Bala or Sida cordifolia is a valuable medicinal herb of Ayurveda. It is a useful herb to treat broad variety of ailments such as bronchial asthma, cold and flu, chills, lack of perspiration, head ache, nasal congestion, aching joints and bones, cough and wheezing, and fluid retention in body. Bala is used in formulation of medicated oil for treating joint pain, swelling and massaging. This medicinal plant is distributed throughout tropical and sub-tropical India and Sri Lanka. It is a perennial shrub with long branches. In Ayurveda, leaves, seeds and roots are used for medicinal purpose.
| Scientific Classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Angiospermae Class: Eudicots Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Sida Species: Sida cordifolia Latin name: Sida cordifolia Linn. | Vernacular names Hindi: Kungyi English: Country mallow Sanskrit: Bala Tamil: Mayir-manikham Bengali: Brela Guajarati: Junglimethi Malayalam: Velluram Punjab: Simak Marathi: Chikana | Ayurvedic Properties and Action: Rasa: Katu Guna: Ruksa, Tiksna Virya: Usna Vipaka: Katu Karma: Vatahara, Pittahara, Kaphahara, Sukrala, Vajikara, Svedakara, Dipana, Buddhivardhaka, Balakarka |
Other common Regional names: Bariar, Batyalaka, Beejband, Bijband, Brela, Chikana, Chiribenda, Chitimutti, Hettuti-gida, Janglimethi, Kharenti, Khareti, Kisangi, Kungyi, Mayir-manikham, Muttuva,
Paniyar-tutti, Simak, Tupkaria, Tutturabenda, Velluram
Bala has following scientifically proven activities
- Analgesic
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Hypoglycemic
- Appetite Suppressant
- hepatoprotective activity
Bala has CNS Central Nervous System depressant effect. It has ability to increase pain tolerance. Bala also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It may decrease heart rate and blood pressure.
Plant description
Small, erect, downy shrub; leaves are heart shaped, serrate and truncate, 2.5-7 cm long and 2.5-5 cm broad, with 7-9 veins; flowers are small, yellow or white in colour, solitary and axillaries; fruits greyish black in colour, with a pair of awns on each carpel, 6-8 mm in diameter; Roots 5-15 cm long with few lateral roots of smaller size; tap roots are generally branched at the tip; outer surface of the root is off to grayish yellow; odourless with slightly bitte taste; plant flowers from August to December and fruiting from October to January
Part Used: seed, leaves, Roots
Medicinal uses
Seeds: seeds as considered as aphrodisiac.
Root: cooling, astringent, stomachic and tonic, aromatic, bitter, diuretic; the root infusion is given in nervous and urinary diseases. The infusion is also useful in blood and bile disorders. Root decoction is useful in fever treatment. Various parts of the plant are used in formulation of Ayurvedic medicines and medicated oils for swelling and pain. The medicated oil prepared from Bala is effective in diseases of the nervous system, facial paralysis and sciatica.