Fruit Cure

Fruits are highly beneficial in maintaining acid-alkaline balance in the body. They neutralize the toxic condition of the body resulting from excessive intake of acid-forming foods and restore its alkalinity. They help clear the system of morbid waste and cater to the body’s requirement of natural sugar, vitamins and minerals.

Adolf Just, the world famous naturopath, in his book, Return to Nature states, “Fruits alone contain healing draughts for man; Nature offers them readymade, they taste deliciously and are sure to cure all his suffering and disease. Fruit contains nectar and ambrosia”.

Fasting is considered as Nature’s oldest and most. effective method of treating diseases. The best and safest way of fasting is ‘juice. fasting’ . The procedure is to take the juice of an orange or any other juicy fruits, such as grapes, grapefruit, mosambi and pineapple, diluted 50:50 with water, every two hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nothing else, whatsoever, may be taken, as otherwise the value of the juice fast will be entirely lost. Canned or frozen juices should not be used. The total daily liquid intake should be about six to eight glasses.

Vitamins, minerals, enzymes and trace elements contained in fresh fruit juices are extremely beneficial in normalizing all the body processes. They supply needed elements for the body’s own healing activity and cell regeneration, and thereby speed up the recovery. Each day, while fasting it should be ensured that the bowels are cleansed of the toxic matter thrown off by the self­cleansing process set up by the body. This can be done by a warm water enema.

Next to the short juice fasting, the all fruit diet is nature’s finest eliminating medium. The value of fresh juicy fruits in overcoming of all diseased conditions, especially chronic diseases, by the cleansing of tissues, is incalculable. The all fruit diet is highly beneficial particularly in cases of bronchitis, rheumatism, chronic catarrh and constipation as it fills the body with life-giving mineral salts.

In the case of the all-fruit diet, one should take three meals a day of fresh, ripe juicy fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, peaches, melon or any other juicy fruit in season. Bananas should, however, not be taken, nor should any other foodstuff be added to the fruit diet. For drinks, plain water or unsweetened lemon water may be taken.

Curative Properties of Fruits

Moreover, certain fruits can combat specific ailments. It should, however, be remembered that in the therapeutic use of any fruit as a treatment for specific disease, nothing except that particular fruit or its juice should be taken in the system at the time of treatment. Thus, when utilizing lemon juice as a food remedy, the juice should be taken at least half an hour before consuming any other food.

It has been found that fruit sugars, calcium, iron, vitamins A, B-complex and C control the gradation of heart energy. Hence, eating fruits like apple, lemon, orange and pomegranate can aid the proper functioning of the heart and keep it healthy even in old age. Fruits like apple, date and mango have a direct action on the central nervous system. The phosphorus, glutamic acid and vitamins A and B-complex of these fruits exert a protective and tonic effect on the nerves. Hence, regular use of these fruits in the diet will sharpen memory and prevent nervous exhaustion, mental tension, hysteria and insomnia.

All berries, being extremely rich in iron, phosphorus and sodium, are highly beneficial for blood building and nerve strengthening. The lemon can be a good food remedy in case of liver ailments, indigestion and rheumatism. Watermelons make the best kidney cleansers. The water flushes through the kidneys and the traces of various minerals contained in the water act as healing agents.

The soothing qualities of pineapple and pomegranates are helpful in catarrh, hay fever and other chronic nasal and bronchial ailments. The common cold may be treated with grapefruit juice. This Juice helps rout the infection by activating the organs of elimination.

Fresh and fully ripe fruits like grapes, apples, bananas and figs are best suited for all brain deficiencies. They contain a superior quality of easily assimilable sugar which is transformed into physical energy that refreshes the brain. The kernel of walnut is a positive remedy for weakness of the brain.

A generous intake of fruits in the diet will enable a person to lead a healthy life. Fruits prevent all diseases and keep a person smart, energetic and active all through his life up to the ripe old age.

