How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Mustard seed is a vigorous and energizing herb for the adventurous spirit. For a faint hearted person, mustard seed restores courage. This pepper spice is full of pop and surprise. It seems to explode in the sinuses and nasal passages, reminding me of the last time I ate too much wasabi at a sushi bar.

The striking spice has been used throughout history from ancient Ayurveda and Greek medicine down to the modern day. Pythagoras includes mustard as a remedy for scorpion stings. Hippocrates used it in poultices to move blood in inflamed areas. Its use continued through medieval western herbalism. In 1699, an herbalist named John Evelyn wrote that Mustard quickens and revives the spirits, strengthens the memory, and expels heaviness. In early 2020, here's what one student from the Joyful Belly Food Lab had to say:

Footnote: The information for this article was in part gathered from a 2020 study at the Joyful Belly Food Lab. In the study, 35 students of Ayurveda ate mustard seed for 3 days and journaled the pharmacological effects. This study was sponsored by the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda, and the Mastering Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition certification course.

What is a mustard seed?

Mustard seeds are small and round seeds in the Brassicacea family. They are often yellow, brown or black. There are approximately 40 different mustard species, many of them wild and some grown for use as spice. Wild mustards are easy to spot and grow all around us. The family of mustards used to be called Cruciferae because their flowers look like a cross. The mustard plant itself is part of the Brassica genus. This genus includes many popular foods like cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, arugula, rocket, radishes, and turnips.

Mustard seeds, greens and roots are eaten in many cultures. However, mustard is mostly known in Europe and the United States as a condiment, popular in French cooking and on hot dogs. Mustard condiment is a puree of mustard seeds, and vinegar. Turmeric is added to mustard to give it a bright yellow color.

However, the seeds are more common in Indian cooking. You fry them in searing hot ghee or coconut oil. After a few moments they'll start to pop like popcorn. This toasting of the seeds gives a pleasant crunch and more subtle, more nutty flavor. The aromatic compounds infuse into the oil, imparting a peppery mustard aroma into the whole dish. Be careful not to overcook them though. When burned, mustard seeds turn bitter. The seeds may be sprinkled over foods as a garnish. They add zest to any salad, and can lighten up a bowl of mashed potatoes.

Mustard seeds also appear in other culinary cultures, like Africa. They pop up in surprising places. In the United States you can also find the seeds at the bottom of many pickle jars or mixed into a honey mustard dressing!

Mustard greens may be relatively mild as in arugula, or very sharp, astringent and rough as in radish greens. The root is sharp and tastes like horseradish or wasabi. Maca, an adaptogenic herb of recent fame, is actually the root of a South American mustard family plant.

How to Apply

Mustard seed can be applied in several different ways. Grinding mustard seeds forms mustard flour. This mustard flour can then be mixed with water to make a poultice, or plaster, applied to the skin. Sometimes, mustard flour is mixed with vinegar which further enhances blood flow.

Mustard poultices are used to relieve internal congestion of various organs. It works by drawing the blood to the surface. Applying this poultice externally to the whole chest may help with respiratory problems caused by inflammation. Mustard poultices were traditionally used for pneumonia, bronchitis, and similar conditions

Fomentation is another process for applying mustard seed. A cloth dipped in hot tea made from mustard seed can be rubbed over the affected area of the body.

Be careful and watch out for skin irritation or burning caused by mustard poultices or fomentation. Essential oils from mustard seed may also cause blistering of the skin.
Mustard oil itself is less aggravating than essential oil of the mustard, but more hot and penetrating than frying the seeds in oil, In India, mustard oil is also used for cooking and applied topically as a massage oil. Rubbing mustard oil around an arthritic joint improves blood flow to the area and helps to relieve pain. Kaphas respond best to its use as massage oil. However, the oil is too intense for delicate Vata individuals, and too hot for Pitta's fiery nature.

The FDA banned the sale of mustard oil for cooking because it contains ephedra. Ephedra was heavily marketed in the weight loss industry and for its stimulating qualities. Its overuse led to health problems and death. However, Asian stores still sell it with a label marked, "Not for human consumption."

There are many other ways of using mustard seed. You can make a tea of crushed seeds, or a footbath. As a footbath, Mustard seed can be used as a counter-irritant to treat certain types of headaches. Hot-type headaches are caused by excess blood in your scalp. If you have this type of headache, you can use a foot bath to draw blood downward from the head. The counter irritation pulls blood away from the original irritation. Taken internally, mustard seed can help reduce a cold-type headache. Those with high Pitta need to be careful, however, because mustard seed taken internally may exacerbate heat-related headaches.

Improves circulation, Gets Blood Moving, heats up the blood (Rakta)

The spiciness and aromatic quality of mustard seeds dilates your blood vessels and gets your blood moving. This increased circulation explains mustard's use in weight loss: it leads to stronger digestion and faster metabolism. This is especially helpful for Kapha individuals who tend to have stagnant blood and sluggish digestion.

The warming effect and dispersing quality of mustard seeds improves lymphatic circulation. The improved lymphatic movement can reduce swelling, edema, and puffiness. For this intense lymph-stimulating effect massage your body with mustard oil or rub your body with mustard powder (as in an ubtan).

Mustard seed is one of the best herbs for treating enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly). As it improves circulation to the scalp, mustard seed can improve hair growth.

Watch out for excess heat in the blood if you already have high Pitta. Mustard seed could have a few harmful effects in people with high Pitta, such as increasing inflammation and harming the eyes. The increased blood flow can also exhaust the liver. Mustards heat and intensity is known to aggravate bleeding disorders and vitiate the blood (raktagami, rakta dhatu vrddhi/dushti)..

Digestion & Elimination

The pungency and aromatic compounds in mustard seeds increase the amount of enzymes secreted in the GI. This is due to improved circulation of blood to the gut. Vata individuals can sprinkle mustard seeds on food to warm digestion (low agni / vishama agni). Kaphas can use mustard seed to stimulate and invigorate sluggish heavy digestion (manda agni). One student noted, "I felt a warming sensation in my mid abdomen."

The acrid quality (bitter and heat) can cause nausea. One tablespoon of mustard powder can bring you to vomit. Vomiting therapy (Vamana) can be helpful in some situations, as it clears toxins from the body. It is part of the five therapies of panchakarma, which is a cleansing and rejuvenating program used in Ayurveda. However, Vamana should only be done under the guidance of a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.

You'll want to avoid mustard seeds if you experience any inflammation (gastritis) in the GI tract. One student mentioned, "I noticed an irritating burning in the upper part of my stomach (epigastrium), like the feeling when I had an ulcer, but shorter lived."

Stools become more regular and generally softer when using mustard seed. Their spiciness can help Vata or Kapha constipation. Cold Vata types with irregular digestion experienced less gas and better formed stools. However, mustard seed can irritate the bowels of hot Pitta types, causing much looser stool. Mustard seeds are a carminative, which relaxes intestinal walls allowing release of gas.

1-2 ounces of mustard powder was once a fashionable laxative for older people. But you should use caution with taking larger quantities. Too much of the powder in the intestines can cause inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Elimination can leave a burning sensation.

Ground mustard seeds are used in cleansing enema decoctions (Asthapana basti) and can help with intestinal worms as well. However, use in small amounts only as in excess the pungency will lead to urgent evacuation of the bowels. As pungency disperses blood, mustard seed can be useful for hemorrhoids and fistulas.