Indian Masala Box? More Like a Treasure Trove of Cures!

When it comes to Indian cuisine, spices play a very significant role. After all, Indian food is known for its rich and spicy flavour the world over. If you are someone who loves cooking, you would vouch for the fact that every spice has its own unique flavour and essence that brings a lot more than pungency, aroma and color to the food. Well, did you know that spices improve the shelf life of the food they are added to by preventing and slowing down their spoilage? Not just that, the masala (spice) box that you keep in your kitchen is actually a treasure trove of cures. Spices are natural immunity boosters. Want to know how? Well, read on to find out more!

Indian Spices and Immunity

Did you know that when you fall sick, sometimes, all you need to do is raid your pantry? Yes, in your kitchen rests the solution to all your health problems- right from sore throat, cough, cold to flu, and all in all, your immunity. As per research, spices contain numerous antioxidants and phytochemicals such as aromatic compounds, pigments, and essential oils, that not only add a characteristic flavour to the food you consume but also contains several medicinal properties that will provide a plethora of health benefits.

Our grandmothers recognised the medicinal properties of these spices a long time ago. That is why every time we happened to fall sick, they found a herbal remedy to it. For instance, turmeric milk is the best immunity booster/ cough relaxant given to get rid of respiratory ailments. Likewise, asafoetida, cumin seeds, and caraway seeds are said to be excellent remedies for digestive issues.

Ask anyone about the best home remedy that has survived through time, and they will agree that it’s kadha. The kadha is a herbal/ medicinal concoction that has endured several years and continues to be one of the most effective and fool-proof natural immunity boosters. And we definitely owe it to our grannies for introducing us to this excellent herbal drink at a young age.

So What Is Kadha?

Kadha is a drink that is made by simmering herbs and spices in water till you get a potent fragrance of the ingredients stewing in water. One has to be accurate with the proportion of the spices in this drink as a disproportionate amount of any of them could alter the taste and flavour of the drink, making it too pungent and spicy, which could lead to acidity and heartburn among some people. There are several kadha recipes available that are prepared with the permutation and combination of different herbs and spices.

Each of the spices are known for their individual medicinal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Kadha is rooted in the Ayurvedic philosophy, which believes that the food we eat has healing potential as well. Taking a leaf out of that philosophy, Wellbeing Nutrition has given a whole new spin to this age-old home remedy, by coming up with its very own herbal drink called Grandma’s Kadha.

What Is Grandma’s Kadha?

Grandma’s Kadha comes in a tube containing 15 effervescent tablets. Each of these tablets is made of 13 adaptogenic herbs and spices that you can easily find in your kitchen. The ingredients used contain natural antibiotic and immunity-boosting properties that help the body fight infections, the common symptoms of which are cold, a sore throat, cough, headaches, runny nose, body ache, flu, and weakness. The way to make this kadha is quite simple and effortless, quite unlike the traditional form of this herbal drink, which requires a lot of simmering. All you need to do is drop a tab into a glass of hot water and wait for it to dissolve to drink it all up. It is 100 percent natural and contains no potential side effects.

So What Are The Herbs And Spices Used To Make Grandma’s Kadha?

The ingredients used to make Grandma’s Kadha help us adapt and recover from all kinds of physical and mental stress. So apart from fighting infections, the herbs and spices used in this product also help the body to better manage stress. Once the body figures out how to hack stress, it will automatically keep all kinds of illnesses and sickness away. Most of these spices and herbs are easily found in your kitchen. So what are we waiting for? Let’s look at each of these ingredients individually and explore their characteristics and medicinal properties in detail to better understand their role in boosting our immune system.

• Coriander: Coriander is an essential spice that is rich in antioxidants, which plays an integral role in preventing cellular damage and diseases associated with it. In short, it has the potential to neutralize free radical activity that causes inflammation and various chronic diseases in the body such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. It also lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol in the body, thereby maintaining a healthy heart. Moreover, it helps to detoxify the liver and regulate bowel movement in the gut, improving digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Turmeric: Turmeric contains an important antioxidant known as curcumin that is known for its antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This helps to keep all kinds of respiratory issues at bay, regulate blood sugar levels, ease digestion, improve heart and cognitive health, and help cope with arthritis, among other things. To learn more about this spice, read our blog, ‘Include Fresh Turmeric in Your Diet and Notice the Difference!’
• Black Pepper: Black pepper promotes better absorption of turmeric in the body. This has an active compound called piperine, which is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This spice keeps blood pressure and cholesterol under control, thereby improving heart health. It also improves respiratory health.
• Mulethi/licorice root: Rich in antioxidants, mulethi helps to keep all kinds of inflammatory diseases at bay, right from arthritis, heart diseases, liver disorders, to respiratory problems like a sore throat, bronchitis, laryngitis, and the like.
• Tulsi/Holy Basil: Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, holy basil/tulsi has the potential to help fight common ailments such as flu, cold, fever, asthma, and other respiratory issues. Moreover, they help to control both the blood pressure as well as blood sugar levels in the body. It also works well as a blood purifier.
• Kulanjan: Popularly known as the Greater Galangal in English, kulanjan is predominantly used in the Arab and South-east Asian cuisine. It is one of the richest sources of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that benefit skin and hair in a big way. It has an extremely pungent flavour and is known for its potential to help the body recover from digestive problems. Additionally, it is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and relieves the body from all sorts of discomfort and pain associated with inflammations and swelling.
• Amla: Rich in Vitamin C, amla is known to bolster the immune system and maintain healthy lipid and sugar levels in the body. To know more about it, read our blog, How does Amla Benefit your Health.
• Dry Ginger: Dry ginger helps to curb your appetite, thereby facilitating weight loss. Furthermore, it helps in the process of fat absorption and fastens metabolism. Since it keeps the weight within healthy limits, it automatically reduces the risk of heart problems and diabetes.
• Bharangi: This essential herb is known for its antimicrobial and antispasmodic potential, which helps to ease symptoms of common cold, chronic sinusitis, cough and other chronic respiratory allergies.
• Echinacea: This herb is an excellent source of antioxidants that keeps the body protected against free radicals and the resultant infections and chronic diseases.
• Adulsa: This herb is traditionally used to clear out chest congestion and ease breathing and other respiratory issues. Furthermore, it helps reduce blood pressure by keeping stress at bay.
• Kalmegh: This essential herb is known for its antimicrobial, antibacterial and immunomodulatory potential that helps to ease all sorts of respiratory issues. You can read our blog, 7 Things The Bitter Herb Kalmegh Can Do For You!
• Shankapushpi: This miraculous herb helps to not only clear out congestion from the chest, ease common cold and cough symptoms, but also helps to improve cognitive function such as memory and intelligence.

Final Takeaway

Some of the best remedies to most of our health problems lie in natural immunity boosters such as fresh antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Ask your granny and she will vouch for that! We have to make these natural immunity boosters a part of our daily routine- a new way of life so that we can be healthier and better versions of ourselves. Of course, if push comes to shove, we must consult a doctor, but going forward our focus must be on building a strong immune system to prevent infections and diseases rather than reaching a point where we are always popping medicines and trying to look for an immediate cure. The solution to all our health problems is adopting an approach that addresses the problem at its root. Make Wellbeing Nutrition’s Grandma’s Kadha a part of your daily life and make the most of the goodness that it has to offer! We are certain your immune system won’t be sorry!

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