What is Parijata?

Parijata is the leaf of the night jasmine tree (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis). It is also called coral jasmine. In Ayurveda it is used on its own as a single herb, not as a mixed formula.

Healers give it most often for fever, joint pain, and sciatica (pain that runs down the back of the leg). It is also a home remedy for cough and for worms in the gut. The leaf juice is very bitter.

Here is the short answer on evidence. Parijata has a long record in Indian medicine, but very little human trial data. Long use is not proof that a herb works, and that point is not repeated later in this page.

How does Parijata work?

No one has shown clearly how Parijata works in people. What follows is an idea, not a proven fact.

Lab and animal studies point to plant compounds that damp down swelling and pain. Some of the same work suggests an effect on fever and on gut worms. These results come from test tubes and from mice and rats.

Animal work does not always carry over to people. Doses used in labs are often far higher than what a person would take. So treat any talk of a mechanism as a guess for now.

What forms does Parijata come in?

Fresh leaf juice is the most common form in Ayurveda. Leaves are crushed and the juice is strained and taken by the spoon. It is strongly bitter.

A hot water brew is also used. Fresh or dried leaves are boiled in water, then strained and drunk warm.

Dried leaf powder and capsules are sold by herb suppliers. Flowers and bark are used less often, and mainly in home remedies.

Flowers are also soaked in water to make an orange colour for food and cloth. This use is for colour, not for health.

Where it comes from:

Parijata appears in Ayurvedic texts and in village medicine across India. It has been used for many centuries, mainly for fever and for stiff, painful joints.

The tree carries a well known story. Its white flowers with orange stalks open at night and drop at dawn, which is why it is called the tree of sorrow.

It is a staple of one tradition, Ayurveda, rather than a herb shared across many world traditions.

What does Parijata help with?

• Fever: This is the classic Ayurvedic use. Leaf juice or a hot leaf brew is given to bring a fever down, including fevers from malaria. Support for this is traditional and animal-based only. Do not use it in place of a malaria or dengue test and proper treatment.
• Joint pain and stiffness: Parijata leaf is a long-standing remedy for painful, stiff joints. Animal studies show the leaf extract can reduce swelling. There are no good human trials, so we cannot say how much relief a person can expect.
• Sciatica (pain running down the leg): Ayurvedic practice uses a leaf brew for this, often daily for several weeks. The evidence is traditional. If leg pain comes with numbness, weakness or loss of bladder control, see a doctor straight away.
• Cough and chest congestion: Warm leaf brew, sometimes with honey, is a home remedy for a stubborn cough. This use rests on tradition and on the leaf's bitter, drying character. No human trial supports it.
• Intestinal worms: Leaf juice has been used to clear worms from the gut. Lab work shows activity against some worms. Modern anti-worm medicines are cheap, tested and reliable, and are the better choice.
• Skin complaints: A leaf paste has been applied to itchy patches and minor skin infections. This is folk use with no human trial behind it. Stop if the skin stings or reddens.

Which foods are rich in Parijata?

1. Orange flower stalks of night jasmine: soaked in water to colour rice and sweets, used for colour rather than for health

What are the side effects of Parijata?

• Nausea, from the strong bitter taste
• Vomiting, mostly at higher doses
• Loose stools or stomach cramps
• Dry mouth
• Lower blood sugar, which can cause shakiness and dizziness
• Skin rash or itching in people who react to the plant

Good to know:

Most reports describe mild stomach upset that settles when you stop or lower the dose. Serious harm has not been widely reported, but that is partly because the herb has barely been studied in people. Stop and get advice if any effect is strong or does not settle.

How much Parijata should you take?

• Recommended daily: No safe, tested dose has been set in people. Amounts below come from traditional practice, not from trials. Traditional texts use roughly 5 to 10 millilitres of fresh leaf juice a day, or a brew made from 3 to 5 fresh leaves. Powder is usually used at 1 to 3 grams a day. Start at the low end. Follow the label on any product you buy, and speak to an Ayurvedic practitioner or your doctor before you start.
• Best time of day: Usually in the morning on an empty stomach, and sometimes a second dose in the evening. For fever, doses are often spread through the day.
• With or without food: Usually taken on an empty stomach. If it upsets your stomach, take it with a little food instead.
• Time to effect: Traditional use expects some change in fever within a day or two. For joint or leg pain, users report two to four weeks. None of this has been measured in a trial.
• How long to take it: Short courses only. Traditional use runs about one to three weeks for fever, and up to six weeks for joint or leg pain. Check how you feel after two weeks. If nothing has changed, stop and get your symptoms looked at. Long-term daily use has not been studied for safety.