The sudden splashes of rain after the sweltering summer months might be a pleasant affair and breathe a sigh of relief but for many, for others the seasonal changes bring in flu and other viral infections.
Many of us are vulnerable to these seasonal infections because the human body functions differently in each season which leads to a huge variation in the Agni or digestive fire within the stomach.
During this environmental changes, the human body tends to undergo an undue accumulation of AMA doshas or toxins and lack in the essential ‘Ojas’. And as a result, it eventually leads to the spreading of diseases within the human body. To uplift the innate immunity, one must include immunity-boosting foods and supplements to safeguard the body against various germs and viruses. One such miraculous mineral compound that is used for dealing with several health anomalies is Suahaga.
What Is Suahaga?
Suahaga a.k.a Tankan Bhasma in Ayurveda and Calcined Borax in English has immense therapeutic uses in Ayurveda and is widely used to improve the vitality and longevity of an individual. Suahaga or boron is usually purified via the calcination process to get Suddha Suahaga or Tankana bhasma.
In the Ayurvedic sector, the Ushna and Kapha balancing traits of Suddha Suahaga or Tankana bhasma helps manage cough and cold when taken along with honey by slackening mucus. The Deepana and Pachana properties also help to curb bloating as it enhances the digestive fire within the stomach. Owing to its antimicrobial characteristics, consuming Suddh Suhaga Bhasma in the prescribed amount might also help to prevent urinary tract infections. Additionally, owing to its Tikshna (sharp), Ruksha (dry) and Kshara (alkaline) qualities, it is also used to treat dandruff, skin infections, wheezing, bronchitis, bad breath, abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, and foul-smelling urine.
Suahaga or borax is a naturally occurring mineral compound that is essentially a form of sodium borate, which is a boron ore. The name Borax comes from the Arabic word “buraq”, which signifies the colour white. Depending on the chemical composition of the mineral compound, Suahaga is chiefly available as Sodium Borate, Sodium tetraborate or disodium tetraborate.
How To Identify Suahaga?
Suahaga is either colourless or is available in grey, greyish-white, green or blue hues. It has a clear to opaque look, non-fluorescent outer appearance, with a white streak, and is greasy. The mineral compound is usually shaped as uniformly identical crystals forming enormous, prismatic or smooth structures. The average density of Sauhag is 1.71 g/cm3, and its hardness ranges from 2 to 2.5.
Chemical Formula Of Suahaga:
Na2B4O5(OH)4•8(H2O) or Na2B4O7. 10H2O
There is about 11.3% boron in borax. Boron is always chemically linked to oxygen, and helps in generating borates (borax or boric acid).
Common Names Of Suahaga:
Shuddha Suahaga, Tankan, Borax, Tanka, Dravaka, Veligatam, Ponkaram, Suhaga, Sodium Borate, Sodium Tetraborate, or Disodium Tetraborate
Geographical Dustribution Of Suahaga
Suahaga was originally found within the dry lake beds of Sitsang, from where it transited to different countries via the Silk Road. Even though Suahaga is native to Tibet, in the present times, Suahaga is commercially produced in Turkey and Searle’s Lake in California. Huge borax deposits are also found in the Atacama desert, Bolivia, Romania and on the banks of dried-up lakes in India and Nepal. It usually occurs in crystallised form in sediment deposits, salt lakes, and beaches. Most of the world’s Borates currently reach from the southern US.
How To Purify Suahaga?
Ingredients:
Sodium borate
Method:
Heat the sodium borate in a vessel until all the moisture gets removed
Heat further till it becomes a white dry powder
Pass it through sieve no.100 to remove all impurities
Store the Shuddha Suahaga in an air-tight container for future use
Medicinal Properties
Suahaga showcases the following medicinal qualities:
- Expectorant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Carminative
- Digestive Stimulant
- Diuretic
- Fat Burner
- Emmenagogue
- Antispasmodic
- Antimicrobial
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Ayurvedic Indications
The holistic remedial science of Ayurveda acknowledges this mineral compound as a powerful Rasayani Dravya and illustrates it in ancient ayurvedic texts of Charaka Samhita and Raj Nighantu for treating various problems, including:
- Kasahara (Relieves cough)
- Shwasha (relieves breathing difficulties)
- Deepana (enhances stomach fire)
- Pachana (helps in digestion)
- Rochana (stimulates appetite)
- Amahara (treats indigestion)
- Medohara (treats obesity)
- Vatahara (treats arthritic)
- Hridya (treats cardiac problems)
- Kustha (treats skin disorders)
- Varnya (improves complexion)
- Swara (improves voice quality)
- Balya (improves muscle strength)
- Dahahara (relieves burning sensation)
- Mehahara (treats urinary tract disorders)
- Amavata (relieves rheumatoid arthritis)
- Shandhivata (treats osteo arthritis)
- Vranaropana (wound healing)
- Rasayani (rejuvenates the whole body)
Health Benefits Of Suddha Suahaga
Cures Cough And Cold
Intermittent cough and congested throat can cause a lot of irritation and impede a peaceful good night’s sleep while making you feel tired. Being affluent in anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and expectorant properties, Suahaga holds high importance in treating the common cold, cough and flu symptoms. It also curtails chest and nasal congestion, rids the body of excess sputum and ceases nasal discharge. It is also highly beneficial in treating bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
Consume a paste of 1-2 pinch of Shuddha Suahaga Bhasma and ½ -1 tsp honey preferably in the morning to alleviate cough and sore throat and prevent respiratory infections.
