Ayurveda catalogues several thousand medicinal plants, but a working physician prescribes from a far smaller set. Twenty-five herbs cover the large majority of everyday Ayurvedic practice. This is that list — what each does, the classical dose, who should not take it, and the preparation to look for.
One framing note before the list. In classical practice, herbs are usually given inside compound formulations rather than alone, because the combination is considered the drug. Where a single herb is genuinely used on its own, it is noted.
The six that matter most
1. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
The adaptogen with the most trial evidence behind it. Used for stress, anxiety, poor sleep, low stamina and muscle weakness. Dose: 3–6 g root powder with warm milk, or per label for extracts. Avoid in: pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune disease without advice. Look for: Ashwagandha PRO, Ashwagandharista.
2. Triphala
Three fruits — Amalaki, Bibhitaki, Haritaki. Used for constipation, digestion, eye health and as a daily Rasayana. Uniquely among laxatives it tones rather than irritates, so it does not create dependence. Dose: 3–5 g at night. Avoid in: pregnancy, acute diarrhoea, severe depletion. Look for: Triphala Churna.
3. Haridra — turmeric (Curcuma longa)
The classical blood-purifier and anti-inflammatory. Skin disease, joint pain, allergies, liver support. Dose: 1–3 g with black pepper and a fat. Avoid in: gallstones, before surgery, with anticoagulants. Culinary quantities are safe for almost everyone.
4. Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)
The foremost Medhya Rasayana — a drug for the mind. Memory, concentration, anxiety, children's learning. Cumulative: allow 8–12 weeks. Dose: 3–6 g with milk or ghee. Avoid in: pregnancy, thyroid disease without advice. Look for: Saraswatarista.
5. Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)
Called Amrita, nectar. Recurrent fever, immunity, liver, gout, diabetes. Dose: 3–6 g stem powder. Caution: use only correctly identified T. cordifolia — hepatitis cases traced to misidentified Tinospora crispa were reported in India around 2021. Avoid in: pregnancy, autoimmune disease.
6. Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)
The principal women's tonic — menopause, lactation, reproductive health — and a cooling Rasayana for hyperacidity. Dose: 3–6 g with milk. Avoid in: heavy Kapha conditions, oestrogen-sensitive conditions without advice. Look for: Shatavari Churna.
Dose ranges vary by a factor of fifty across this list. Shilajit is measured in hundreds of milligrams; Triphala in grams. Assuming one dose fits all is the commonest self-prescription error.
Digestion and gut
7. Shunthi — dry ginger
Nausea, indigestion, cough, joint pain. Strong trial evidence for nausea. Dose: 1–2 g. Safe in pregnancy at culinary and low medicinal doses.
8. Hingu — asafoetida
The best drug for trapped wind and colic. Dose: 125–500 mg, always fried in fat first. Look for: Hingwashtak Churna.
9. Trikatu
Ginger, black pepper and long pepper. Kindles digestion and improves absorption of whatever it accompanies. Dose: 1–2 g before meals. Avoid in: hyperacidity, ulcer. Look for: Trikatu Pro.
10. Kutaja (Holarrhena antidysenterica)
The specific drug for dysentery, especially amoebic. Dose: 3–6 g bark powder. Look for: Kutajghan Vati.
11. Bilva — bael
Unripe fruit for chronic diarrhoea; ripe fruit is laxative. Getting the two the wrong way round worsens the complaint you are treating.
Joints, bones and pain
12. Guggulu (Commiphora wightii)
The base of an entire formulation class — arthritis, cholesterol, obesity, glandular swellings. Dose: 500 mg–2 g purified, within a compound. Avoid in: pregnancy, thyroid disease, with blood thinners. Critically endangered — check sourcing. Look for: Maha Yograj Guggul, Kaishore Guggul.
13. Asthisamharaka — Hadjod
The bone-knitting drug, used through fracture recovery alongside proper immobilisation. Dose: 3–6 g, or fresh juice 10–20 ml.
14. Rasna (Pluchea lanceolata)
The classical anti-arthritic, lead drug of Maha Rasnadi Kwath. Dose: 3–6 g or decoction 40–80 ml.
15. Eranda — castor
Named the foremost Vata drug. Purgative and anti-arthritic. Dose: 5–10 ml oil. Avoid in: pregnancy, bowel obstruction. The raw seed contains ricin and is dangerous — only the pressed oil is used.
Heart, blood and metabolism
16. Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna)
The principal cardiac herb — heart strength, blood pressure, cholesterol. Dose: 3–6 g bark, classically simmered in milk. Look for: Arjunarista. Not a replacement for cardiac medication.
17. Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa)
The classical diuretic — oedema, kidney and liver support. Dose: 3–6 g. Look for: Punarnavadi Mandoor.
