
Ashoka Herbal Powder (Saraca indica)Bitter, pungent, cold anti-estrogenic, central nervous system depressant calms cramping. Blood cleansing diuretic, anti-inflammatory. PK-. Alterative, analgesic for menses, painful urination, etc. Astringent, light like Arjuna but colder (V+) |
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.
STRONG UTERINE-TONIC An herb that tonifies and strengthens the uterus. Helpful for menstrual difficulties and fertility. Often herbs that increase ojas, but also circulation to reproductive system.
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.
How did Ashoka affect your temperature?
0 |
10 |
22 |
3 |
0 |
Much colder | Slightly colder | Same | Slightly warmer | Much warmer |
How did Ashoka affect your ear temperature?
0 |
34 |
1 |
Hotter | No Change | Cooler |
SweatHow did Ashoka affect your sweat quantity?
0 |
7 |
27 |
1 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
SkinHow did Ashoka affect the tones / color of your skin?
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
Yellower/Greener | Paler | Redder | Grayer | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the color of your tongue body? *This question refers to the tongue itself, not the coating.
8 |
3 |
0 |
24 |
Paler | Redder | Bluer | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the swelling or size of your tongue body?
1 |
3 |
31 |
More Swelling (larger/fatter) | Less Swelling (smaller/thinner) | No Change |
DigestionFor help analyzing your digestion, see overview of Digestive Health How did Ashoka
2 |
2 |
29 |
2 |
0 |
Much less hungry | Slightly less hungry | Same | Slightly hungrier | Much hungrier |
How did Ashoka affect your digestion speed? *This can be gauged by how quickly you feel hungry after eating and how quickly you eliminate your meal.
0 |
2 |
22 |
10 |
1 |
Much faster | Slightly faster | Same | Slightly slower | Much slower |
How did Ashoka affect the amount of your gas & bloating?
0 |
3 |
24 |
7 |
1 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the intensity of your stool smell?
1 |
3 |
28 |
3 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the thickness & size (surface area) of your tongue coating?
1 |
6 |
23 |
5 |
0 |
Much smaller/thinner coating | Slightly less coating | Same | Slightly larger/thicker coating | Much larger coating |
How did Ashoka affect the color of your tongue coating?
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
25 |
Yellower | Browner | Grayer | Whiter | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect your throat soreness?
1 |
33 |
1 |
More sore | No Change | Less sore |
How did Ashoka affect the intensity of your urine smell?
0 |
3 |
31 |
1 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
0 |
2 |
31 |
2 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Many more |
How did Ashoka affect the intensity of your sweat smell?
0 |
1 |
34 |
0 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect your acne?
1 |
32 |
2 |
More acne | No Change | Less acne |
How did Ashoka affect the shade of your freckles/moles?
0 |
34 |
1 |
Darker | No Change | Lighter |
How did Ashoka affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
Redder/Bloodshot | Yellower | Grayer | Browner | Whiter |
30 | ||||
No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the shade / color of your lower eyelid?
1 |
0 |
33 |
1 |
More green/dark green | More purple | No Change | Less green/purple |
UrineHow did Ashoka affect your urine frequency/quantity?
0 |
4 |
20 |
11 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the dryness of your skin?
10 |
0 |
25 |
Drier | Oilier | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the puffiness of your lower eyelid?
1 |
33 |
1 |
Puffier | No Change | Less Puffy |
How did Ashoka affect the cracks on your tongue?
1 |
3 |
27 |
3 |
1 |
Much more/larger/longer cracks | Slightly more | Same | Slightly less | Much less/smaller/shorter cracks |
How did Ashoka affect your ear pressure?
0 |
35 |
0 |
More pressure | No Change | Less pressure |
RespiratoryHow did Ashoka affect your level of sinus congestion?
1 |
33 |
1 |
More congestion | No Change | Less congestion |
How did Ashoka affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
1 |
32 |
2 |
More thick | No Change | Less thick |
How did Ashoka affect your energy levels?
2 |
4 |
26 |
3 |
0 |
Much less energy | Slightly less energy | Same | Slightly more energy | Much more energy |
How did Ashoka affect your muscle tension?
1 |
11 |
22 |
1 |
0 |
Much less tension | Slightly less tension | Same | Slightly more tension | Much more tension |
How did Ashoka affect your anxiety levels?
1 |
13 |
20 |
1 |
0 |
Much less anxiety | Slightly less anxiety | Same | Slightly more anxiety | Much more anxiety |
How did Ashoka affect the movement or stillness of your tongue as you hold it out?
5 |
29 |
1 |
More still | No Change | More Trembling / Jittery |
How did Ashoka affect the amount of your gas & bloating?
0 |
3 |
24 |
7 |
1 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
DigestionFor help analyzing your digestion, see overview of Digestive Health How did Ashoka
2 |
2 |
29 |
2 |
0 |
Much less hungry | Slightly less hungry | Same | Slightly hungrier | Much hungrier |
How did Ashoka affect burning sensations in your digestive tract (do not include acid reflux)?
0 |
2 |
30 |
3 |
0 |
Much relief | Slight relief | Same | Slightly more burning | Much more burning |
How did Ashoka affect your digestion speed? *This can be gauged by how quickly you feel hungry after eating and how quickly you eliminate your meal.
