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Mustard seed is a vigorous and energizing herb for the adventurous spirit. For a faint hearted person, mustard seed restores courage. This pepper spice is full of pop and surprise. It seems to explode in the sinuses and nasal passages, reminding me of the last time I ate too much wasabi at a sushi bar.
The striking spice has been used throughout history from ancient Ayurveda and Greek medicine down to the modern day. Pythagoras includes mustard as a remedy for scorpion stings. Hippocrates used it in poultices to move blood in inflamed areas. Its use continued through medieval western herbalism. In 1699, an herbalist named John Evelyn wrote that Mustard quickens and revives the spirits, strengthens the memory, and expels heaviness.
Mustard seed's penetrating quality immediately reaches to the sinuses, clearing them and making the eyes water. Soon after, it warms the chest right from the center. The aromatic quality, mixed with the spiciness, has an antispasmodic and vasodilating effect, opening up the lungs.
Mustard seed dissolves and melts all upper body secretions.
Footnote: The information for this article was in part gathered from a 2020 study at the Joyful Belly Food Lab. In the study, 35 students of Ayurveda ate mustard seed for 3 days and journaled the effects. This study was sponsored by the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda, and the Mastering Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition certification course.
>What is a mustard seed?Mustard seeds are small and round seeds in the Brassicacea family. They are often yellow, brown or black. There are approximately 40 different mustard species, many of them wild and some grown for use as spice. Wild mustards are easy to spot and grow all around us. The family of mustards used to be called Cruciferae because their flowers look like a cross. The mustard plant itself is part of the Brassica genus. This genus includes many popular foods like cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, arugula, rocket, radishes, and turnips.
Mustard seeds, greens and roots are eaten in many cultures. However, mustard is mostly known in Europe and the United States as a condiment, popular in French cooking and on hot dogs. Mustard condiment is a puree of mustard seeds, and vinegar. Turmeric is added to mustard to give it a bright yellow color.
However, the seeds are more common in Indian cooking. You fry them in searing hot ghee or coconut oil. After a few moments they'll start to pop like popcorn. This toasting of the seeds gives a pleasant crunch and more subtle, more nutty flavor. The aromatic compounds infuse into the oil, imparting a peppery mustard aroma into the whole dish. Be careful not to overcook them though. When burned, mustard seeds turn bitter. The seeds may be sprinkled over foods as a garnish. They add zest to any salad, and can lighten up a bowl of mashed potatoes.
Mustard seeds also appear in other culinary cultures, like Africa. They pop up in surprising places. In the United States you can also find the seeds at the bottom of many pickle jars or mixed into a honey mustard dressing!
Mustard greens may be relatively mild as in arugula, or very sharp, astringent and rough as in radish greens. The root is sharp and tastes like horseradish or wasabi. Maca, an adaptogenic herb of recent fame, is actually the root of a South American mustard family plant.
Qualities
Mustard seeds are hot and sharp. This heat penetrates and moves stagnation, it destroys obstruction everywhere as it spreads. Hot, pungent, aromatic foods generally spread heat throughout the body - and mustard is no exception!
The increase in blood flow flushes out toxins and purges lymphatic obstruction - cleansing toxins as a sauna.
There is also a slight bitter taste to mustard seeds. Wherever pungent and bitter taste combine, the effect is called acrid. Acrid taste is rough and may be nauseating. It can even induce vomiting (i.e. mustard seed is an emetic).
For some, mustard's pungency can be too rough and intense - like a fire rising in the nostrils. For most individuals, it irritates the back of the throat and sinuses - making it a useful counter-irritant. A counter irritant is an herb that fights fire with fire - by irritating the throat it disciples mucus and clears an inflamed throat.
This intensity can be good for Kapha. Mustard's heat can warm up Vata when cold, but it can also be too rough for Vata. The heat is generally too much for Pitta
Mustard seeds are also oily and their skin is slightly slimy (demulcent).
Recipes with Mustard Seed: Coconut, Turmeric & Tomato Sambar Soup
How to Apply
Mustard seed can be applied in several different ways. Grinding mustard seeds forms mustard flour. This mustard flour can then be mixed with water to make a poultice, or plaster, applied to the skin. Sometimes, mustard flour is mixed with vinegar which further enhances blood flow.