Useful References

• https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruits-nutrients-health

Botanical Name :: : Musa paradisiaca

Indian Name :: Kela

Description

The banana is one of the oldest and best known fruits of the world. It is delicious and seedless and is available in all seasons at a price which is within everybody’s reach. It is a very hygienic fruit as it comes in a germ proof package. Its thick covering provides an excellent protection against bacteria and contamination. The mature fruits vary in sizes and may be greenish, yellow or reddish in color

Origin and Distribution

Original home of banana is believed to be India and Malaya. The fruit as well as its plant is considered to be a very auspicious in all the religious and social ceremonies in India. In the mythological ages in Europe it was called the ‘apple of paradise’. The Greek and Arabian writers referred to it as a wonderful fruit of India. The Malayan soldiers probably took them to Madagascar about the fifth century AD and from there it spread to east coast and mainland of Africa. Later, it was intro­duced in Western countries and other parts of the world. In India, there are three important banana producing areas South India, Western India and Eastern India from Bihar to Assam.

Food Value

The banana is of great nutritional value. It has a rare combination of energy value, tissue building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of calories being richer in solids and lower in water content than any other fresh fruit. A large banana supplies more than 100 calories. It contains a large amount of easily assimilate sugar, making it a good source of quick energy and an excellent means of recovery from fatigue.

Banana*

The banana constitutes almost a complete balanced diet in combination with milk. It contains a high grade protein, which includes three of the essential amino acids. Banana and milk supplement each other in an ideal manner and provide all the needed nutrients to the body.

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties

In the traditional medicine of India and the ancient Persia this golden fruit is regarded as nature’s secret of perpetual youth. To this day, banana is known for promoting healthy digestion and creating a feeling of youthfulness. They help promote the retention of calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen all of which then work to build sound and regenerated tissues Banana also contains invert sugar, which is an aid to youthful growth and metabolism.

1. Intestinal Disorder

The banana is used as a dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and blandness. It is said to contain an unidentified compound called. perhaps jokingly, ‘vitamin U‘ (against ulcer). It is the only raw fruit which can be eaten without distress in chronic ulcer cases. It neutralizes the over acidity of the gastric juices and reduces the irritation of the ulcer by coating the lining of the stomach.
Ripe bananas are highly beneficial in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, being bland, smooth, easily digestible and slightly laxative They relieve acute symptoms and promote the healing process.

2. Constipation and Diarrhea 

Bananas are of great value both in constipation and diarrhea as they normalize colonic functions in the large intestine to absorb large amounts of water for proper bowel moments. Their usefulness in constipation is due to their richness in pectin, which is water-absorbent and this gives them a bulk. producing ability. They also possess the ability to change the bacteria in the intestines-from the harmful type of bacilli to the beneficial acidophilus bacilli.

3. Dysentery

Mashed banana together with little salt is a very valuable remedy for dysentery. According to Dr. Kirticar, a combination of ripe plantain, tamarind and common salt is most effective in this disease. He claims to have cured several cases of both acute and chronic dysentery by this treatment. 1 Ripe bananas are also very useful in dysentery of children, but they should be thoroughly mashed and beaten to cream before use in these cases.

4. Arthritis and Gout

Bananas are useful in the treatment of arthritis and gout. A diet of bananas only for three or four days is advised in these conditions. The patient can be given to eat eight or nine bananas daily during this period and nothing else.

5. Anemia

Being high in iron content, bananas are beneficial in the treatment of anemia. They stimulate the production of haemo­globin in the blood.

6. Allergies

The fruit is very useful for those who are allergic to certain foods and who suffer in consequence from skin rashes or diges­tive disorders or asthma. Unlike other protein foods, many of which contain an amino acid which these persons cannot toler­ate and which causes allergy. Bananas contain only benign amino-acids which in most cases ate not allergic. The fruit, however, does cause allergic reactions in certain sensitive persons and they should avoid it.

