Fruits and its uses

A great deal of scientists agree that raw fruits
and cooked vegetables are the only right nutrition for human
beings. Apart from the nutritional aspects of some commonly
available fruits they also possess medicinal values that are highly
beneficial and a boon to human being from time inbeing..

They act as quick and efficient remedies and the most easily
available food Each and every fruit is known for its own medicinal
properties it possess which acts as time being remedies.

Here are the lists of some of the most commonly available
fruits which has got medicinal properties described as by Siddha
system of medicine in curing diseases in common.

ANANAS COMOSUS
English Name : Pine apple
Family Name : Bromeliaceae
Chemical constituents : Bromelin
Action : Styptic, Emmenagogue, Anthelmintic, Vermicide, Diaphoretic, Aperient
Uses :

• It is useful in vomiting,gastralgia,jaundice and other pitha disorders.

• It’s juice is processed into syrup and it helps
  in vomiting, excessive thirst, leucorrhoea
  and other pitha disorders.

NOTE :
Excessive intake of fruits causes uterine contractions. Hence
it ought to be avoided by pregnant women.


PRUNUS DOMESTICA
English Name : Common plum
Family Name : Rosaceae
Chemical constituent : Amygdalin, emulsin, and a little of malicAcid
Action : Coolant, Laxative, Emollient
Uses :

• It is used in curing indigestion, constipation,
  headache, fever, thirst, itching and scabies.

• Excessive intake of fruits has laxative action
  and also expels out the excessive bile stored
  in the body.

• 1 part of fruit mixed with 8 parts of water
  and with some sugar addes to it are heated
  and prepared as a decoction and this when
  given internally has laxative action.

CITRUS LIMONUM
English Name : Lime, Lemon
Family Name : Rutaceae
Chemical constituent : Geraniol, 1-linalool,Citral and Hesperidin Glucosides.
Action : Refrigerant, Pithasamani, Antiscorbutic, Rind of fruit – Stomachic, Carminative
Uses :

• It is used in curing giddiness, vomiting, nausea, thirst, scurvy and in febrile and inflammatory conditions.

• Externally it is useful in whitlow.


• The juice of the fruit with sugar cures excessive thirst.

• It is processed into various forms and when intaken for 6 months helps in curing ascites,lethargy, epression, and also helps in removing grey hair. Thus it acts as an ELIXIT.


• Coral prepared as white calx is given with
  the adjuvant of lime juice helps in curing
  chronic and excessive diarrhoea and
  dysentery.


• On productive vomiting, Cuminum
  cyminum seeds are fried in honey until its
  colour changes to golden brown and
  thereafter it is mixed with lime juice and
  water and prepared as decoction are given.

CITRUS AURANTIUM
English Name : Sour orange, bitter orange
Family Name : Rutaceae
Chemical constituent : d-linalool and glucoside hesperidin
Action : Refrigerant, Stomachic, Tonic
Uses :

• It is a blood purifier.


• It brings taste to the tongue.

• It reduces secretion of excessive bile and
  improves digestion and health.

• It also helps in curing cough, diabetes
  mellitus, chest pain, liver disorder.

• It is useful in atonic dyspepsia and general
  debility.

PSIDIUM GUYAVA
English Name : Guava tree
Family Name : Myrtaceae
Chemical constituent : Eugenol, essential oil, and minerals
Action : Laxative
Uses :

• It is employed in giddiness, dyspepsia,
  anorexia, gastric tympanitis and vomiting.

• Unripe fruit is recommended for diarrhoea
  and also for gout.

ANNONA SQUAMOSA
English Name : Custard apple, Sugar apple
Family Name : Annonaceae
Chemical constituent : Seeds has an acrid principle
Action : Coolant, Tonic, Haematinic
Uses :

• It is prepared as syrup and it helps to reduce
  heat in the body.


• The ripe fruit is medicinally considered as a
  maturant, and when bruised and mixed with
  salt is applied to malignant tumours to
  hasten suppuration.

EUGENIA JAMBOLANA
English Name : Jambul
Family Name : Myrtaceae
Chemical constituent : Jamboline, a pale yellow essential oil,
ellagic acid
Action : Stomachic, Diuretic, Tonic, Haematinic
Uses :

• It is a haematinic and semen promoting.


• It reduces excessive heat of the body

• The juice of the fruit is kept in a bottle for
  about 1 month and when given internally
  cures excessive thirst in diabetes mellitus.

• The juice of the fruit is prepared as syrup
  and is an efficient astringent in chronic
  diarrhoea and also improves appetite.

PHYLLANTHUS EMBELICA
English Name : Indian gooseberry, Emblic myrobalan
Family Name : Euphorbiaceae
Chemical constituent : Essential oil, Emblic acid, Phyllanthin
Action : Refrigerant, Diuretic, Laxative, Nutritive tonic.
Uses :

• It is an ELIXIT.


