Teak: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Most people know teak as the honey-coloured timber of fine furniture and ship decks. Fewer know that the same tree has a place in the classical Ayurvedic pharmacy, where its bark, wood, flowers and heartwood oil each have a job.

Teak, or Indian Teak (Tectona grandis Linn.), is known in Sanskrit as (Shaka) and in Hindi as Sagon or Sagwan. It grows extensively in Central and Western India and is one of the most valuable timber trees in the world. Its heartwood is extremely durable and resists termites.

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu, the medieval herbal glossary attached to the Bhavaprakasha, describes it in Varga 5. There the bark is called astringent and is used for headache, stomach problems and bilious fevers, while the wood is valued for worms, skin disease and poisoning. Its taste is bitter and astringent, and it is cooling in potency.

The classical record for Teak is short, but specific. Its bitter (Tikta) and astringent (Kashaya) taste, light (Laghu) and dry (Ruksha) qualities, and cooling potency (Sheeta Virya) point to a herb that dries, tightens and clears heat.

Worms and Intestinal Parasites

Teak is listed as anthelmintic (Krimighna, literally "destroyer of worms"). A decoction of the wood shavings is the classical preparation for worm infestation. See parasites and worms for the wider Ayurvedic picture.

Skin Disorders

Teak is also (Kusthaghna), a herb that counters skin disease. The oil from the heartwood is the form used for skin disorders. Bitter, astringent and cooling herbs are the classic choice for skin complaints driven by heat and dampness.

Digestion, Headache and Fever

The astringent bark is used for headache, stomach problems and bilious fevers, meaning fevers with a strong Pitta (heat) component. A cooling, bitter herb fits that pattern.

Poisoning

Teak is called (Vishaghna), anti-toxic. The sawdust is traditionally used as an antidote for poisoning. This is a historical use; poisoning is an emergency that needs modern medical care.

Urinary Support

The flowers are described as diuretic, increasing the flow of urine.

On the chemistry side, the bark contains about 10 to 12 percent tannins, which fits its astringent taste, along with tectoquinone, tectol, lapachol and an essential oil.

Teak is not a kitchen herb or an everyday supplement. The classical texts describe a few specific preparations, each tied to a particular part of the tree. Use it under the guidance of a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, who can source correctly identified material.

A decoction (Kashaya) is made by simmering the coarse plant material in water until it reduces, then straining it. The classical dose given in our sources applies only to the bark decoction. No dose is recorded for the wood decoction or the flowers, so do not improvise one.

Our sources do not record a preferred vehicle (Anupana) or seasonal guidance for Teak.

Our sources record no specific contraindications, drug interactions or overdose signs for Teak. That is an absence of data, not proof of safety, so treat it as a practitioner-guided herb rather than something to experiment with.

A few points follow from what is known:

• Drying nature. Teak is light, dry, bitter and astringent. In Ayurvedic terms these qualities tend to aggravate Vata, the dosha of dryness and movement, so people with dry skin, constipation or a strong Vata constitution may find it too drying.
• Tannins. The bark holds about 10 to 12 percent tannins, which explains its strongly astringent action.
• Poisoning is an emergency. The traditional use of teak sawdust as an antidote is historical. Anyone who may have been poisoned needs emergency medical care, not a home remedy.
• Timber is not medicine. Sawdust and wood from treated or finished timber can carry varnish, preservatives or other chemicals. Never use workshop material medicinally.

If you are pregnant, nursing, giving it to a child, or taking prescription medication, talk to your doctor and a qualified practitioner first.

Teak is rarely compared with other herbs online, so the useful comparisons are with herbs that share its classical jobs: clearing worms and treating skin disease.

Both comparisons are based on classical properties and uses only. Choosing between them is a job for a practitioner who has assessed you.

Our sources do not give any population-specific guidance for Teak. With so little safety data, the cautious approach is the right one.

Pregnancy & Nursing

No safety data is recorded for pregnancy or breastfeeding. Avoid internal use unless a qualified practitioner and your doctor both advise it.

Children

No paediatric dose is recorded. Worms are common in children, but an untested bark or wood decoction is not the place to start. See a doctor or practitioner for a diagnosis and a well-established treatment.

Elderly

Teak is light, dry and astringent, qualities that tend to raise Vata, which Ayurveda already considers dominant in later life. Older people with dryness or constipation may find it too drying.

Athletes

Teak has no recorded tonic or strength-building use, so it offers no particular benefit for athletic training.