Embelia Ribes (Robustal Berries or Vidanga) is natural germicide. Its medicinal uses, health benefits, for curing fungal infections of skin, worms in stomach, heart diseases, facial paralysis due to over heat, blood motions, sticky motions, back ache during periods, eye brow pains, pains in forehead and killing germs in the skull, Elephantiasis, children’s grinding teeth during sleep.
Vayuvidanga or vidanga is known as Embelia Ribesin english. This is one of the most powerful and efficient anti-parasitic herbs in ayurveda. It’s botanical name is Embelia ribes and also called false black pepper or robustal berries or white flowered embelia. It is known as vidanga in sanskrit, vayuvidangalu or vayulavangalu in telugu, vayu vilanga in tamil, vilal in malayalam, vavaring in punjabi, baobarang in urdu, Ambati / Kokla in Marathi, Bidanga in Oriya, Vavading in Gujarati and vayu vidang in hindi. It tastes pungent and astringent. It is used mainly for curing intestinal worm infections. But it can also be used to get relief from many diseases and a few are given here. There are no known side effects with this herb, but should not be used by pregnant women.
This is mostly used as Germicide in home made medicines.
Sushruta (Ancient Indian Surgeon of 6th century BCE) describes the fruit as anthelmintic, restorative and tonic, and recommends their use along with liquorice root, for the purpose of strengthening the body and preventing the effects of age.
Medicinal applications of Embelia Ribes
- For fungal infections of skin
Twice a day consume 50 grams of Embelia Ribes dicoction and take the Robustal powder as ingredient in food items. Also apply the paste of Robustal berry on the infected parts of the skin, and take the bath with the water boiled along with Embelia Ribes.This gradually reduces skin infections due to germs. - For worms in stomach
Consuming 3 grams of Embelia Ribes powder along with honey twice a day, cures from all the problems due to worms in stomach. - For heart diseases
Take equal quantities of Embelia Ribes, dried ginger, asafoetida, long pepper, himalayan pink salt, sadyaksharam, sanna rashtram, siphonanthus indica and grind them all together and make a powder of it. Consuming this powder 3 grams mixed with cow ghee, twice a day gives relief from all heart problems, all types of coughs and also kills germs. - For facial paralysis due to over heat (Vata rogam)>
Take equal quantities of Embelia Ribes and black sesame and grind together with the water to a fine paste. With the help of a soft cloth, put four to five drops from the paste into the nose and breath. This helps in gradual recovery from the facial paralysis due to over heat. - For blood motions
Take slightly fried Embelia Ribes and make a powder of it. Consume 3 grams of powder and take sugar syrup along with it. Doing this 2 to 3 times a day will give you relief from blood motions. - For sticky motions
Take 30 grams of Embelia Ribes, and slightly fry in a clay pot. Grind it and get a fine powder using a cloth. Mix candy sugar powder in equal quantity and preserve it. Consuming 6 grams of this powder 3 times a day and drinking butter milk after it cures sticky motions. - For intestinal worms
Take equal quantities of Embelia Ribes and Aristlochia bracteolata known as Wort Killer. Grind them together and make pills of weight 10 grams each. Taking the pill twice a day with water kills all worms in the intestines. - For back ache during menses
Take 10 grams of Embelia Ribes, 5 grams of dried ginger, 20 grams of jaggery. Grind them all together and mix it in half liter water. Heat the mixed water till only half of it remains. After cooling filter it. Drinking filtered dicoction every day once, reduces the back ache during menses. - For eye brow pains, pains in forehead and killing germs in the skull
Take equal quantities of Embelia Ribes, Himalayan pink salt and jaggery. Grind them together with the juice of betel nut leaves. Dry this mix in sunlight for a day and make a fine powder of it. Preserve this in a glass bottle. As and when needed add a pinch of powder to little water. Using this as nasal drops and taking 4 to 5 drops will give relief from eye brow pains and pains in the forehead also kills germs in the skull. - For Elephantiasis
Take equal quantities of Embelia Ribes, Himalayan cedar, Picrorhiza-kurroa, Tinospora cordifolia, dried ginger and finely grind with cow urine. Applying this paste as ointment on elephantiasis infected leg will cure gradually. - For children’s grinding teeth during sleep.
Slightly fry the Embelia Ribes and grind it. Take seeds out of grape fruits. Insert Embelia Ribes powder into grapes and make a pill. Consuming one pill in the morning and evening by children eliminates worms in intestines and also grinding teeth during sleep.
There are many species of Berries which look similar to Embelia Ribes or Robustal Berries.
Major identification of this tree is by its leaves, which look as below.
