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# Dietary supplement Adhatoda, benefits, uses, indications, dosages, side effects, and cautions
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/adhatoda_benefits_uses_dosages_side_effects_1208130236/
- Published: 2013-12-08T15:26:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:15:53.000Z
- Description: A monograph on the Ayurvedic herb adhatoda: its alkaloids vasicine and vasicinone, reported cough-suppressing, anti-obstruction and anti-inflammatory effects, animal data on liver protection, uses from asthma to jaundice, and doses of 1-3 ml of liquid or 0.5-1.5 g of dried herb daily.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Herbs, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

**Names:** Adhatoda is also known as Malabar nut tree, Adhatoda zeylanica, vasa, vasaka, arusha, bakash justicia adhatoda.

**Active compounds:** Active compounds mainly derived from leaves and roots of Adhatoda, an Ayurvedic herb, and most commonly seen compounds alkaloids.

**Adhatoda Benefits or** **Activities and indications:** with actives like vasicinone and vasicinol, adhatoda helps cough triggered by irritants and has an antitussive effect comparable to that of codaine. With vasicine and vasicinone, the herb also inhibits allergen-triggered bronchial obstruction with an efficacy similar to that of sodium cromoglycate. One another significant function is that it can provide an anti-inflammatory effect due to its active alkaloids with a similar potency to that of hydrocortisone. 

Other functions include protection against liver damage; radiation induced damage, and promotes the generation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione-S-transferase, and DT-diaphorase in the lungs and forestomach. When used in a dose of 50 to 100 mg/kg, adhatoda vasica leaf preparations can protect against liver damage induced by environmental risk factors and at 100 mg/kg, its efficacy is similar to silymarin in a dose of 25 mg/mg. At 200 mg/kg, the herb leaf can also enhance the production of protective enzymes such as superoxidase and catalase in the liver with its efficacy similar to that of 25 mg/kg of silymarin.

**Adhatoda Vasica uses:** The herb is used to treat cough, asthma, colds, bronchitis, fever, diarrhea, jaundice, dysentery, headache, and tuberculosis. Topically, adhatoda vasica leaf can also be used to treat joint pain, lumber pain and sprains.

**Dosages:** Some herb manufacturers recommend 1-3 ml per day for liquid preparations and 0.5 to 1.5 grams of dried herb per day. But the dosage should vary from one manufacturer to another. Pure compounds are more potent and small dosages may be used.

**Adhatoda vasica side effects**: No sufficient data show side effects associated with use of adhatoda vasica leaf (That is not to say there is absolutely no side effect. It's just that no sufficient information is available. However, because this herb has been used for such a long time, the long history of its use as a traditional medicine suggests that Adhatoda should be fairly safe to use).

**Cautions:** Adhatoda has an activity to induce abortion. That is, pregnant women should avoid using this herb if they want to continue their pregnancy. Because of this property, Adhatoda is used in some Indian village to facilitate the delivery process and promote recovery or healing after delivery.

**Comment**: Adhatoda is a well-known Ayurvedic medicine indicated to treat cough, asthma, bronchitis and colds. It is also used traditionally to treat symptoms associated with these illnesses and other unknown diseases including fever, diarrhea, jaundice, dysentery, headache and tuberculosis. The traditional applications as a medicinal herb have been in many cases substantiated by laboratory and animal studies. (Last updated Dec 8, 2013, Edited by David Liu, PHD)