Health Benefits of Parijat Leaves and Flowers

According to mythological stories, Parijat is a heavenly tree brought to earth by Lord Krishna. Parijat commonly known as a night jasmine is a small shrub that has fragrant flowers. Parijat flowers have seven to eight petals arranged on an orangish-red stem. These beautiful flowers are used in many spiritual activities. This flower loses its brightness during the daytime and blooms at night.

Medicinal Uses of Various Parts of Parijat Plant

From leaves to roots, the whole Parijat plant is very useful for various healing properties. It is known to improve the function of insulin and reduce the symptoms of diabetes. Thus, it can be included in your Diabetes Diet Plan.

• Parijat leaves:

In Ayurveda, Parijat leaves have been used to treat different kinds of fevers, coughs, arthritis, worm infestation, etc. The leaf juice is bitter and works as a tonic. The kadha or decoction is excellent for arthritis, constipation, and worm infestation.

• Parijat flowers:

This small, aromatic, white flower works wonderfully for gastric complaints and respiratory complaints.

• Parijat stem:

Parijat stem powder is very good for treating joint pain and malaria.

Health Benefits of Parijat

Parijat is a wonderful plan in Ayurveda particularly known for its enormous health benefits. Due to its broad-spectrum medicinal properties, it has become a matter of interest for research. This antioxidant, medicinal plant has numerous health benefits from alleviating pain to reducing fever.

1. Treats Various Types of Fever

Parijat is known as a great antipyretic. It cures various nauseous types of fever including malaria, dengue, and chikungunya fevers. Recent studies suggest that Parijat leaf and bark extract are very useful in ameliorating fever instantly. It helps to increase platelet count in dengue and chikungunya fever. It also inhibits bacterial / parasite growth that can cause fever.

How to use it – Take one tsp of leaf extract and boil it with 2 cups of water, until it reduces to one cup. Also, you can mix 1 ml of olive oil with 2 drops of Parijat extract oil and rub on the soles. It helps to reduce your body temperature.

2. Treat Arthritic Knee Pain and Sciatica

Arthritis and sciatica are the most painful conditions. Parijat leaves and flowers possess anti-inflammatory properties and specific essential oils to make them beneficial in the treatment of arthritic knee pain.

How to use it – Ayurveda doctors suggest that decoction of Parijat leaves is excellent for relieving arthritis and sciatica. Also, add 5-6 drops of Parijat essential oil in coconut oil and apply it to the affected area to reduce pain.

3. Cures Dry Cough

Are you suffering from constant cough and irritation of the throat? A tea made from Parijat leaves and flowers is used to reduce cough, cold, and bronchitis. Studies show that the ethanol extract of the Parijat plant is an excellent bronchodilator. It also works beautifully in asthma.

How to use it – Take a few Parijat flowers and leaves with ginger and boil it in 2 cups of water for 5-7 minutes. Steep the residue and drink it by adding honey to it.

4. Anti-allergic, Antiviral, and Antibacterial Properties

Parijat oil works wonderfully as an anti-allergic, antiviral, and antibacterial. It helps to inhibit germs like E. coli. , staph infection, and some fungal infections. It can also be used to treat various fungal infections of the skin.

Parijat is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are being used traditionally for ages. In my experience, due to these properties, Parijat may be used as an anti-venom in case of snakebites as well.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

5. Immunity Booster

Parijat flowers and leaves act as immunostimulatory to boost immunity due to the presence of ethanol in them.

How to use it – Take 20-25 leaves and flowers of Parijat and grind them by adding 1 glass of water. Boil the mixture and reduce it to half, then, filter the solution and divide it into three equal parts. Consume each part in the morning, noon, and evening, 1 hour before the meals & continue for 2 months.

6. Diabetes Control

One of the major health benefits of Parijat is to control high blood sugar levels. Previous studies suggest that Parijat flower extract has a potent anti-diabetic effect.

7. Nourishment of Hairs

A decoction of Parijat seeds clears and controls dandruff and hair lice. Flowers of Parijat works as a hair tonic and are used to strengthen the hair and prevent hair fall. Parijat also helps prevent hair greying and other scalp-related problems.

8. For the Treatment of Malaria

Studies have found that parijat leaves are very beneficial for the treatment of the symptoms of malaria. Parijat leaves alleviate malaria fever and help reduce the parasite concentration in the body. The leaves also significantly reduce inflammation caused by malaria.

Apart from the above benefits Parijat also works great in the following conditions:

• Works as laxative
• Best skin healing properties
• Manages anxiety
• Helps to relieve menstrual cramps
• Prevent dental issues
• Cures digestive problems such as hyperacidity, nausea, etc.
• Get rid of worm infestation

From my perspective, Parijat is a potential medicine for various skin diseases. To support this, I recently came across an article that says the extracts from the flowers and seeds of Parijat have shown the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nature of Parijat making it a potential aid for skin ailments.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

How to Use

Parijat leaves and flowers can be used in a few different ways:

• The easiest way to use Parijat is to make a tea or decoction using the leaves and flowers.
• Oil extracted from the plant is also used for its healing properties.
• There are capsules, powders, and tablets of the Parijat plant that can be found in the market too.  
• Parijat tincture (an alcoholic extract) is also used for medicinal purposes.  

Side Effects of Parijat

Parijat should be used cautiously and in moderation. There can be a few side effects of Parijat that can be seen:

• Parijat leaves have a bitter and sharp taste that can cause vomiting for first-time consumers.  
• Continuous use of parijat leaves can cause gastric lesions as they contain methyl salicylate.  
• The leaves also contain tannic acid which can cause stomach irritation, nausea, and vomiting for some people.  
• Ingesting large amounts of Parijat leaves at once can cause nausea, stomach irritation, and diarrhea due to the presence of glycoside in the leaves.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability, or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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