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Amaltas/ Cassia Fistula

Amaltas Medical Properties, Uses, Health Benefits, and Side Effect

Amaltas is a named ‘Golden shower’ or ‘Golden rain’ tree because of its beautiful hanging flowers, and it has various health benefits. It is one of the most beautiful trees in India. According to Ayurveda, it signifies ‘Sarvarogaprashmani’ which means that it cures all types of diseases and protects the body from various microbial infections. The bioactive compounds present in it show effective results in treating constipation, common cold, wounds, dyspepsia, etc. In Ayurveda, it is called Rajvraksha because of its bright yellow-colored flowers. In India, it’s the state flower of Kerala state and its flowers have religious importance in the Vishnu festival. Its image is painted on Indian 20 rupees. The yellow color of this tree represents royalty and is the national flower of Thailand.

Latin Name- Cassia fistula

Family- Caesalpinaceae

Amaltas Names in different languages:

English Name- Purging cassia

Hindi Name- Amaltas

Sanskrit Name- Shampaka, Suvarnaka, Swarnabhushan, Aragvadha

Punjabi Name- Girdanali

Telugu Name- Rela

Bengali Name- Sondal

Farsi Name- Khiyar

Tamil Name- Kondrem

Malayalam Name- Kanikonna

Kannada Name- Phalus

Marathi Name- Bahva

Gujarati Name- Garmalo

Arabic Name- Kattan

Synonyms in the Sanskrit language:

Deerghaphala- Have long fruits

Rajavruksha- It’s a king-size tree, big and good-looking

Arevata- Has detoxifying properties

Aragwadha- Helps in treating or destroying various diseases

Svaranabhushana- Having golden yellow colored flowers

Suvarnaka- Gives good color to the body and have good color

Chaturangula- Fruits having four fingers length

Shampaka- It is Auspicious

Categorization according to classical books:

According to-

Acharya Charaka- Virechana, Kusthaghana, Kandughana

Acharya Sushruta- Adhobhagahara, Aragvadhadi gana, Samyadi gana

Acharya Vagbhatta- Aragvadhadi gana

Bhavaprakasha Nigantu- Kusthaghna, Hridya

———Shloka———–

Meaning of this shloka:

This shloka means that synonyms of amaltas are argvadha, rajvriksha, shampak, chaturangula, aarvet, vyadhighat, kritmaal, suvarnaka, karnikaar, dirghaphala, swarnanga, and swarnabhushna. It is heavy, sweet in taste, cool, and purgative. It treats fever, heart disorders, bleeding disorders, pacifies Vata dosha, and treats multiple painful conditions. Its fruit is mild purgative, increases appetite, treats skin diseases, pacify pitta and Kapha dosha. It is also helpful in fever treatment and cleans the intestine properly.

(Reference- Bhavaprakash Nighantu: Page no. 66 and Shloka no. 249-250)

Morphological characteristics:

Amaltas is a miraculous and medium-sized tree that grows up to the height of 25 cm. Leaves are ovate shaped, alternate, smooth, pinnate, hairy with 4 to 8 leaflets on either side. Its fruits are pendulous, cylindrical, and indehiscent pods that bear 20 to 25 shiny black seeds. These are mainly green when ripe and changes to dark brown when reaching maturity. Flowers are bright yellow and slightly zygomorphic. It mainly prefers well-drained, deep, and moderately fertile sandy loamy soil but also grows on red calcareous and volcanic soil.

It is native to the Indian subcontinent and various regions of South East Asia. Furthermore, it is found in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Myanmar. In India, it is mostly cultivated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Main chemical constituents:

Anthraquinones, Pectin, Saccharose, Rhein, Sennosides A and B, Chrysophanic acid, Lupeol, Fistuacacidin, Glycosides, Fistulic acid, Sugars, Mucilage, Rheinglucoside, Emodin, Phlobaphenes, and sterols like Hexacosanol and Beta-sitosterol.

Medicinal Properties:

Ras (Taste)- Madhura (Sweet)

Guna (Quality)- Mridu (Soft), Snigdha (Unctuous), and Guru (Heavy)

Veerya (Potency)- Sheeta (Cold)

Vipaka (Undergoes taste conversion after digestion)- Madhura (Sweet)

Karma (Effect on tridosha)- Balances Pitta and Kapha dosha

Prabhava (Special action)- Sramsana (Mild purgative action)

Medicinal uses according to Ayurveda:

Out of all the herbs that are used in mild purgation, Amaltas is the best.

Pittasara- Useful in bleeding disorders

Shoola- Treats abdominal colic pain

Vata Udavarta- Treats abdominal bloating

Javarahara- Helps in treating fever

Hrudroga- Works in cardiac disorders

It has mild purgative action on the body, so can be used in sensitive and elderly people

This herb is continuously indicated in treating the course of fever. Being a detoxifier, it detoxifies the digestive tract and relieves ama.

Therapeutic uses of Amaltas:

Piles:

Amaltas show antibacterial and anti-oxidant properties that help to kill bacteria and prevent further growth. Its antioxidant action stops and reduces the damage caused by free radicals. It maintains the enzymatic activity and helps in the proper digestion of food. As per Ayurveda, piles are caused due to unhealthy diet and lifestyle which increases vata dosha. Amaltas has a cold potency that balances the vata dosha and maintains proper digestion.

Constipation:

The ripe fruit of Amaltas works as a detoxifier that cleans and detoxifies the intestine. The bioactive compounds present in it helps in treating constipation. Being antibacterial and antifungal it helps to kill bacteria and viruses and prevents their further growth. It is the richest source of fiber and works as a laxative that helps to treat constipation.

Arthritis:

Amaltas works as an anti-inflammatory that reduces the symptoms related to arthritis, such as pain, swelling, inflammation, redness, etc. According to Ayurveda, arthritis is caused due to the vitiation of Vata and Kapha dosha. This herb has the property to balance Kapha and Vata dosha which are some major symptoms of arthritis.

Acidity:

Acidity is caused due to indigestion and a bad digestive system. The antioxidant property of amaltas helps in clearing the digestive tract by eliminating the ama (harmful toxins) from the body. Its cooling effect on the stomach reduces Vata dosha and maintains proper digestion. Being an appetizer, it increases appetite and balances the acidic pH level in the body.

Skin diseases:

Amaltas works as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic that reduces swelling, pain, redness, inflammation, etc. This herb works as a blood purifier that purifies the blood and circulates it to all areas of the body. It vitiates the Vata dosha and treats skin allergies, wounds, and other related issues.

Part used:

Flower, Root bark, Fruit pulp, and Leaves

Dosage:

Flowers- 5 to 10 grams

Decoction of root bark- 50 to 100 ml

For Purgation- 10 to 20 grams

Fruit pulp- 5 to 10 grams

Conclusion:

From this article, it is concluded that Amaltas has purgative action on the body and treats constipation. But if it is taken in large dose then it may cause heavy purgation. So it is contraindicated in diarrhea.

Note: Our purpose is to serve useful information related to Amaltas ’s benefits, dosage, and other properties. It is advised to the patients not to consume Amaltas on the basis of this information. Before taking Amaltas as a medicine it is better to have an expert opinion because dosage and treatment vary from patient to patient depending on their symptoms and medical history.

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About Dr. Ranjana Kaushal

Dr. Ranjana Kaushal (MD Ayurveda) has 11 years of experience in the field of Ayurveda. Right now she is working as an Ayurveda consultant with Life Aveda. She has immense knowledge about herbs, their uses, and formulations. She has published articles related to many herbs and diseases in an international journal. She is also a degree holder in yoga and naturopathy. Read More..

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