Mustard poultices are used to relieve internal congestion of various organs. It works by drawing the blood to the surface. Applying this poultice externally to the whole chest may help with respiratory problems caused by inflammation. Mustard poultices were traditionally used for pneumonia, bronchitis, and similar conditions
Fomentation is another process for applying mustard seed. A cloth dipped in hot tea made from mustard seed can be rubbed over the affected area of the body.
Be careful and watch out for skin irritation or burning caused by mustard poultices or fomentation. Essential oils from mustard seed may also cause blistering of the skin.
Mustard oil itself is less aggravating than essential oil of the mustard, but more hot and penetrating than frying the seeds in oil, In India, mustard oil is also used for cooking and applied topically as a massage oil. Rubbing mustard oil around an arthritic joint improves blood flow to the area and helps to relieve pain. Kaphas respond best to its use as massage oil. However, the oil is too intense for delicate Vata individuals, and too hot for Pitta's fiery nature.
The FDA banned the sale of mustard oil for cooking because it contains ephedra. Ephedra was heavily marketed in the weight loss industry and for its stimulating qualities. Its overuse led to health problems and death. However, Asian stores still sell it with a label marked, "Not for human consumption."
There are many other ways of using mustard seed. You can make a tea of crushed seeds, or a footbath. As a footbath, Mustard seed can be used as a counter-irritant to treat certain types of headaches. Hot-type headaches are caused by excess blood in your scalp. If you have this type of headache, you can use a foot bath to draw blood downward from the head. The counter irritation pulls blood away from the original irritation. Taken internally, mustard seed can help reduce a cold-type headache. Those with high Pitta need to be careful, however, because mustard seed taken internally may exacerbate heat-related headaches.
Stimulating, Energizing, Sharpens Focus
As it moves blood upward into the brain, heat and pungency increase mental focus and determination. This feels clearing and empowering to your mind. Too much heat in the mind can lead to a throbbing sensation in the temples.
The stimulating, energizing qualities of mustard seed help to motivate Kapha individuals, especially when groggy or sluggish in the morning. They'll enjoy the (increased pep (prana). In his 1699 Acetaria, John Evelyn wrote, "Mustard, especially in young seedling plants, is of incomparable effect to quicken and revive the spirits, strengthen the memory, and expel heaviness."
My wife, Natalie, reported that she was feeling tired in pregnancy and then used mustard oil for self-massage (abhyanga). After doing this she was so stimulated that she couldn't sleep the whole night!
One downside to mustard seeds for Pitta-dominant people is higher levels of irritability and hyperfocusing.
Improves circulation, Gets Blood Moving, heats up the blood (Rakta)
The spiciness and aromatic quality of mustard seeds dilates your blood vessels and gets your blood moving. This increased circulation explains mustard's use in weight loss: it leads to stronger digestion and faster metabolism. This is especially helpful for Kapha individuals who tend to have stagnant blood and sluggish digestion.
The warming effect and dispersing quality of mustard seeds improves lymphatic circulation. The improved lymphatic movement can reduce swelling, edema, and puffiness. For this intense lymph-stimulating effect massage your body with mustard oil or rub your body with mustard powder (as in an ubtan).
Mustard seed is one of the best herbs for treating enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly). As it improves circulation to the scalp, mustard seed can improve hair growth.
Watch out for excess heat in the blood if you already have high Pitta. Mustard seed could have a few harmful effects in people with high Pitta, such as increasing inflammation and harming the eyes. The increased blood flow can also exhaust the liver. Mustards heat and intensity is known to aggravate bleeding disorders and vitiate the blood (raktagami, rakta dhatu vrddhi/dushti)..
Recipes with Mustard Seed: Ginger Dal
Skin
The pungency of mustard seeds improves blood flow to the skin and opens the pores. As a rubefacient mustard seeds flushes the skin, making it red. It also induces sweating, but the sweat may have a more pungent odor due to mustard's intensity..
If you have a deep skin abscess or even cystic acne, a mustard seed poultice can help it come to a head for easier treatment (lancing). According to Nicholas Culpepper, a famous herbalist of the 1600s, the dispersing quality of mustard seed also helps bruises and other skin marks dissolve and disappear.
Mustard seed is used to relieve itchy skin (pruritus). As such, it is in a class of herbs called kandughna.
