Topic: Top Ayurvedic Herbs to Combat Inflammation and Support Your Wellness
Hi everyone and welcome back to our Thursday show. I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far and I’m really excited to be here with you today. Thank you so much for tuning in to cover something in our food cornerstone today and specifically top Ayurvedic herbs to combat inflammation and support your wellness. I’ve always been so passionate about plants and these energies that we bring into our body and directly impact our ability to heal, to feel great, how we age, how the energy that we have throughout the day. And when I started getting into Ayurveda some years ago, it blew me away in the textbook, how many herbs there really are. It can feel a bit overwhelming when we hear about this or that, but there are some top ones that I would see and witness my Ayurvedic doctor and teacher, Dr. Vaidya J. Prescribe, and in our herb room at the clinic, there weren’t hundreds. There were some dozens of herbs, and there are some that I’ll talk about today, which have widespread uses.
Episode Summary
In this conversation, Kimberly Snyder discusses the top Ayurvedic herbs to combat inflammation and support wellness. She highlights the power of plants and their impact on healing, energy, and aging. Kimberly focuses on four key herbs: Turmeric, Amalaki, Ashwagandha, and Holy basil. She shares scientific studies that demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and health-promoting properties of these herbs. Kimberly provides suggestions on how to incorporate these herbs into daily life, such as adding turmeric to dishes, consuming Amalaki in a greens powder, and drinking tulsi tea. She emphasizes the importance of sourcing high-quality herbs and respecting their cyclical nature.
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Passion for Ayurvedic Herbs
04:12 The Best Ayurvedic Herbs for Inflammation
09:50 Amalaki: The Rejuvenative Herb
15:27 Ashwagandha: Reducing Stress and Inflammation
19:47 Holy Basil: Combating Stress and Inflammation
25:54 Incorporating Ayurvedic Herbs into Daily Life
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KIMBERLY’S BOOKS
OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY!
STUDIES AND RESEARCH
1. Amalaki
Boosts Immunity:
A 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that Amalaki significantly enhanced the immune response and reduced oxidative stress
Promotes Skin Health:
A 2006 Study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology showed that Amalaki extracts improve skin texture and reduce signs of aging Supports Digestion:
Promotes Healthy Digestion
A 2018 study in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine highlighted Amalaki’s effectiveness in treating digestive disorders and could reduce frequencies of heartburn and regurgitation and improve heartburn and regurgitation severity in patients with GERD.
Enhances Heart Health:
A 2010 study in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology demonstrated that Amalaki lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides along with a reduction in blood pressure.
Balances Blood Sugar:
A 2011 Clinical study in the Journal of Diabetes Research found that Amalaki supplementation significantly lowered blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Liver Health
A 2013 Review in the Journal of Food and Function found that Amalaki has been reported to impart beneficial effects on liver function and to mitigate hyperlipidemia and metabolic syndrome.
Skin and Hair Health
A 2021 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology examined the effects of Amalaki extract on skin fibroblasts, highlighting its potential to improve skin elasticity and reduce signs of aging due to its antioxidant and vitamin C content.
2. Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Inflammation and General Health
A 2017 study in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute highlighted Tumerics potential in reducing inflammation, particularly in conditions like arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Brain Health
2018 study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry investigated the effects of curcumin on cognitive function and mood in older adults. The results showed significant improvements in memory and attention, as well as a reduction in amyloid and tau signals, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease .
3. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Stress and Anxiety Reduction
A 2012 Study in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine found that Ashwagandha significantly reduced stress and anxiety levels in participants compared to a placebo group. Cortisol levels, a marker of stress, were also significantly lower in the Ashwagandha group.
Cognitive Function and Memory
A 2021 study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements analyzed multiple studies and concluded that Ashwagandha improves cognitive function, attention, and memory, particularly in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.
