Essential Facts About Mesua Flower
Names
- Botanical: Messua Ferrea
- Sanskrit: Nag Champa
- Hindi: Naghas, Nagkesar
- English: Iron Wood of Assam, Cobra’s Saffron
- Other: Indian Rose Chestnut
Energetics
- Rasa (taste): Astringent and bitter
- Guna (qualities): Light, dry and sharp
- Virya (action/potency): Hot
- Vipaka (metabolic properties, post-digestive): Pungent
- Effect on Doshas: Can be useful for helping to balance vata and kapha, despite possessing Gunas that are typically abrasive for the vata constitution.
Description
Messua flower grows on an evergreen tree, which can grow to be 30 meters tall. The tree usually has dark bark that is somewhere between grey and green. The flowers grow to be anywhere from 4 to 7 centimeters around and they usually have 4 white petals surrounding a yellow center.
Habitat
Mesua grows naturally in hot regions – it can be found growing indigenously in the tropical parts of Sri Lanka and India. It can grow up to 1500 meters above sea level in these regions, given that the climate remains tropical.
The plant can also be located growing in parts of Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
Parts Used
All parts of the tree on which the mesua flower grows can be used for medicine, commerce, or building. The wood of the tree is hard and heavy; the tree itself can be ornamental or it can be used for building. The stamens, the fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, buds, and bark all have a number of different applications.
Nutrients
A wide variety of nutrients have been found in the mesua flower, ranging from terpenes to antioxidants to flavonoids. Some of the most well-studied compounds found in the flower include mesuaferron, mesuaferrol, and mesuagin – which are only found in this plant.
Other compounds include euxanthon and bioflavin.
Medicinal Uses of Mesua Flower
There are lots of practical and medicinal uses of the mesua flower.
Fighting Inflammation
Because of its powerful inflammation-fighting effects, mesua flower can be a potent aid in helping reduce the discomfort of many inflammatory conditions.
This means that it can be useful for helping to reduce strain from people struggling with arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other form of inflammation.
Enhances Digestion
Mesua flower is believed to help stimulate agni, and can be a useful agent for helping to enhance digestion. It also helps the body excrete ama, or toxins, and can thus purify the digestive tract. It can soothe digestive upset as well.
Enhances Sexual Health
Mesua flower is known to help enhance sexual health and can function as an aphrodisiac for both genders.
Usage and Dosage of Mesua Flower
Mesua flower is most often used in powdered form. All you will need is a small dose – between one and three grams. This can be mixed together with water, or preferably with warm milk or a carrier substance to direct the herb to the proper tissues or organs that you are trying to heal. It can also be found in Ayurvedic formulas, like Chyawanprash.
Reviewed by Dr. Jayant Lokhande, MD (Botanical Drugs), MBA (Biotechnology)
