Tragacanth is an amazing herb often used to treat dreadful ailments like heat strokes, constipation or tumor.
In Ayurveda, it is called as Gond Katira. Herbal practitioners use it for a variety of health issues.
In addition to this, it finds its applications in the cooking industry, textile industry, and paper manufacturing.
Here are the various health benefits and uses of Tragacanth gum.
Table of Contents
What Is Gond Katira?
Tragacanth gum or Gond katira comes from a shrub which is mostly found in Mid East, Iraq, and Iran and even in western Asia. Iran produces an enormous quantity of Gond Katira.1
It comes from some Astragalus species, but the species which produces the best quality gum is Astragalus Gummifer which is also its botanical name. The plant is a member of abaca which is originally a pea family.
The gum from the plant is obtained naturally from the roots as well as from incisions made in the stem(below ground level down to 5 cm). This is collected and then dried to forms crystals of flakes. They may be formed into blocks as well.
Tragacanth gum is often used in the food industry as an additive with E number as ‘E 413’.
Additionally, Tragacanth gum has a very wide area of applications, it can be utilized as a thickening agent as well as a binder and even stabilizer and in industries like paper making, cosmetics, textile industry.
Health Benefits Of Gond Katira
Now, let’s move onto the prime health benefits of Tragacanth gum or gond katira.
1. Prevent Heat Strokes
Tragacanth gum powder has excellent cooling properties. It cools up your body and prevents increasing the body heat. You should use this, especially in summers to prevent heatstrokes from the scorching sun.
In summer season kids who suffer from the frequent nose, bleeding can also take gond katira powder to get relief from it.
2. Can Aid In Constipation
Gond Katira has laxative properties i.e. it can stimulate the evaluation of bowel movement. It softens the stool and brings about easy elimination.
If you suffer from frequent constipation try taking gum tragacanth powder daily before going to bed.
3. Cure Weakness In Men
It acts as an effective remedy for weakness and any sexual inadequacy in men. The nutrients and compounds present in it work to aid in the reproductive health of men and provide a rush of energy.
It is used extensively used in Ayurveda to increase the vigor in men. In addition to this, its long-term use can cure other sexual issues like erectile dysfunctioning, low semen count, and other sexual issues in men.
4. Small Breasts
Tragacanth gum is beneficial for women who want to increase their breast size as it does by daily dosage. It works as an effective breast enhancer. A daily dosage gum tragacanth can help women to get firm large size breasts. It does by balancing the hormonal levels.
However, for excellent results, you have to use it for a pretty long time.
5.Pregnant Women
Gum tragacanth nutritional value is high. This is why it can be given to pregnant women who require lots of nutrition to maintain their and their baby’s health.
Generally speaking, Ladoos made of Gond Katira prove instrumental during pregnancy stage.
6. Urinary Lewdness
It has fantastic results in Urinary incontinence or involuntary urination. It works by calming the urinary muscles, reducing the inflammation in the urinary tract, and treating any blockage in urine.
Additionally, it also strengthens the immune system which is the other way of curing urinary lewdness.
7. Can Cure Diarrhea
Tragacanth herb is a very effective cure for treating diarrhea. It does so by killing the bacteria’s that cause diarrhea and thereby providing relief from the condition.
Moreover, it also provides the depleted sodium and other nutrients in the body that have reduced during the condition.
7. Tumor
Gond Katira can suppress the growth of tumor cells and thus can aid to decrease the size of the tumor. In addition to it, it also stimulates the immune system to act against the tumor cells and bring about its elimination from the body.
8. Can Cure Burns
It has been used as a modern treatment for a burn. You have to apply it in the form of a paste to the affected area to get instant relief.
9. Can cure a cough
Gond Katira has anti-allergic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties to cure a cough. It does by cleaning the airway of any bacteria or inflammation and thus giving you optimum relief from a cough.
10. Can Give You A Boost of Energy
Tragacanth Gum use as an energy tonic is well-known. In Ayurveda, it is given to those who feel lethargic, weak, and are lacking energy.
Interestingly, tragacanth gum has fewer calories but, then also it an give you a boost of energy. The laddoos prepared with gond katira can be given to kids and elder people who usually have low energy levels by the end of the day.
11. Good For Lactation
If you are a new mother or you are breastfeeding but you are lacking the lactation. In this case, you can take Gond katira to help you increase your lactation.
