Khadira (Acacia Catechu)- Indications & Medicinal Uses

LATIN NAME

Acacia Catechu

FAMILY

Leguminosae

SYNONYMS

HINDI - Khaira

SANSKRIT - Raktasaara, Dantadhawan, Balpatra, Kantaki

MORPHOLOGY

It is a full green tree having a medium height. The bark is dark brown to black in color. The branches are bent and speculated.

LEAVES

The leaves are 10 – 15 cm long, hairy having longitudinal stripes

FLOWERS

Flowers are small, white or yellow in color.

FRUITS

The fruits are smooth, wrinkled and rounded which turn brownish in color with longitudinal stripes.

SEEDS

The seeds are contained in the fruits and are present in multiple numbers ranging from 10 – 15.

OCCURRENCE

It is a tree belonging to the Himalayan region. It grows up to the height of 5000 feet and prefers dry and windy conditions.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

• Catechin
• Catechu tannic acid

GUNA (Characteristics)

Ruksha (dry), Laghu (light)

RASA (Taste)

Kashaya (Astringent), Tikta (bitter)

VIPAKA (After taste that develops post digestion)

Katu (pungent)

VIRYA (Potency)

Sheet (cold potency)

SPECIAL ACTIVITY

Against skin disorders of all kinds.

EFFECT ON THE THREE DOSHAS (Body humors)

It balances the Kapha (phlegm) and the Pitta (fire) type of body energies.

INDICATIONS

• Bleeding disorders
• Dental problems
• Dysphasia
• Cough
• Leucoderma
• Vitiligo
• Diarrhea
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Splenomegaly

DOSAGE

Powder 1 -3 g, Decoction – 50 -100 ml, Khadira extract – 0.5 -1 g.

USEFUL PARTS OF KHADIRA

Bark and Extracts.

MEDICINAL USES OF KHADIRA

• Khadira is a very useful herbal medicine for the treatment of oral problems like dental caries, gum infections, gingivitis, pyorrhea etc. It has an anti-microbial action and works as a mouth freshener diminishing bad breath. The tender twigs of this plant are used as herbal brush for its anti–microbial and natural cleansing properties.
• It is known for its amazing properties for maintaining the skin in perfect condition. It is able to fight skin infections and allergies. It is also very effective in the treatment of pigmentation disorders of the skin like Leucoderma, Vitiligo etc.
• Acacia catechu has amazing homeostatic properties for which it is used in bleeding disorders like menorrhagia, or any other trauma that leads to frank bleeding.
• In patients of anal fistula, diarrhea etc. khadira is used as a natural herbal supplement for the treatment of the disease. It may be combined with other herbal supplements for this.
• For patients of Vitiligo and Leucoderma, Khadira decoction is applied locally as well as consumed orally for better results. It acts on the Pitta body energy that controls the skin complexion and pigmentation. Khadira alleviates this fire energy present in the skin and stimulates formation of melanocytes that impart normal coloration to the skin.
• It is a great liver stimulant that has hypo-glycemic properties for which it is used as a natural herb for achieving blood sugar control.
• It is also a great blood purifier that helps to purify blood and maintain optimum Hemoglobin levels in blood.
• It is used in combination with other medicines for the treatment of respiratory problems as it has a unique phlegm destroying property by which it decongests the respiratory tree, throwing out excessive mucous and infections associated with it.
• It is great for the digestive system and it acts on the digestive glands to optimize their secretions. It controls the acidity in the stomach and regularizes bowel movements also. For internal bleeding in conditions like gastric or peptic ulcers or variceal bleeding or ulcerative colitis, Khadira is orally consumed as powder form or as a decoction to prevent bleeding.