Punarnavadi Manduram

by Sheela Rani Chunkath

Often times we want to do something good; to get rid of our bad habits, turn over a new leaf but don’t know how. We want to be healthy but don’t know how. With everyone saying something, from knowledge gurus to western scientists, one is quite lost.

My belief in Ayurveda as a system which contains the core knowledge of how to keep healthy is based on two things. Firstly, that it is the oldest codified system of medicine and secondly it is the only system that places so much emphasis on promotion of health and prevention of disease. It is a system that has stood the test of time.

A close young relative of mine had this terrible habit of chewing her nails. And of course they looked bad, detracting from her otherwise pretty hands. Nothing worked, not even daily reminders bribes or threats. When she got engaged, I told her fiancé could probably appreciate fuller nails when she shut me up by saying that her fiancé through her bitten nails looked cute. And so the saga continued, she got married, settled in the United States, had a baby and holds a responsible managerial position. The half-bitten nails were her constant companions until she found the better method as she calls it.  She had a manicure and had her nails painted with this stuff that lasts a month and which is not easy to bite through without your being aware of it. So every time she went to bite her nails the red stuff (the nail polish) would kind of glare at her and she would be able to resist the urge to bite her nails. Now she has pretty nails and feels proud that she has broken her nail-biting habit. Now what has this to do with Ayurveda? I am not an advocate of normally varnishing ones’ nails and this incident is by way of an example. People will normally do things to better themselves if they know how.

So many youngsters complain to me that they are very low an energy and need a pick me up. Now one of the things you should suspect if you are otherwise healthy is that you are probably deficient in iron. Most young girls and women I know have a low haemoglobin reading. Seventy percent of the body’s iron is found in the red blood cells of the blood in a compound called haemoglobin. In muscle cells a similar compound is present where it is called myoglobin. Haemoglobin is the one that transfers oxygen from the blood to the tissues. All of us are aware that oxygen is needed for healthy living. We also need to be aware that oxygen supply to the tissues depends on the iron content in our blood.

Allopaths prescribe iron tablets but oftentimes compliance is poor because the tablets interfere with the proper functioning of the digestive system. Constipation or diarrhea is a common complaint and patients often discontinue the eating the iron tablets.

In Ayurveda we have this wonderful preparation called Punarnavadi Manduram which helps raise haemoglobin without causing diarrhea or constipation. The preparation agrees with most people and they see their haemoglobin count go up resulting in better energy. They have learnt how to improve their iron level through a better method and they stick to it.

Punarnavadi Manduram is effective not only because it has iron in an easily assimilable form but also because it has herbs which ensures that constipation or diarrhea does not occur. It contains trivrit (Operculina turpethum) which prevents constipation. It contains indraya (Holarrhena antidysenterica) which ensures that diarrhea does not happen. Charaka has included Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa) in the Vayasthapana or antiaging group of drugs. So there you have it all. An iron medication that helps you increase your energy without the troublesome side effects of allopathic preparations.  Now if someone from the western pharma industry, wants to discourage you from taking Punarvadi Manduram they will tell you that all the ingredients (there are more than twenty) are mixed in cow’s urine and dried. The tablets have a characteristic smell which I personally don’t find offensive. Cow’s urine has antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. It has even been patented for its property as a bio-enhancer. This ensures that the iron and other herbal nutrients in Punarnavadi Manduram are better available to you.

--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/