Saptasaram kashayam and Kashayam Tablets are Ayurvedic medicines for improving peristaltic movement, regulating digestive fire, and for generalized pain relief in the abdomen, back, and hip region. The name implies that it contains the essence of 7 herbs.
What is the use of saptasaram Kashayam?
1. It is useful in low backache and hip pain.
2. With proper prakshepadravyas (additives), it enhances Agni (digestive fire), removes blockages in the lower part of the Gastro-Intestinal Tract, and relieves constipation.
3. It is very useful in menstrual problems like dysmenorrhoea, oligomenorrhoea, irregular menstrual cycle, etc.
4. Regulating the proper movement of Apaanavaayu, gives relief to many types of aches and pains in the lower abdomen, back, and hip area.
Indications
Vidbandham – constipation
Vahnimaandyam – Loss of appetite
Atimahateem rujam in Yoni, Hrth, Severe pain in the areas of Vulva/Vagina,
Kukshi, Prshtha, Sronidesas Heart/Chest, Abdomen, Back, Hip region
Jatharam – ascites
Ashtheela – phimosis/ prostatomegaly
Gulmam – various kinds of gas trouble and indigestion
Pleeha – Splenomegaly
Saptasaram kashayam ingredients
It is an important anti-inflammatory medicinal herb well known for its diuretic and antioedematous properties. Here it works as a diuretic, by balancing the water retention at the same time helping to reduce oedema in the visceral organs and is beneficial in ascites, splenomegaly, etc. It can eliminate the unwanted fluid collected in tissues reduce swelling and thereby reverse inflammation. It has another name Punarnava means it can repair and regenerate.
It has anti-inflammatory properties and it is effective in peptic ulcers. It is a part of the main drug group in Ayurveda called Dasamoola (a group of roots of Ten plants) which is famous for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Raw horse gram seeds not only possess antihyperglycemic properties but also have qualities that reduce insulin resistance. Having rooksha guna, reduces sotha(swelling) and with its vaatanulomana properties, it helps in regularising peristalsis and relieves constipation.
It has evident antimicrobial activity and is a strong laxative. Its leaf, root and seed oil are used as anti-inflammatory antioxidant antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities are evident.
It is used in neurological disorders, sciatica, glandular swellings, and oedema.
It is unctuous and hot in potency with pungent taste but becomes sweet after digestion. It is an aphrodisiac and balances vata and kapha.
It improves the ability to taste and promotes digestion. Relieves cough cold and other respiratory problems. It is not a laxative, rather causes constipation.
It has properties of improving digestion and reducing generalized and localized swelling. Charaka Samhita classifies it into Sothaharagana (a group of drugs reducing swelling) It is a part of the main drug group in Ayurveda called Dasamoola (a group of roots of Ten plants) which is famous for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Details of the manufacturing
As already discussed, Saptasaram Kashayam has ingredients. All these ingredients should be washed well and dried up in shade. Take equal quantity of all ingredients in dried & crushed form in an earthen pot. Add 16 times clean water into it. Make it boil and then cook in the open vessel with low fire. Reduce the quantity into one by the eighth of the initial quantity. Make sure to mix it in between with a ladle. Also, the fire should be kept low to make sure that all the active ingredients in the herbs needed are absorbed well into the water. Once the quantity is reduced to one by eighth of the initial amount of water, remove the vessel from the fire. Squeeze and drain through a clean white cloth. Collect the decoction in a clean vessel and discard the solid waste. Drink the mild warm decoction with the assigned prakshepadravyas.
Dosha Dooshya Predominance with roga margas of Saptasaram kashayam .
This kashayam is Vaatakaphahara and anulomana.It acts on both antar and madhyama rogamargas
Saptasaram kashayam Dosage
Dosage: two Pala. 120 ml – this is the dosage of freshly prepared Kashayam. Now concentrated Kashayam is available and the dosage is 15ml mixed with 45- 60 ml boiled water twice daily before food.
Kashayam Tablets: For the convenience of dosage, Kashayam is now available in Tablet form called Kashayam tablet or Qwath Tablet. The dosage is Two to Three tablets twice daily before food.
Saptasaram kashayam uses
Kashayam is advised to take in empty stomach, once the ingested food is digested well and aahaararasa is formed well.
Usage of kashayam with prescribed prakshepadravyas according to the condition of disease and the patient gives the best results mostly.
Here Prakshepadravyas are
Guda – jaggery
Kanaa – Pippali
Patu – Saindhava
Hingu – asafoetida
Aajya – pure cow’s ghee
As it is advised in the shloka as yukte yathaarham These prakshepadravyas can be used single or as a combination.
Exercises and Yoga . (Brief description and can add links of videos to the external sources)
As saptasaram kashayam targets mainly lower back, abdomen, reproductive organs, and hip region, following stretching exercises and specific yoga asanas like pavanamuktasan, vajrasan, etc for lower back and abdomen are recommended. Regular exercise helps improve the bioavailability of medicine and food ingested and leads to positive health. Yoga can maintain harmony within and with surroundings.
Pavanamuktasana
Vajrasana
Bhujangasana
Exercises for Low backache
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Recommended diet and behaviour
for Sapthasaram Kashayam (Pathyapathya with a short description of the reason for the inclusion/ exclusion)
Diet
To be avoided
Heavy meals and difficult-to-digest foods – cause indigestion.
junk foods- cause a disturbance in digestion and reduce the bioavailability of the medicine carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening agni(digestive fire) curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
To be added
- Light meals and easily digestible foods
- Green gram, soups, buttermilk boiled with turmeric, ginger and curry leaves
- freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain, etc
Behaviour:
- Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight wind rain or dust.
- Avoid lifting heavy weights and other vigorous physical activities.
- Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Side effects and contraindications
(Please keep in mind the advancement of modern science and add points with yukti)
No known side effects reported.
Contraindications
People with IBS or a sensitive stomach may develop diarrhoea when not supervised by a qualified Ayurveda physician People allergic to Ricinus communis may develop some discomforts like vomiting or diarrhoea with abdominal pain.
Classical references with the image of the text.
Equivalent medicines.
- Gandharvahastadi kashayam
- Sukumaram kashayam
Brands Available
AVS Kottakal
AVN Madurai
Vaidyaratnam oushadhasala
SNA oushadhasala
Amrita life
AVP Coimbatore
Nagarjuna Ayurveda
Kerala Ayurveda
Research papers
http://iamj.in/posts/images/upload/1478_1484.pdf
Bilwa
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3153700/
Punarnava https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shravan_Paswan2/publication/285176083_Traditional_Indian_Herbs_Punarnava_and_Its_Medicinal_Importance/links/565c414d08ae1ef92981da69/Traditional-Indian-Herbs-Punarnava-and-Its-Medicinal-Importance.pdf
Sunthi
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
Urubu https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jitendra_Jena/publication/235417877_Ricinus_communis_linn_A_phytopharmacological_review/links/02e7e51a4eb786c21c000000/Ricinus-communis-linn-A-phytopharmacological-review.pdf
