Ayurvedic Natural Antibiotic
Long before modern medicine came out with the magical powers of antibiotics, ancient Indian system of medicine Ayurveda have benefited from Kalmegha, a natural antibiotic.
Kalmegha is technically called Andrographis peniculata. The herb is also called Kalpanath and Kiryat. Kalmegha is bitter in taste and unpalatable. But it has a myriad medicinal properties including its ability to fight leprosy, boost immunity, kill bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, control fevers of various origins including malarial and typhoid, keep the stomach in good health, and provide relief from haemorrhoids.
Of late, research has been taken up on the medicinal properties of Kalmegha. The studies were centered around Kalmegha’s ability to kill cancer cells, reduce upper respiratory tract infections etc. There are also claims of Kalmegha improving the immunity in people living with HIV/AIDS.