Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Malabar spinach (Basella alba), of the Basellaceae family. Fleshy twining annual vine; native range: tropical South Asia. Globally recognized as upodika, potaki in Sanskrit, poi, poi saag in Hindi, and Malabar spinach, Indian spinach, vine spinach in English. The part used is leaves, tender stem, whole plant. Thick glossy leaves that turn mucilaginous and slippery when cooked, with a mild sweet, earthy taste.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
MALABAR SPINACH
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Malabar spinach
- Scientific name
- Basella alba L.
- Family
- Basellaceae
Form
- Part used
- leaves, tender stem, whole plant
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- sweet (madhura)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- cooling (sheeta virya)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- demulcent (snigdha), mild laxative (anulomana), nourishing (brimhana), aphrodisiac (vajikarana)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- heavy and kapha-increasing; use sparingly in poor digestion and kapha excess
- Toxicity
- none noted; a common food
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