Banafsha (Sweet Violet) and Gaozaban for Nazla: Benefits, Risks (Video)

Transcript

Herbal Cold Comfort

Ever wondered why grandparents swear by sweet violet and borage for a cold? Let's unpack the tradition and the cautions.

Warm comfort drink

The old saying goes, put some banafsha and gaozaban in the joshanda and the cold will settle. In many Pakistani homes that means a warm, faintly floral drink that eases a scratchy throat while the cold runs its course. It’s comfort, not a cure.

At a glance

In Unani terms, sweet violet is ‘cold and moist’, while borage leaf, called gaozaban, is known as ‘cow’s tongue’. Both appear in traditional mixes, but only the flower offers gentle comfort. The leaf carries a liver warning when used heavily.

Liver caution

Gaozaban comes from the borage family, which contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. In enough amount they can hurt tiny liver veins. A once-in-a-while cup in a cold is very different from sipping a strong tea every day or taking capsules. If you’re pregnant, nursing, have liver disease, or drink alcohol, skip it entirely. And if you notice yellow eyes, dark urine, right-side pain or a swollen belly, see a doctor.

Choosing good herbs

Gul-e-banafsha are the dried sweet violet flowers. Good ones are small, deep violet and have a faint sweet scent. Old or poor stock turns brown, smells dusty and may be mixed with stems or grit. Gaozaban refers to the rough, bristly leaves of borage; look for a green, slightly fuzzy texture.

In common mixes

You rarely see these herbs on their own. They’re part of familiar mixes like joshanda, a boiled herb blend that also contains mulethi, sapistan and others. Sharbat-e-banafsha is a flower infusion sweetened with sugar syrup, while khamira mixes the herbs into a thick honey or sugar paste. There’s also a violet-infused oil for the scalp, but never put it in a baby’s nose.

Traditional view

In Unani theory, nazla means ‘descending’ fluid from the head to the nose. Banafsha, being cold and moist, was used to calm a hot, dry, irritated throat, fever and a tight cough, and its oil was rubbed on the scalp for headache and sleep. Gaozaban, called a mufarreh, was believed to lift the spirit, help with low mood, palpitations and cough.

When to seek help

Skip gaozaban if you’re pregnant, nursing, a child, or have any liver condition. Sugar-heavy sharbat or khamira isn’t right for diabetes unless your doctor says otherwise. Babies under one shouldn’t have honey, and no cough medicine before six months. If you have high blood pressure, check joshanda for mulethi. And get medical care for fever over 39 °C, fever lasting more than three days, breathlessness, chest pain or wheeze.

Common myths

Myth one: because it’s a leaf tea, gaozaban is safe. The liver-toxic compounds are present whether you sip a tea or swallow a capsule, so occasional use is the rule. Myth two: sharbat-e-banafsha is ‘cold’, so diabetics can drink it freely. ‘Cold’ refers to temperament, not sugar content, a spoonful is still mostly sugar. Myth three: the thicker the mucus, the more joshanda you need. Thick yellow or green mucus is normal in a cold; seek a doctor if fever, breathlessness or a cough lasts beyond ten days.

Take care

For more details, read the full post on thecareonline.com. Remember, this is general advice, not medical guidance.