7. Kidney Disorders

Bananas are valuable in kidney disorder because of their low protein and salt content and high carbohydrate content. They are useful in uraemia, a toxic condition of the blood due to kidney congestion and dysfunction. In such cases, a diet of bananas should only be taken for three to four days, consuming eight to nine bananas a day. This diet is suitable for all kidney troubles, including nephritis.

8. Tuberculosis

Bananas are considered useful in the treatment of tuberculosis. According to Dr. J. Montelvz of Brazil, South America, the juice of the plantain or the ordinary cooked bananas works miracles in the cure of tuberculosis. He claims to have cured patients with advanced stage of tuberculosis with frequent cough, abundant expectoration or phlegm and high fever in two months by this treatment.

9. Urinary Disorders

Juice from Banana stem is a well known remedy for urinary disorders. It improves the functional efficiency of kidney and liver thereby alleviating the discomforts and diseased condition in them. It dears the excrettonory organs in the abdominal region of toxins and helps to eliminate them in the form of urine. It has been found to be of great help in the treatment for the removal of stones in the kidney, gall bladder, and prostate. It is advisable to mix this juice whenever possible with the juice of ash pumpkin.

10. Over weight

A diet consisting of bananas and skimmed milk is considered an effective remedy for weight reduction. In prescribed course of diet treatment, the daily diet is restricted to six bananas and four glasses of skimmed milk or buttermilk made from skimmed milk for a period of 10 to 15 days. Thereafter green vegetables may be introduced gradually, reducing the intake of bananas from six to four. This regimen of prescribed course of diet treatment can be continued till the desired results are achieved. Bananas are suitable for overweight people as they contain practically no sodium.

11. Menstrual Disorders

Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is considered an effective medicine for menstrual disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding. Banana flower helps increase progesterone hormone which reduces the bleeding.

12. Burns and Wounds 

A plaster is prepared by beating a ripe banana into a fine paste. It can be spread over burns and wounds and supported by a cloth bandage. It gives immediate relief. The young tender leaves of banana tree form a cool dressing for inflammations and blisters.

Uses of banana

Ripe bananas are chiefly eaten raw as a dessert or a breakfast fruit. It is also used in salad together with other fruits and vegetables. Unripe fruits are cooked. Banana chips are made from fully mature unripe fruits. The flour prepared from the dried unripe bananas is three times richer in minerals than the wheat flour, It is also more digestible than cereal starches and is an ideal food for infants and invalids.

Precautions

Banana, taken as a table fruit, must be thoroughly ripe as otherwise it may be difficult to digest The raw bananas contain 20 to 25 per cent starch. But during the process of ripening, this starch is almost wholly converted with assimilate sugar. Bananas should never be kept in a refrigerator as low temperature prevents their ripening. The fruit should not be taken by those who are suffering from kidney failure because of its high potassium content.

Useful References

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915750600007X
• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-011-0737-2_11
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18850621
• https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf1008692

Fruits are one of the oldest forms of food known to man. In fact, Adam, the first man ate an apple, the ‘forbidden fruit’ of heaven. There are many references to fruits in ancient literature. Vedas state that the fruits form the base of the Food of Gods. According to Quran, the fruits like grape, date, fig, olive and pomegranate are the gifts and heavenly fruits of God.

The people in ancient times regarded fruits to be endowed with magic. or divine properties. They gave them due reverence and dedicated them to their gods and goddesses. They also used their designs in decorating temples, vestments or ceremonial garments and sacred vessels.

These days, doctors recommended us to eat at least 5 fruit or vegetables a day, which keeps up your immunity and maintains your vitamin and nutrient level. To save yourself from claiming medical costs or hospital fees, just ensure you include enough healthy food in your diet to stay fit and well. Lack of nutrients can lead to a weak immune system, gradually leading to illness.

Fresh and dry fruits are the natural staple food of man. They contain substantial quantities of essential nutrients in a rational proportion. They are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easily digested and exercise a cleansing effect on the blood and the digestive tract. Persons subsisting on this natural diet will always enjoy good health. Moreover, the ailments caused by the intake of unnatural foods can be successfully treated by fruits. Fresh and dry fruits are thus not only a good food but also a good medicine.

