Gorakhmundi {Sphaeranthus indicus}
Gorakhmundi or Indian sphaeranthus
Ayurveda Characteristic and Uses
- Effect on doshas – Balances Vata and Kapha
- Taste – Pungent, sweet, bitter, astringent
- Energetics – Heating
- Main Traditional Action: Anti-rheumatic, headache and migraine
- Other Traditional Uses: Help treats epilepsy, parasites, gastrointestinal diseases, weak eyes, mental health, indigestion, bronchitis, anaemia, piles, asthma, dysentery, vomiting, glandular swelling, and skin diseases.
Modern Research
Gorakhmundi and its components have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticirobial, antifungal, antiviral, larvicidal, hypotensive, anxiolytic, neuroleptic, hypolipidemic, analgesic, antipyretic, immunomodulatory, bronchodilatory, bronchodialatory, antihyperglycemic, renoprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. It has also been shown to contain eudesmanoids, eudesmanolides, sesquiterpene lactone, sterol glycoside, flavanoids, and essential oil.