Herbs for Cooling the Body

14 Sri Lankan medicinal plants traditionally used for this purpose. Open a herb to see its Sinhala, English and botanical names, the parts used, how it is prepared, the research behind it and safety notes.

Use with care: Traditional use does not prove that a herb works or that it is safe for you. Talk to a doctor or a registered Ayurveda practitioner before using herbs to treat a condition, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medicines, or treating a child. Read our disclaimer

Fruits & Seeds

Alu Puhul (Benincasa hispida): The Cooling Ash Gourd of Sri Lankan Homes

(Benincasa hispida)

Alu puhul (Benincasa hispida) is the big, pale gourd dusted with chalky white bloom that is piled up

Fruits & Seeds

Beli (Aegle marmelos): The Sacred Bael Tree for Digestive Health

(Aegle marmelos)

Beli (Aegle marmelos) may be the only medicine in Sri Lanka that works in both directions. The unrip

Flowers

Sapaththu Mal (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis): The Red Shoe Flower for Hair and Tea

(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Almost every Sri Lankan garden fence has a sapaththu mal bush, its big red flowers opening each morn

Roots & Rhizomes

Iramusu (Hemidesmus indicus): Indian Sarsaparilla, the Cooling Root

(Hemidesmus indicus)

Iramusu (Hemidesmus indicus) is known first by its smell. Break a piece of the dried root and it rel

Fruits & Seeds

Thambili (Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca): Sri Lanka's Orange King Coconut

(Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca)

On any hot afternoon along a Sri Lankan road you will see bunches of bright orange thambili hanging

Leaves

Polpala (Aerva lanata): The Traditional Kidney and Urinary Herb

(Aerva lanata)

Polpala (Aerva lanata) is a modest, woolly weed that most people would step over without noticing. I

Bark & Wood

Rath Handun (Pterocarpus santalinus): Red Sandalwood, and Why It Is Smuggled

(Pterocarpus santalinus)

Rath Handun (Pterocarpus santalinus) is ground on a stone into a deep red paste and smoothed onto sk

Flowers

Nelum (Nelumbo nucifera): The Sacred Lotus, From Temple Offering to Pharmacology

(Nelumbo nucifera)

Nelum (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of Sri Lanka and the offering laid before every Budd

Leaves

Mukunuwenna (Alternanthera sessilis): Sri Lanka's Everyday Leafy Green

(Alternanthera sessilis)

Mukunuwenna (Alternanthera sessilis) is the most unassuming plant on this site and one of the most u

Fruits & Seeds

Dummella (Trichosanthes cucumerina): Snake Gourd, the Cooling Vegetable

(Trichosanthes cucumerina)

Dummella (Trichosanthes cucumerina) hangs from village trellises like a bundle of pale green snakes,

Leaves

Walkoththamalli (Scoparia dulcis): Sweet Broomweed and Blood Sugar

(Scoparia dulcis)

Walkoththamalli (Scoparia dulcis) is a weed with a sweet name and a sweet taste — dulcis means sweet

Roots & Rhizomes

Sevendara (Chrysopogon zizanioides): The Cooling Root in the Water Pot

(Chrysopogon zizanioides)

On hot afternoons in many Sri Lankan homes, a small bundle of pale, wiry roots is tied inside the cl

Bark & Wood

Sudu Handun (Santalum album): White Sandalwood, Scarce and Adulterated

(Santalum album)

Sudu Handun (Santalum album) needs no introduction by smell — one whiff of the ground paste explains

Flowers

Kinihiriya (Cochlospermum religiosum): The Buttercup Tree and Katira Gum

(Cochlospermum religiosum)

Kinihiriya (Cochlospermum religiosum) performs an annual act of theatre: it drops every leaf, stands

Other uses

Digestion (42) Coughs and Colds (22) Skin Conditions (22) Blood Sugar and Diabetes (18) Fever (16) Urinary and Kidney Health (16) Joint Pain and Arthritis (13) Wound Healing (12) Sleep and Stress (9) Immunity (8) Diarrhoea (8) Oral and Dental Health (8) Constipation (7) Cholesterol and Heart Health (7) Hair Care (7) Liver Health (6) Asthma and Breathing (5) Women's Health (4) Inflammation and Swelling (4) Memory and Brain Health (4) Eye Health (4) Weight Management (3) Piles (Haemorrhoids) (3) Intestinal Worms (3)