Benefits and usages of Green Chiretta(Kalmegh). Image Courtesy – https://bodynutrition.org
‘Green Chiretta’ is largely found in India and Sri Lanka. It has various names as per different area-based languages. It is also widely produced in Southern and Southeastern Asia. It’s leaves, roots are generally used for medicinal purposes, but sometimes the whole plant is also used.
‘Green Chiretta’ is an annual herb, appearance of the herb is straight with extremely bitter in taste in all parts – that is the reason it is called as ‘king of bitters’. It is called ‘Hempedu Bumi’ in Malaysia – meaning of the word is ‘bile of earth’, because it is one of the bitterest plants used in herbal medicine.
There are various names of ‘Green Chiretta’ ‘Bitter Stick’, ‘Bitterstick’, ‘Chiretta’, ‘Chirette Des Indes’, ‘Gentiana Chirata’, ‘Gentiana Chirayita’, ‘East Indian Balmony’, ‘Genciana De La India’, ‘Indian Bolonong’, ‘Indian Gentian’, ‘Kairata’, ‘Kirata’, ‘Swertia Chirata’, ‘Yin Du Zhang Ya Cai’ etc.
The plant usually grows nearly 12-40 inches in humid condition and in shady places. Its stem is coloured as dark green with usual straight ramification of leafy twigs. Leaf of ‘Green Chiretta’ looks like green chili leaf, but slightly longer.
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Some of the benefits of Green Chiretta:
Fever Control – Andrographis Paniculata is said to be very effective to control down fever caused by cold and flu. Fever caused by malaria is said to be controlled by this herb; more over it is also effective in cases of hysteria and convulsion.
Protection of Liver – Chirata has the ability to wash out toxins from our body and also helps to protect the liver with regenerating new liver cells. That is why Green Chiretta is called as ‘hepatoprotective’ herb.
Anti-parasitic – Chirata is very much useful in eliminating intestinal worm like helminthes, roundworms, tapeworms, flukes etc. from our body. It controls spreading out of parasites in the body.
Skin Care – Antioxidant property of Andrographis Paniculata helps to maintain the skin clear and protects it from rashes, inflammations, burning sensation, itching, redness etc.
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Anaemia – This herb has the ability to produce blood cells in our body. We have already noticed that Anaemia is the cause of many life-threatening diseases and it is also very common in women as they loose a major quantity of blood due to their menstrual cycle. It takes a heavy toll on their body specifically during and after pregnancy. Chirata can be useful to women except the time of pregnancy.
Diabetes – Diabetes is a lifestyle disease and it has covered modern generation of the world almost silently. This disease occurs due to improper lifestyle, irregular food habits, mental stress, lack of physical activity etc. Chirata helps to reduce the sugar level present in the blood by stimulating beta cells of pancreas.
Cancer Protection – Andrographis Paniculata works as a preventive medicine for cancer with the help of powerful antioxidants. It also helps in recovery of ulcer in the liver and puts a check in forming liver cancer.
Side Effect – Chirata extract is extremely bitter in taste. It is usually found that people, who cannot tolerate extremely bitterness of Green Chiretta, often vomit after cosuming its extract. Chirata extract can force down level of blood glucose; so people who have tendency of lower blood sugar level may suffer from consuming it. It often leads to sudden dizziness, insensibility in hands and feet after consuming chirata extract for people who already have lower blood sugar count.