Natural Benefits of Fruits

Fruits have highly beneficial effect on the human system. The main physiological actions of fruits are as follows:

Hydrating Effect

Taking of fruits or fruit juice is the most pleasant way of hydrating the organism. The water absorbed by sick persons in this manner has an added advantage of supplying sugar and minerals at the same time.

Diuretic Effect

Clinical observations have shown that potassium, magnesium and sodium contents of the fruit act as a diuretic and diuresis -frequency of urination is considerably increased when fruits and fruit juices are taken. They lower the urine density and thereby accelerate the elimination of nitrogenous waste and chlorides. As, however, fruits contain a very low level of sodium, they make a valuable contribution to a salt-free diet.

Alkalinising Effect

The organic acids of the salts in fruits produce alkaline carbonates, when transformed within the organism, which alkali se the fluids. All fruits promote intestinal elimination. This keeps the body free from toxic wastes, which creep into the blood from an overloaded, sluggish intestinal tract. The carbohydrates of fruits .are chiefly in the form of sugar, dextrin and acids which are easily digestible and are completely absorbed. Hence, they are very useful for sick and invalids for quick energy and heat.

Mineralising Effect

Fruits furnish minerals to the body. Dried fruits such as apricots, raisins and dates are rich in calcium and iron. These minerals are essential for strong bones and good blood respectively. Some fruits, like custard apple, furnish calcium to the extent of 800 mg. per fruit, which is sufficient to meet our daily requirement of this mineral.

Laxative Effect

The fibrous matter in fruits, cellulose, aids in the smooth passage of the food in the digestive tract and easy bowel action. The sugars and organic acids contained in fruits also increase their laxative effect. Hence, regular use of fruits prevents and cures constipation.

Tonic Action

Fruits, as dependable sources of vitamins, exert a tonic effect in the body. Guavas, custard apples and citrus fruits, like lemons and oranges, are particularly valuable sources of vitamin C. These fruits are usually eaten fresh and raw, thus making the vitamins fully available to us. Several fruits contain good amounts of carotene which gets converted to vitamin A in the body. A medium-sized mango can provide as much as 15,000 international units of vitamin A which is sufficient for full one week and this vitamin can be stored in the body. The common papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C and carotene.

Fruits are at their best when eaten in the raw and ripe state. In cooking, they lose portions of the nutrient salts and’ carbohydrates. They are most beneficial when taken as a separate meal by themselves, preferably for breakfast in the morning. A combination of fruits with vegetables is not considered good. If it becomes necessary to take fruits with regular food, they should form a larger proportion of the meals. Fruits, however, make better combination with milk than with meals. It is also desirable to take one kind of fruit at a time.

In case of sickness, it will be advisable to take fruits in the form of juice. However, juice should be taken immediately after extraction as it begins to decompose quickly and loses its properties.

Botanical Name :: Vicis vinifera

Indian Name :: Munaqqa

Description

The raisins are dried grapes. All grapes are, however, not suitable for making raisins. The grapes, which are very sweet, are only selected for drying. Raisins have high nourishing qualities.

Origin and Distribution

Raisins have been used as food from very ancient times. They had been known to the traders of the Mediterranean Coast even in Greek and Roman ages. Raisins are produced in several pans of the world, but the great bulk of world product comes from Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, California, Australia and South Africa.

Food Value

The raisins are esteemed for their rare food value. The table below shows raisins are rich in carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. They form a very valuable food when taken with milk. They supplement each other as the milk contains sufficient protein and the raisins, sugar. In same way they can be taken with advantage with nuts such as cashew nut, walnut and groundnut.

Raisins are extensively used in salads. They may be-added to curries. They are also used in the bakery and confectionary and widely used in the preparation of jams, jellies, cakes, puddings and pies

Raisins*

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties of Raisins

The high food value of raisins arises chiefly from their sugar content. They contain eight times more sugar than grapes. The sugar contained in the raisins is of superior quality, like that of the grapes, as major portion of this sugar is formed by glucose and fruit sugar, As is well known, glucose produces quick heat and energy in the body. Raisins are thus an excellent food in all cases of debility and wasting diseases. They are also valuable during convalescence.

