'Root' to good health

In the olden days in homes across India, a piece of mulethi was given to anyone with a sore throat. Mulethi is considered one of the best home remedies for sore throat, as its root has expectorant and laxative medicinal properties.

Also known as liquorice, it is a good source of calcium, glucose and iron. Mulethi has several medicinal benefits: it rejuvenates the brain by increasing the circulation of blood in the central nervous system, balances the sugar level in the body and relieves respiratory ailments like allergies, bronchitis, colds, sore throats and tuberculosis. Apart from this mulethi acts as an effective cure for stomach problems, including inflammatory disorders, skin diseases, and liver problems. In Unani medicine, mulethi, is considered the perfect herb.

Here are some curative properties of mulethi and the various ways to use the herb:
Take 2gm powder extract of mulethi with a teaspoon of pure honey for immediate relief from dry cough.

A small piece of raw mulethi when chewed provides relief by soothing the throat inflammation.

An infusion prepared by boiling water with the inner layer of the root of mulethi provides relief from hoarseness and cough. Take this infusion twice a day, in morning on an empty stomach and at bed time.

Soak pieces of the dried root of mulethi overnight in water and make rice gruel with the water. It acts as an effective cure for ulcers.

Powder mulethi and mix it with home-made butter or ghee and honey. Apply this on external wounds for quick healing.

Half a teaspoon of the powder of the root, mixed with an equal amount of honey and half the quantity of ghee, can be consumed twice a day with milk on an empty stomach to cure myopia (short sightedness).

Prepare a paste by taking small pieces of the root, milk and a pinch of saffron to cure patch baldness in the initial stages.