Relaxes Muscles & Alleviates Pain
Most people think of pain as "hot" because inflammation usually accompanies pain. However, pain is actually cold and stagnant in nature. Herbalists frequently treat pain with heat and aromatic quality to break up obstructions. This is especially true for muscle pain.
Mustard's aromatic warmth deeply penetrates muscles, so mustard is useful as a muscle relaxer. Culpepper describes that it, "helps a crick in the neck." The penetrating heat irrigates the muscles with blood to ease pain. The aromatic quality of mustard seed helps to disperse swelling, stagnancy, and cold congestion of blood anywhere. The rejuvenating blood flow can also restore feeling in tingling or numbness. This is useful to diabetics.
Apply mustard seed or oil topically to ease tensions, cramping, and colicky conditions anywhere in the body. Internally, it is also used as an antispasmodic for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colicky pain, and cramps. This includes colic headaches, irregular heartbeat, and Parkinsons. Mustard has also been used for epilepsy.
Relieves Arthritis / Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis (sandhi gata vata) is cold and dry in nature. Joints typically have poor circulation. Mustard seed's warmth penetrates joints and eases joint pain. A paste made of mustard seed helps reduce stiffness and improves flexibility of the joints.. Mustard seed has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (amavata)..
Recipes with Mustard Seed: Lemon Rice with Cashews, Peas, Ghee & Cumin
Digestion & Elimination
The pungency and aromatic compounds in mustard seeds increase the amount of enzymes secreted in the GI. This is due to improved circulation of blood to the gut. Vata individuals can sprinkle mustard seeds on food to warm digestion (low agni / vishama agni). Kaphas can use mustard seed to stimulate and invigorate sluggish heavy digestion (manda agni).
The acrid quality (bitter and heat) can cause nausea. One tablespoon of mustard powder can bring you to vomit. Vomiting therapy (Vamana) can be helpful in some situations, as it clears toxins from the body. It is part of the five therapies of panchakarma, which is a cleansing and rejuvenating program used in Ayurveda. However, Vamana should only be done under the guidance of a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.
You'll want to avoid mustard seeds if you experience any irritation or inflammation (gastritis) in the GI tract.
Stools become more regular and generally softer when using mustard seed. Their spiciness can help Vata or Kapha constipation. Cold Vata types with irregular digestion experienced less gas and better formed stools. However, mustard seed can irritate the bowels of hot Pitta types, causing much looser stool. Mustard seeds are a carminative, which relaxes intestinal walls allowing release of gas.
1-2 ounces of mustard powder was once a fashionable laxative for older people. But you should use caution with taking larger quantities. Too much of the powder in the intestines can cause inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Elimination can leave a burning sensation.
Ground mustard seeds are used in cleansing enema decoctions (Asthapana basti) and can help with intestinal worms as well. However, use in small amounts only as in excess the pungency will lead to urgent evacuation of the bowels. As pungency disperses blood, mustard seed can be useful for hemorrhoids and fistulas.
Clears & Opens the Lungs
The sharpness of pungency breaks up mucus.
Mustard oil is used in nasal drops (nasya). A few drops in each nostril can help clear the sinuses (shiro virechana). Mustard seeds are used to warm the back of the throat. You can gargle with a tea made of mustard seed, which can help clear your voice in the morning (source: Culpepper).
The aromatic quality of mustard seeds dilates bronchial tubes. Mustard warms the lungs and moves fluids. This can be helpful in case of pneumonia, asthma, and bronchitis. Mustard plasters were a common old-timer remedy for chest colds.
Reduces Menstrual Pain
The antispasmodic quality of mustard seeds relieves menstrual cramps due to cold congestion and colic. Blood clots hurt when they pass through the cervix. Clots are caused by cold, congested blood that lies stagnant in the uterus. A mustard seed poultice is warming and increases blood flow to the uterus -- moving stagnation. The warming effect of the mustard seeds relaxes the cervix. It makes the passing of clots less painful and it also breaks up clots.
Using mustard seeds for external and internal use is very helpful for relieving cramps due to colic, or asynchronous contraction of the uterus. The warmth also reduces spasms and colicky cramping.
Avoid mustard seeds in cases of excess bleeding in the female reproductive tract (such as in uterine fibroids). Mustard seeds may increase menstrual flow (emmenagogue).