In Europe, persons suffering from various chronic ailments are taking recourse to an exclusive diet of raisins for some time. This forms a treatment by itself and is known as ‘raisin cure’. It is believed that raisins, taken in this manner, for one month will bring about considerable improvement in health as a result of proper elimination

1. Acidosis:- Acidosis is a condition in which the acidity of body fluid is abnormally high. The raisins with their excess of alkalinity, are helpful in maintaining the acid balance of the body. Studies conducted by Saywell in the University of California have shown that the free use of raisins, Say about 1.05 gm. daily, will greatly reduce the acidity of the urine. The urinary ammonia is also reduced. The organic acid of the raisins is completely oxidized. The free use of raisins is valuable in combating chronic acidosis which generally results from the excessive consumption of meat and cereals.
2. Constipation:– Raisins are highly beneficial in the treatment of constipation They should be soaked in a glassful of drinking water for 24 to 48 hours This would swell them to the original Size of the grapes. They should be eaten early in the morning, after discarding the stones. The water in which raisins are soaked should also be drunk This plan carried out every morning will bring excellent results in case of chronic constipation.
   Raisins can be routinely given even to little infants as an extract in water to help regular bowel action. Six to ten raisins or more, depending on the child’s age, can be soaked in boiling water and set aside for a while. When cool, the raisins should be thoroughly crushed to extract their juice into the water For small children,the liquid could be strained and given so that the skin of the raisins does not upset the stomach.
3. Anemia:- As a rich source of easily assimilate iron, raisins enrich blood They are thus useful in anemia.
4. Under Weight:- Raisins are a good food for those who wish to gain weight. They may be taken up to I Kg daily, 30 gm. or so at a time, in these cases.
5. Febrile Cases:– An extract from raisins acts like a medicine in febrile cases i.e. relating to fever This extract is prepared by soaking raisins in the water and then crushing them in the same water. They are then strained and skin is discarded. The raisin water thus prepared becomes a tonic A little lime juice added to the extract will enhance its taste and usefulness
6. Sexual Debility:- In Ayurveda, black raisins are used for restoration of sexual vigor. In such cases, they should be boiled with milk, after washing them thoroughly in tepid lukewarm water This will make them swollen and sweet. Eating of such raisins should be followed by the use of milk. Starting with 30 grams of raisins with 200 ml. of milk, three times daily. The quantity of raisins should be gradually increased to 50 grams each time.

Botanical Name :: Punica granatum

Indian Name :: Anar

Description

The pomegranate is a very delicious and semi seedy fruit. It than any other fruit. The fruit has been held in high esteem from 1 time immemorial as a food and a medicine. It is symbolic of, plenty and a basket of pomegranates was chosen as a symbol of . the 18th International Horticultural Congress held in 1970. The pomegranate is a six sided fruit of fairly large size, with tough leathery skin. It is divided inside into several cells containing numerous angular seeds. These seeds are surrounded by a succulent coating of pink or crimson color with a delicious sub acid flavour. The sweet ruby-pink and the sour varieties are most popular.

The fruit has a thin smooth skin. It is dark green in color at first, but as the Pomegranate ripens, it changes to bright yellowish or orange. Inside, the thick juicy flesh has a soft melting quality, and may be yellow or pink. It has a delicate aroma and delicious flavor.

Origin and Distribution

The pomegranate is a native of Iran and Afghanistan. It was grown in the hanging gardens of Babylon and was known in ancient Egypt. The pomegranate spread early round the Mediterranean and eastwards to India, China and Japan. In India, it is cultivated mostly around Pune, in Maharashtra and Dholka in Gujarat and to a limited extent in Uttar Pradesh.

