Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Indian kudzu (Pueraria tuberosa), of the Fabaceae family. Large woody climber with a massive underground tuber; native range: forests and hill slopes across the Indian subcontinent. Globally recognized as vidari, vidarikanda in Sanskrit, vidarikand in Hindi, and Indian kudzu, potato-yam bean in English. The part used is tuber (root). Stout twining stems bearing trifoliate leaves; the enormous tuber white and starchy within, sweet and mucilaginous to 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.
INDIAN KUDZU
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Indian kudzu
- Scientific name
- Pueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC.
- Family
- Fabaceae
Form
- Part used
- tuber (root)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- sweet (madhura)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- cooling (shita)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- brimhana (nourishing), balya (strengthening tonic), vrishya (aphrodisiac), stanyajanana (galactagogue), mutrala (diuretic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- its heavy, sweet, unctuous nature may aggravate kapha — caution in obesity, sluggish digestion and diabetes-related kapha
- Toxicity
- a wholesome nourishing tuber with no notable toxicity
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