Benefits of Bhojpatra, Medicinal Uses, Dosage, and side effects
Bhojpatra is the most commonly used herb in Asian times for the treatment of bleeding, wound cleaning, earache, and various psychiatric disorders. During the time of our acharya, its bark was used as paper. Then there were no papers the horoscopes were written on some special types of leaves known as bhojpatra or bhurja Patra. People stored information in a written form on the back of this plant because of this it is also called lekhya Patra which is used for writing.
Botanical name- Betula utilis
Family- Betulaceae
—-shloka—–
Meaning of shloka-
This shloka means that synonyms of Bhojpatra are Burjpatra, bhurj, charmmi, and bahuvalkal. It is of astringent taste, treats Kapha and ear-related problems, pitta, and blood disorders, and prevents negative energies. It is mainly used in poisoning.
(Reference- Bhavaprakasha nighantu- Vatadi Varga- Pg no. 523 and Shloka no. 47-48)
Names in different languages
- Hindi name: Bhuj Patta, Bhoj Patra, Bhuj Patra, Bhoj Patta
- English name: Indian paper tree, Himalayan Silver birch
- Punjab name – Bhurj
- Malayalam name: Bhurja Maram
- Gujarathi name – Bhuj
- Tamil name: Bhurja Maram
- Bombay name – Takpa
- Telugu name: Bhujapatvama
- Kannada name: Bhurja Mara
- Butia name – Almora
- Cutch name – Bhurjapatva
- Garhwai name – Phuspat
- Jaunsar name – Bhuj Pattra
- Nepal name – Khan Phie
- Kamaon name – Bhuj
- Malaya name – Sanglikung
Synonyms in the Sanskrit language
- Mrudutwak, Sucharma- its bark is soft
- Lekhyapatra- its bark is used for writing purposes
- Astirachada- its bark is brittle
- Bhootagna, Bhutaha, Bhootagraha – treats several psychiatric disorders
- Bahulavalkala, Valkadruma – the bark is multi-layered
- Other synonyms are Bahupata, Chitratwak, Chiropter, Bindu Patra, Valkadruma, and Mrudupatra
Categorization according to classical books
According to-
- Acharya Charaka- Shodhanadi gana
- Acharya Sushruta- Salasaradi gana
- Acharya Vagbhata- Asanadi gana
- Kaiyydeva Nighantu- Oushadhi varga
- Madanapala Nighantu – Vatadi Varga
- Raja Nighantu- Prabadradi varga
- Bhavaprakasha nighantu- Vatadi varga
Morphological characteristics
Bhurjapatra is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows up to the height of 12 to 15 m. The stem of this plant is white while the end skin is pink and is still like paper that gets easily separated from the stem. Leaves of this plant are 5 to 8 cm long, fine-pointed, and are hairy when young. Its female flowers arise in solitary spikes while the male flowers are born in catkins which are in bundles at the end of their branches or may be found with young leaves. These flowers bloom in April and May.
Habitat
Bhojpatra is found in the Himalayan range at an altitude of 2700-4200 m in Sikkim and 2100 to 3600m in Kashmir.
Chemical constituents
Methyl salicylate, botulin, lupeol, acetyl oleanolic acid, oleanolic acid, and leucocyanidin.
Medicinal properties
- Rasa (Taste) – Kashaya (Astringent)
- Guna (Qualities) – Laghu (Light)
- Vipaka (Undergoes taste conversion after digestion)- Katu (Pungent)
- Veerya (Potency)- Ushna (Hot)
- Karma (Actions on Tridosha) – Tridoshahara (Reduces all the three doshas)
Medicinal uses as per Ayurveda
- Bhuta- works as an antimicrobial and treats psychiatric disorders
- Graharoga- treats psychiatric disorders
- Karnaroga- works to treat ear disorders like an earache
- Visha- Treats toxic conditions and poisoning
- Raktapitta- Treats bleeding disorders such as heavy periods, nasal bleeding, etc
- Medohara- Reduces fat as well as cholesterol levels
- Pathya- Good for treating digestive tract disorders
Therapeutic uses
Earache
Bhojpatra helps to treat earache because of its analgesic and anti-inflammatory property. This herb helps to treat inflammation as well as redness. It also helps to control bleeding and heals non-healing wounds quickly.
Blood disorders
Bhojpatra helps to treat blood-related disorders by acting as a blood purifier that expels out the elimination of harmful toxins from the blood. This herb also stops and relieves heavy bleeding during periods.
Controls high cholesterol levels
Bhojpatra helps to block the substances that cause cholesterol accumulation in the vessels. Due to this property, it also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and other heart-related disorders. It also treats symptoms related to high cholesterol like numbness, shortness of breath, chest pain, etc.
Digestive disorders
Being a digestive, Bhojpatra helps to digest the undigested food particles in the stomach by increasing appetite. This herb helps to replace digestive enzymes by working naturally and helps to break down fats, carbohydrates, proteins in the body. These nutrients get absorbed in the body and provide nourishment to every part through blood.
Part used- Bark, leaves, and roots
Dosage- 3 to 6 grams (powder)
5 to 10 ml (decoction)
Side effects
There are no known side effects are seen after using Bhojpatra. But pregnant women and lactating mothers should consult the doctor before using this herb.
Some FAQs Related to Bhojpatra
Ques: Can Bhojpatra reduce cholesterol levels?
Yes, Bhojpatra reduces cholesterol levels by blocking the substances that cause high cholesterol levels and due to this property, it also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and other heart-related disorders.
Ques: Can Bhojpatra treat indigestion?
Yes, Bhojpatra can treat indigestion by increasing the appetite and digesting the undigested food particles easily with the help of digestive enzymes in the stomach.
Ques: Can Bhojpatra treat earache?
Yes, Bhojpatra can treat earache because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic property. It treats inflammation, pain, and redness in the ears
Ques: What are the side effects of Bhojpatra?
Up to now, there are no known side effects of Bhojpatra are seen but pregnant ladies and lactating mothers should consult their doctor before using this herb.
Conclusion
From this article, it is concluded that Bhojpatra can be used to treat various disorders like digestion, lowering cholesterol levels, increasing appetite, earache, etc. Bhojpatra also works as an anti-microbial that kills or stops the growth of microbes in the body.
Note: Our purpose is to serve useful information related to Bhojpatra‘s benefits, dosage, and other properties. It is advised to the patients not to consume it on the basis of this information. Before taking this as a medicine it is better to have an expert opinion because dosage and treatment vary from patient to patient depending on their symptoms and medical history.
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