Anti-Inflammatory and Immune-Modulating Effects
A 2023 study in the Journal of Frontiers in Pharmacology demonstrated that Ashwagandha has anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in modulating the NF-κB pathway, which is involved in the body’s inflammatory response.
Sleep Improvement
A 2021 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology demonstrated that Ashwagandha root extract significantly improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety in healthy adults, suggesting its potential as a natural sleep aid.
4. Tulsi (Holy Basil) (Ocimum sanctum)
Stress
A 2017 study in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed the anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and adaptogenic effects of Tulsi which supports its use in managing stress and inflammation.
Cardiovascular Health
A 2012 study published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine examined the effects of Tulsi on cardiovascular health. The results showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as a reduction in blood pressure, indicating potential cardiovascular benefits
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Transcript:
Kimberly Snyder (00:00.622)
Hi everyone and welcome back to our Thursday show. I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far and I’m really excited to be here with you today. Thank you so much for tuning in to cover something in our food cornerstone today and specifically top Ayurvedic herbs to combat inflammation and support your wellness. I’ve always been so passionate about plants.
And these energies that we bring into our body and directly impact our ability to heal, to feel great, how we age, how the energy that we have throughout the day. And when I started getting into Ayurveda some years ago, it blew me away in the textbook, how many herbs there really are. And so.
It can feel a bit overwhelming when we hear about this or that, but there are some top ones that I would see and witness my Ayurvedic doctor and teacher, Dr. Vaidya J. Prescribe, and in our herb room at the clinic, there weren’t hundreds. There were some dozens of herbs, and there are some that I’ll talk about today, which have widespread uses. You may have heard of some of these. You may have not heard of others. But these are the ones that I like to keep in my arsenal. And now because what often happens is modern medicine and research starts to catch up with ancient wisdom in some ways, which is also the combination of my new book, The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts. It’s a combination of Vedic teachings on the heart and the modern science of heart coherence.
What happens is that it starts to reinforce just really how powerful in today’s show, we’re talking about just how powerful these plants really are. And it brings us back to this, you know, the power of nature. And it empowers us to realize that in simple ways, we can start to incorporate these herbs into our life, into our diets. And I’ll share some ways in which I like to do that. And we start to create amazing change with these little shifts and with more awareness.
Kimberly Snyder (02:23.0)
So I’m really excited to get into our show. Before we dive deeper, a little reminder that over on mysalooner .com, there will be the show notes. Please check them out. Please share this show, this episode or the show in general with anyone that you think would benefit. Our voices, our recommendations are all powerful. It’s a wonderful way to support others’ health, to support the show. So I thank you so much in advance. You can also leave a review, which is another great way to support the show.
And while you’re over there at mysolluna.com slash five hearts buck, we are pre -selling very excited about this, the new buck, the hidden power of the five hearts, which is about the heart. It’s from my heart to your heart. And it’s these five stages of awakening the heart through science and through ancient teachings. And when we do this through evidence -based tools and practices, we start to awaken into a different life, different clarity, a different level of peace and emotional resilience and stress resilience. And as it relates to today’s show, we combat inflammation and balance our hormones in an incredible internal way that works with our diet, that you know, it’s and it works with the ways in which we eat, but it’s a whole other tool in the toolbox.
