Indigofera tinctoria or True Indigo used for Glowing Skin, Sores, Ringworm, Blisters, Hair rejuvenation, natural hair darkening, removing Worms in Teeth and Gums, Sores on Skin, Liver, Urinary problems and poison, Mouth ulcers or Canker sores, Kidney disease, Insects in Ear, Black Hair and Hair fall, Dog bite.
Indigofera tinctoria is a shrub of 1 to 2 meters height and is biennial and perennial depending on climate. It has dark green leaves and pinkish violet flowers. It is known as Indigo in English, Neeli chetu in Telugu, Neelam in Tamil, and Neel in Hindi. This shrub is of two varieties namely small and long, both of which are used. Its fruits are thin skinned and one and half inch long. The leaves when dried in shade turn blue in color. It has been used for centuries to obtain blue dye used in coloring clothes.
This plant was cultivated in India for the first time. The British encouraged its commercial cultivation for export, in Bihar and Bengal in large scale at the cost of normal food grain cultivation leading to famine in India. The farmers revolted against the East India company in 1859 known as indigo revolt.
Many Asian countries used it as textile dye for centuries. In Japan in the Edo period when silk was forbidden the Japanese cultivated cotton. Only Indigo could be used to impart blue color to the kimono which symbolizes nature and deep blue sea. Due to its high trading value indigo was called blue gold. Indigo has been used in modern times as an organic semi conductor. Indigo is safe when consumed in small quantities.
The plant also has species with flowers in Indigo color.
Medicinal uses of True Indigo:
For Glowing Skin:
Take some Indigo leaves and mash them and put them in boiling water. Extract the boiled leaves and apply on any part of the skin. Massage it on to the skin for some time to get glowing skin. Also small spots and boils on the skin will disappear.
For Sores, Ringworm, Blisters:
Get some Indigo leaves, dry them and powder them. Mix this powder with some sesame oil and apply on infected area. It will cure sores, ring worm and blisters.
For Hair rejuvenation:
Get some Indigo leaves, dry them and powder them. Mix this powder with some sesame oil and apply on scalp. Soon hair will grow strong and healthy.
For removing Worms in Teeth and Gums:
Obtain Indigo leaves and crush them to a juice. To this add cinnamon stick oil. Dip a cotton ball in this oily juice and put beneath the infected tooth to get rid of worms. Do this at least 3 times.
For Sores on skin:
Crush Indigo plant roots into a paste. Apply this on the sores that are secreting puss. Doing this regularly will cure painful sores.
For Liver:
Take some Indigo leaves, dry them powder them. Add some honey to it and eat. Depending on age eat 1 gram to 3 grams everyday for 1 month. This will cure sores and blisters on the liver and revitalize it.
For Urinary problems and poison:
Get some Indigo leaves or roots and crush them. Boil them in hot water and filter it. Drink this decoction lukewarm. This will get rid of all urinary tract problems. It also works as an antidote to most poisons. Consume very little of this decoction based on age and constitution.
For Mouth ulcers or Canker sores:
Mouth ulcers or canker sores are painful lesions that develop in the mouth or at the base of the gums. They are red in color and extremely painful, making eating and chewing food difficult. Crush some Indigo leaves and mix some honey in it. Apply this as an ointment to cure mouth ulcers and canker sores.
For Kidney disease:
Pluck out the Indigo plant whole from the ground. Dry this in a airy and shady place. Crush the plant when dry and filter the powder using a muslin cloth. Store this powder in a glass bottle. Eat 2 grams of this powder everyday and drink water. Gradually all Kidney disease will be cured.
For Insects in Ear:
Sometimes insects enter our ear when we are sleeping or riding a bike. Neither can we remove them with our hands nor leave it alone.
Take Indigo plant roots and Gigantic swallow wart tree root. Wash some rice and pour the water in a vessel. Using this rice washed water grind the above roots. To this add equal quantity of sesame seeds oil. Heat this root paste oil mix on a stove. Put 4 to 5 drops of this lukewarm oil in the ear. This will kill all insects in the ear.
For Black Hair and Hair fall:
Obtain Indigo leaves and crush them to a juice. To this add equal quantity of black Sesame seeds oil. Put this mix on a stove and warm on a slow flame, till only oil remains. Remove and let it cool. Store in a glass bottle. Apply this oil daily on the scalp and hair. It will stop graying hair and restore black hair. Also hair will grow once again.
Neeli Bhringaraj Oil made with mixture of Indigo leaves and Eclipta Alba (Bhringaraj) leaves boiled in sesame oil will also help restoring natural color of hair and prevent premature greying.
For Dog bite:
We all have at one time or another experienced being chased by rabid dogs. Many times we get away, but if not the mad dog bite can cause rabies. Indigo is an excellent remedy for this. Take some fresh Indigo leaves and crush them to a juice. Drink 10 grams of this juice everyday on empty stomach. Do this for 4 day. Also wash the bite wound with hot water and lemon juice. Then apply crushed Indigo leaf paste on the wound and bandage it. Doing this for 4 day will remove the mad dog bite poison. The indigo leaf juice is bitter in taste and some people may experience giddiness. It is normal and nothing to worry.
While the above treatment is undergone, avoid all oily, salty, spicy, and sweet foods. The above treatment for dog bite wound should only be undertaken under a qualified Ayurvedic doctor. Rabies is fatal and deadly and self medication should be strictly avoided.