• It cures anorexia

• The decoction of the fruit is beneficial for
  nausea, vomiting, and excessive heat of the
  body.

• It is prepared as an ilagam ( preparation
  made of ghee, honey, cow’s milk and sugar)
  and is an remarkable pitha-samani (reduces
  bile secretion) and is therefore efficient in
  vomiting, jaundice, anaemia, gastric ulcer,
  generalised odema, leucorrhoea, cough,

burning sensation of the body and dysentery.

• Also it is combined with other drugs and
  prepared as oil and when used as a hair oil
  cures 96 types of eye diseases , leucorrhoea,
  peripheral neuritis, burning sensation of
  whole body and other pitha disorders.

CARICA PAPAYA
English Name : Papaw or Papaya tree
Family Name : Caricaceae
Chemical constituent : Papain or Papayotin, Papayic acid, Carpaine
and Carposide
Action : Laxative, Digestive, Diuretic, Anthelmintic,
Emmenagogue, Alterative
Uses :

• It is most useful in intestinal irritations and
  gastralgia.


• The dried fruit reduces enlarged liver and
  spleen.

• The unripe fruit mixed with honey acts as an
  anthelmintic for round worms.

GARCINIA MANGOSTANA
English Name : Mangosteen
Family Name : Guttiferae
Chemical constituent : Mangosim, Mangostin
Action : Astringent, Febrifuge
Uses :

• The juice of the fruit is prepared as syrup
  and it acts as an astringent in chronic
  diarrhoea.

• It’s fruit, Piper cubeba , Borax and Acacia
  arabica stem bark are taken each 260 mg and
  are powdered and mixed with milk and
  when intaken cures leucorrhoea.

MANGIFERA INDICA
English Name : Mango tree, Spring tree.
Family Name : Anacardiaceae
Chemical constituent : Gallic acid
Action : Laxative, Diuretic, Tonic, Anthelmintic
Uses:

• It vitalizes the body and give nourishment
  to it.


• It promotes semen secretion.


• It improves vision in eyes and it is said to
  be useful in ophthalmia and eruptions.

• The rind of the fruit is an astringent and is
  also a stimulant tonic in debility of the
  stomach.


• Ripe fruit is a laxative and is used for
  habitual constipation.

PUNICA GRANATUM
English Name : Pomegranate
Family Name : Punicaceae
Chemical Constituent : Protein, Minerals like Ca, Mg, P, Fe,
Na, K, Cu, S, Cl, and Vitamins like
Carotene, Thiamine, Riboflavin,
Nicotinic acid, Vit C ,Pectin. Fruit Rind
has Ursolic acid.
Action : Coolant
Uses :

• It’s fruit is prepared as manpaagu(syrup) and
  it helps in curing fever, thirst, and excessive
  heat in the body.


• The decoction of fruit rind along with other
  astringent drugs helps in curing dysentery.


• The sweet types of pomegranate are said to
  be mildly laxative, while the less sweet
  types are believed to be good in
  inflammation of stomach and in heart pain.

• The powder of the fruit rind along with
  Commiphora myrrha –17 gm and prepared
  chalk – 34 gm cures tooth ache.

MUSA PARADISICA
English Name : Plantain or Banana
Family Name : Scitaminaceae
Chemical Constituent : Vitamin A, Tannin and minerals like Ca,
Mg, P ,S, Fe, and Cu.
Action : Ripe Fruit – Demulcent, Laxative, Nutritive, Emollient
Unripe Fruit – Astringent
Uses in Siddha :

• It helps in curing pitha disorders, jaundice,
  gastritis, and excessive heat in the body.


• It also helps in dyspepsia with flatulence and
  acidity.


• It is also beneficial for anaemic persons on
  account of iron contained in it.

AEGLE MARMELOS
English Name : Bael Tree, Holy Fruit Tree
Family Name : Rutaceae
Chemical Constituent : Mucilage, pectin, sugar, tannin(tannic
acid), volatile oil, and bitter principle
Action : Astringent, Laxative, Stomachic
Uses in Siddha :

• Its fruit is prepared as oil and when taken
  bath cures burning sensation of eyes,
  headache, excessive heat in the body and
  neurological disorders.


• The rind of the fruit is put in a vessel
  containing water and it is stirred out for 3
  hours , thereafter it is filtered and the filtrate
  is separated and again the same process for 4
  or 5 times and the filtrate collected are
  heated till it reaches waxy consistency.
  2-4 gm of this when given 2 or 3 times
  cures chillness and rigor due to tuberculosis,
  and arrests diarrhoea, dysentery and
  dysfunctional uterine bleeding.


• The rind of fruit is prepared as syrup and
  80-170 mg of this when given twice or
  thrice a day arrests diarrhoea and
  strengthens the intestines.


• The fruit rind is made dried and prepared
  as powder and 2-4 mg of this powder
  arrests diaaahoea.