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YB WEB DESK. Dated: 2/22/2021 12:40:29 PM

NIRGUNDI: INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THIS POWERFUL MEDICINAL HERB

Nirgundi, also called a fiveleaved chaste tree, is a potent ayurvedic plant, that possesses noteworthy therapeutic properties and heals several ailments including asthma, muscle spasms and anxiety. It is scientifically termed Vitex negundo and commonly known as “Nishinda” in Bengali, “Nallavalli” in Telugu, “Nagod” in Gujarati and “Nallanochi” in Tamil. Nirgundi’s natural habitats are chiefly in the Southern parts of Asia and Africa, being widely cultivated in the tropical environments of China, India, Indonesia, Tanzania, and Madagascar. It is a deciduous shrub, usually 2 to 8 meters in height, with a brown bark and green leaves that hold five leaflets. The flowers are white or blue in colour and upon developing, give rise to succulent, oval-shaped, purple fruits or drupes, with a fleshy pulp and seed in the interior. Ancient Ayurvedic texts praise the curative traits of “Nirgundi”, which in Sanskrit literally translates to “that which protects the body from diseases”. True to its name, this wonderful gift of Mother Nature offers some fantastic rewards for overall human health. The roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and bark of the Nirgundi plant are utilized in herbal concoctions in the form of oils, pastes, juices and powders, to cure disorders ranging from widely prevalent fevers to the very rare leprosy. This is owing to the multitude of beneficial plant compounds like flavonoids, terpenoids, organic fatty acids, alkaloids.