Essential Facts about Malabar Nut Tree Leaf
Names
- Botanical: Justica adhatoda, adhatoda vasica
- Sanskrit: Vasa, vasaka
- Hindi: Adusa, arusa
- English: Malabar nut tree
Energetics
- Rasa (taste): Bitter, astringent
- Guna (qualities): Light, dry
- Virya (action/potency): Cold
- Vipaka (post-digestive): Pungent
- Dosha (constitution): Balances Kapha and Pitta
Habitat
Malabar nut tree is very common in India and also grows throughout Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and China.
Description
Malabar nut tree is a tall, evergreen shrub with long, lance-shaped leaves, white flowers, and yellow bark.
Parts Used
The whole plant can be used, but the leaves are used more often.
Nutrients
The leaves are rich in antioxidants as well as alkaloid compounds (vasicine).
Medicinal Uses of Malabar Nut Tree Leaf
Malabar nut tree leaf is often incorporated into Ayurvedic formulas due to its natural healing properties.
What exactly does it do? Why is it considered so useful? Below is a list of some of the major medicinal uses of the Malabar nut tree leaf.
Treating Respiratory Infections
The malabar nut has natural antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. That’s why it’s long been used to treat such conditions as respiratory infections. In fact, many Ayurvedic remedies for such conditions feature the malabar nut as their primary ingredient. Along with respiratory infections, the ingredient is also used to treat coughs and asthma.
Reducing Fever
The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of the malabar nut also make it useful when a person has a fever. Although it’s important to address the direct cause of the fever, there are instances when this ingredient can help alleviate symptoms.
Improve Drinking Water
There’s also evidence to suggest that the antibacterial properties of the malabar nut can reduce the presence of bacteria in drinking water. Thus, if you want to make your water even more healthful and safe, you may want to consider adding this ingredient to it. You can do so by making the leaves into a paste with a mortar and pestle and adding to water.
Reducing Indigestion
Removing bacteria isn’t the only reason to add the paste from malabar nut leaves to your water. Doing so has also been known to help with indigestion. It’s a safe, often effective way to address an uncomfortable but common problem. For even stronger results, you might want to add some ginger to your water as well. The combination of these ingredients can significantly reduce your symptoms.
Healing Bleeding
Studies have revealed that the malabar nut is very effective at promoting the healing of wounds in calves and bleeding. The juice from the leaves can help with peptic ulcers and hemmoroids, while a paste made from the leaves can be applied directly to bleeding gums to heal them.
These are just a few of the medicinal uses for Malabar nut tree leaf and some of the reasons why this powerful ingredient is included in many Ayurvedic remedies, including Chyawanprash.
Usage and Dosage of Malabar Nut Tree Leaf
The recommended dosage of Malabar nut tree leaf varies greatly depending on medicinal needs. In general, one can make a fresh juice from the leaves of 5-20 ml or a dry leaf powder of 1-5 gram. It’s best to contact an Ayurvedic practitioner to determine appropriate doses.
Reviewed by Dr. Jayant Lokhande, MD (Botanical Drugs), MBA (Biotechnology)
