Costus is a medicinal plant that grows in the high valleys of Kashmir and the Himalayas. It’s a remedy which I recommend you always have at home as part of your natural medicine cabinet.

There are two types of Costus Root. Both come in the form of a dried root and both provide amazing medicinal benefits:

• Qist al-Bahri (قسط البحري), which is lighter in color and more mild.
• Qist al-Hindi (قسط الهندي), which is darker in color and has a stronger flavor.

The Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وسلم taught us (see hadeeth text below) that Costus is a cure for:

• Sore throat and tonsillitis
• Headache
• Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane that wraps around the lungs)

My research into Costus root has shown that it does a lot more alhamdulillah! 

Costus Root in the Scientific Literature

This recent scientific review of Costus showed that it:

• Decreases blood sugar
• Fights cancer
• Fights bacterial and fungal infections
• Lowers inflammation
• Has antioxidant activity
• Protects the liver
• Contains adaptogenic activity (helps the body deal with stress)

Other studies have shown that Costus root:

• Reduces pain and fever and has anti-inflammatory effects. (source)
• Improves symptoms of ulcerative colitis (source) 
• Also has activity against worm (nematode) infections. Some research shows (see here and here) that costus root reduces the number of worm eggs in the feces about as effectively as treatment with a standard medication called pyrantel pamoate.
• This study showed that patients with throat infections who took Costus root had remission rates similar to that associated with the use of antibiotics.
• Costus has also been used for asthma and cough.

How to Take Costus Root

• For painful joints: Make into a paste by mixing Costus powder with olive oil until smooth. Then this paste can be massaged into areas of pain in the evening before bed. 
• For unwanted skin spots, skin discolouration, scars, and burns: Mix Costus powder in equal parts with raw honey and add a very small amount of clean water to make a paste. Apply to the area once per day, for 20-30 minutes, and then wash off.
• For tonsillitis, runny nose, colds and flu: Costus should be ground to a powder and gently snuffed in the nose. You should be lying down with your head and shoulders slightly raised and your head tilted back.You can also inhale it by mixing with olive oil and putting droplets of it in the nostrils.
• For chest infections, asthma, and pleurisy: Mix a teaspoon of Costus with raw honey and smear on the inside of the right cheek, three times a day.
• For digestive problems, IBS, Crohn’s or intestinal parasites: Crush it into a powder (I use a cheap coffee grinder) and mix a teaspoon of Costus with raw honey, water or other liquids. Drink this twice a day.

NOTE: There are cases of tonsillitis and chest infection, especially in children, which need to be treated with antibiotics. Natural remedies may not be enough in these cases.  Read here about when to see a doctor if your child has sore throat, and read here about when to worry about fevers. When in doubt, always see your doctor first to rule out anything serious before resorting to natural remedies alone.

My personal experience with Costus

Last week I was suffering from an annoying and persistent cough due to a virus which was going around the house. I took Costus root just two times and noticed that my cough was almost completely gone the next morning alhamdulillah! InshAllah I’ll be trying it next time my children have a cough or sore throat. 

Where to Buy Costus Root

Here in Saudi, you can easily find Costus root at your local herbal shop. You can do a quick Google Maps search to find the store nearest you:

• Bin Menqash (بن منقاش)
• Spirit of Nature (عطارة روح)
• عطارة الكيف المميز
• عطارة الفايز

Costus Root in the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him)

Qays bint Mihsan said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah – صلى الله عليه وسلم – say:

“It is upon you to use ‘Al ‘Uood al Hindee’ [i.e. Qist/Costus], for indeed it contains seven cures; it is inhaled through the nostrils to relive throat aches/tonsillitis and placed in the sides of the mouth for the relief of Dhaat al Janb (pleurisy)” [Collected by Bukhaaree and Muslim.]

In another narration:

“I approached the Prophet – صلى الله عليه وسلم – with a son of mine while pressing his tonsils due to tonsillitis, so he said: “You should use al Qist al Hindee.” [Collected by Bukharee and Muslim.]

Al Imaam Ahmad and the authors of the Sunnan collected a Hadeeth on the authority of Jaabir that the Messenger of Allaah – صلى الله عليه وسلم – said:

“If a child is inflicted with tonsillitis or a headache, then let his mother take al Qist al Hindee, scrub it with water and let him inhale it as droplets through his nostrils.”

In a Hadeeth narrated by Anas he صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“The best thing to cure yourselves with is Hijaamah and al Qist al Bahree.”

Precautions

• Using Costus Root in large amounts may cause nausea and headaches. You should only use Costus up to three times a day.
• Pregnant and nursing women should avoid Costus root.
• People who have allergies to ragweed and daisies should also take extra caution when using costus root.

Note: This information should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. 

Have you ever used Costus Root? What was your experience? Please share in the comments below!