Working with the heart brain, which is something that I’ve never written about. I’ve never talked about this. This is brand new and it has transformed my energy and my health. And I always want to share with you guys, I find the most impactful. The heart seems to tie everything together. So please check it out over on our site. Now let’s dive right into our topic today. The question comes from Melody who lives in New Jersey. Melody, thank you so much for your question and being in our
Thank you for writing in. Your question is, there’s so many herbs out there. Which ones are the best, especially for inflammation, which I hear so much about? Thank you. Thank you, Melody. And this brings up, as I mentioned, that there are many different herbs, but there are ones that are easier to access. There are ones that are believed to have the widespread benefits and even have that scientific backing. Although I will say that in my Ayurvedic textbook, I have
Kimberly Snyder (04:41.262)
a couple really thick ones and some of the ancient texts like the Cherica samhita. There are also many herbs that don’t have as much research around them that could be very powerful. So this is an unfolding process as it relates to Western research and medicine. But today there are a few top ones that I want to cover. The first one is tumeric, curcuma longa And I’m sure you’ve probably heard of turmeric. It’s gotten really popular today. There’s so much around this herb and inflammation. So for example, in a 2017 study in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute found that turmeric had the potential to reduce inflammation, particularly in metabolic syndrome, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. So
Let’s back up for a second and say that inflammation is really important for us to be aware of because when we are inflamed, a of inflammation, it’s the precursor to illness, disease, low energy, basically our body’s breaking down. So again, to incorporate turmeric as a really powerful remedy to this, right, is amazing. At the same time, we want to make lifestyle shifts. We want to have really powerful tools to avoid stress and so on.
But it’s a really powerful food, as I mentioned, to keep in your home. We’ll talk about how in just a second. I want to mention another study, which was published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that curcumin, which is the active component in tumeric, impacts cognitive function and mood in older adults, found significant improvements in memory and attention, as well as the reduction in amyloid and tau signals, which are associated with Alzheimer’s.inflammation around neurocognitive functionings and all of these neurogenerative diseases are of great concern. I spoke at the Alzheimer’s Association luncheon last fall and the numbers and the statistics around how quickly Alzheimer’s is growing around the world and particularly in the United States is alarming. So that’s another topic altogether. But
Kimberly Snyder (07:03.264)
Again, turmeric incorporating it into your life is a really, and your loved one’s lives. I certainly have my father take curcumin supplements and this is important to me that he incorporates it. Curcumin is the active form and so it can be taken in supplement form. I personally cook with turmeric and I use the dried turmeric.
in a lot of my dishes. So my father, I had to take the capsules because he’s not going to cook with it. He’s not going to use it. And it’s a efficient way to get it in. I prefer, and Dr. J talks about this, herbs are, you know, really powerful in their whole farm. There’s different bioavailabilities when we respect the whole herb.
But there’s also the conveniences and practicalities of modern life. And for some people taking a curcumin supplement is really the only way they’re going to ingest it. And so there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you can keep fresh organic turmeric in a spice jar container, keep the lid on so it doesn’t oxidize when you’re not using it. It’s a wonderful way to add it into soups, stews.
Scramble tofu I have sometimes, I put it on there. I put it in some of my dressings. It’s just a wonderful way to bring it into your life. Now, sometimes at the store, depending where you live, where it’s imported from, you’ll see fresh turmeric. And it can be ingested to a degree, but traditionally, Vajayjay says it’s not really…
to be consumed by women because it opens up part of the ways in which it cleanses, it opens up fluid levels in the body. And because as women, we’re more susceptible to fluid levels, right? We have our periods, our menstrual cycles, our lymphatic system, just there’s more fluid. In general, we’re pregnant, there’s a lot of fluid. So he says he’s always taught to not really have fresh tumor as a woman, but
Kimberly Snyder (09:22.87)
If you’re not a woman, then you can more. And sometimes I have some, but my primary form of consumption is the powdered turmeric. So you can consider ingesting it in those ways. The second herb that I love and want to talk about is Amalaki, also known as Amla. So Amalaki is one of the most powerful anti -inflammatory
but also rejuvenative herbs. And it is a star ingredient in our glowing greens powder, which by the way, when I formulated it, I wanted it to be not just the normal mix of greens that you see in a million different brands that are just kind of put together, but coming from the purpose of how do we boost ourselves every day? How can we really step into more vitality?
