14 Health Benefits Of Manjistha You Should Tap Into

Manjistha has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It treats  allergies, acne, eczema, and psoriasis and can improve your complexion.  It can help you deal with stress and improve memory and learning  ability. Manjistha also boosts wound healing, protects your kidney,  liver, and immune system against toxins, and helps fight cancer. 

Manjistha, Indian maddar, or Rubia cordifolia has a stellar  reputation in traditional medicine, featuring in a range of herbal  formulations as well as cosmetic preparations. The stems, roots, and  shoots of this perennial, prickly climber with a red bark find a place  in many remedies, though the root is used most extensively. Compounds  such as anthraquinones, bicyclic hexapeptides, quinones, and iridoids in  manjistha are responsible for many of its beneficial properties. Here’s  what you should know about the health benefits of manjistha.  

1. Improves Your Complexion

Manjistha forms a part of many  ayurvedic formulations that are beneficial for your skin. It is part of  manjisthadi tailam and kumkumadi tailam, which are applied to get a  glowing complexion, and also in kanak tailam, which fights premature  aging and wrinkles.1

In ayurveda, manjistha is described as having “varṇya” property, that  is, it can improve your complexion and make it lustrous. Traditionally,  powdered dry roots and stem of this plant are mixed with honey and  applied to erase dark spots and give you an even-toned complexion.  Studies show that manjistha might indeed have a skin lightening effect. A  pigment known as melanin is responsible for your skin color – the more  melanin you have, the darker your skin is. Excessive deposits of melanin  also lead to tan, freckles, brown spots, and hyperpigmentation  disorders like melasma. If an uneven skin tone or blemishes are an issue  you are grappling with, manjistha may be able to help by reducing  melanin levels. It does so by inhibiting an enzyme known as tyrosinase  which plays an important part in the production of this pigment. 

2. Tackles Acne

Manjistha can help you get rid of those annoying zits. Traditionally,  the powdered root is mixed with ghee, or the pulp of the whole plant is  applied along with honey to treat acne. Research indicates that  manjistha acts against bacteria such as Propionibacterium acne and Staphylococcus epidermidis  which play a role in the development of pimples. Moreover, its  antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties also help fight acne. 

3. Helps Heal Wounds And Relieve Pain

Manjistha poultices and pastes are  used by ayurveda for a variety of skin problems and injuries and can  tackle irritation, swelling, pain, and inflammation.

Manjistha has been traditionally been used to heal cuts and wounds.  An animal study that examined the scientific validity of this folk  remedy found that applying a gel containing manjistha extract was able  to significantly improve wound contracting ability, tissue regeneration,  and wound closure. It could also bring about a reduction in the surface  area of the wound. Researchers suggest that anthraquinones and tannins  present in this medicinal plant may be responsible for its wound-healing  action.6  Animal studies have also shown that oral administration of manjistha  extract can ease pain and even ease fever associated with inflammation. 

4. Eases Eczema Symptoms

Eczema is a common skin condition which results in itchy reddened  skin and oozing blisters. Ancient ayurvedic texts describe the use of  manjistha to treat a skin disease named “vicharchika” which exhibits  symptoms similar to eczema.8  And as it turns out, scientific research also indicates that this  ancient ayurvedic remedy just might be able to ease eczema. One study  that examined the impact of using an ointment containing manjistha for a  period of 2 weeks on people with this condition found that it  significantly improved symptoms. On average, they observed an  improvement of 62.06% in the symptoms of this disorder, with some  participants showing an improvement of 50% in just 4 days. 

5. Helps Deal With Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin disease that develops when skin cells get  replaced more quickly than is normal, resulting in crusty, flaky red  patches with silvery scales.10  This condition is linked to the excessive proliferation and abnormal  differentiation of skin cells known keratinocytes. And manjistha may  help deal with this condition. In vitro studies show that extracts from  the roots have an antiproliferative effect on keratinocytes. 

6. Fights Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress can take quite a toll on your health and contribute  to a range of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis,  diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. It develops when your immune system  cannot neutralize all the free radicals generated inside your body. Free  radicals are an inevitable byproduct of the conversion of food to  energy in the body but it can also be formed by overexposure to toxins  whether via refined or processed foods, tobacco, alcohol, or  environmental pollutants.

Manjistha is considered one of those rare herbs in ayurveda which has both soma (cooling) and agni (heating) properties.

While it is important to finetune your lifestyle and diet to keep  free radicals in check, foods with antioxidant properties can help you  fight the good fight. Manjistha is one such superfood that has potent  antioxidant benefits and can scavenge free radicals. It also helps that  it has anti-inflammatory properties, which can counter the effect of  chronic inflammation, another immune response that can wreak havoc on  your body. So go ahead and kill two birds with  

7. Counters Stress

 Animal studies have found that  manjistha can act against chemically induced amnesia to improve memory  as well as enhance learning ability. This ancient plant may be able to  keep your mind sharp and protect you from succumbing to pressure and  stress.