Pomegranate*

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties of Pomegranate

The pomegranate has been regarded as a food medicine of great importance. All parts of the tree, the roots, the reddish brown bark, leaves, flowers, rind and seeds, have featured in medicine for thousands of years. The medical authorities of ancient India have described it as a light food and a tonic for the heart. The ancient medical writers of Arabia regarded it as a fruit which is good for the inflammation of the stomach and pain of the heart. The sweet varieties of the fruit are considered a good laxative, while those which are intermediate between sweet and sour are regarded as valuable in the stomach inflammations and heart pain.

The juice from the fresh fruit is an excellent cooling beverage for alleviating thirst in cases of fevers and sickness. It acts on the liver, heart and kidneys and tones up their functions. It supplies the required minerals and helps the liver to preserve vitamin A from the food. It increases the body’s resistance against infections, particularly tuberculosis.

1. Digestive Disorders:- Pomegranate juice is of great value in digestive disorders. It is an appetizer, a digestive food item and is useful for patients suffering from colitis and mucous. It binds the stools and tones up the intestines. A tablespoonful of the juice mixed with equal quantity of honey can be given with beneficial results in bilious vomiting i.e. bile containing fluid and nausea, burning in chest due to excessive secretion of bile, flatulent colic and morning sickness.
2. Diarrhea and Dysentery:- The chief value of the pomegranate is its astringent properties which cause cells to shrink and it is a valuable food medicine for diarrhea and dysentery. If the patient develops weakness on account of profuse and continuous purging, he should be given repeatedly about 50 ml. of pomegranate juice to drink. This will control his diarrhea. If the patient passes blood with stools, this will also stop by the use of fresh pomegranate juice. The flower buds are also astringent and are useful in chronic diarrhea and dysentery, especially of children.
3. Intestinal Worms:- The bark, both of the root and the stems of pomegranate tree, is well known for its anthelmintic properties of destroying parasitic worms. The root-bark is, however, preferred as it contains greater quantity of the alkaloid punicine than the stem-bark. This alkaloid is highly toxic to tapeworms. 90 to 180 ml. of the cold decoction of the bark, preferably fresh bark, should be given three times at an intervals of one hour to an adults. A purgative should be given after the last dose. The dose for children is 30 to 60 ml. The decoction is also used for expelling tapeworms.
4. Fevers:- The juice of the fruit with the addition of a little saffron is useful in fevers to allay thirst. A sherbet of the ripe fruit is beneficial in the treatment of typhus, gastric and. asthmatic fevers. The root bark is also given as a febrifuge in-i.e. to prevent-fevers.
5. Anal Itching:- The skin of the pomegranate fruit is considered highly beneficial in the treatment of anal itching. This nasty discomfort may result from unhygienic habits or from worm infection. The skin of the fruit should be roasted till it is brittle and black. It is then powdered. The powder is mixed with a little vegetable oil and applied over the anus.
6. Kidney and Bladder Stones:- The seeds of sour and sweet pomegranate are useful as a medicine. A tablespoonful of seeds, ground into a fine paste can be given along with a cupful of horse gram soup to dissolve gravel in kidneys and bladder.
7. Teeth and Gum Disorder:- Powder of the dry rind mixed with pepper and common salt is applied as a very good dentifrice i.e. tooth paste or powder. Its regular application strengthens the gum, stops bleeding, prevents pyorrhea, deans the teeth and preserve them for a long time

Uses

The pomegranate is used as a table fruit. Its juice is regarded as a delicacy and is made into excellent sherbet and drunk with the addition of water and sugar. It is also used in preparing syrups, ice-creams, jellies and marmalades. The pomegranate has a very good keeping quality. It can be kept well for about six months in cold storage. Its thick rind protects its succulent seeds from much rough handling.

Precautions

The fruit should be eaten immediately after they are cut open as the seeds lose their color quickly. Pipes should not be swallowed while eating the fruit. This is said to have bad effect in the intestines and may cause appendicitis.

