The bark of Terminalia arjuna has been used as a medicine by several Ayurvedic medical practioners. A native of India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, Terminalia arjuna is a deciduous tree about 50-70 feet in height. The thick, tender bark is smooth and gray on the outside, and has a reddish tinge inside. The bark flakes off easily into large, flat pieces, and the tree bears small, yellow flowers that grow in clusters. These flowers are seen during the monsoon season of July-August and the tree bears fruit around October-November. An Ayurvedic physician named Vagbhata was the first to use the bark of Arjuna for heart conditions, around the seventh century A.D. According to Ayurveda, its astringent qualities help pacify kapha, while its cooling properties pacify pitta. However, modern medicine research on Arjuna is yet to produce any conclusive results.
Topical Application
Because of its astringent properties, the powder of Arjuna bark, or a decoction of its leaves, is applied on wounds, to help them heal. Its astringent nature is also helpful in treating bleeding piles and skin ailments (in fact the herb is known to help in the prevention of acne). For this, the bark of Arjuna is crushed to make a paste, then mixed with honey and applied on the acne prone area(s).
Heart Tonic
Ayurveda recommends Arjuna for maintaining good cardiovascular health. The bark of Arjuna helps nourish and strengthen the heart muscles; it helps in purifying the blood, lowering blood pressure (by normalising the disturbed rhythms of the heart and reducing the heart rate) and reducing triglyceride cum cholesterol levels. It is found to be helpful in treating edema as well.
General Health Tonic
Several substances in the Arjuna herb provide strong antioxidant benefits. Its bark possesses glycosides, large quantities of flavonoids, tannins and minerals. Flavonoids are said to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid lowering effects. In olden days it was used to treat chronic fevers associated with tuberculosis. Arjuna is found to be useful in treating cough when consumed along with Vasa (Adhatoda vasica) leaves. It could be used as an adjuvant for those suffering from tubercular cough. According to Ayurveda, Arjuna bark can be effective even in the treatment of asthma.
The side effects of this herb are not well known and it is preferable to limit the dosage. An overdose can damage the liver or suppress the activity of the thyroid gland. If you believe in alternative medicine, consult an Ayurvedic specialist for health benefits of this ‘wonder’ herb.
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