The Wonders of Medicinal Plants: The Pathway to Green Spirituality

Indian medicinal plants are the essence of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic treatments. When used judicially and clocking with the basic principles they produce miraculous effects. Medicinal plants are not only the source of nutrients but have also been identified as therapeutic foods useful in disorders such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, cancer and hypertension etc. These functional characteristics are due to the presence of bioactive components viz., alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyannins, carotenoids, isoflavanoids, steroids, lignans, anthraquinones, vitamin C, tannins, saponins and gums. Medicinal plants have become effective functional foods owing to their wide pharmacological potentials such as anti-tumor, anti-allergic, immune-modulating, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, anti-microbial, anti-viral and hepatoprotective properties.