CHAPTER 10
Bala: A Cure for Parkinson’s Disease

One of the biggest tragedies of human civilization is the precedents of chemical therapy over nutrition. It’s a substitution of artificial therapy over nature, of poisons over food, in which we are feeding people poisons trying to correct the reactions of starvation.

Royal lee

Bala or Sida cordifolia Linn is an important plant in Ayurveda system of medicine. Bala is a Sanskrit word which means strength. It is also known as an Aphrodisiac. The species name, cordifolia, refers to the heart-shaped leaf. It is used for weight loss, and boosting physical endurance and strength. It is often used by athletes and bodybuilders. This is a sweet, cold and heavy herb that builds immunity. Bala contains five out of the six tastes, a rare property, so it is widely used to nourish all body tissues (sapta dhatus). Bala is soothing and mucilaginous, so particularly used against vata nerve disorders and it is combined with other tonics for specific organs such as with arjuna for heart.

Bala Herbal Information

1. Nomenclature

Family Name: Malvaceae

Scientific Name: Sida cordifolia

Sanskrit Name: Bala

English name: Country Mallow

Common name: Kungyi, bala, country mallow, heart-leaf sida, flannel weed.

2. Bio-energetics

Rasa: Madhura

Guna: Laghu, snigdha, picchila

Viyra: Shita

Vipaka: Madhura

Dosha: VPK=

Karma: Vatapitta shamak, Vedanasthapana, Shotahara, Balya, Vatahara, Grahi, Hrudya, Raktapitta shamak, shukrala, Prajasthapana, Mutrala, Jvaragna, Balya, Brumhana, Ojovardhak

3. Biomedical Action

Diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-asthmatic, stimulating, strengthening, energizing, anti-pyretic, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory.

Habitat

It is a weed of roadsides and wasteland found in all districts. Bala is a perennial subshrub of the mallow family Malvaceae native to India. It is distributed throughout tropical and sun tropical India and Sri lanka, growing wild along the roadside in villages. It has naturalized throughout the world, and is considered an invasive weed by invasive groups in Africa, Australia, the southern United States, Hawaiian Islands, New Guinea, and French Polynesia. Since it is unwanted weed, it competes with the cultivated crop for nutrients, light, humidity.

Botanical Characters

S. cordifolia is an erect perennial plant grows to about 0.5 to 2.0m (20 to 79 in) in length. The entire plant covered with soft white felt-like hair that is responsible for one of its common names, “flannel weed”, The stems are yellow-green, hairy, long and slender. The yellow-green leaves are oblong covered with hairs, and 3.5 to 7.5 cm (1.4 to 3.0 in) long by 2.5 to 6 cm (0.98 to 2.4 in) wide. The flowers are dark yellow, sometimes with a darker orange center. As a weed, it invades cultivated fields, competing with main cultivated crop. The roots of Sida are 5 to 13 cm long and about 0.62 cm in diameter.

Plant Parts Used

Roots, fruits, leaves and seeds

Chemical Constituents

S. cordifolia whole plant contains alkaloids to the extent of 0.085 %. A study reported 0.112% of alkaloid in whole plant. Seeds contain much higher quantities i.e.,0.32 % of alkaloid, than either the stems, leaves or roots. The principal portion of alkaloid was identified to be ephedrine. The seeds contain 3.23% fatty oils, seed oil contains sterculic, malvalic and coronaric acids.

Health Benefits

Bala has numerous health benefits

• • Bala plant extract exhibited significant improvement in functioning of heart by stabilizing the heart rhythm.
• • In Ayurveda bala herb is used as medicine for asthmatic bronchitis, nasal congestion, and inflammation of oral mucosa. Plant extract of bala when administered, it significantly reduced inflammation and pain.
• • Aqueous extract of the herb stimulates regeneration of lever in mice.
• • Bala has antipyretic and anti-ulcerogenic properties.
• • Ethanoic extract of bala exhibited potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
• • The roots, seeds and leaves all are used in medicine. Roots are regarded as cooling, astringent, stomachic and tonic. Seeds are considered aphrodisiac and are used in gonorrhoea, cystitis, and also given for colic. The leaves are used for ophthalmia. The juice of the whole plant is used in rheumetism.
• • In India, this plant has been used for a very long time to cure diseases such as bronchial asthma, cold and flu, chills, headache, nasal congestion, aching joints and bones, wheezing.
• • Laboratory studies were undertaken to study the efficacy of bala plant extracts in controlling diabetes. Results demonstrate significant lowering of blood sugar after administration of the extracts of bala plant. The results also indicate possible weight loss as fat cells loose fat.
• • The juice obtained from the roots is applied to unhealthy sores. Decoction of the roots bark is given in sciatica and rheumatism. The paste of its leaves is applied in ophthalmic diseases. It is also rejuvenative, nutritive and stimulant to the heart.
• • Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder which is characterized by severe shaking of the body. This is a neurological disorder. Ayurveda prescribes treatments for this which include diet, massage therapy and medical formulations. Bala is one of the herbs which are used in medicinal formulations for Parkinson’s disease and controlling Parkinson at appreciable level.
• • It is diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-asthmatic, stimulating to the central nervous system.
• • The stem of the plant generally contains essential oils and 1-2 % alkaloids composed mainly of stimulants, which are known to be excellent for weight loss.
• • It lowers the blood pressure and improves cardiac irregularity. It is used in the popular medicine for the treatment of stomatitis of asthma and nasal congestion
• • Bala is sweet in taste and hot in action. It nourishes and strengthens immunity, heals the nerves, reduces pain and stimulates formation of healthy new tissue.
• • Leaves are cooked and eaten in case of bleeding piles.

Cautions

• • Ayurvedic formulations containing S.cordifolia should not be prescribed with cardiac glycosides, monoamine oxidase inhibitors but owing to variation of active constituent, great care should be taken while prescribing S.cordifolia with cardiac glycosides.