Ayurvedic Remedies to Fight Air Pollution: Do They Work?
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.
Combat Air Pollution: Natural Remedies
Dr Partap Chauhan gives some natural remedies:
Neem
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.
Tulsi
Tulsi is another useful herb. Tulsi leaves can be taken internally.
He also ask to plant Tulsi as this will emit aroma which is good for cleaning the atmosphere.
Turmeric
Turmeric is very popular all over the world. It contains antioxidants and many such things which are good for health.
Triphala
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.
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.
- 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.
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)