INTRODUCTION
Shatavar is actually considered to be the most helpful herb for women as it helps in balancing the female hormonal system. It is the main herbal rejuvenative for women. Shatavari totally nourishes and cleanses the blood and the female reproductive organs, enhancing female fertility. It nourishes the womb and ovum and almost prepares the female organs for pregnancy and prevents threatened miscarriage. It also improves super lactation. Shatavari contains the phyto-estrogens, the precursors of estrogen and is really very useful for women who suffer from low natural estrogen levels as a result of menopause, hysterectomies or oophorectomies. Shatavari has been mentioned in Ayurvedic texts like the Charak Samhita and Susruta Samhita, and Astanga Samgraa.It is stated that Shatavari promotes maternal health and its meticulous use as a galactagogue (enhances breast milk secretion in lactating mothers). Shatavari actually literally means "having a 100 spouses" and Ayurvedic texts accurately claim that Shatavari strengthens a woman to the point where she is being capable of producing thousands of healthy ova. Ayurveda has called Shatavari the Queen of herbs and is the primary herb recommended for female health. Among the three Ayurvedic Doshas of Vata, Pitta and Kapha, Shatavari efficiently helps in balancing Pitta Dosha. Shatavari's juice is sweet (madhur) and also in nature bitter (tikta). It is a natural coolant. Charaka has categorized it as balya promoting strength or a tonic, vaya sthapana – promotes longevity, sukra janana (spermatogenic). Also, he has cited it as a rejuvenative to rasa and mamsa dhatus and mamsavaha srotasa. Susruta has mentioned it as sukra sodhana – purifies the sperms or semen. Whereas, it is quoted as vajikara – augments the sexual vigour and quantity of semen (Sarngandhara Samhita). It is also classified as samsamana – neither it aggravates nor it eliminates the doshas from the body, but simply pacifies the aggravated doshas especially, pitta.
