Ever heard your grandmother swearing by a decoction made of violet flowers when you sneezed and coughed constantly? In no time gulping it made you feel better, sneeze less and you couldn't resist going to deep sleep. That is the magic bounteous banaksha or banafsha herb offers. Sweet-scented lovely violet flowers blooming in wild environs or sometimes sneaking from corners of grasslands, viola odorata or banafsa in Sanskrit and sweet violet, garden violet, and florist’s violet in English is a popular medicinal herb of Unani medicinal science which has been cultivated since ancient times for a medicinal purpose. Besides being a potent remedy for cough, cold, bronchitis, and asthma, it is a source of perfume due to its mild aroma as a key ingredient in ayurvedic formulas, cough syrups, and other herbal-based medicines.
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What Makes Bountiful Banaksha Plant Special?
Native to Asia, North Africa, and Europe, the sublime sweet violet plant is mostly stemless with medium-sized dark green ovate leaves and aromatic little blooms in dark purple, light purple, or lavender hues. Besides beautiful flowers, the plant offers many-seeded fruits loaded with wellness incentives. From respiratory ailments, bronchitis, and mild cough to severe throat infections, it can cure many lung infections and respiratory illnesses due to its powerful anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative emollient, expectorant, and antipyretic properties. Moreover, it can also cure mild to severe migraine headaches, anxiety, and chronic sleep disorders.
Powerful Compounds Of Sweet Violet
Sweet violet is imbued with powerful chemical components including flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, steroids, terpenes, saponins, and tannins providing wellness incentives to the body. Besides, it is a rich source of sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, chloride, and iron which can bolster overall health and prevent illnesses.
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Some of the health benefits that sweet violet flowers and herbs offer are:
- It flushes out toxins from the blood, the liver, the kidney, and the lungs thus keeping them clean and healthy.
- It loosens thick chronic phlegm by soothing congestion of the lungs, and cold and cough-related respiratory ailments thus aiding smooth breathing.
- It helps to heal sore throats and glands that have been inflamed due to lung disorders.
- It helps to combat tumours and abnormal growths which could be cancerous in the long run
- It reduces nervous tension, stress, insomnia, and mild to chronic depression disorders
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Here are two simple home remedies that can be made with this herb that will heal you.
Banaksha Tea
Prepared from fragrant flowers the tea boasts many wellness incentives. The tea can cure headaches, calm the nervous system and relax the mind. 
How To Make Banaksha Tea?
Take a handful of flowers and steep some leaves in a cup. Pour boiling water on it and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Filter the flowers and consume them many times a day. Banaksha chai will loosen the thick phlegm and help to expel it after a few rounds of this tea. It will bring immense relief in severe cold and whooping cough
Banaksha Leaves
Banaksha leaves have purgative, expectorant, emollient, and diaphoretic properties. These tiny leaves can be eaten raw or boiled. The leaves are also chewed as a remedy to beat inflammation and even prevent cancer cells from spreading. Chewing leaves also helps in soothing all kinds of headaches.
How To Make Banaksha Paste?
Make a poultice of fresh banaksha leaves. If fresh leaves are not easily available, dry leaves can be made into powder or store-brought powder can be used. The leaf and powder can both become a fine paste. Apply it topically on the inflammation and burns.
Benefits Of Banaksha Poultice
The topical application of banaskha paste soothes burns on the skin and alleviates skin anomalies and inflammation. It can also soothe mild to severe skin infections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Main Components Of Sweet Violet?
Sweet Violet contains powerful compounds, including flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, steroids, terpenes, saponins, and tannins. These compounds contribute to its wide range of health benefits, such as its anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and expectorant properties.
Can Sweet Violet or Banaksha Be Used In Skincare?
Yes, Sweet Violet can be used for skincare. Its anti-inflammatory and emollient properties make it effective for soothing burns, reducing skin inflammation, and treating mild to severe skin infections. A poultice made from the leaves or flowers can be applied topically to alleviate skin anomalies.
Is Sweet Violet Effective For Alleviating Mental Health Issues?
Yes, Sweet Violet can help with mental health conditions. It has calming effects on the nervous system, which can reduce nervous tension, stress, and mild to chronic depression. The tea made from Sweet Violet flowers helps to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.
Are There Any Precautions Associated With Sweet Violet?
While Sweet Violet is generally safe for most people, excessive consumption might cause gastrointestinal discomfort, so it should be taken in recommended doses. it is advisable to use it after consulting a healthcare professional.
References:
1 Sweet Violet (Viola odorata L.) Banafsha a medicinal plant in the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir: A review
Aalia Abdullah and Waseem Akram Khan
https://www.thepharmajournal.com/archives/?year=2023&vol=12&issue=7&ArticleId=21679
- https://jcea.agr.hr/en/issues/article/803