It is an excellent remedy for the breastfeeding mothers. Irrespective of lactation efficiency, you should take gond katira daily if you are a breastfeeding for your health and your baby’s health.
12. Gond katira Benefits For Skin
You won’t believe but a daily dose of gond katira can help you enhance your beauty. It has skin rejuvenation properties. It can not only delay the anti-aging process but also clear up your skin from inside.
It’s an excellent remedy for the ultimate glow on skin. If you suffer from dull skin or if you have fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, or any other skin issues, you can get optimum relief from tragacanth gum powder.
For this, you have to prepare a mask using gond katira. Soak, it overnight. Next, add 1 tablespoon of almond powder, 1 tablespoon of milk, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons of rose water.
Mix all the ingredients well to form a creamy paste. apply the paste on your neck and entire face. leave it for good 15 minutes and then wash it off with water. Do it daily for excellent results.
13. Can Strengthen Your Immune System
If you have a weak immune system or if you suffer from various health issues now and then, you should take this. It is extensively used in strengthening the immune system.
It does by increasing the secretion of immune cells and thereby making your system more capable of fighting diseases and other foreign invaders. Consuming it daily can help you keep a lot of health issues at bay.2
14. Can Cure Mouth Ulcers
If you have mouth ulcers, you can make a paste of gond katira and apply it to your ulcers for immediate relief. It works by reducing the inflammation, redness, and itching in and around the ulcers.
15. For Weight Loss
Gond katira has the proeprty to increase the metabolic rate of the body. An increase in the metabolic rate would automatically help you flush out the waste from your body, increase your digestion and thus help in effective weight loss.
Health Benefits For Men
Whether the issue is Early Discharge or Night Discharge or even Involuntary Discharge, Gond katira proves to be worthwhile in each case in men. The only advice is to take it daily. You can choose any of the following recipes.3
Recipes For Remedy
- Pulverize equal amount of Badam, Jaiphal, Salai Guggul, Vidari, Kawanch (processed), and Tragacanth gum. Take 6 gm of the resulting powder with milk.
- Take half teaspoon powder of Chini, and a gram of Gond Katira with cold water, thrice a day for the first week, twice a day for the second week and once a day for the third week.
- Bring a cup of water. Dissolve 10 gm of Gond Katira in it; stir it in the morning to scatter it. Add a tablespoon of Misri and then gulp down.
Health Benefits Gond Katira For Women
For women, Gond Katira can be beneficial as it helps in increasing their breast size. Since the therapy is natural so no need to worry; the only requirement is patience.
Recipes For Remedy
Soak 5 gram of Gond Katira in water and leave it overnight. In the morning, first, pour water for cleaning and then put Gond katira in a glass of milk. Add sugar as well as ice. Take it every day and see the amazing results.
How To Make Gond Katira Recipes?
Gond Katira has both cooling as well as heating effects. In summer, it turns out fluffy as well as soft after soaking in water.
So, before making any recipe in summer, soaking in water is mandatory as consuming it in mild form helps to produce the cooling effect in our body.
In winter, first, fry and grind it effectively. Then, it can be added to many of the desserts and other items. In this form, it generates heat in the body which is needed.
If you are curious to make Gond katira sherbat, pudding or laddoos then here is a guide.
Method Of Soaking
Take two pieces of Gond katira and soak it overnight in a glass of water. See it in the morning. You will observe that it becomes fluffy, and there is an increase in the volume of Gond katira.
Under clean water wash(2-3 times) is required to remove the impurities. Now your Gond katira is ready to use in summers.
A. How To Make Gond Katira Drink
Ingredients
- Fluffed Gond katira – ½ tbsp.
- Sugar – 1 tbsp.
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp.
- Water – 1 glass
- Crushed ice
Method
Blend the above-written constituents and drink daily.
B. How To Make Gond Katira Kheer
Ingredients
- Fluffed Gond katira -1 tbsp.
- Milk – 500 ml (generally chilled)
- Sugar (as per taste)
- Almonds, Pista chopped – 2 tbsp.
- Green cardamom powder(a pinch)
- Crushed ice
Method
Boil the milk till it is reduced to almost 2/3 or as per your choice. Now add sugar and cardamom powder to the boiled milk. Allow it to cool for some time.
Next, add the fluffed Gond katira and almonds, Pista which are chopped earlier. Finally, insert the crushed ice and kheer is ready.
C. How To Make Gond Laddoos
Ingredients
- Wheat flour- 250 gm
- Ground sugar- 250 gm
- Ghee – 175 gm
- Mildly crushed Gond – 15 gm
- Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp.
