Pashanbhed: A Popular Indian Drug

2022-06-18 16:35:19

Pashanbhed is a popular Indian drug,made of two words , first is ‘pashan’ which means stone and second is ‘bhed’ that can be understood as ‘crushing or breaking’, which is a clear suggestive of the properties of pashanbhed that is breaking down the stone(kidney stone) for its removal from the body  It  is a succulent perennial herb that reaches a height of 50 cm. The leaves of Pashanbhed are round or ovate and are 5-15 cm long at flowering.

The top and bottom of Pashanbhed are hairy and become almost hairless with age. The flowers are 3.2 cm in diameter and are white, pink, or purple in color and form a cymose panicle with flexible flowering stem. Its scientific name is Bergenia Ligulata.

Importance of Pashanbhed

Pashanbhed is useful in Ayurveda for its anti-inflammatory, antilithic, antiviral, antibacterial, diuretic, liver protective, antipyretic, analgesic, laxative, aphrodisiac, and abortifacient properties that helps to treat various diseases like kidney stones, fever, ulcer, blood pressure and cough.

Benefits of Pashanbhed

Treats kidney stones-

Consuming Pashanbhed is considered very good for treating kidney stones. Due to its antiurolithiatic properties, it easily breaks up kidney stones and prevents stone formation.

Useful in fever-

Consuming Pashanbhed helps a person suffering from fever by inducing sweat and normalizing the body temperature due to its antipyretic properties.

Cures ulcer-

Due to its cytoprotective properties which protects the body from harmful toxins, consumption of Pashanbhed helps prevent and treat ulcers.

Heal wounds-

Pashanbhed roots have astringent and cooling properties which heals all bleeding, inflammation and wounds caused by external forces.

Useful in diabetes-

Pashanbhed roots have anti-diabetic properties. So, diabetics can also be  treated with Pashanbhed as it reduces  the glucose levels in a person.

Cures cough-

Pashanbhed has antitussive properties which helps in the removal of  bad toxins from the lungs that allows relaxed and easy breathing. Due to these properties, consumption of Pashanbhed is recommended to prevent and cure cough or other respiratory tract infections.

Treats piles-

Pashanbhed roots have laxative and cooling properties that help to prevent constant constipation that causes piles.

Uses of Pashanbhed

• Roots of the Pashanbhed plant can be ground and given with honey to children who have broken teeth.

• Wounds, boils and burns can be healed by using a paste of dried Pashanbhed root (with lukewarm water) externally.

• Pashanbhed juice or root paste can be taken to cure intestinal parasites and roundworms.

• Decoction of fresh Pashanbhed roots can be used to treat urinary tract diseases and stomach disorders.

• Pashanbhed root powder is effective in treating fever.

• The juice extracted from Pashanbhed leaves can be used in the form of ear drops to treat earache.

• A paste made from the roots of this plant can help in treating constipation.

Side effects of using Pashanbhed

Pashanbhed is an important herb in many formulations used to treat kidney diseases. However, rhizome acetone extract of Pashanbhed is known to be cardiotoxic in high doses and has a depressant effect on the central nervous system.

Where is it found?

Pashanbhed is a climbing plant that is found in moist areas of Himalayas, Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bhutan and South Tibet.