When you hear or read of gongoli (vetiver tea), one thing that comes to mind is the tea that increases sexual desire, cools the body and remedies virginal dryness. A wonderful herbal tea, isn’t it? But what is gongoli of vetiver tea?
Vetiver (vetiveria app) tea is a herbal tea that is made from the grass family of vetiveria. There are two major species of this plant, they’re Vetiveria nigritana and Vetiveria zizanioides. They are grass plants that belong to the Poacea family.
Vetiveria plants are well know plants that are native to South India, but widely distributed in other parts of India, Burma, Southwest Asia, and Ceylon. They’re also widely distributed in tropical Africa.
In West African region, gongoli is also known as khamare. Other names by which the plant is known include, vetiver root, Khas, khus, and vala. The plant parts that’s mostly used are the roots.
What is the use of gongoli?
Vetiver roots are used in Indian Ayurveda to treat several ailments such as chronic dysentery, high fever, inflammation and diarrhea. It is also used in making herbal tea for sexual improvements. It lubricates the vagina and increases libido in both male and female.
Where to buy gongoli
You can buy freshly dried vetiver roots from across the globe, especially in most grocery and supermarkets. You can also get it directly from the local herbalists. Another way to get your gongoli roots is by place order online for it in most of the online stores.
If you would buy from online stores, be sure such store is reputable for selling original products. Also, let it be a pay on deliver order. However, it may still be hard to detect fake vetiver tea root, since, most grass roots has semblance with the vetiveria genus.
Best ways to use vetiver roots
Aside being used for making herbal tea, there are other ways in which gongoli roots are useful.
Vetiver water
Vetiver water is somewhat different from vetiver tea in the sense that there is no additional ingredients in the herbal water. Vetiver water is made by boiling five or six strands of gongoli roots in a clay pot. This is left to steep for 3 hrs on average before drinking it.
Vetiver bath powder
Vetiver roots possess strong aromatic compounds that makes bathing with vetiver powder a great experience. It is also worthy to note that the roots possess antibacterial activities against skin disease causing bacteria.
To make vetiver bath powder, sun-dry the roots and green gram dal for a cup of days until they become crisp. Grind them into fine powder and sieve. The finely powdered vetiver bath powder is thus store for use.
As a body scrub
Aside using the powder for bath, the used roots, after making your vetiver water you can also use the wet bunch of vetiver roots to scrub your body.
As an insect repellant
The aromatic compounds in gongoli roots are also insect repellants. This means that you can use the roots to ward off mosquitoes from your room, and this way, minimize the cycle of malaria.
Vetiver tea
This is the most popular use of gongoli roots. The use of gongoli to treat various ailments stem from Indian traditional Ayurveda medicine. The roots are brewed raw or with other herbs and the tea taken as a regimen.
How to make gongoli (vetiver tea recipe)
To make vetiver tea, you would need to buy also ginger, and honey. These are optional, however. You can actually drink vetiver water raw. But for me, I’d like to have variety. I like it mixed with other important herbs, like ginger.
Instructions
- Cut both the gongoli roots and ginger into smaller pieces. (This would reduce the steeping time for the tea)
- Add two cups of water in an eaten pot and boil.
- Put the roots and ginger cuttings into the boiling water and allow to steep for about 45 minutes.
- After the time has elapsed, bring down the put shd allow to cool for another five minutes. This further extracts the ingredients.
- Strain your tea and add two spoons of honey or orange juice.
- Enjoy vetiver tea warm or cold.
Vetiver roots aromatherapy
It’s wonderful to think of gongoli as an aromatherapeutic agent. This is due to the presence of numerous essential oil with strong but soothing aromas. As an aromatherapeutic agent, vetiver oil are extracted and inhaled through an aromatherapy diffuser.
Vetiver oil and coconut oil
Before using vetiver oil as aromatherapy, it should be diluted with coconut oil, as a carrier oil. You can also mix vetiver oil with basil oil, or perilla seed oil or Sandwood oil for topical applications.
Benefits of gongoli
Gongoli is a rich source of many bioactive compounds, including essential oil, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, and tannins. These bioactive compounds are the active ingredients that are responsible for the many health benefits of of gongoli. As you read down you would appreciate this wonderful gift of nature.
Vetiver oil for libido
Vetiver smell can cause sexual arousal, while the tea is an aphrodisiac. Both the oil and tea of gongoli roots has been used to improve sexual performances, increase sexual desire in both male and female and improve fertility.
If you are battling low sexual drive, or is suffering weak erection as a man, it is important that you should make use of gongoli oil and tea to treat yourself.
This is also very important as you aged. You know, with advancement in age, comes also low sexual drive, and weak erection for the man. By regular consumption of vetiver tea, or using the essential oil, you may retain your sexual strength to even at advanced age. Another herbal agent with strong effect on libido and penis erection is goron tula seed.
Gongoli prevents anxiety and depression
Vetiver essential oil relieves one of insomnia. If you find it difficult to sleep, or are battling depression. You can always keep the essential oil close to you. As a well known sedative agent, gongoli oil exhibits a calming effect on you once you inhale the aroma.
This feeling of tranquility, which vetiver oil has on your nerves and muscles is utilized in inducing sleep and relaxing your muscles. It prevents insomnia and treats depression.
Vetiver oil for skin
Vetiver oil is a cicatrizant agent. The topical application of the oil on wounded tissues speeds it their healing processes. It is useful for the removal of scar, prevention of skin bacteria disease such as ringworm, eczema, and rashes.
Gongoli oil is also used in cosmetic products as a beauty agent. It removes dirty and clears off dead skin cells. This way, the oil promotes skin tone, moisture and softness.
Gongoli may prevent diabetes mellitus
Although gongoli tea is also used in the treatment of diabetes, little attention has been given to vetiver in this regard. Much of the attention so far on gongoli has been linked to its sexual enhancement effect, and application on the skin. However, studies have shown that the root extracts of vetiveria zizanioides possess strong antidiabetic properties, compared to some other herbal extracts.
Diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune diseases that is associated with high glucose level in the blood due to the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin or the resistance of the body to glucose transportation into the cells. One of the symptoms of diabetes is frequent urination.
The antidiabetic property of vetiver roots is linked to its ability to greatly lower the glucose levels in a diabetic patient. Another study also demonstrated that vetiveria zizanioides root extracts exhibited strong hypolipidemic activities. This is another support to the use of gongoli tea for the treatment of diabetes.
To use gongoli for the management of diabetes, make an alcoholic tincture of the roots. This is done by infusing the roots in a 10% alcoholic solution and allowed to stand for a day or two. Thereafter, a very small quantity of the tincture, say 20ml of the tincture is taken every day.
Controls cholesterol level
Bad cholesterol has detrimental effects on your body, especially your heart health. It can lead to atherosclerosis, and even stroke. So it is very important that your heart and blood vessels of bad cholesterol. To do this, drink as often as possible gongoli tea, especially in the morning.
Gongoli for malaria
If you want to treat malaria, you may drink vetiver tea. There are numerous bioactive compounds that exhibit antispasmodic activities against malaria parasites.
Offers protection to your liver
One thing about gongoli is its strong antioxidant properties. This antioxidant properties is very important for protecting your liver from any form of toxicity, either from heavy metals or from free radicals.
Your liver is an important organ of the body. It is the liver which process every thing you put through your mouth to your body. This exposes it to harmful toxic substances. Drinking herbal teas will give you the protection you need.