Also Read: 5 Home Remedies To Soothe Sore Throat And Cough
Fosters Gut Health
Suahaga is a strong digestive stimulant. Imbued with carminative and appetite-stimulant properties, the mineral compound assists in breaking down of food particles in the stomach and intestine, stimulate the secretion of the digestive juices and thereby improve the absorption of essential nutrients through the intestines. It also readily helps to eradicate abdominal gas and in turn reduces bloating, abdominal distension and gaseous cramps. It delivers an amazing cure for a wide range of gastrointestinal disturbances like dyspepsia, heartburn, esophagitis, diarrhoea, flatulence, peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease (i.e. GERD).
Also Read: Indigestion: Best Home Remedies To Treat Your Stomach Woes Naturally
Eases Urinary Disorders
The mineral compound showcases strong antimicrobial activity due to its Tikshna (sharp), Ruksha (dry) and Kshara (alkaline) behavior. This trait of Suahaga offered a remedy for urinary disorders like urinary incontinence, painful urination, and burning sensation while urinating. Being a mild diuretic, it also deals with dysuria. The host of anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties in Suahaga staves off urinary infections.
Remedies Gynecological Problems
Shuddha Suahaga is an ultimate remedy for all sorts of hormonal problems. It plays a key role in regulating periods, dealing with postnatal ailments, and even helps to treat excessive abdominal pain/bleeding. Additionally, the Ushna or got potency of the mineral also helps in managing menstrual anomalies like amenorrhea (absent menstruation), metrorrhagia (abnormal bleeding from the uterus in between regular menstrual cycle), menorrhagia (abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding), menometrorrhagia (excessive and prolonged uterine bleeding occurring at irregular and/or frequent intervals) and also delivers extensive comfort from abdominal cramps due to dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation).
Also Read: Menstrual Worries: 5 Different Period Problems And Their Ayurvedic Remedies
Attends To Wounds And Ulcers
Infused with anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, Suahaga bhasma holds high significance in treating different types of ulcers like peptic ulcer, canker sores, ulcerative colitis, or mouth ulcers, etc. The active component in this mineral compound vigorously promotes tissue regeneration, stimulates wound healing and sometimes even helps in slowly treating the scar tissue.
Augments Skin And Hair Health
Blessed with powerful detoxifying and Kshara (alkaline) qualities, Ayurveda acknowledges Shuddha Suahaga as a prominent one-step remedy for various skin conditions. Owing to its blood purifying traits which helps in eliminating toxins from the blood, it helps in dealing with a host of skin infections as well. It not only helps in safeguarding the skin from oxidative radical damage due to the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun, but also curtails the risk of the various indications of aging like blemishes, spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles. It is also effective for treating allergic conditions like psoriasis, pruritus, scabies, acne, pimples, zits, eczema and many more.
Make a paste of ½ - 1 pinch of Suahaga, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp aloe vera gel. Apply it all over the face for preventing skin infections and getting an exorbitant glow.
Apart from enhancing skin quality, Suahaga also plays a key part in promoting hair growth. It is of great importance in promoting blood circulation in the scalp tissues and hair follicles, which in turn enriches the roots by fetching in more nutrients through the blood supply and thereby aids in the growth of new hair. Ayurveda strongly suggests that a salve made from Suahaga and coconut oil when applied onto the scalp regularly not only staves off dandruff but also prohibits premature greying, sudden hair fall and different types of scalp diseases.
Relieves Pain And Inflammation
The strong analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving personality of Suahaga offers substantial relief from pain and inflammation, thereby reducing the chances of chronic autoimmune inflammatory maladies like joint pain, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis which occurs due to the vitiation of Vata Doshas in the joints and bones respectively. Being a natural vasodilator, it is also used to deal with sore muscles, arthritic conditions, painful muscle spasms and other inflammatory problems.
Also Read: Ayurveda For Rheumatoid Arthritis: Phenomenal Herbal Remedies To Mitigate Joint Pain
Effect On Doshas
Suahaga is innately empowered with Lavana (i.e.,salty) and Katu Rasa (i.e., pungent taste). It displays 3 gunas namely Laghu (i.e., light), Tikshna (i.e.,sharp) and Rukshna Guna (i.e., rough quality). It naturally depicts Ushna Virya (i.e., hot potency) and Katu Vipaka (i.e., pungent metabolic taste). The rough and light quality of the mineral compound, assists it to bring vitiated Vata doshas (i.e. air) and Kapha (i.e.,earth and water) doshes under control, whereas having a pungent metabolic taste, an additional intake of Suahaga can often aggravate the Pitta (fire and air) doshas. It has a positive impact on the various Dhatus or bodily tissues which are Rasa (i.e., Plasma), Rakta (i.e., Blood), Mamsa (i.e., Muscles), Majja (i.e., cartilage), Asthi (i.e., Bones) and Shukra (i.e., Reproductive Fluids).
Also Read: Introduction To Ayurveda: Learn About Vata, Pitta And Kapha Doshas
Therapeutic Dosage Of Suahaga
The significant remedial dose of Shuddha Suahaga may vary from individual to individual depending upon their age, the severity of the ailment, and the withstanding limit of the patient. Do consult an ayurvedic doctor or practitioner to get the accurate dosage.
Bhasma/ Powder: 125- 500 mg, twice a day, preferably after meals alongside honey or as directed by the medical practitioner.
Side Effects Of Suahaga
Though Suahaga offers an absolute remedy for a plethora of health abnormalities, it can cause certain altered indications if taken more than the prescribed amount. The side effects are usually noticed in the form of skin irritation, nausea, irregular menstrual cycle, diarrhoea, lethargy and vomiting.
Precautions
Suahaga is marked unsafe for pregnant women as it can developmental anomaly in the growing foetus. Additionally, without much reliable information about using Suahaga during the breastfeeding period, health practitioners chiefly instruct evading taking this medication without consultation with a lactation specialist.
