Botanical Names: Asparagus Racemosus, Asparagus Sarmentosus, Asparagus Gonoclados, Asparagus Adscendens
Family Name: Liliaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Asparagus
Species: A. racemosus
Popular Names: Wild Asparagus, Asparagus Root, Satavari, Shatamuli
Parts Used: Tuberous Roots
Habitat: Found in the jungles at an altitude of around 8,000 feet throughout India, especially Northern India.
Description
Also known as Satawari, asparagus means ‘one who possesses a hundred husbands’. A much-branched spinous under-shrub with tuberous, short rootstock, it has numerous fusiform succulent tuberous roots. The plant contains odd little pine-needle-like leaves that are uniform, small and shiny green. The plant bears white flowers on short, spiky stems in summers, while in winters, blackish-purple, globular pulpy berries can be seen. It is a creeper, about 1 to 2 metres tall and the root is taken up in gravelly, rocky soils, high up in piedmont plains. The amazing herb is commonly found throughout India and the Himalayas. It is known as the ‘Queen of Herbs’ in Ayurvedic system of medicine, since it promotes love and loyalty.
Plant Chemicals
(+)- steroidal saponins, rhamnose moieties, sarsasapogenin, alkaloids, proteins, starch, tannin, isoflavones including 8-methoxy-5,6,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone 7-0-beta-D-glucopyranoside, asparagamine, racemosol, polysaccharides.
Uses and Benefits of Asparagus
- Asparagus is used as an anodyne, aphrodisiac and galactogogue.
- The roots are useful in nervous disorders, dyspepsia, tumours, scalding of urine, throat infections, tuberculosis, cough bronchitis and general debility.
- It helps with nervousness, pain, restless sleep, disturbing dreams and people with weak emotional and physical heart.
- The herb is useful for treating anorexia, insomnia, hyperactive children and people who are under-weight.
- Asparagus is considered as a rejuvenating female tonic for overall health and vitality.
- Satawari is used for treating sexual debility, infertility in both the sexes, and menopausal symptoms and increases milk secretion during lactation.
- The herb is useful in pregnancy for threatened abortion.
- It is useful for the treatment of ulcerative disorders of stomach and Parinama Sula, clinical entity akin to the duodenal ulcer diseases.
- The paste of fresh leaves is used to apply on the burning sensation of the skin in smallpox and bullae.
- The fresh juice of the roots, mixed with honey, helps reduce the burning sensation pain in tumours, due to pitta.
- Asparagus proves to be an effective demulcent for the dry and inflamed membranes of the lungs, stomach, kidneys and sexual organs.
- The herb is also an extremely nutritious tonic for women from menarche to menopause.
- Since it increases the urinary output, it is beneficial in urinary stones and Dysurea.
- Asparagus is anabolic to uterus and thus, helpful in uterine hypoplasia in young girls.
- It improves uterine growth, mitigates dysmenorrheal and menorrhagia, augments fertility and imparts anabolic properties.
- The herb works as a rejuvenative to improve eyesight, when consumed for a prolonged duration.
- When taken with a cup of saffron milk, asparagus is good for post-menopausal women.
- It curbs the intensity of the bronchospasms and decreases the frequency of paroxysms.