And traditionally for thousands of years, amalaki has been that herb. It is so rejuvenative. I’ll talk about the digestion in a moment, but it’s also importantly considered an herb that you can take regularly long -term. So that’s another thing about herbs is that sometimes you’re not meant to take them every day forever, like maca, for example, or we’ll talk about some of the other ones in a moment. So we need to be aware of cycling.
of respecting the plant, of knowing when too much is too much. I love cacao, but you’re not meant to drink cacao 20 times a day, every day. There’s a certain respect. Same thing with coffee. It’s a kind of a met, it has medicinal qualities. It’s powerful. So we want to respect these plants. Amalaki though, which is so rejuvenative on so many levels, including helping to combat inflammation is something we can consume every day. So
It boosts immunity. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that Amilocchi significantly enhanced immunity and reduced oxidative stress, which directly leads to aging, right, and reducing of our vitality. Amilocchi was found to promote skin health. A 26th study in the Journal of Ethno -Pharmacology found that Amilocchi extracts improved skin texture and reduced
Kimberly Snyder (11:45.39)
the signs of aging. Amalaki is found to promote healthy digestion with a 2018 study in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine found that Amalaki was effective in treating digestive disorders and reducing heartburn and gird and regurgitation. So there’s something in Amalaki which is so powerfully soothing.
to our digestive system. It’s creating this regularity. It’s creating this stability as it’s also stabilizing the quality of our skin and our immunity. 2010 study in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology found that Amalaki improved heart health and reduced blood pressure. It goes on and on. 2011 clinical study in the Journal of Diabetes found that Amalaki improved balance of blood sugar levels, lowered blood…
glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Improved liver health, 2013 research review in the Journal of Food and Function found that Amalaki was able to improve liver function. Liver being such an important organ for our overall chi, our energy. It’s a very important organ in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s a detoxification organ. plays a central role in our vitality.
so to have this herb every day that is really going in and rejuvenating these critical organs is amazing to me. And it’s not a heavy lift. So I just want to say one more study. 2021 study in the journal of cosmetic dermatology found that Amalaki improved skin fibroblasts helping to improve skin elasticity and reduce signs of aging. So.
This beautiful plant, which by the way is a sour fruit, it’s grown in India and different parts of the world. We’ll link to another podcast with YJJ where he tells this story how it was this big traffic driving through the mountains of India and he saw the Amalaki growing and he stopped the car. He made all the cars wait and he ran and got some of it down from.
Kimberly Snyder (14:03.502)
the branches of the tree because it was so precious. It so amazing to have the Amalaki. So when you take a scoop, a very concentrated scoop, which has no fillers, which is why it’s quite concentrated, you’ll be happy to see these scoops of our glowing greens powder. You are getting about 1 ,250 milligrams of Amalaki every day, which is the equivalent of taking more than two standard capsules of it.
Amalaki in this whole form, which has high bioavailability for the antioxidants and the vitamin C and all the incredible compounds, which again, research, I could go on and on about the research showing it has these benefits. And on a deeper level, there’s so much in the plants that science doesn’t even understand. But what I do know is this is a very powerful herb to take every day regularly.
for your skin, for your vitality to combat inflammation. So I encourage you to check it out. And it is the reason, because I’ve known this about this for years, studying Ayurveda, that I wanted it to be in a form, a greens powder, where we could ingest it every day. You could add it to your glowing green smoothie, or you could have it on your own. It’s just an incredible rejuvenative herb. Now the third one I want to talk about is ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha is also very powerful. It has been shown to reduce stress. 2012 study in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine found that ashwagandha significantly reduced stress and anxiety. Cortisol, a marker of stress, was significantly lower in the ashwagandha group. Ashwagandha is an incredible, it’s just an incredible plant to have. It’s gotten quite popular. We see ashwagandha in a lot of different products today.
