Health Benefits of Haritaki And Its Side Effects
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Haritaki is also known as 'the king of medicines' and serves remarkable health benefits such as; it prevents hair loss and removes dandruff, helpful in constipation, prevent cough and cold, removes acne and ulcers, boost immunity, prevent diabetes, helps in weight loss, fight with skin allergies, improves heart conditions.
Haritaki
Haritaki is a drupe-like fruit, oval in shape with size varying between 2 – 4.5 cm in length and 1.2 – 2.5 cm in breadth having 5 longitudinal ridges. Depending upon its variety, it turns green – blackish in color when ripens. Haritaki fruit tastes sweet, sour, bitter depending upon its types. There are 7 types of Haritaki: Vijaya, Rohini, Putane, Amruta, Abhaya, Jivanti, Chetak.
Interesting facts: Haritaki is an ayurvedic herb derived from the seeds of Terminalia Chebula tree and offers lots of health benefits.
Nutritional Value of Haritaki
Haritaki consists of ingredients which are recognized to have healing properties including anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic and anti-oxidant properties. Haritaki is very nutritious containing essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins. It is a source of vitamin C, manganese, selenian, potassium, iron and copper. It also contains plant chemicals like – tannic acid, gallic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and behenic acid.
Health Benefits of Haritaki
Haritaki Powder Benefits for Hair
Haritaki powder proves to be very useful for hair loss in the form of Haritaki herbal oil, which can be prepared by heating a cup of coconut oil in a pan with 3 pods of Haritaki till it turns brown and the outer shell cracks and allowed to cool. Haritaki oil also prevents Dandruff and lice infections.
Haritaki Helps In Acne and Ulcer
Haritaki powder has antibacterial properties that make it very effective for treating acne and ulcers. Take haritaki powder and boiled water, make a paste and apply it on acne and ulcer spotted skin.
Haritaki Helpful in constipation
Haritaki beneficial in digestion, it is a natural laxative and contains dietary fibers, which fights constipation. During constipation, one should take haritaki in the form of powder with water. To prepare a Haritaki powder, take haritaki fruit, remove the seed and sundry the pill, then take the peel and grind it.
Haritaki Fight Skin Allergies
Haritaki powder is very useful in skincare. It fights with skin allergy. The haritaki paste is the best remedy for such problems. This haritaki powder paste is light green in color and can be made by taking a haritaki fruit and rubbing it on sandal stone with a little amount of boiled water. Take the paste and apply it on the infected skin.
Haritaki Prevents Cough and Cold
Haritaki provides protection from cough and cold. To cure cough and cold, one should take haritaki powder along with honey. It also cures a sore throat and gingivitis.
Haritaki Powder to Cure Diabetes
Haritaki helps in controlling blood sugar levels and decreases insulin sensitivity in the body.
Haritaki Benefits for Weight Loss
Haritaki powder helps in removing the toxins from the body and keeps digestive system on track. Haritaki is a natural blood purifier. Haritaki if taken in form of powder regulates hunger, and if combined with balanced diet and exercises leads to weight loss.
Boost immunity
If ghee fried Haritaki powder is taken regularly, then it acts as an immunity booster and increases longevity.
Improves heart condition
As the purity of the blood increases, the heart muscles grow stronger. Haritaki helps in cleaning blood which effect of stopping the build-up of fat in the artery, especially the coronary artery. When these effects take place, they lead to a reduction in blood pressure, a strong heart, and clear arteries.
Uses of Haritaki Powder
Apart from haritaki medicinal uses, Haritaki has spiritual benefits, such as third eye awakening. It has a unique property of maintaining the balance of three doshas i.e. The air (Vata), the fire (Pitta), the water(Kapha).
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Haritaki Allergies and Side Effects
Cultivation of Haritaki
Haritaki are indigenous to Southern Asia. Their distribution ranges from India and Nepal in the North to southwestern China in the east and Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Malaysia in South.
Haritaki trees are grown from seeds. The seeds are sown during Spring in clay and sandy soils. They are best grown in full sunlight and ample amounts of water. These trees cannot tolerate cold temperature below 16°C. Their fruits are harvested while they are green.
References
- Rao NK, Nammi S. Antidiabetic and renoprotective effects of the chloroform extract of Terminalia chebula Retz. seeds in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. BMC complementary and alternative medicine. 2006 Dec;6(1):17. [Cited 26 June 2019]. Available from:
- Gupta PC. Biological and pharmacological properties of Terminalia chebula Retz.(Haritaki)-An overview. Int J pharm pharm Sci. 2012;4(Suppl 3):62-8. [Cited 26 June 2019]. Available from:
- Upadhyay A, Agrahari P, Singh DK. A review on the pharmacological aspects of Terminalia chebula. Int. J. Pharmacol. 2014 Aug 15;10(6):289-98. [Cited 26 June 2019]. Available from:
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