Giloy for immunity: How much should you consume every day

Keeping our immunity up and tight is on the top of our priority list right now. Since there is no vaccine yet for the novel coronavirus, the only way we can keep ourselves safe is with a strong immunity. While there are many kitchen ingredients that can rev up your immunity, giloy is a much valued Ayurvedic herb.

Giloy is called Amrita in Sanskrit, which literally translates to 'the root of immortality'. The root is called so because it has abundant medicinal properties.

The herb when taken regularly can do wonders for your overall health. In fact, giloy has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be used as a remedial medication. Giloy's root and stem both can be consumed for medicinal benefits.

The herb is packed with antioxidants that can help fight the free radicals and other disease-causing bacteria. It can also help detox your body by flushing out the toxins and purifying your blood.

Giloy can also help people who have chronic fever as it is anti-pyretic in nature. Giloy consumed in any form, juice or tablets can help boost your immunity. The herb can be consumed in various forms.

We talked to Dr Vishakha Mahindroo, Senior Consultant Ayurveda about the right ways to consume this magical herb. Here are three ways you can consume it with instruction on how much you should have..

Not all of us have access to fresh giloy and for that purpose, giloy tablets are easily available in medical stores. Adults should have two tablets a day, while children between the age of five to ten should be given half to one tablet a day. Kids above the age of 10 can be given one tablet a day. It's best to ask a doctor for exact quantity as it can vary as per height and weight for kids.

If you can get fresh giloy stem, then take a finger log stem of giloy, wash it properly and boil it in two glasses of water until the water becomes half the quantity. Then drink it while it's still lukewarm. You can have one glass of this giloy juice daily.

To make the drink taste better and also enhance its nutritional value, you can make this concoction.

Take 2 inches of ginger, 3-4 tulsi leaves, 1 finger long giloy stick, 2 black pepper and 2 corn.

Now take two glasses of water and add ginger, tulsi and giloy to it. Let it boil till the solution becomes half. Now turn off the gas and add pepper and clove and cover the pan with lid.

Now, wait for 5-10 minutes. Strain the drink and consume lukewarm.

You need to have this once a day, half a glass.

Note: Do not boil the pepper and clove while boiling other ingredients because it's the summer season and doing so can cause problems of acidity and blisters.