Previously having listed the benefits of various juices we have reached the fourth part of Juice Therapy. Below a few more beneficial juices and their positive health effects have been illustrated. Apart from listing the benefits of certain juices on the health in general, their benefits in certain diseases and illnesses have also been highlighted.
Fenugreek (Methi):
Qualities: Fenugreek, a leafy vegetable is believed to have a greater amount of heat in it and is bitter in taste. Because of its apparent hot nature, it may stimulate bile secretion. It is also considered as cardio protective. This leafy vegetable is believed to be dry in nature and a good appetizer. Since it is a good appetizing agent, it seemingly also aids in good digestion and expels accumulated gases from the intestine. It is believed to even benefit in dyspepsia, vomiting, cough, rheumatism, piles, intestinal worms and other ailments.
Benefits: Supposedly, fenugreek is a regimen for pregnant women and for the patients suffering from fever and dyspepsia. 5gms of it (1 and half table spoon) may act as an appetizer and warming agent. They are even believed to give relief in piles. Juice of fenugreek mixed with black raisins apparently provides relief in bleeding. As it contains a good amount of iron, fenugreek may be very effective in anemia.
Radish and its leaves:
Qualities: Tender radish is said to be saline, bitter, warm, light, appetizing, stimulant of gastric fire, digestive, sweet, constipating, pungent, laxative, good for the heart and vitalizing. They may also cure asthma, cough, piles, eye-diseases, gas-trouble, vocal disorders and other diseases. The arsenic content of radish is believed to have a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland. The juice of radish leaves is said to be diuretic. According to the Ayurveda, they promote digestion and eliminate all the three principal systemic disturbances (windiness, biliousness and cough).
Benefits: Radish promotes digestive power. They are believed to destroy the hostile bacteria infested in the intestines. Radish-juice may give sure benefits in burning sensation in the kidneys and also in urinal troubles. Fresh leaves of raddish may be good bile stimulators and may thus be very helpful in curing gynecological disorders. It may also be useful in vitalizing the liver and the heart. Apart from having a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane, they are also believed to have a soothing effect on burning sensation.
Alfafa (Rijak/ Rajko):
Qualities: Alfalfa is pungent, dry and heavy. They are believed to be helpful in expelling gas and dislodging cough. Its juice is believed to be good for the heart.
Contents: A detailed analysis of the properties of alfalfa is seemingly not yet available. They are presumed to contain valuable and useful minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, silicon, potassium and calcium. This grass is believed to be alkaline in nature and may therefore neutralize bodily acids.
Benefits: Alfalfa energizes the heart and is therefore believed to be good for the heart. Chlorophyll present in alfalfa may presumably act as a good antiseptic and immune booster, and may thereby aid in keeping oneself disease free.
Drumstick Leaves (Saragvo/ Sahijan):
Qualities: Drumstick leaves are pungent, warm, appetizing, stimulant of gastric fire, digestive, regimen and laxative. They expel gas, and aid against intestinal worms and cough. They may also be very effective against eye-diseases. Drumstick leaves are believed to be very important because of their high vitamin A content. Presumably no other leafy vegetable contains as much vitamin A as drumstick leaves.
Benefits: The juice of drumstick leaves’ mixed with honey may give benefit in internal as well as external eye-diseases. Its juice mixed with sugar may also provide relief in colitis. Its application to the hair is believed to be effective against dandruff.
Dill as a Leafy Vegetable:
Qualities: As a leafy vegetable, dill is believed to be pungent, bitter, delicious, warm and easy to digest. Apart from kindling gastric fire, they are also presumed to increase a nursing mother’s milk. It may even cure gas, colitis, windiness, cough and fever.
Use: Dill-juice can be obtained by pounding the dill leaves. Juice of dill leaves mixed with the juices of other leafy vegetables is believed to be a good combination in allaying diseases. Cooked dill leaves may also be used as a vegetable in our daily diet.
