Table of Contents
Cardiac benefits
Belonging to the family of Combretaceae, the bark of this plant has been found to contain several bioactive compounds, including saponins and flavonoids. A number of experimental and clinical studies have been conducted to explore its therapeutic potential in cardiovascular ailments, especially with regard to patients suffering from coronary heart disease. (1)
Experiments have reported its antioxidant, anti-ischemic, antihypertensive as well as anti-hypertrophic effects, thereby indicating its therapeutic potential in cardiovascular diseases in humans. It has also been used effectively in patients with ischemic heart disease, hypertension and heart failure. The bark also helps to control diarrhea, asthma and cough in addition to being used as “a water pill”, for earaches, dysentery, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diseases of the urinary tract as well as to enhance sexual desire. (1)
Dosage
The Arjuna bark is mainly used in the form of a powder. However, Ayurvedic doctors also prescribe it in various other forms like capsules, tablets and even as tea to tap into its multifarious health benefits. (2)
The herbal medicine is administered orally for treating chest pain (after a heart attack along with conventional treatments) and even for congestive heart failure. The prescribed dosage, according to scientific research, is 500 mg of the powdered bark of Terminalia arjuna every 8 hours daily in both the above-mentioned cases. (3)
Special precautions (3)
This herbal drug is possibly safe when taken by mouth for three months or less. However, some precautionary measures are as follows:
- It should not be consumed without medical supervision since it might affect the heart.
- There is some evidence that Terminalia arjuna is possibly unsafe during pregnancy.
- There is not enough reliable information about the safety of Terminalia if one is breast-feeding. It is thus best to be safe and avoid usage.
- The bark might lower blood sugarlevels which imply the patient’s prescribed medication for diabetes might need to be adjusted by the healthcare provider.
- Arjuna might slow blood clotting and interfere with blood thinners so it is advisable to consult your physician if you are on anti-coagulant drugs.
- Terminalia might decrease bloodsugar levels during surgery. This is why doctors advise patients to stop taking this medicine at least two weeks before a scheduled surgery.
- Although there are no known drug interactions of this herbal product, it is thus best consumed under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.
Making quality medicines accessible to all
Anzen Exports is a leading distributor and exporter of an array of herbal extracts, including Terminalia arjuna. In fact, we are engaged in domestic trading and international export of not only herbal extracts but also active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutraceutical extracts. We source authentic, quality products from the leading manufacturers of India and supply them to multinational companies all over the world.
For more information and to connect with our team, visit www.anzen.co.in
Disclaimer:
Anzen Export’s blog posts have been written with the information gathered from approved medical journals and websites online. Our research and technical team strives to provide relevant information through such articles. To be best informed, we advise consulting a doctor about an ingredient or medicine prior to taking it.
References:
- PMC [online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728868/
- Myupchar [online] https://www.myupchar.com/en/tips/arjun-tree-bark-benefits-and-side-effects-in-hindi#arjuna-tree-bark-side-effects
- emedicinehealth [online]. Available at: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/terminalia/vitamins-supplements.htm