Tabasheer or Bamboo Tabashir and Its famous use...

   Basic Botanical Info of Bambusa arundinacea and Tabashir:

   Botanical Source:Bambousa arundinacea (Graminae)
   Part used: sap,Tabashir or pearl opal is an organic stone that forms in damaged joints (nodes) of bamboo plants. This hydrated form of Silica appears as a rounded mass of opal, and looks like seed pearls.
   Dictionary Definition:Tabasheer
   A concretion in the joints of the bamboo, which consists largely or chiefly of pure Silica. It is highly valued in the East Indies as a medicine for the cure of bilious vomitings, bloody flux, piles, and various other diseases

   Tabasheer is the dried sap of bamboo and has long been an aphrodisiac in Indian, Chinese, and other Asian cultures. It looks to be a highly male plant, but it is cooling rather than heating; this combination of male and female and the fact that tabasheer also affects mood suits Mercury. But it also has Saturn elements, since it is cooling, woody, builds bones, and bamboo is a very invasive plant. Tabasheer treats asthma and calms the mind, clearing away shadows. It cools irritability and sleeplessness, is considered an antidote for poison. It is sometimes called vegetable opal because some pieces of it are hard and translucent. Chemically it is composed almost entirely of Silica but also has a little Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium , all of which connect it to bone formation. Traditional Chinese medicine considers tabasheer to be highly cooling and sweet in nature. This tabasheer comes from a variety of bamboos, one of which is Bambusa arundinacea (shown).
   

 Basic Botanical Info of Bambusa arundinacea and Tabashir:
 What is Tabashir?
 What is the Major Use of Silica?
 How Tabashir(Tabasheer) used worldwide?
 Silica in the tabashir and Its famous Use:
 Suggestive Dosage:


   What is Tabashir?

 The siliciou resin found in the joints of the female bamboo is used. Tabashir is a traditional natural remedy in the south of India and in Bengale. The great interest of Tabashir in phytotherapy is due to its Silica content (97%). Silica is one of the most important components of the connective tissue: cartilage, articulation tendon, and some elements of the arterial walls, skin, hair and nails. Besides Silica, Tabashir contains iron, Calcium, choline and betaine. Tabashir Arkocaps have an effective re-mineralizing action that is very useful in cases of arthrosis, painful joints, fragility of the cartilage (osteoporosis), hair or nails and in prevention of the consequences of atherosclerosis. In general, Tabashir stimulates the natural defense of the organism (during growth, pregnancy, repair of fractures, senescence). See the following chapter on silica and its value for chronic and acuted vertebral ailments.
   Tabasheer (also alternative spellings of tabashir and tabaschir) is the silicaceous inner part of the bamboo Bambousa Arundinacae. This is a fast growing bamboo which grow as much as 20cm a day.

 Bamboo Silica (Bambusa textilis) Tabasheer:Tian zhu huang,: sweet, cold; Gallbladder, Heart, Liver This herb is traditionally used to clear obscuration from the heart, mind and Lungs. It was also used after coma and stroke to aid rehabilitation. This herb is the siliceous secretions collected from the ends of heated strips of bamboo. Silicone and Potassium hydroxide are among known ingredients.
 A native remedy to South India and Bengal, Tabashir is a siliceous resin found in the nodes of the female bamboo tree. Bamboo is an edible grass that has been part of the diet of humans and animals alike for thousands of years. Bamboo Tabashir has been used traditionally as a rich source of naturally occurring organic silica. Its Silica content can be as high as 85% or more than 10 times the level found in the widely used Horsetail plant that contains about 5 - 7%. Besides Silica, Tabashir contains Iron, Calcium, Choline and Betaine. This synergistic blending of mineral properties makes Tabashir an excellent and effective remineralizing agent useful in cases of osteoarthritis, painful joints, fragility of the cartilage (osteoporosis), hair or nails, and in prevention of the consequences of arteriosclerosis.
 


   What is the Major Use of Silica?

 Silica is one of the most important constituents of the body's connective tissue including: cartilage, arteries, tendons, and ligaments. It functions as a cross-linking agent, providing strength, flexibility, and resilience to collagen and elastin connective tissues. It is also known to play a part in the integrity of the bones, arterial walls, skin, teeth, gums, hair and nails and has been used to alleviate eczema and psoriasis. Recently, modern research has focused on determining the role of silica in rheumatic disorders and arterial disease.
 Silica enhances the function of Iron, Calcium,Magnesium,Potassium and Boron, and is essential for bone development and growth. Bones need silica to re-calcify and to strengthen bone tissue. A silica deficiency in tissue causes a calcium deficiency which, in turn, results in a loss of elasticity. It has been shown that in bone demineralization, silica deficiency is a precursor to calcium deficiency.

