Bel fruit FRUIT AND TREE, Food & Health : Today Indya

Bel fruit FRUIT AND TREE

Food & Health

Britannica

Bel fruit, (Aegle marmelos), bel also spelled bael, also called Bengal quince, tree of the family Rutaceae, cultivated for its fruit. The plant is native to India and Bangladesh and has naturalized throughout much of Southeast Asia. The unripe fruit, sliced and sun-dried, is traditionally used as a remedy for dysentery and other digestive ailments. The ripe fruit is sweet, aromatic, and cooling. The tree’s wood is yellowish white and hard but not durable.

The slow-growing trees bear strong spines and alternate compound leaves with three leaflets. The sweet-scented white flowers are borne in panicle clusters and are sometimes used in perfumes. The fruit is pyriform (pear-shaped) to oblong in shape and 5–25 cm (2–10 inches) in diameter. It has a very hard woody gray or yellow rind and sweet, thick, orange-coloured pulp.

Article Original Source : https://www.britannica.com/plant/bel-fruit

10 Amazing Benefits Of Bael (Kaitha)

Food & Health

stylecraze

Bael, also known as the “Wood Apple”, is a species native to India. The bael tree is considered to be sacred to the Hindus. A famous drink known as sherbet is made from the bael fruit and it has been known for its medicinal values since 2000 BC. Here in this post you will know about various benefits of bael fruit.

The local names of bael fruit are ‘Kaitha‘ in Hindi, ‘Maredu Pandu‘ in Telugu, ‘Vilam Palam‘ in Tamil, ‘Belada Hannu‘ in Kannada, ‘Koovalam‘ in Malayalam, ‘Kothu‘ in Gujarati, ‘Kavath‘ in Marathi and ‘Koth Bel‘ in Bengali.

Health Benefits of Bael Fruit:

The Beal fruit benefits are mentioned below.

1. Can cure diarrhoea, cholera, haemorrhoids, vitiligo:

The presence of tannin in the bael fruit helps in curing diseases like diarrhoea and cholera. The dried powder of the fruit is used to treat chronic diarrhoea. The extract of unripe bael fruit can effectively treat haemorrhoids and vitiligo. It is also used to treat anaemia, ear and eye disorders. In ancient days, the dried powder of raw bael mixed with turmeric and ghee was applied on fractured bones to treat fracture.

2. Reduces gastric ulcer:

Bael has certain phenolic compounds containing anti-oxidants that help in fighting gastric ulcers, particularly, gastroduodenal ulcers. This type of ulcer is caused due to the imbalance in the acidic level in the stomach.

3. Antimicrobial property:

Researchers have proved that the extract of bael fruit has antimicrobial functions. It also has anti viral and anti fungal properties that help in treating various infections in the body.

4. Can cure scurvy:

Scurvy disease is caused due to the deficiency of vitamin C and this effects the blood vessels. Bael being a rich source of vitamins is capable of curing this disease when added to the diet.

5. Can control cholesterol:

The extract of bael leaf can be used to control the cholesterol level in blood which makes the bael leaves highly therapeutic too.

6. Can solve respiratory problems:

The oil extracts from bael can be used to cure respiratory disorders like asthma or cold. This oil can also provide resistance to cold when applied on the scalp before a head bath.

7. Anti-inflammatory:

Inflammation can be quickly cured when the extract of bael is applied on the inflamed region.

8. Can be used to treat heart diseases:

The juice of ripe bael fruit when mixed with ghee and added to daily diet prevents heart diseases. This is a traditional method which has been used for ages to treat diseases like heart strokes and attacks.

9. Can prevent constipation:

Bael fruit is said to be the best natural medicine to cure constipation. Adding small amount of black pepper and salt to the pulp and consuming it regularly removes toxins from the intestines. It can also be taken in the form of sherbet to cure constipation.

10. Can control diabetes:

Bael is rich in laxatives which makes it useful in controlling the blood sugar levels. This is because it energizes the pancreas and makes it produce enough amount of insulin which is necessary to control sugar level in the blood.

Nutritional Value of Bael Fruit

The various nutrients in a bael fruit per 100gm.