Benefits: Dill as a leafy vegetable is believed to be a sure remedy for constipation. Instead of taking fruit salt or other laxatives one may also take dill leaves (as a vegetable) with their usual meal. This may have a beneficial outcome. Dill leaves may also be very effective against piles.
Juice Treatment in Different Diseases:
One who wishes to resort to juice treatment may be advised to contact an expert on this subject. It is desirable that a juice treatment may be carried out under the guidance and advice of an expert. Juices may aid in cleansing the blood and expelling toxic and other harmful elements from the body. They may also prevent degeneration of the body and procure the ingredients which are necessary for the reformation and regeneration of the body cells. Therefore single fruit juices or multiple combinations of juices with other modes of treatment may aid in a faster cure of the disease. Diseases may usually be caused by either a wrong combination of food, or decreased immune system or due to disturbances in the Vaat, Pitta, and Kapha levels of the body. By taking different juices and medicines, one may not be able to completely eradicate the disease from the body. They may also need to change or restrict themselves from aggravating the disease factors. For instance, a person suffering from influenza may take sufficient juices and medicines, but they may not restrict themselves from having cold food, curd, rain or cold breeze. In such cases disease may not be completely removed from the body. Therefore one may have to take certain preventive measures. It is important to know that one may not be able to control or eradicate illness merely through juice therapy. It may also require proper medical measures, especially in the case of serious diseases. Juice treatment may act as a supportive treatment and enhance faster recovery of bed ridden patients.
Acidity: This may increase the level of bile secretion. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach may lead to burning sensation in the epigastric region. This may also make patients irritable and short tempered. Therefore such patients may be recommended to eat food thrice a day with a gap of about 8 hours. Apart from this, their food is to be free from oil, red/green chilly/black pepper, and ginger. They are to consume foodstuffs which are easily digested and a little warm. Cucumber, cabbage, lauki, black resin juices taken twice a day may reduce bile secretion and also neutralize extra hydrochloric acids.
Acne: All skin diseases are believed to be the result of increased heat and acid level within the body. Such people can probably take moderate laxatives once in three days. Along with that a combination of neem leaves with turmeric, spinach and carrot may also aid in eradicating the germs lodged in the skin. Consuming papaya juice every night may not only act as a mild laxative but it may also increase one’s resistance against skin and mucosal infections. This may take place due to its high content of zinc, which may be useful in treating the infected area. Face is to be washed with neem water or soap so that the oiliness of the face may be washed off and the germs do not get a chance to stick and multiply in the pores of the skin.
Anemia: One may be able to get a complete blood count with their iron and folic acid levels through a stool examination. This examination is to be done before starting any sort of anemia treatment, unless the person’s hemoglobin is below 4. It is believed that anjeer (Fig) juice (once a day); amla juice (once a day); mixed apple and pomegranate juice (twice a day); a combination of carrot, spinach and beet juice, black grapes juices (twice a day) may help in rapidly increasing the level of hemoglobin in the blood. This rapid increase is believed to take place because these juices may replace almost all the types of deficiencies which must have resulted in anemia.
Asthma: According to Ayurveda, asthma is a disease which may be caused by the stomach and not the lungs. When the body Agni (fire) is low, the stomach is believed to be responsible for producing Kapha, which later gets lodged in the lungs and may further lead to breathing difficulties. Therefore juices which are hot in nature are presumed to be beneficial for such conditions. Asthma patients are to completely avoid consuming sweets, fried stuffs, and cold food. About 2 spoons of garlic juice taken thrice a day along with a glass of carrot juice taken once a day may be beneficial to such patients. Such people may regularly also start adding one spoon of ginger juice to all their meals, so as to avoid the formation of mucus. In case of increased cough, they may probably also add a good amount of black pepper in all their meals.
