CHAPTER 21
Rasona: A Boon For High Cholesterol

“If we doctors threw all our medicines into the sea, it would be that much better for our patients and that much worse for the fishes.”

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendel Holmes, MD

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the family Liliaceae has been widely recognized as valuable remedy for number of diseases. The botanical name, Allium may have originated from the Celtic word ‘all’ meaning pungent and the word sativum from the Latin word ‘sative’, meaning sown from the seeds. Rasona is a Sanskrit word means ‘lacking a taste’, derived from rasa meaning ‘taste’ and una meaning ‘lacking’, as except sour taste it contain all six tastes. Rasona, well known as Lasuna among Indians. Garlic is practically grown throughout the world, it is believed that garlic appears to have originated in central Asia then spread to China, and the Mediterranean region before moving west to Central and Southern Europe, Northern Africa (Egypt) and Mexico. Historical records show its medicinal use about 5,000 years ago, and for at least 3,000 years, it is a part of Chinese medicine. It is a boon for conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even deposition of the toxins inside the body. In addition of its reputation as a healthy food, garlic’s anti- bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antioxidant properties have also been demonstrated. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans used garlic for healing purposes. In 1858, Louis Pasteur noticed garlic’s antibacterial activity, and in England it was used as an antiseptic to prevent gangrene during World War I and World War II. Garlic’s current principal medicinal uses are to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, as an antimicrobial, and as a preventive agent for cancer. The active constituents are several complex sulfur-containing compounds that are rapidly absorbed, transformed and metabolized. The delicious bulbs of this annual are a veritable herbal panacea.

Rasona Herb Information

1. Nonencalture

Family name: Liliaceae

Scientific Name: Allium sativum – Bulbus

Sanskrit Name: Lashuna, Rasona,

English Name: Garlic, Lashun

Common Name: Garlic, Lashun, Lasan

2. Bioenergetics

Rasa (taste) Tikta, madhura

Virya: Ushna

Vipaka ; Tikta

Guna (quality) Heavy, unctuous, penetrating

Dosha effects: VK-, P+

Dhatu: All tissues

Srota: Digestive, respiratory, circulatory, reproductive,

Karma: Balya, Caksusya, Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Medhya, Raktadosahara, Vatahara, Vrsya, Varnya, Pittadusanakara, Bhagnasandhanakara, Rasayana, Jantughna, Kanthya, Asthi, Mamsa Sandhankzar

3. Biomedical Action

Carminative, vermifuge, vasodilator, expectorant, anti-cholesterol, anti-bacterial/fungal/ viral, anti-oxidant, fibrinolytic,

Habitat

Garlic is believed to have first grown in central asia, from where its cultivation and use spread to the rest of the world. It is now commonly cultivated in the Mediterranean region, Egypt, Kenya, India, China, Philippines, and Brazil. It grows well in areas with cool and dry climates. The plant grows erect as an annual or biennial plant.

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Rasona Bulbs

Botanical Characters

The leaves are long 200 – 1,000 mm in length, alternate; there is one leaf per node along the stem. Leaves are growing only at the base of the plant. Leaf blade is linear, very narrow with more or less parallel sides. Flower petal colour is green to brown, white or pink to red, flower petal length 3-5 mm. The inflorescence is an umbel type. Because of short axis it appears that all flowers originate from the same point. The fruit is a capsule type. The bulb which is the only eaten part is of compound nature, consisting of many bulblets, technically known as cloves grouped together between membranous structure and enclosed within white thin skin, which hold them together in a sac.

Plant Parts Used

Fruits

Health Benefits

Garlic has number of health benefits.

Home Remedy

Cautions