0 |
2 |
22 |
10 |
1 |
Much faster | Slightly faster | Same | Slightly slower | Much slower |
How did Ashoka affect the movement or stillness of your tongue as you hold it out?
5 |
29 |
1 |
More still | No Change | More Trembling / Jittery |
How did Ashoka affect the cracks on your tongue?
1 |
3 |
27 |
3 |
1 |
Much more/larger/longer cracks | Slightly more | Same | Slightly less | Much less/smaller/shorter cracks |
How did Ashoka affect the color of your tongue body? *This question refers to the tongue itself, not the coating.
8 |
3 |
0 |
24 |
Paler | Redder | Bluer | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the swelling or size of your tongue body?
1 |
3 |
31 |
More Swelling (larger/fatter) | Less Swelling (smaller/thinner) | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the thickness & size (surface area) of your tongue coating?
1 |
6 |
23 |
5 |
0 |
Much smaller/thinner coating | Slightly less coating | Same | Slightly larger/thicker coating | Much larger coating |
How did Ashoka affect the color of your tongue coating?
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
25 |
Yellower | Browner | Grayer | Whiter | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect your stool consistency?
0 |
2 |
15 |
15 |
3 |
Much softer | Slightly softer | Same | Slightly harder | Much harder |
How did Ashoka affect your stool frequency/quantity?
3 |
15 |
15 |
2 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect your stool color?
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
32 |
More yellow | More gray | More green | More orange | Same |
How did Ashoka affect the intensity of your stool smell?
1 |
3 |
28 |
3 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect your stool lightness?
0 |
5 |
23 |
6 |
1 |
Much lighter | Slightly lighter | Same | Slightly darker | Much darker |
How did Ashoka affect the shade of your urine?
0 |
5 |
27 |
3 |
0 |
Much lighter | Slightly lighter | Same | Slightly Darker | Much Darker |
How did Ashoka affect your urine clarity?
0 |
27 |
8 |
More cloudy | Same | More clear |
How did Ashoka affect the intensity of your urine smell?
0 |
3 |
31 |
1 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
0 |
2 |
31 |
2 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Many more |
UrineHow did Ashoka affect your urine frequency/quantity?
0 |
4 |
20 |
11 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
SweatHow did Ashoka affect your sweat quantity?
0 |
7 |
27 |
1 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the intensity of your sweat smell?
0 |
1 |
34 |
0 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect the shade of your freckles/moles?
0 |
34 |
1 |
Darker | No Change | Lighter |
How did Ashoka affect your acne?
1 |
32 |
2 |
More acne | No Change | Less acne |
SkinHow did Ashoka affect the tones / color of your skin?
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
Yellower/Greener | Paler | Redder | Grayer | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the dryness of your skin?
10 |
0 |
25 |
Drier | Oilier | No Change |
How did Ashoka affect the shade / color of your lower eyelid?
1 |
0 |
33 |
1 |
More green/dark green | More purple | No Change | Less green/purple |
How did Ashoka affect the puffiness of your lower eyelid?
1 |
33 |
1 |
Puffier | No Change | Less Puffy |
How did Ashoka affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
Redder/Bloodshot | Yellower | Grayer | Browner | Whiter |
30 | ||||
No Change |
VisionHow did Ashoka affect your vision clarity?
0 |
0 |
18 |
2 |
0 |
Much less clear | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more clear |
How did Ashoka affect your ear temperature?
0 |
34 |
1 |
Hotter | No Change | Cooler |
How did Ashoka affect your ear pressure?
0 |
35 |
0 |
More pressure | No Change | Less pressure |
RespiratoryHow did Ashoka affect your level of sinus congestion?
1 |
33 |
1 |
More congestion | No Change | Less congestion |
How did Ashoka affect your throat soreness?
1 |
33 |
1 |
More sore | No Change | Less sore |
How did Ashoka affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
1 |
32 |
2 |
More thick | No Change | Less thick |
How did Ashoka affect your heart rhythm?
1 |
31 |
3 |
More palpitations | Same | Less palpitations |
How did Ashoka affect your heart pain/pressure/cramping?
0 |
2 |
32 |
1 |
0 |
Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Ashoka affect your heart rate?
1 |
5 |
29 |
0 |
0 |
Much slower | Slightly slower | Same | Slightly faster | Much faster |
How did Ashoka affect your temperature?
0 |
10 |
22 |
3 |
0 |
Much colder | Slightly colder | Same | Slightly warmer | Much warmer |
How did Ashoka affect your energy levels?
2 |
4 |
26 |
3 |
0 |
Much less energy | Slightly less energy | Same | Slightly more energy | Much more energy |
How did Ashoka affect your anxiety levels?
1 |
13 |
20 |
1 |
0 |
Much less anxiety | Slightly less anxiety | Same | Slightly more anxiety | Much more anxiety |
How did Ashoka affect your muscle tension?
1 |
11 |
22 |
1 |
0 |
Much less tension | Slightly less tension | Same | Slightly more tension | Much more tension |
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Follow these guidelines |
Ashoka may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any herb supplement for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.
Ashoka may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.
While generally considered safe, Ashoka has some contraindications and precautions::Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’