The Wonders of Medicinal Plants

Indian medicinal plants are the essence of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic treatments. When used judicially and clocking with the basic principles they produce miraculous effects. Medicinal plants are not only the source of nutrients but have also been identified as therapeutic foods useful in disorders such as diabetes hypercholesterolemia cancer and hypertension etc. These functional characteristics are due to the presence of bioactive components viz. alkaloids terpenoids polyphenols flavonoids anthocyannins carotenoids isoflavanoids steroids lignans anthraquinones vitamin C tannins saponins and gums. Medicinal plants have become effective functional foods owing to their wide pharmacological potentials such as anti-tumor anti-allergic immune-modulating hypoglycemic anti–inflammatory anti-atherogenic anti-microbial anti-viral and hepatoprotective properties.