Summary
Mustard seeds are a vibrant and invigorating spice. They can add pop and adventure to your culinary life. The peppery blast of mustard revives the spirits and moves the blood. Its warmth eases muscle tension and restores blood flow. Mustard effect is strong - it is an intense spice that clears stagnation and obstructions throughout the body. It is a flavorful and zesty addition to your herbal practice.
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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT
Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances.
With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you.
Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature.
By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health.
See How it Works.
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick.
Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia.
They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature.
Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.
Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Mustard Seed
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. Carminatives typically expel gas by relaxing the muscles of the intestines.
Where general laxatives target the colon, purgatives are strong laxatives that target complete elimination of the small intestine. Use only sporadically as it can be habit forming.
An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues.
Creates a feeling of awareness or tension in the area in the forehead. Activates the frontal lobe - the area responsible for motor function, emotional expression, thinking, and decision making.
Antipruritics are herbs that inhibit itching, often associated with skin conditions such as sunburns, allergic reactions, eczema, psoriasis, chickenpox, fungal infections, insect bites, or contact dermatitis (as in poison ivy rashes).
Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.
An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.
Antirheumatic herbs help to ease and prevent arthritis and rheumatism. Many are also anti-inflammatory, analgesic, detoxicants and blood thinners. Antirheumatic herbs deal with problems involving the painful, stiff, swollen joints, and fatigue.
Strengthens and tones the heart (heart-tonic). Cardiac tonics are used to treat a wide range of heart issues from arrhythmia, to cardiac insufficiency.
A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.
Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.
Herbs which stimulate menstruation. Emmenagogues are used for scanty menstruation, to relieve menstrual pain, and improve blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus.
In each study below, students from the
Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the effects.
See other studies of food & herbs at Joyful Belly.
TEMPERATURE/CIRCULATION
How did Mustard Seed affect your temperature?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
0
6
31
6
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your ear temperature?
15
12
9
6
3
0
9
11
0
Hotter
No Change
Cooler
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your sweat quantity?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
0
23
19
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your skin?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
1
7
0
12
Yellower/Greener
Paler
Redder
Grayer
No Change
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your tongue body?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
25
0
16
Paler
Redder
Bluer
No Change
Total Responses: 41 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the swelling of your tongue body?
25
20
15
10
5
0
3
1
21
More Swelling
Less Swelling
No Change
Total Responses: 25 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your appetite/hunger?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
3
7
30
3
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your digestion speed?
35
28
21
14
7
0
2
30
9
2
0
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
TOXINS
How did Mustard Seed affect the amount of gas & bloating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
16
22
4
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your stool smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
3
23
14
3
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
Tongue: How did Mustard Seed affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
4
22
17
0
0
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your tongue coating?
35
28
21
14
7
0
11
2
0
1
29
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your throat soreness?
21
17
13
9
5
1
2
15
3
More sore
No Change
Less sore
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your urine smell?
40
32
24
16
8
0
0
0
33
10
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
45
36
27
18
9
0
0
2
38
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your sweat smell?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
0
29
13
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your acne?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
17
2
More acne
No Change
Less acne
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your freckles/moles?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
20
0
Darker
No Change
Lighter
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
20
16
12
8
4
0
4
1
0
0
1
Redder/Bloodshot
Yellower
Grayer
Browner
Whiter
14
No Change
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of the lower eye lid?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
0
19
1
More green/dark green
More purple
No Change
Less green/purple
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
HYDRATION
How did Mustard Seed affect your urine frequency/quantity?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
3
26
11
3
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the dryness of your skin?
20
16
12
8
4
0
4
1
15
Drier
Oilier
No Change
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the puffiness of lower eye lid?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
19
1
Puffier
No Change
Less Puffy
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the cracks on your tongue?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
9
26
3
2
Larger/longer/more cracks
Slightly more
Same
Slightly less/smaller/shorter
Much less
Total Responses: 41 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
FLUID-THICKNESS
How did Mustard Seed affect your ear pressure?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
18
1
More pressure
No Change
Less pressure
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your congestion?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
9
11
More congestion
No Change
Less congestion
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
10
10
More thick
No Change
Less thick
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
NERVOUS-SYSTEM
How did Mustard Seed affect your energy levels?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1
18
19
5
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your muscle tension?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
10
27
3
2
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your anxiety?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
10
25
6
2
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the stillness of your tongue?