Useful References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4007340/
• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/is-pomegranate-a-superfood/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3514854/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24949028
• https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html#Origin%20and%20Distribution

Botanical Name :: Carica papaya

Indian Name :: Papita

Description

The papaya has been regarded as one of the most valuable of tropical fruits. It is a large, fleshy. hollow berry up to 50-60 cm. in diameter and usually weighs from 1/2 kg. to 2 kg. It is cylindrical or pear-shaped. The central cavity is surrounded by hundreds of small seeds, though sometimes seedless varieties of the fruit are also found.

The fruit has a thin smooth skin. It is dark green in color at first, but as the papaya ripens, it changes to bright yellowish or orange. Inside, the thick juicy flesh has a soft melting quality, and may be yellow or pink. It has a delicate aroma and delicious flavor.

Origin and Distribution

Papaya appears to have originated .in southern Mexico and Costa Rica. It was taken by the Spaniards to Manila in the mid-16th century and gradually spreed to all tropical and sub­tropical countries. It is now widely cultivated in India, China, Sri Lanka, Malaya, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Central and South Africa, Philippines, Australia and on most of the Pacific islands.

Food Value

Papaya is regarded as a wholesome fruit. The daily requirements of some of the essential nutrients like proteins, mineral and vitamins can be met from this fruit. The vitamin C contents in papaya increases as the maturity progresses. Its carbohydrate content is mainly of invert sugar which is a form of predigested food.

Papaya*

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties of Papaya

The papaya has remarkable medicinal virtues which were fully recognized even in ancient times. It is not only one of the most easily digested fruits, but it also aids the digestion of other foods. Ripe papaya is excellent tonic for growing children, for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It is an energy giving food.

1. Digestive Aid:- Modern scientific investigations into the properties of the papaya have confirmed many of the ancient beliefs in its virtues. The most important of these virtues is the discovery of a protein­ digesting enzyme in the milky juice or latex, which is carried in a network of vessels throughout the plant. The enzyme is similar to pepsin in its digestive action and is reputed to be so powerful that it can digest 200 times its own weight in protein. Its effect is to assist the body’s own enzymes in assimilating the maximum nutritional value from food to provide energy and body building materials.
2. Intestinal Disorders:- Papain in the raw papaya is highly beneficial in the deficiency of gastric juice, excess of unhealthy mucus in the stomach, in dyspepsia and intestinal irritation. The ripe fruit, if eaten regularly, corrects habitual constipation, bleeding piles and chronic diarrhea. The juice of the papaya seeds is also useful in dyspepsia and bleeding piles.
3. Roundworms:- The digestive enzyme, papain in the milky juice of the unripe papaya is powerful anthelmintic for (i.e. which has the power to destroy) roundworms. A tablespoonful of the fresh juice and equal quantity of honey should be mixed with three to four tablespoonful of hot water and taken as a dose by an adult. This dose should be followed two hours later by a dose of 30 to 60 ml. of castor oil mixed in 250-375 ml. of luke warm milk. This treatment should be repeated for two days, if necessary. For children of 7 to 10 years, half the above doses should be given. For children under three years. a teaspoonful is sufficient.
   Papaya seeds are also useful for this purpose, they are rich in a substance called caricin which is a very effective medicine for expelling roundworms. The alkaloid carpaine found in the leaves has also the power to destroy or expel intestinal worms. They are given with honey.
4. Skin Disorders:- The juice of the raw papaya, being an irritant, is useful in several skin disorders. It is applied with beneficial results to swellings to prevent pus formation or suppuration and to corns, warts, pimples horn, an excrescence or an abnormal outgrowth of the skin and other skin diseases. The juice as a cosmetic, removes freckles or brown spots due to exposure to sunlight and makes the skin smooth and delicate. A paste of the papaya seeds is applied in skin diseases like ringworm.
5. Menstrual Irregularities:- The unripe papaya helps the contraction of the muscle fibres of the womb and is thus beneficial in securing proper menstrual flow. It is especially helpful in case of cessation of menstruation due to exposure to the cold or due to fright in young unmarried girls.
6. Cirrhosis of the liver:- Black seeds of papaya are highly beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism, malnutrition etc. A tablespoonful of juice obtained by grinding the seeds, mixed with ten drops of fresh lime juice, should be given once or twice daily for about a month as a medicine for this diseases.
7. Throat Disorders:– Fresh juice of raw papaya mixed with honey can be applied with beneficial results over inflamed tonsils for diphtheria and other throat disorders. It dissolves the membrane and prevents infection from spreading.
8. Spleen Enlargement:– Ripe papaya is highly valuable in enlargement of the spleen. The fruit should be skimmed, cut into pieces and immersed in vinegar for a week. About 20 grams of the fruit thus preserved should be consumed twice with meals in the treatment of this disease. 4 Slices of peeled raw fruit with cumin seeds and pepper can also be used once daily to cure enlargement of the spleen due to malaria.

