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Ayurvedic Remedies to Fight Air Pollution: Do They Work?

Ayurvedic Remedies to Fight Air Pollution: Do They Work?

Alt Remedies
Surabhi Gupta

Air pollution has reached severe and hazardous levels in the national capital region, affecting the health of all those living there. How can Ayurveda help strengthen the body to fight the harms caused by this toxic air? FIT reach to Director of Jiva Ayurveda, Dr Partap Chauhan. It’s important to note that long term use of foods that help boost immunity can be helpful, but popping these on the day air emergency hits will not offer you immediate protection.

Dr Chauhan says,

Air Pollution is a big problem specially in big cities. This is going to affect our respiratory system and then also through the blood it enters into different parts of the body. It affects our cardiovascular health specially the heart and ultimately through the circulation all this poisonous things reach to every cell of the body and then they can create serious problems like cancer specially lung cancer is quite common.
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Combat Air Pollution: Natural Remedies

Dr Partap Chauhan gives some natural remedies:

Neem

Neem has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Neem has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
(Photo: iStockphoto)

In Ayurveda Neem is very popular. We should eat neem leaves regularly or we can get neem tablets which are easily available.

Dr Chauhan said that pollution is entering in our body not only through the nose and the mouth, it is also entering through our skin.

It is advisable to boil some neem leaves in water and wash your body with that water.
Dr Partap Chauhan

Tulsi

Tulsi is another useful herb. Tulsi leaves can be taken internally.

You can make paste of tulsi leaves, mix it with honey. People also put tulsi in water and they drink that water.
Dr Chauhan

He also ask to plant Tulsi as this will emit aroma which is good for cleaning the atmosphere.

Turmeric

Boil 2 cups of water and add a tablespoon of grated ginger and 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Boil 2 cups of water and add a tablespoon of grated ginger and 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
(Photo: iStockphoto)

Turmeric is very popular all over the world. It contains antioxidants and many such things which are good for health.

1/4th teaspoon of turmeric powder can be mixed with honey or ghee, you can also mix 1/4th teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of hot milk and drink it.  
Dr Chauhan

Triphala

Triphala is a combination of amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki.
Triphala is a combination of amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki.
(Photo: iStockphoto)

Triphala is mixture of three different herbs- Harad, Baheda, Amla. It balances all the three doshas. It also detoxify, cleanses our colon and digestive system.

Trikatu

Specifically for the respiratory system we can make another powder, which contains three things- Ginger, Black Pepper and Pipli, it is called Trikatu.

You can mix black pepper, ginger powder and turmeric powder in equal quantities and from this mixture you can take about 1/2 teaspoon morning and in 1/2 teaspoon in evening with warm water or you can mix it with honey and eat it.

This is good for lungs as turmeric is anti-inflammatory, ginger has quality to remove the mucus and it is also anti-inflammatory.

These herbs have capacity to fight free radicals or clean free radicals from the body, enhance the immunity.

And finally most important thing is that if we want to fight the pollution we should enhance our immunity.
Dr Chauhan
  • Eat food items that nourish lungs like chyawanprash.
  • Put some oil or ghee in the nose.
  • Do head massage and body massage with sesame oil.

Also Read : From Jaggery to Ginger: 5 Foods to Help Build Your Immunity

Camera: Shiv Kumar Maurya, Sumit Badola

Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan

Producer: Surabhi Gupta

(Delhi is in a public health emergency and schools have been shut. The air outside is visibly toxic - how has the hazardous air #pollution impacted you? Write down your #PollutionKaSolution and send it to us at FIT@thequint.com)

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