36
29
22
15
8
1
2
30
9
More still
No Change
More Trembling / Jittery
Total Responses: 41 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
DIGESTION
How did Mustard Seed affect your digestion speed?
35
28
21
14
7
0
2
30
9
2
0
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the amount of gas & bloating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
16
22
4
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect burning sensations in digestive tract (do not include acid reflux)?
10
8
6
4
2
0
0
3
9
6
2
Much relief
Slight relief
Same
Slightly more burning
Much more burning
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your appetite/hunger?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
3
7
30
3
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
TONGUE
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your tongue body?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
25
0
16
Paler
Redder
Bluer
No Change
Total Responses: 41 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the stillness of your tongue?
36
29
22
15
8
1
2
30
9
More still
No Change
More Trembling / Jittery
Total Responses: 41 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your tongue coating?
35
28
21
14
7
0
11
2
0
1
29
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the cracks on your tongue?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
9
26
3
2
Larger/longer/more cracks
Slightly more
Same
Slightly less/smaller/shorter
Much less
Total Responses: 41 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
Tongue: How did Mustard Seed affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
4
22
17
0
0
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the swelling of your tongue body?
25
20
15
10
5
0
3
1
21
More Swelling
Less Swelling
No Change
Total Responses: 25 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
STOOL
How did Mustard Seed affect your stool lightness?
25
20
15
10
5
0
2
17
19
5
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly darker
Much darker
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your stool smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
3
23
14
3
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your stool consistency?
20
16
12
8
4
0
5
16
14
8
0
Much softer
Slightly softer
Same
Slightly harder
Much harder
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your stool frequency/quantity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1
20
17
5
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your stool color?
30
24
18
12
6
0
13
1
1
4
24
More yellow
More gray
More green
More orange
Same
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
URINE
How did Mustard Seed affect your urine clarity?
41
33
25
17
9
1
2
37
4
More cloudy
Same
More clear
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your urine smell?
40
32
24
16
8
0
0
0
33
10
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your urine lightness?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
6
31
6
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly Darker
Much Darker
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your urine frequency/quantity?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
3
26
11
3
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
45
36
27
18
9
0
0
2
38
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
SWEAT
How did Mustard Seed affect your sweat quantity?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
0
23
19
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your sweat smell?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
0
29
13
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
SKIN
How did Mustard Seed affect your acne?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
17
2
More acne
No Change
Less acne
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the dryness of your skin?
20
16
12
8
4
0
4
1
15
Drier
Oilier
No Change
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your skin?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
1
7
0
12
Yellower/Greener
Paler
Redder
Grayer
No Change
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your freckles/moles?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
20
0
Darker
No Change
Lighter
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
EYE
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of the lower eye lid?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
0
19
1
More green/dark green
More purple
No Change
Less green/purple
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the puffiness of lower eye lid?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
19
1
Puffier
No Change
Less Puffy
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
20
16
12
8
4
0
4
1
0
0
1
Redder/Bloodshot
Yellower
Grayer
Browner
Whiter
14
No Change
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
ENT
How did Mustard Seed affect your ear temperature?
15
12
9
6
3
0
9
11
0
Hotter
No Change
Cooler
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your congestion?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
9
11
More congestion
No Change
Less congestion
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your ear pressure?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
18
1
More pressure
No Change
Less pressure
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your throat soreness?
21
17
13
9
5
1
2
15
3
More sore
No Change
Less sore
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
10
10
More thick
No Change
Less thick
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
HEART
How did Mustard Seed affect your heart pain/pressure/cramping?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
1
16
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your heart rate?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
0
9
11
0
Much slower
Slightly slower
Same
Slightly faster
Much faster
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your heart rhythm?
20
16
12
8
4
0
4
16
0
More palpitations
Same
Less palpitations
Total Responses: 20 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
SYSTEMIC
How did Mustard Seed affect your energy levels?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1
18
19
5
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your muscle tension?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
10
27
3
2
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your anxiety?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
10
25
6
2
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
How did Mustard Seed affect your temperature?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
0
6
31
6
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 43 Study ID:82 (2020-10-25 - 2021-11-29)
Mustard Seed may be beneficial for these symptoms.
The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when
right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in
Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire
reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once
you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy,
& botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.
Want our top Ayurvedic recipes and health tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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