Botanical name:- Basella alba
Family name:-BASELLACEAE
English name:-Spinach
Sinhala name:-Nivithi
Tamil name:-Venpacali, Sivappu vasalakkirai, Pasali
Sanskirt name :-Upodika
Distribution:-Sri Lanka, India,southeast Asia,New Guinea, China, tropical Africa, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, West Indies, Fiji and French Polynesia.
Edibal parts:-Young stems,Leaves
Status:-Native
Ayurvedic usage:-
Treatment for:-Burns, Ulcers, Scalds, Boils, Swellings, Abscesses.
Parts used to make medicine:- Roots, Leaves
propagation:Seeds
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HERBAL FOOD and MEDICINES in SRI LANKA-
Dr Seela Fernando
Page-28
"Spinach is
one such vegetable which gives energy and strength. Spinach has come to us from
the Middle East . It was grown in the 11 th century in Spain , and in the 15 th century in France.
It is rich in protein,it helps digestion and is a stimulant of all secretion of
the stomach, the liver , and the pancreas.
It is also
very rich in mineral.
Most people
know that it contains a lot of iron, but according to scientific experiments,
it also contains phosphorous iodine and many other elements essential to keep
the system in good shape.
Spinach can
be recommended for children, adolescents, convalescents, anaemics, and all
chronic invalids. It is called “Singdhpatra” or”Gramini”In Sanskrit and its
botanical name is Basella Alba.
There are
creepers with a red stem and a green stem. It also grows as a shrub. The shrubs
are known as “Upodaki or Galodki”. Allthese varieties have the same type of
curative value.
In Ayurvedic
books it is said that spinash is cooling , suppresses your complexion. This
herb helps to reduce the suppression of urine.
In the old
texts on Ayurveda, spinach is mentioned as “Sukkra janaka” which mean that it
is an aphrodisiac. Spinach is one of the basic medicines given for insomnia and
insanity.
Eat more and
more spinach if you need good rest in the night. Spinach leaves are bandaged on
to the forehead for severe headaches. It is used as a poultice for ulcers. Niviti
is good remedy for eczema, and can be applied on the skin.
In old Ayurvedic
books, it is mentioned that niviti improves eyesight. It can be used as an
infant food to cure worms. It is an accepted remedy for anaemic invalids as it
improves the blood circulation.
Niviti
generally grows in cold and water-logged places. It also could be grown in pots
as an indoor plant."