Of all the juicy fruits flooding the market in summers, bel is perhaps the richest in medicinal properties. The fruit is full of pulp and seeds and weighs up to two kgs. But the numbers of this beneficial tree are declining fast. Every part of the tree, from the bark, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits to the seeds are used to treat different ailments by Ayurvedic doctors.The English called the bel golden apple, wood apple and Bengal quince. Ancient Sanskrit texts refer to it as Vilva and the fruit of prosperity. Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, is said to reside in the Vilva.
Bel is a storehouse of nutrition. A fully ripened bel contains 60 per cent moisture, 0.7 per cent protein, 0.7 per cent fat, 16.2 per cent carbohydrate and 9-20 per cent tannin. It has vitamin C and a small amount of vitamin b-complex, calcium, phosphorous and iron.
Old medical texts mention not only the uses of the fruit but also describe medicines prepared from its roots, tender leaves and flowers. In Ayurveda bel is termed tridosh har- remedy for three disturbances- bile, wind, phlegm.
The raw and ripe fruit have different properties. The former is bitter and pungent, its attributes are light and its potency hot. On the other hand, the mature fruit is sweet, heavy in its attribute and its potency is soothing. The raw fruit is recommended for persons suffering from gout or arthritis since it generates heat in the body. The ripe fruit on the other hand is cooling and a sharbat made from its pulp has a cooling effect. The half-ripe fruit is effective in diarrhoea and dysentery. On the other hand, the effect of the mature or ripe fruit on the digestive system is absolutely different.
Bel is a traditional summer tonic - a soother for disturbed tummies and a cooling pick-me-up that improves sluggish appetite. The ripe fruit is cooling and sharbat made from its pulp wards off heat stroke and other fiery afflictions.The fruit is high in tannin, an astringent which was commonly added to the water used to wash burns and abrasions. Bel leaves too being rich in tannin, prove effective in ulcers. The leaves are soaked overnight in water and this water is taken in the morning. It helps to form a coating on the stomach's internal lining and helps in healing ulcers.Diluted bel pulp with turmeric, sandalwood powder and mustard powder mixed into a paste acts as cleanser and skin toner. This paste is also good for sluggish skin. Apply the paste on the body and leave it for half an hour before a bath. This will help open the pores.Bel is an effective remedy for spastic colon and chronic constipation. It is used as a laxative. The micro-nutrients of this fruit correct digestive disturbances. About 70 gms of pulp should usually be taken for this purpose. The juice of its leaves when taken with black pepper relieves constipation.Bel leaves have an extraordinary high chlorophyll content. Like neem, bel is a deep breather: it inhales lots of atmospheric gases like monoxide and exhales a lot of pure oxygen.Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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