Cancer: Juices of wheat grass (4 spoons if using dried powder to make the juice) along with guducchi herbal powder (one spoon), amla juice, basil leaf juice, ginger juice (one spoon) and apple juice may be taken half an hour before meals. These juices are believed to be very helpful in maintaining and supporting the health of cancer patients. This may also stabilize the patients and decrease the chances of the spread of their cancer to the different organs of the body. This may also aid in stimulating the immune system.
Cardiac troubles: Daily consumption of a combination of garlic and onion juice, luaki juice and half a glass of coconut water may be very helpful in decreasing heart-related problems. This may not only maintain the blood pressure, but it may also reduce cholesterol-triglycerides from the blood. Apart from that, they may also normalize the elasticity of the arteries and cardiac pumping.
Cholera:Starch water juice mixed with the beal leaf juice and garlic juice may aid in killing the bacteria responsible for cholera. Consumption of a lot of lemon water with sugar and salt or coconut water is considered to be very crucial for such patients; otherwise the loss of sodium or potassium may prove to be fatal for these patients.
Cold:Garlic with turmeric juice, basil leaf juice with black pepper may be the cure to all sorts of cold within a maximum period of about 24 hours.
Constipation: Food with high fiber may be taken for people suffering from this condition. Juice of one banana taken every evening with a little black pepper, papaya juice at bed time and spinach juice at any time of the day may aid in relieving constipation. All fruit juices high in citric acid like orange, mosambi, pineapple may be good for increasing bowel motility which may aid in evacuating the bowels. Changing eating habits and sleeping during the night instead of the day may prove to be beneficial to such patients. It may also be advisable if such people may avoid the intake of junk food and instead have a nutritious diet.
Contagious diseases: One needs to improve their immune system to get rid of contagious diseases. Even small illnesses like influenza may be contagious. As a protective measure or as a cure, one can take bitter neem juice with basil leaf juice once a day. Also, one spoon of garlic juice can be taken twice a day, or even one glass of carrot juice can be taken once a day. Apart from this, mosambi and orange juices are believed to keep the overall immune system strong. One can also regularly drink plenty of luke-warm water to cure oneself from chronic constipation.
Diabetes: One glass of lauki juice in the evening with a little black pepper and very little turmeric powder may aid in preventing all the complications of diabetes. Juice of 5 bitter gourds taken everyday may free a diabetic patient from all tablets and insulin. It is believed that tablets may be stopped over a period of 30 days, by slowing reducing its dose after about a week of drinking bitter gourd juice. Such patient’s should also get their blood sugar levels checked at the end of every month to see the results derived from drinking bitter gourd juice.
Diarrhea: A combination of garlic juice and turmeric juice consumed thrice a day for about three days may control all sorts of diarrhea. Patients may also drink plenty of coconut water to avoid electrolyte imbalance.
Diphtheria: Juice of garlic mixed with turmeric may be used to gargle five times a day for about three days. In addition to it, this juice may also be mixed with a little mint and neem juice and can be consumed three times a day for at least seven days.
Dysentery: Butter milk with a little garlic juice and turmeric juice is believed to have an immediate control over dysentery.
Eczema: Bathing with neem juice twice a day may help in controlling all skin diseases including eczema. Intake of neem juice in combination with turmeric and carrot juice may keep infections under control. Consumption of papaya juice or apple juice once at night may aid in healing eczematous wounds faster.
Eyes: Intake of spinach juice mixed with carrot juice once a day is believed to be good for the eyes. Amla juice taken early morning on an empty stomach may also aid in improving one’s eye sight.
Fever: Such patients are to avoid the consumption of milk. More so these patients may probably even try to follow a liquid diet for a period of atleast three days. Juices of apple, mosambi and orange with plenty of sugar may act as a supportive treatment for such patients. Watermelon juice and neem juice may also be provided three times a day for about five days.
For beautifying complexion: Intake of carrot juice along with papaya juice and beet juice once a day may be beneficial for this purpose. Bathing with diluted turmeric juice in combination with neem juice may also aid in enhancing one’s complexion.
-Dr. Hiren Parekh