 Silica may be useful in preventing osteoporosis and in strengthening the musculoskeletal system, preventing injuries and speeding the healing of fractures. It does this by helping in the creation of the body's structural matrix for forming and repairing connective tissue. It also contributes to the buildup of minerals on this matrix during development. Silica is present in osteoblasts (bone forming cells) responsible for the deposition of calcium phosphate on the protein matrix of bone. It stimulates chrondroblast or cartilage-forming cells to deposit proteins and other structural materials on the matrix. Finally, it helps in the building process of fiber-forming cells important to the creation of collage.
 Silicon is thought to improve the cardiovascular system, decreasing the risk of coronary problems. It has been shown to be abundant (up to 14 times more) in the arteries of people who are free of heart disease. It is essential in maintaining the structural integrity, elasticity and permeability of the arteries, thereby regulating the blood pressure.
 Silicon also plays an important role in helping the body to eliminate aluminum. Aluminum is thought to be a causative factor in certain forms of senility, including Alzheimer's disease.

 Maintaining a healthy level of silica may retard the aging process. The average adult body requires the maintenance of about 20 grams of silica to promote good health. However, the body metabolizes and secrets about 10-40mg of silica per day through urination, hair loss and nail trimming. Thus, the body's natural level of silica declines with age causing signs of aging such as bone loss, dry and wrinkled skin, weakened teeth and gums and hair loss to occur.
 

   Silica and Its Legend:
 Silica is a very common mineral element and is found everywhere on earth. For a long time, its role in human pathology was neglected. But recently, Western researchers have been studying it closely. Silica is one of the most important components of the connective tissue, and we are finally beginning to understand the consequences of its deficiency on health. Studies have been particularly concerned with the role of silica in rheumatic diseases (arthrosis) and arterial illness (atherosclerosis).
 Silica is necessary for the bones to fix calcium and improves the texture of collagen and, therefore, the suppleness of the body tissue. It has been established that in the case of demineralization of the bones, silica loss comes before calcium loss. Moreover, since silica is an element of structure, tissue depends on it for its elasticity. As soon as the amount of Silica in the body tissue decreases, the Calcium level goes up and elasticity is reduced. Also,silica accelerates the consolidation of fractures, probably due to the role it plays in fixing calcium.

 A 25 year study in Finland has demonstrated that a deficiency in silica could increase the risk of coronary problems. As a matter of fact, the elasticity of the arterial walls is essential to absorb the variations in blood pressure. A supplement of silica is often necessary to restore a normal tonicity to the arteries. Silica is primarly provided by water, numerous vegetables and fruit. It is concentrated in skin peelings and in the integuments of cereals. But, as water may be deficient in silica, especially in chalky areas, and as modern nutrition, based more and more on refined food, no longer fulfills nutritional needs, there is a deficiency in silica.
 During the Middle Ages in Europe, it was noticed that certain plants, either by their shape or their color, brought to mind a detail of the human body or a disease. By virtue of the quasi-occult properties which were given to vegetable herbs at that time, it was thought that this signature defined the therapeutic action of the herb in question. This is what one calls the doctrine of signatures. Even if there is obviously a lack of scientific sense in this doctrine, we may be surprised by the coincidence in the case of Tabashir, bamboo resin. Indeed, doesn't bamboo look like a spine? Its knots are like vertebras and its essential quality is to straighten itself after being bent. The famous Dr. Hauschka sets forth this doctrine to explain his interest in bamboo as he found its qualities effective against degenerative processes in the cartilages and conjunctive tissue. Whatever it may be, every prescriber, and especially those who work on spinal problems, can find in Tabashir Arkocaps an excellent source of aid.

 


   How Tabashir(Tabasheer) used worldwide?

 Bamboo is an exotic reed which grows very quickly, sometimes over twenty centimetres a day, to a height of ten metres.
 It is often used as building material in Asia. In natural medicine, the siliceous secretion is harvested on the knots of the stems which are called bamboosil or Tabashir in India and China.
 Being very rich in Silica, bamboo gum is believed to have a beneficial action on the joints, it stimulates the synthesis of collagen in the bones and connective tissues thus facilitating the reconstitution of the cartilage which can be destroyed during some illnesses. With its remineralising properties, it can also help prevent bone loss brought on by the menopause.

