(UNANI) HERBAL MEDICINES

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.

Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans and other animals. These include aromatic substances, most of which are phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Many are secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated — a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. In many cases, these substances (particularly the alkaloids) serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds.

The crucial points to be kept in mind in relation to the same being :

• Sex is an integral part of our daily habits (Dinacharya)

• Night and after two hours of dinner is the ideal time for intimacy, as it is kapha time.

• An absolutely satisfying sexual union, when developed over time, bestows you and your partner with health and vitality.

• For best results, each of the partners should be physically, emotionally and spiritually involved with the other.

• Touch, smell, food, music and ambience play a vital role in developing, increasing and prolonging intimacy.

• Perverted or unsatisfying sex has adverse effects on your mental and physical health, as it aggravates your vital energies (doshas) and reduces immunity. An aggravated vata will make you more emotionally vulnerable and fear-prone, increased pitta will move you to anger and even frustration and enhanced kapha will make you more possessive.

• The frequency of sex depends on your constitution and seasons - kapha types indulge in sex more frequently than your vata & pitta types thanks to the extra stamina they possess.

• Vata types might find satisfaction in changing partners. While the difficult-to-quench-their-desires pitta types are usually in quest for more intensity.

• For more and better sex therefore, one can practice Vajikaran therapy (virlification) - that part of Ayurveda which enhances male fertility and potency. However, any misuse of the same may open up a deluge of emotional and psychological complications. Use of similar medication (aphrodisiac supplements) instantly induces sexual pleasure and excitement, increases sexual stamina and promotes fertile seminal secretions.