What is Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli)?

Asthishrinkhala is a climbing vine used in Ayurveda. It is used mainly for bone and joint problems, above all after a fracture (a broken bone). Its Latin name is Cissus quadrangularis.

Other names for it are Vajravalli, hadjod, adamant creeper and veldt grape. It is a single herb, not a mixed formula.

The stems are green, square and jointed. They look like a chain of small bones, and that is where the Sanskrit name comes from. Asthi means bone, and shrinkhala means chain.

Healers crushed the fresh stem into a paste for the skin. They also dried it and ground it to a powder to take by mouth, alongside a splint or cast.

Evidence verdict: the tradition is long and steady, but human trials are few and small. Many are paid for by the firms that sell the product, so the effect on real healing is not proven. A long history of use is not proof that something works, and that gap matters all through this page.

How does Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli) work?

No one has shown clearly how this herb works in people. The ideas below come from lab dishes and animal studies. They are not human proof.

Lab work hints that the plant may nudge bone-building cells to lay down more mineral. These cells are called osteoblasts. The herb may also slow the cells that break bone down.

Some studies point to a mild effect against swelling. That could be why traditional users report less swelling and soreness.

A few animal studies report faster mending of broken bones. They also report higher bone mineral density (how tightly packed the bone is). Animal bone does not always act like human bone, so treat this as a fair guess, not a settled fact.

What forms does Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli) come in?

This herb comes in several forms, and their strength differs a lot.

Dried stem powder (churna) is the classic Ayurvedic form. You take it with warm water, milk or honey.

Capsules or tablets hold a concentrated extract. This is the form used in most modern trials.

Fresh stem juice is pressed from the young plant.

A fresh stem paste is put over a splinted limb or a sore joint.

Young stems are cooked as a vegetable, chutney or pickle in parts of South India.

There is no single agreed strength. A capsule and a spoonful of powder are not the same thing. Always read the label to see how much herb or extract each dose holds.

Where it comes from:

This herb has been used in Ayurveda for well over a thousand years. Classical Ayurvedic plant texts (nighantus) name it as a remedy for broken bones.

The name Vajravalli means roughly diamond or thunderbolt creeper. It points to how hard and strong the plant was thought to make bone.

The same plant is used in Siddha medicine in South India. It is also used in folk practice across Africa and Southeast Asia. There the fresh stem is eaten as a vegetable as well as used as a medicine.

Village bonesetters put the crushed stem over a splinted limb. The local name hadjod means bone-joiner, and it is still used in Indian markets today.

What does Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli) help with?

• Recovery after a bone fracture: This is the traditional headline use, and it is where the evidence is thinnest relative to the claims. A few small Indian trials report faster pain relief and earlier signs of knitting on x-ray, but they involved few people and were not well blinded. Asthishrinkhala is not an alternative to setting and immobilising a broken bone. Treat it, at most, as something taken alongside proper orthopaedic care.
• Bone loss and low bone density: Animal studies show higher bone mineral density (how densely packed the bone is) after treatment, and some small human studies report improvements in bone markers in blood. There is no long trial showing it prevents fractures in people with osteoporosis (thinning, fragile bones). If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, this herb does not replace the medicines your doctor prescribes.
• Joint pain and stiffness: Small trials in people with joint pain, including some in athletes, report modest drops in pain scores over roughly eight weeks. The studies were short and several were paid for by supplement companies. The effect, if real, appears mild. Do not expect it to match a prescription anti-inflammatory.
• Weight and metabolic health: Several small trials of a standardised extract report modest weight loss and small improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol. These were mostly run or funded by the extract's maker, which weakens confidence in the results. No independent research group has repeated them at a size that would settle the question. Treat weight-loss marketing for this herb with real caution.
• Haemorrhoids (piles): Traditional Ayurvedic practice uses Asthishrinkhala for painful piles, and a small number of Indian clinical reports describe reduced pain and bleeding. The published work is small and of low quality. Bleeding from the back passage always needs a doctor's assessment first, because it can have serious causes.
• Sports-related joint and tendon soreness: The herb is widely marketed to lifters and athletes for sore joints and tendons. The human data behind this is limited to a handful of small, short studies with industry links. Nothing here supports claims of stronger bones, better performance or an anabolic (muscle-building) effect.

Which foods are rich in Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli)?

1. Young Cissus quadrangularis stems: cooked as a vegetable, chutney or pickle in parts of South India and West Africa
2. Fresh stem juice: pressed from the young plant in home remedies

Practical Tips:

Eaten as a vegetable the amounts are small and food-like; supplement doses are far more concentrated.

What are the side effects of Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli)?

• Gas, bloating or stomach discomfort
• Loose stools or, less often, constipation
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Trouble sleeping if you take it late in the day
• Low blood sugar if you already take diabetes medicine
• Skin rash or itching if you are allergic to grape-family plants

Good to know:

This herb is usually well tolerated at normal doses. Most reported problems are mild. They settle when you stop taking it.

The main real-world risks come from mixing, not from the herb alone. It may push blood sugar lower in someone already on diabetes medicine. Its safety in pregnancy is not known.

One more caution applies to any imported herbal product. Buy from a supplier that tests for heavy metals and other contaminants. Poorly made Ayurvedic products have been found to hold lead, mercury or arsenic.

How much Asthishrinkhala (Vajravalli) should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no officially established dose, so the figures below simply reflect common traditional and commercial practice. Dried stem powder (churna): roughly 1 to 3 grams a day, usually split into two doses and stirred into warm water or milk. Standardised extract capsules: commonly 300 to 600 mg twice a day, following the label. Fresh stem juice: about 10 to 20 ml a day in traditional practice. Start at the low end. If you take diabetes medicine or a blood thinner, do not start at all without talking to your doctor first.
• Best time of day: Split the daily amount into two doses, morning and evening. Traditionally the powder is taken after meals with warm milk or water.
• With or without food: Take it with or just after food. This is the traditional practice and it reduces the stomach upset and gas that some people get on an empty stomach.
• Time to effect: Do not expect anything quickly. Users who notice less pain or swelling usually report it after two to four weeks, and bone-related effects, if any, would take six weeks or more.
• How long to take it: Most traditional courses run four to eight weeks, which roughly matches how long a simple fracture takes to knit. Modern trials have mostly lasted six to twelve weeks. Reassess after eight weeks. If nothing has changed, stop rather than carrying on out of habit. There is no good safety information for continuous use beyond about three months.