 Tabasheer is used by people in many parts of the world for maintaining healthy bones, hair, skin, teeth and nails. Tabasheer contains 75% Silica and has the highest content of Silica known in plant form. There is more silica in Tabasheer than in horsetail and nettle.
 Tabasheer is one of the main substances from bamboo used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine; it is often called bamboo-manna or bamboo silica (because it is rich in silica). Its properties include: stimulant, astringent, febrifuge, tonic, antispasmodic, and aphrodisiac. A major source in India is Bambusa arundinacea, though other species of Bambusa are also used. An Ayurvedic remedy, Sitopaladi Churna, was used traditionally for tuberculosis and other wasting diseases and has been adopted as a popular remedy for common cold, sore throat, sinus congestion, and cough. It is a powder (= churna) made with tabasheer as the main ingredient, plus small amounts of long pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon in a base of sugar. In Tibet, formulas with tabasheer as the main ingredient are used for treating lung diseases.
 


   Silica in the tabashir and Its famous Use:

 Tabashir extract, the richest known source of natural silica containing over 70% organic Silica. This is more than 30 times the level as found in the widely used Horsetail plant (Equisetum) that contains about 2-3% silica. The bamboo extract is prepared from Tabashir bamboo stem from India (Bambusa vulgaris).
 Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element on earth after oxygen. It is a sister element of carbon. Silicon's role as an essential nutrient in human nutrition was not established until 1972, but silicon is now known to play a part in the integrity of the skin, ligaments, tendons and bone.
   The body constantly metabolizes silicic acid. Silica is eliminated through such natural processes as urination, hair loss and nail trimming. This natural secretion of silica can be from ten to forty mg daily. The average adult body contains about twenty grams of silica, and it is necessary for the body's silica stores to be maintained at this level to promote good health. As we age, less silica is assimilated, therefore daily supplementation with the tabashir will help maintain this necessary equilibrium and to minimize the effects of premature aging.
 Silicon is thought to improve the cardiovascular system, as it is essential to the structural integrity, elasticity and permeability of the arteries. Silica may be useful in reducing blood fats & cholesterol. Artherosclerosis can occur as a result of silicon deficiency whereas silicon is abundant (up to 14 times more) in the arteries of people who are free of heart disease.
 Silicon improves the condition of the hair, nails, teeth, gums and skin and has been used to alleviate eczema and psoriasis.
 Silica plays an essential role in mineral absorption and may help in re-calcifying de-calcified bones & de-calcify soft tissue deposits of calcium. Silicon enhances the function of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and boron, and is essential for normal bone development which may help prevent osteoporosis. Silicon helps maintain the correct calcium-magnesium balance.
 Silicon may be useful in strengthening the musculo-skeletal system, preventing injuries and helping bones to heal in athletes & others.
 Silicon supplementation may retard the aging process. At birth, the body contains a maximum level of silica that declines with age. As the body's natural level of silica declines, it exhibits the signs attributable to aging such as bone loss, dry and wrinkled skin, weakened teeth and gums and hair loss.
 Silicon converts aluminum from both water and other dietary sources into insoluble hydroxy-aluminosilicates that cannot enter the bloodstream or brain. This has important consequences for preventing the development of Alzheimer's dementia by assisting the body in eliminating aluminum. Aluminum is thought to a causative factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
 Silicon stimulates chondroblasts to deposit chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid into the cartilage matrix. This has important implications in managing arthritis pain as silicon will improve the function and effectiveness of glucosamine sulfate which is the precursor of both chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid.
 Silicon may help protect against and heal gastric ulcers and arthritis (connective tissue healing).
 

   Functions of Silicon:
 Functions as a cross-linking agent, providing strength and resilience to collagen & elastin connnective tissues:
 Essential for bone & cartilage collagen synthesis present as silicic acid in mucopolysaccharides, the structural components of connective tissues:
 Providing strength and resilience to collagen and elastin connective tissues
 Aiding bone and cartilage collagen synthesis present as silicic acid in mucopolysaccharides, the structural components of connective tissues
 Calcifying bones
 Essential for bone calcification:
 Stimulates growth:
 Required for the proper functioning of the enzyme prolyhydroxylase that functions in the formation of collagen in bone, cartilage and other connective tissues.

 To further enhance the effectiveness of Bamboo Sil, the formula includes 200 mg of calcium citrate. Calcium absorption is enhanced by the presence of silicon, and like silicon, calcium is involved in normal bone development. Calcium also has a role to play in regulating the heartbeat, in energy production, immune function and cell membrane permeability. Like silicon, a deficiency of calcium may speed skin aging.


   Suggestive Dosage:

 Bamboo Extract (Bambusa vulgaris) yielding 70 mg organic Silica - Potency: 100 mg Plus Calcium Citrate yielding 40 mg Calcium - Potency: 200 mg


  Scientific References:

  1.Tabasheer or Bamboo Tabashir and Its famous use...