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What is Churna?
Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt
A blend of several herbs and spices make up the powdered mixture known as churna. Depending on its intention in medicinal, beauty, or culinary use, its recipe varies. Common churna ingredients include cinnamon, fennel, dried ground ginger, coriander, and turmeric.
In the Ayurvedic diet, churna supplements are relied upon for many dietary and nutritional uses. The herbal mixture is thought to purify the blood and improve digestion when regularly used. Many Ayurvedic practitioners also use the blend to help prevent or treat inflammation. The immune system may be improved by ingesting these herbs as well.
Several Ayurvedic recipes call for the remedy. Various herbal and fruit extracts are sometimes combined with the herbal mixture and sugar to create cough syrup elixirs known as sitopaladi churna. Such solutions have also been known to be helpful in treating conditions such as indigestion, body weakness, and chest congestion. Some people use the medicine for allergies as well.
Liver detoxification regimens sometimes call for this Ayurvedic mixture. Available in tea, capsule, tablet, liquid, or powder form, it is also commonly used as a laxative. Many practitioners also hail the spice blend as a longevity tonic, using it for general brain and heart health. It has been known to help remedy high blood pressure.
Triphala churna is a blend of three Indian fruits. These include amla, baheda and harada. It has been used to help people control their diabetes. Excessive gas, eye diseases, and constipation have also been treated with these dietary supplements. Powder form is typically used in this case. Some people with asthma have found relief within the remedy.
Churna is also a special Ayurvedic food in India. It is made from cardamom powder, grated coconut, and dried sugarcane juice, or gur. It is typically served with rice dishes, such as Neer Dosa, or in stews and soups. Aside from the powder's healthful benefits, it is also full of antioxidants and considered to be very aromatic and flavorful.
As a beauty aid, churna is used widely. The supplement can be taken internally to help foster clear, clean skin and an overall healthy complexion. Some people take the product to help prevent hair loss.
Women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or nursing should not use this herbal mixture without consulting a physician. Using too much of the product can cause digestive distress, such as diarrhea. People with heart problems or other chronic conditions should seek medical advice before taking this supplement.
Sara Schmidt
A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Sara has a Master’s Degree in English, which she puts to use writing for WiseGEEK and several magazines, websites, and nonprofit organizations. She has published her own novella, and has other literary projects currently in progress. Sara’s varied interests have also led her to teach children in Spain, tutor college students, run CPR and first aid classes, and organize student retreats.
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Sara Schmidt
A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Sara has a Master’s Degree in English, which she puts to use writing for WiseGEEK and several magazines, websites, and nonprofit organizations. She has published her own novella, and has other literary projects currently in progress. Sara’s varied interests have also led her to teach children in Spain, tutor college students, run CPR and first aid classes, and organize student retreats.
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![Amla, one of the main ingredients in triphala churna.]()
Amla, one of the main ingredients in triphala churna. -
![Common churna ingredients include coriander seeds.]()
By: areifCommon churna ingredients include coriander seeds. -
![Some types of churna are made with cardamom.]()
By: margo555Some types of churna are made with cardamom. -
![Turmeric is an ingredident used to make churna.]()
By: Photographee.euTurmeric is an ingredident used to make churna. -
![Practitioners of Ayurvedic therapy believe that consuming churna on a regular basis helps extend an individual's life span.]()
By: Paul MaguirePractitioners of Ayurvedic therapy believe that consuming churna on a regular basis helps extend an individual's life span.
Discussion Comments
I learned about churna from my friend who is into natural remedies. She said that it works great to improve a poor appetite and relieves burning in the stomach. Most of its other uses involve the respiratory system.
Churna helped quickly alleviate my asthma attack once, and I keep it around in case of flare-ups. I also have a cough medicine containing churna. It is an expectorant that can liquefy phlegm. Because of this, it helps alleviate bronchitis symptoms.
I still believe in traditional medicine. I just use churna as a supplemental treatment. If I get bronchitis, I go to a doctor for antibiotics, but if he prescribes cough medicine, I will take the churna cough syrup instead, because I know that it works.
I love eating neer dosa with churna. You make it by grinding rice into a thin batter and making thin pancakes out of it. It’s easy and requires no fermentation.
First, you soak two cups of rice in water for four hours. Then, you grind it to a paste with one cup of water. Pour the batter into a bowl and add some salt and enough water to thin the batter out. Leave the batter in a warm place for two hours.
Heat a griddle with some oil in it and pour a ladle of batter into it. Spread it thinly to make a pancake. After about a minute, the edges of the dosa will begin to pull away from the griddle. Flip it over, drizzle on a bit of oil, and cook it one more minute. Then, fold it like a kerchief. You can wrap churna up inside the neer dosa.
I recently watched my Indian friend make churna. It only took her five minutes. She added it to instant rice as a flavoring.
To make one cup of churna, she used three-fourths of a cup of grated coconut, one-fourth of a cup of grated jaggery, and one teaspoon of cardamom powder. First, she melted the jaggery in a small saucepan. Then, she put the coconut and cardamom in and mixed it very well. She only had to cook it for one minute after the jaggery melted.
The churna provided a delicious flavor to the rice. It is a distinct taste unlike any I’ve ever had before.
I used a churna supplement to improve my complexion. Within a week, I noticed that my little red bumps had cleared up. My skin felt smoother, and I seemed to have a radiance about me.
However, it did have a downside. After about two weeks of taking the pills, I developed diarrhea. It wasn’t just a one time thing. It would happen several times a day.
I was bummed, because I loved my new complexion. I could not deal with constant diarrhea. Besides being unpleasant, I’m sure that it cannot be healthy. Sadly, I had to give up my churna.
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