapeutic index. Some of the main indications are listed:-

• Chronic fever
• Arthritic conditions like gout, rheumatoid
• Auto immune disorders – nephritic syndrome, ankylosing spondylosis
• Jaundice
• Vaginal discharge and dysmenorrhea
• Bronchial asthma
• Cough including tuberculosis
• General debility
• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Anorexia
• Piles
• Urinary disorders and urinary obstructions
• Skin diseases – effective in psoriasis, eczema
• Infections – ring worm and lichen planus infestation
• Heart related disorders – tachycardia and heart palpitation
• Bleeding disorders – nasal bleeding, bleeding per rectum
• Hypertension
• Mental disorders like depression
• Acidity and gastritis
• Ulcers- mouth ulcers, duodenal  and peptic ulcers
• Ulcerative colitis
• Diarrhea with mucus
• Sexual weakness
• Cancer – blood cancer, malignant tumors

In Ayurveda giloy is considered to be the best medicine (agyra oushada) for vatharaktha (gouty conditions).

CAUTIONS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF GILOY SATVA

Giloy Satva has no side effects at all and no drug interactions are noted till. Hence it is very safe to have giloy Satva. It can be taken for a very long time.

Giloy Satva can be taken even during pregnancy and breast feeding. In Indian medicine, it is used to women with high risk of miscarriage along with other remedies. In fact, Giloy Satva is an edible plant starch, which may not affect adversely in pregnant women. It may also be considered foodstuff.

Diabetic patients should check their blood sugar levels while having giloy Satva.

Efficiency of the medicine depends on many factors. Exact dose depends on age, strength, digestive power, and nature of illness, state of dosha and dhatu of the patient. It may vary from person to person. Intake of medicine should be strictly under physicians’ prescription.