A message doing the rounds on social media claims that heart blockage can be treated with peepal leaves, adding that the leaves effectively eliminate heart blockage up to 99 percent. The viral post also mentions the procedure for making a decoction with the leaves that one should drink.
We spoke to experts in Allopathy and Ayurveda systems to understand the truth behind this claim.
Vaidya Sanket Mishra, Senior Community Manager, NirogStreet, explained that though peepal leaves are used as an alternative medicine in heart-related diseases, they are not as effective as described in the viral message.
The Ayurvedic expert further added that the recipe of the decoction mentioned in the viral message is not mentioned in Ayurveda. He added that such a form of treatment should only be taken after consulting with an expert.
According to Mishra, proper diet and abstinence from smoking are more effective than the decoction in eliminating heart blockage.
Apart from Ayurveda, we also verified this claim with an allopathic doctor. Dr Brajesh Kunwar, Director, Interventional Cardiology at Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, told The Quint that treating acute blockages only with peepal leaves can be detrimental.
CLAIM
This is the message that is going viral on social media-
Heart Attack: Don't panic......!!!
Easy solution....
Peepal leaf also removes 99 percent blockage.
Take 15 leaves of peepal, which are not soft pink buds. The leaves should be green, soft and well developed. Cut off the top and bottom part of each with scissors.
Clean the middle of the leaves with water. Add a glass of water and let them cook on low heat. When the water boils down to one third, let it cool down, filter it with a clean cloth and keep it in a cool place until the medicine is ready.
Make three doses of this decoction and take it at an interval of three hours in the morning. By taking it continuously for fifteen days, after a few days of the heart attack, the heart becomes healthy again, and there is no possibility of an attack again. Heart patients must surely use this remedy once.
* Peepal leaves have the amazing ability to give strength and peace to the heart.
* Three doses of this decoction can be taken at 8 am, 11 am and 2 pm.
* The stomach should not be empty before taking the dose, in fact, take it only after having a digestible and light breakfast.
* Do not consume fried things, rice etc during the experiment. Stop using meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, salt and oil and quit smoking.
* Take pomegranate, papaya, gooseberries, bathua, garlic, fenugreek seeds, apple marmalade, mosambi, overnight-soaked black gram, raisins, curd, guggul, curd, buttermilk etc.
So now you must have understood why God made peepal leaves heart shaped....
Don't forget to share....
The message is being shared on a large scale on Facebook. An archive of the claiming posts can be seen here and here.
No Scientific Study on Treatment of Heart Blockage With Peepal
We did not find any such research report on the internet which confirms that heart blockage can be cured by 99 percent with peepal leaves.
We found a review from 2020 on ResearchGate. It has been claimed in the review as well that peepal leaves are used as an alternative medicine for heart blockages. However, it did not cite any scientific research or study to confirm that this treatment is effective.
In this article, there is no mention of any scientific experiment or clinical trial regarding heart blockage treatment with peepal leaves. In fact, there is no mention of any study done on animals too. Therefore, it is wrong to assume that this treatment is effective.
How to Prevent or Treat Heart Diseases?
We went through the official websites of health departments of different countries to see what other methods have been prescribed there other than surgery as a treatment for heart blockage.
The UK Department of Health website states that 'the problem of coronary heart disease can be reduced by regular exercise, quitting smoking and eating nutritious food'.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one can protect themselves from coronary heart disease by making lifestyle changes like eating low sodium and fat diet, exercising and quitting smoking.
The National Health Portal of India (NHP) also advises not to smoke, exercise, eat nutritious food and not take stress if one has heart blockage. But, it is not mentioned anywhere that heart blockage can be cured by eating the leaves of any tree.
What Do Ayurveda Experts Say on the Treatment of Heart Blockage With Peepal Leaves?
When we could not find any scientific study to substantiate the claim, we contacted Vaid Sanket Mishra, Senior Community Manager, Nirog Street, an Ayurveda specialist. In a conversation with The Quint, he said that the manner in which the Peepal leaves have been advised in the viral message is not mentioned in Ayurvedic sciences.
It is true that peepal leaves are used as an alternative medicine for heart blockage. But, the chances of it being effective are 30-40 percent. At the same time, it should be done only under the supervision of an Ayurveda specialist.
Is it possible to treat heart blockage with peepal leaves?
In Ayurveda, peepal leaves are used as an alternative medicine for many other serious diseases. It is also used many times in heart blockage as complementary medicine.
It has been claimed in the viral message that peepal leaves cure heart blockage up to 99 percent, is it true?
Peepal leaves are sometimes used as an alternative medicine in case of heart blockage or when the main drug is not available. Talking about the percentage of its effectiveness, it is 30 to 40 percent. But, it can be used only under the supervision of an expert.
You said that peepal leaves are used in the treatment of heart blockage. But, should it be used in the same way as shown in the viral message? The number of peepal leaves and the time when to take it has also been told in the message, how accurate is this?
The experiment has not yet been done about the method described in the viral message. I have not even read such a mention in Ayurveda till now. The method in the message is actually to make a decoction of peepal leaves. Along with this, some precautions have also been told in the message.
In my view, abstinence from eating oily foods and smoking, which is mentioned in the viral message, is more effective than the decoction.
Are there any other health benefits of peepal mentioned in Ayurveda?
In Ayurveda, a decoction made from peepal leaves is used for blood purification or for cleaning wounds. In addition, a decoction made from the leaves is used to treat vatarakta (a type of arthritis) when the amount of uric acid in the body increases.
Every part of the Peepal tree is used in different types of treatment. It is used for washing and healing wounds. Peepal bark and fruit are used more than leaves. Peepal fruit is used to fix stomach issues. At the same time, peepal bud is also used to enhance the skin's complexion. Peepal skin is used for mouth ulcers.
“Use of Peepal Leaves in Acute Blockages Can Be Detrimental”
We contacted Dr Brajesh Kunwar, Director, Interventional Cardiology at Fortis Hiranandani Hospital. He told The Quint that peepal has properties of antioxidants which can be claimed to be beneficial. However, till now, no such scientific evidence has come to the fore which can confirm that peepal leaves can treat heart blockages.
There is no rigid evidence to show the benefits of peepal leaves. However, it can have properties of antioxidants which can be claimed to be beneficial. The use of peepal leaves in acute blockages can be sometimes detrimental, especially if other important cardiac medications are stopped. In addition, skin rashes and allergies can happen suddenly with the use of peepal leaves.Dr Brajesh Kunwar, Director, Interventional Cardiology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital
Evidently, it is not true that peepal leaves can cure heart blockage up to 99 percent. Of course, peepal leaves have been said to be effective in many types of treatment in Ayurveda, but in heart blockage, it is used only as an alternative medicine, that too only under the supervision of a doctor. According to experts, the chances of the treatment of peepal leaves being effective is not as high as shown in the viral message.
(The story was first published on Quint Hindi and has been translated and republished with permission.)
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