You know, quality, the other thing I can say is that we really want to be sure of the sourcing because sometimes the quality may not be there. Sometimes it’s not tested by a third party. Sometimes heavy metals can be added in. So you want to be really sure when you’re sourcing these herbs as well, the cleanliness and the efficacy and the potency. And there’s just so many ways in which things can get, you know, kind of
Kimberly Snyder (16:23.694)
diluted or dulled down or for marketing purposes and for increasing costs may not be of the highest quality. So when you’re choosing these herbs and products that contain them, very judicious and researching where they’re from and to make sure there’s that third party testing. So a 2021 study in the journal Dietary Supplements found that ashwagandha helped to improve cognitive function. So this is really important, again, as it relates to neurogenic diseases and inflammation, which can lead to
Alzheimer’s and different issues, ashwagandha is one of those really powerful plants and herbs that you can start to incorporate in your life. Okay, so let’s see here. There’s so much research around ashwagandha that I want to talk about. I’m going to skip to this one that I like a lot because it hits on our topic of inflammation.
2023 study in the Journal of Frontiers and Pharmacology found that ashwagandha had anti -inflammatory properties, particularly modifying NFKB pathway, which was involved in the body’s inflammatory response. Isn’t this amazing? We take these incredible intelligence, highly intelligent plants, and they just create all this incredible change. Ashwagandha was even found to improve sleep. It demonstrated that this is from a 2021 study in the Journal of F…
Ethanopharmacology found that ashwagandha root improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety in healthy adults. So there’s this whole other side of ashwagandha as well known as a bala herb, a strengthening herb in terms of strengthening our system. Today we’re focusing on the research that’s more geared towards inflammation and creating a deeper sense of anti -inflammatory qualities, health promoting qualities, but there’s
many different ways in which ashwagandha is also useful. Now, ashwagandha is something that we can and should cycle according to Vaidej. Similarly, how we would cycle maka. So some people take ashwagandha in a supplement capsule form. I like to have it in just the fresh powdered herb form, which sometimes I add into my power protein smoothie.
Kimberly Snyder (18:49.026)
I, that’s pretty much the main way in which I get it in. Sometimes you can add it to just hot water, make an elixir with it. you may want to balance it with some raw honey or some other herbs. But again, it’s not something that I take every day all the time. There is a cyclical quality to the ashwagandha and that keeps its potency more active. So once again, I’m going to say to please check out the podcast with Vajra J where we talk about ashwagandha and
This is one of the reasons that he says Amalaki is the primary rejuvenative herb because it’s that regular everyday use for all body types, whereas Aswagandha is something that doesn’t have those qualities, even though it’s extremely powerful. It’s a little bit different and we want to respect that. Okay, so the next herb that can be taken quite regularly is holy basil, known as Tulsi.
Ocomum sanctum, and it is an incredible plant for helping to combat stress and inflammation. A 2017 study in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed that tulsi had anti -inflammatory adaptogenic effects and it helped to manage stress and inflammation. It’s also been shown in 2012 study in the Journal of Arubita Integrative Medicine to benefit cardiovascular health. The results
showed that with Tulsi there was a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as a reduction in blood pressure, indicating potential cardiovascular benefits. Now Tulsi, my favorite way to consume Tulsi is in tea. I like the taste. It’s not as earthy as turmeric. I find it’s a little bit more mild.
It’s really pleasant. I like to drink it at the end of the day. Now, ideally, you know, we’d find some beautiful loose leaf tea Tulsi’s, but for convenience, there’s also like the Organic India brand, right, that has Tulsi even in tea bags, you know, maybe not as potent, but certainly a deliverable source. This is where elixirs come in, which I think is such a powerful form of self care.
Kimberly Snyder (21:14.326)
On our website, we have lots of elixir recipes. I drink elixirs every day. Different ones. Sometimes it’s just the lemon ginger. Sometimes it’s just ginger. Sometimes it’s, you know, cacao and cinnamon and raw honey. Last night I had some of that butterfly pea flower tea, which is really great for your nervous system. I mean, I just drink hot drinks.
elixirs, these beneficial plants put into hot water decoctions, which extracts the beneficial properties every day. That’s just part of my lifestyle. And it’s something I would encourage you to do as well. If you’re thinking to yourself, I don’t know, I’m going to fit all this in, have some tea, just buy some, take these simple steps. You can buy some Tulsi tea. You can, you know, like I said, just cook with some turmeric.
