Herbal Medicinal Plant – Aegle Marmalos
Aegle Marmalos is generally known as Bael, Bengal quince, wood apple, golden apple, stone apple, bili. This is a tree species native to India and present throughout Southeast Asia. Hindus consider this tree as sacred and its fruits are used for medicine and as food.
Plant Family – Rutaceae
Botanical Name – Aegle Marmalos
Sanskrit – Bilv
English – Bael
Hindi – Bel or Sirphal
Malayalam/Tamil – Koo-valam/Vilvam
Kannada – Bilva
About the Plant
The Bael tree is considered sacred by Hindus and so you can find these trees grown in and around temples. The leaves of this tree are offered to Lord Shiva. This tree usually grows on hills and plains of dry forests. Bael is a medium sized tree growing 50-60 feet in height. This tree is a slender, aromatic and a gum bearing tree with branches having spines and leaves are trifoliate.
Medicinal Properties
The Bael’s fruits and leaves contain an evaporating oil, which is considered very good for human body. The leaves tend to absorb harmful or foul gases from the atmosphere and keep it clean and healthy. The raw Bael fruit produces heat and has purgative effect. It is consumed for the treatment of arthritis and gout. On the other hand, ripe fruit has cooling effect and can cause constipation. It is usually consumed in summer to cool body.
Uses of Bael
- Bael fruit helps to cure diabetes.
- Take 5 gm of bael leaves and grind them well. Add 1 teaspoon honey and take it every morning and evening for relief from asthma.
- Extract the pulp of Bael fruit and dry it. Grind it well to form a fine powder. Take 1 teaspoon of this powder and add it to 1 glass boiled cow’s milk. Add some sugar candy and mix it well. Drink this milk twice a day in the morning and evening for some duration to cure anemia.
- Extract the pulp of raw bael fruit and dry it. Grind it well to form a fine powder. Take 10 gm of this powder, 50 gm of pure ghee and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder. Mix it well in 1 glass warm water and take it twice a day to cure fractures.
- Take equal quantity of fruit pulp, leaves, rind, and root. Grind them well and extract its juice. Add 10 gm honey to it and drink it for healing wounds.
- Take some fruit pulp mixed with hot mustard oil. Apply to swollen joints twice a day in morning and evening for good relief.
- Take leaves every morning or drink juice of Bael leaves for controlling high blood pressure.
- Extract the juice of 100 soft Bael leaves. Mix this juice with powder of 10 black pepper. Take this every morning and evening for faster relief from jaundice. Along with this try to drink 5 glasses of sugarcane juice daily after meals.
- Eat dried pulp of raw bael to quickly stop loose motion.
- Take 1 teaspoon raw fruit pulp twice a day to stop vomiting and nausea in pregnancy.
- Take 200 bael leaves and grind them well. Add it to 1 cup boiling water till it becomes thick. Add a little honey and eat this paste twice or thrice a day for quicker recovery from typhoid.
- Take ripe bael fruit with fresh cream or butter and sugar candy powder to have good concentration power and increase intelligence.
- The gum from seeds is used as household glue and adhesive by jewelers. If mixed with lime, it is used for waterproofing walls and when mixed with cement, it is used for waterproofing walls.
- The wood of this tree is used for preparing tools, knife handles, pestles, combs, carvings, etc.
- Bael oil is effective against 21 species of bacteria.
- Bael leaves are used for treating dyspepsia and sinusitis.
- The unripe fruit helps in relieving infestations of intestinal worms and rotavirus.
- The unripe and half ripe fruits help in improving appetite and digestion.
- The roots and bark of the tree are used for treating fever and malaria.
- The root, bark and leaves are used in the treatment of snake bites.
- The essential oil acts as a natural food preservative as it has anti fungal properties.
Precautions
- Eating ripe fruit can cause constipation, hence pregnant women and others having trouble with bowel movements should avoid eating it.