From raising your blood pressure to causing backaches and acidity and  worsening ulcers, stress can wreak havoc on your body. If you are  feeling overwhelmed by daily pressures and it is taking a toll on your  health, manjistha can help. One animal study found that it mitigated the  effects of stress that was induced in rats by physically restraining  them in a cold environment. Manjistha extract was found to significantly  reduce acidity and ulcer index in these animals. But that’s not all –  it also had a beneficial effect on corticosterone and dopamine levels  which play a role in your body’s response to stress.16 

8. Treats Allergies

 Manjistha is an emmenagogue that  can boost healthy and regular menstruation. It is also used in ayurveda  to treat menstrual disorders.

Manjistha has been used in ayurveda to fight allergies. Scientific  research backs up its effectiveness. So how does it work? Research  indicates that it can stabilize mast cells of the immune system and  prevent the release of chemicals like histamine. This, in turn, reins in  symptoms such as a running nose, itchy skin, or watery eyes which occur  during an allergic reaction.

9. Protects Your Liver

 Your liver works tirelessly to eliminate toxins from your body.  However, this hardworking organ can also be damaged by an assault of  toxic substances ranging from smoke and environmental pollutants to some  medicines. Manjistha might be able to exert a protective effect here.  One animal study found that a compound known as rubiadin in manjistha  was able to rebalance liver enzymes which were thrown out of whack due  to exposure to the liver-damaging chemical carbon tetrachloride. It was  also found to display a strong hepatoprotective effect and can be used  to strengthen the liver. 

10. Boosts Kidney Function

 Research shows that manjistha can protect your kidney against the  harmful effects of toxic chemicals. One study looked at the impact of  administering extracts of manjistha along with a drug used in  chemotherapy that has a toxic effect on the kidney. Use of the  chemotherapeutic agent resulted in elevated levels of creatinine and  urea in the blood. These are waste products that are normally cleared by  your kidney and high levels indicate a slowing down of the functioning  of your kidneys. But treatment with manjistha extracts restored the elevated levels of creatinine and urea to normal.

This particular drug used in chemotherapy is thought to affect the  kidneys due to its ability to deplete the antioxidant defense system.  The free radical scavenging and antioxidant property of manjistha, in  turn, may have a protective effect. 

11. Protects Against Kidney Stones

 Kidney stones are quite common, with up to 2 in 20 women and 3 out of 20 men developing them at some point in their lives.  They form when waste products turn to crystals, accumulate inside your  kidney, and eventually develop into a stone-like lump. Manjistha might  be able to prevent the formation of kidney stones to an extent. In one  animal study, mice were administered ethylene glycol to induce kidney  stones. But when these subjects were given an extract of the root of  manjistha, it was able to modulate the excretion of minerals such as  calcium, phosphate, and oxalate in the urine which are associated with  the formation of stones. 

12. Boosts Immune System Function

 We are surrounded by harmful pathogens that can cause infection and  disease. While an active immune system protects and defends us from  these, many factors can suppress your immune system and leave you  vulnerable to disease. For instance, alcohol and the toxin lead nitrate  have been known to have this effect. Animal studies show that manjistha  can protect against the impairment of your immune system by these  substances. In both these instances, the immunosuppression was found to  occur due to oxidative stress and manjistha had a protective effect due  to its potent antioxidant properties. 

13. Supports The Lymphatic System

 Traditionally, manjistha has been used for purifying blood and  helping with the proper functioning of the lymphatic system. The  lymphatic system, an integral element of your immune system, transports  fluids throughout your body. It is responsible for nourishing the  tissues and draining waste and toxins from your body. Manjistha is  believed to have a powerful influence on the lymphatic system, boosting  its performance when it is sluggish or easing any lymphatic congestion  that in turn can affect your whole body. Its benefits for the skin and  female reproductive health are linked strongly to its impact on the  lymphatic system. 

14. Fights Cancer

 Manjistha has traditionally been used in ayurveda to treat uterine  and ovarian cancers. And lab studies show that it can act against cancer  cells in the colon, breast, and liver. It also has anti-tumor activity  against various cancers such as myeloid leukemia and histolytic  lymphoma.  Some research indicates that cyclic hexapeptides and quinones present  in this plant are responsible for its anticancer activity. However, do keep in mind that it’s early days yet. More research is  required in this area before manjistha can be effectively used to battle  cancer. You can, however, check with your doctor whether manjistha can  be beneficial as a supplementary treatment.

Source: https://www.curejoy.com/content/health-benefits-of-manjistha/