You could also make a golden milk. We have a recipe for that on the website. And also there’s a golden milk recipe in the Vitality ebook. That’s one of the bonuses for the new book, The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts, which I’ve been making. One thing I wanted to say with turmeric, which I forgot to mention, is that the bioavailability does increase with black pepper. So this has been shown to combine them. If you’re making a stir fry with the turmeric or in a soup, add the turmeric and the black pepper together.
Also, if you’re making a golden milk with raw honey, which I definitely needed to be a little bit sweeter with turmeric, you would add some shakes of freshly ground black pepper in there as well. Just to have these beautiful combinations. Ashwagandha, as I mentioned, I like to have in my power protein smoothie. Sometimes if you’re making like, you know, the raw cacao truffles,
which have been such a popular food item for many years in our community. You can add some ashwagandha, you can add herbs into the mix. There’s going to be the honey or the coconut liquid aminos. There’s just the sweetness balances the herbal taste as well, which is something to be aware of if something’s really flavor dominant. Some of these, you know, these herbs are strong and different parts of the herbs are used.
Kimberly Snyder (23:36.62)
And the plants are used. Sometimes it’s the root, sometimes it’s the leaf, sometimes it’s the stem, sometimes it’s the flower, sometimes it’s a combination, which of course affects the taste as well and the potency. And then as I mentioned with Amalaki, I just feel so honored and blessed that I get to offer it to you through our greens powder because it’s so rejuvenative. And again, you’re getting more than two capsules in one little scoop.
So that’s how I get Amalaki in every day. I add it to my glowing green smoothie. I think it’s a beautiful taste. the second, my second favorite way is just to blend it with coconut water, which I do a lot, especially in Hawaii. Or number three, I just mix it with water and have it in. So it’s the regularity of bringing in these herbs that are going to create this anti -aging, this rejuvenative, this incredible anti -inflammatory effect.
It’s not this like direct hit, like I went in and I did this big laser treatment at the spa or whatever it is. It’s this more subtle energy of the herbs, but the more we take them, they start to combine with our energy. They start to merge in and create this incredible change within our bodily organs, within our blood, within our cellular structure. So it’s like this merging in with this plant intelligence, this real plant medicine.
And so it’s the things that we do every day, which we talked about so much here, right? The simple everyday steps. We get up, we drink hot water with lemon, we take our SBO probiotics, ideally, we drink the Glow and Green smoothie. Over time, we’re like, wow, I have more energy and my skin looks brighter. And over time, we start to reset our digestion. We start to release more, ideally. We start to take detoxing, we have better bowel movements.
Everything just starts to shift more and more over time. So I encourage you to consider these herbs, consider keeping them around. Once again, the ones we covered today are tumeric, amalaki, ashwagandha, holy basil or tulsi. And those are the ones I wanted to focus on.
Kimberly Snyder (25:54.996)
I think it’s important because one of the things that I keep hearing about is I’m overwhelmed. There’s so much out there. I hear about so much on social media or so much here. I don’t know what to do on the news. New things. So this is a very pared down list of ones I think we should all keep around. And other shows will cover herbs for different uses. But these are ones that are
fairly inexpensive and easy to source and that I think will be of great benefit to you. So let me know how you do and please check out the other podcasts and and resources and keep writing into me. Let me know the questions that you have for any other topics you want me to cover. We always talk about our cornerstones, of course, food, body, emotional well -being and spiritual growth. Please check out the new book, the bonuses, which you can start to access.
the four week heart reset program, which I believe is going to be transformative over four weeks, which is how long we did our heart aligned meditation study. And we found a 29 % increase in coherence. So all of that is over at mysalina .com slash five hearts book. Thank you so much for being in our community. really just grateful to be here with you week in and week out, sharing, connecting, supporting each other. And so I appreciate you so much.
and I look forward to connecting with you more.