- Grounded cashews – 1tsp.
- Almonds – 1 tsp.
- Walnuts – 1 tsp.
Method
First, heat ghee in a pan. You need to fry Gond on medium heat deep, stirring it constantly to ensure that every single piece gets fried.
As soon as Gond fluffs up nearly to double pull it out of the ghee failure of which results in its burning.
Keep it undisturbed for nearly 5 minutes. Grind it effectively. Fry the flour in rest of the ghee until it starts giving odor and becomes light brown (sandy).
When ghee detaches from the flour, then it is sure that it is ready. Turn off the heat source at that point and add the ground material in the same. Do thorough mixing. Allow it to cool until it can be touched by hand. Then, make nutritious
Allow it to cool until it can be touched by hand. Then, make nutritious laddoos of any shape, any size. Keep laddoos aside for nearly 2 hrs. And finally, store them in a sealed container away from air.
Other Names Of Tragacanth Gum
Botanical nomenclature: Astragalus Gummifer.
Scientific nomenclature:Cochlospermum religiosum.
Names In Different Languages
- English – Tragacanth gum
- Hindi – Gond katira
- German -Kutira Gummi
- French – Gomme Adragante
- Arabic – Katheera, Haloosiyaa
- Bengali- Katila
The name ‘Tragacanth gum’ is procured from two words Tragos and Akantha. Elucidation of these two words is “goat” and “thorn“, respectively in Greek. Apart from having different names in different languages, there are some familiar names too.
- Dragon gum
- Quah
- Gum Elect
- Ela-imbue-Kini Hi Riya
- Quattro Shiraz gum
- Goat’s thorn
- Locoweed
Properties And Applications Of Tragacanth Gum
Gum tragacanth nutrition is widely used in ayurveda. It is a viscous water-soluble mixture of polysaccharides (thus including high protein).
In the dry state, it does not stick to itself the same way other gums do. Tragacanth gum is tasteless and odorless.
- It is used as an Herbal Medicine in Ayurveda. It contains an alkaloid that serves as an herbal remedy for dreadful conditions such as diarrhea and cough.
- This herb is utilized as a paste in modern treatment for burns.
- This herb can suppress tumors and stimulate the immune system.
- Mostly Gond katira is used in drinks, processed cheese, salad coverings, food dressings and different puddings being both tasty and having amazing cooling properties.
- The beneficial Gond katira drink thus provides a sort of solace to our body. Also, in the field of foods, it works as stabilizer, texture additive and emulsifier. As a thickener in sauces, confections, salad coverings, ice cream, etc.
- Also used as a thickening agent in preparing dyes for calico printing, textile dyes, for dressing fabrics, in making glues, for watercolors and to produce the gloss in ink.
- Gond Katira is also utilized as the traditional binder. It is frequently used in the making of pastels of an artist thanks to its property of not sticking to itself on being dry like other gums (such as gum arabic).
- To grip all the powdered herbs in collaboration, it is also used in incense making as a binder.
- Used as a binder, it also finds its use in paper manufacturing.
- Gond Katira is used as an edge slicking plus a polishing compound in veg-tanned leatherworking, in textiles as a stiffener.
- Used in the cosmetics industry and as a culture medium in laboratories, etc.4
- Tragacanth gum is also utilized in making a paste used in floral sugarcraft to produce life-like flowers on wires which are used as decorations for cakes.
- It also makes a paste which dries in the air (too brittle) and can apprehend colorings. So, it enables you to obtain the required fineness and delicate finishing your work.
Side Effects Of Gond Katira
Tragacanth gum is absolutely safe when taken in the required amount and in the right form. However, there are few varieties of it that might produce a mild to a moderate side-effect.
Many species of Astragalus Gummifer contain noxious glycosides. All species with edible seedpods can be renowned by their oval or fleshy round seed pod that resembles with a greengage.
Moreover, when sprouted in the soil, some species that are rich in selenium can also assemble noxious levels of selenium. So proper care and cultivation techniques are beneficial in diverting the possible hazards associated with Gond Katira.
For the same, we recommend you to buy it from a reputed source so as to avoid the above-mentioned things.
Final Talk
Tragacanth Gum is an absolute remedy for various health ailments. It gives excellent results when followed religiously.
You can use it to cure any of the issues mentioned above. However, make sure to have plenty of fluids and water when consuming Tragacanth to avoid any side-effects.
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