18. Jambu — jamun seed
The best-known blood-sugar herb. The seed, not the fruit. Dose: 3–6 g seed powder. Look for: Jamun Guthli Churna.
19. Gokshura (Tribulus terrestris)
Urinary complaints, kidney stones, prostate symptoms, male vitality. Dose: 3–6 g. Look for: Gokshuradi Guggul.
Skin, hair and liver
20. Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia)
The foremost blood-purifier for skin — acne, pigmentation, chronic skin disease. Dose: 3–6 g. Look for: Maha Manjisthadi Kwath.
21. Nimba — neem
Antimicrobial, antifungal, used across skin disease internally and externally. Dose: 1–3 g. Avoid in: pregnancy, and never give neem oil to infants.
22. Bhringraj (Eclipta prostrata)
King of hair, and an equally serious liver drug. Dose: 3–6 g internally; oil externally. Look for: Maha Bhringraj Tel.
23. Katuki (Picrorhiza kurroa)
The principal liver drug — jaundice, hepatitis, fatty liver. Dose: 500 mg–2 g. Endangered; substitution is common. Look for: Arogya Vardhani Vati.
Mind, immunity and rejuvenation
24. Tulsi — holy basil
Respiratory infection, immunity, stress. Dose: 1–3 g or 5–10 fresh leaves. Caution: may affect fertility at high doses; avoid large amounts when trying to conceive.
25. Shilajit
A mineral exudate rather than a plant. Energy, stamina, urinary complaints, male vitality. Dose: 250–500 mg purified only. Critical: raw shilajit carries heavy metals — only purified material from a licensed manufacturer.
Which herb for which complaint
Working backwards from the symptom is how most people arrive, so here is the list arranged that way.
| Complaint | First-line herbs | Formulation to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Stress, anxiety, poor sleep | Ashwagandha, Brahmi | Ashwagandharista, Saraswatarista |
| Constipation | Triphala, Haritaki, Eranda | Triphala Churna, Abhayarista |
| Bloating, poor appetite | Hingu, Trikatu, Jiraka | Hingwashtak Churna |
| Acidity, heartburn | Yashtimadhu, Amalaki, Shatavari | Avipattikar Churna, Sutshekhar Ras |
| Joint pain, arthritis | Guggulu, Rasna, turmeric, Shallaki | Maha Yograj Guggul, Maha Rasnadi Kwath |
| Acne, chronic skin disease | Manjistha, Neem, turmeric, Khadira | Maha Manjisthadi Kwath, Khadirarista |
| Hair fall | Bhringraj, Amalaki, Brahmi | Maha Bhringraj Tel, Bhringraj Churna |
| Low immunity, recurrent infection | Guduchi, Tulsi, Amalaki | Amla Churna |
| Urinary complaints, stones | Gokshura, Punarnava, Varuna | Gokshuradi Guggul, Chandraprabha Vati |
| Menstrual complaints | Ashoka, Shatavari, Lodhra | Ashokarista, Shatavari Churna |
| Cough, congestion | Kantakari, Vasa, Pippali, Talisa | Sitopaladi Churna, Prachyam Cough Syrup |
| Liver, fatty liver | Katuki, Bhumyamalaki, Guduchi | Arogya Vardhani Vati |
| Blood sugar support | Jamun seed, turmeric, Guduchi | Jamun Guthli Churna |
| Weight management | Triphala, Guggulu, Trikatu | Medohar Guggul, Triphala Guggul |
| Piles | Jimikand, Kutaja, Haritaki | Arshoghani Vati, Arshkuthar Rasa |
Browse by concern instead if that is easier: gut health, bone and joint, stress and sleep, skin, women's health.
Nine more worth knowing
Beyond the twenty-five, these appear often enough to recognise on a label.
- Yashtimadhu (licorice) — hyperacidity, dry cough, gastric ulcer. Avoid with high blood pressure.
- Vasa (Malabar nut) — the classical drug for cough with blood-streaked sputum.
- Musta (nut grass) — diarrhoea with fever, and a standard digestive.
- Vidanga — the principal anti-parasitic drug.
- Chitraka — the strongest digestive stimulant. Dosed at 500 mg–1 g; needs purification.
- Daruharidra — eye infections, skin disease, blood sugar.
- Kumari (aloe) — liver, menstrual complaints, burns. Gel and latex are entirely different.
- Lodhra — heavy menstrual bleeding, and a facial application for acne.
- Musali — a cooling Balya and Vrishya tonic for stamina and reproductive health.
Buying well
Check for a manufacturing licence number, batch number, expiry date and full botanical names on the label. Several herbs here — Guggulu, Katuki, Ativisha, Shatavari — are threatened species where substitution is routine, so a supplier who names the botanical and the source is worth paying more for.
And if you are on any regular medication, check interactions before you start. Guggulu, ashwagandha, turmeric and Guduchi all have documented interactions worth knowing about.