Uses

Papaya is used in a variety of ways. The ripe fresh fruits are eaten throughout the tropics for breakfast and dessert, and in fruit salads. They are used for making soft drinks, jams and ice­ cream flavoring. They are also canned in syrup. Unripe fruits are generally taken as a vegetable.

Papain, prepared from the dried latex of immature fruits is used in meat-tenderizing preparation, manufacture of chewing­gum, in cosmetics and as a drug for digestive ailments.

Botanical Name :: Citrus aurantium

Indian Name :: Santra

Description

The orange is one of the finest gifts of nature. It is the most popular wide-spread of the citrus fruits. It is a very delicious and nourishing fruit which is up to 12 em. in diametric, though most common ones are only 6 to 8 em. in diameter. The fruit grows on a spreading evergreen tree, up to 12 me. tall, .with dark green leaves and fragrant flowers.

There are many varieties of oranges. The more important i ones are loose-skinned orange, tight-skinned orange and sour orange. The loose-skinned orange is very popular in India and the tight-skinned one is very popular in Europe.

Origin and Distribution

The orange is a native of southern China. It is believed to have been introduced into south India from where it was taken to the western world by Vasco da Gama in 1498. However, it did not spread in India and ~e present cultivated varieties were introduced from abroad. It is extensively cultivated in the U.S.A., Spain, Brazil, China, Japan, Palestine, Italy, South Africa, Egypt and Mexico. In India, the loose-skinned orange grows widely in Nagpur and Pune in Maharashtra state, Assam and Coorg.

Food Value

The orange is a rich source of protective food ingredients like vitamins A, B, C and calcium and its health-promot in properties emanate from this fact. It is superior to almost and other fruit as a source of calcium. The orange also contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, copper, sulphur and chlorine.

Orange*

Its vitamin C content helps the body tissues to use the calcium contained in the food.

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties of Orange

The orange is a predigested food as the starch of the orange is converted into readily assimilate sugar by the rays of the sun. It is thus readily absorbed in the blood. It produces heat and energy in the body immediately after its use.

The regular use of orange prevents frequent attacks of common cold, influenza and bleeding tendencies. It keeps one healthy and strong and contribute towards longevity. Orange juice, among all the fruit juices, is more suitable for all ages and can be given with advantage in all kinds of diseases.

1. Fevers:- Orange is an excellent food in all types of fever when the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered. The fever patient suffer from blood poisoning called toxemia and the lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavour of orange juice helps greatly in overcoming these drawbacks. Orange juice is the most ideal liquid food in fevers like typhoid, tuberculosis and measles. It gives energy, increases urinary output and promotes body resistance against infectionS, thereby, hastening recovery.
2. Dyspepsia:- The orange is an effective food remedy in chronic dyspepsia. It gives rest to the digestive organs and supplies nutrition in a most easily assimilate form. It also stimulates the flow of digestive juices thereby improving digestion and increasing appetite. It creates suitable condition for the development of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
3. Constipation:- The orange is beneficial in the treatment of constipation. Taking one or two oranges at bedtime and again on rising in the morning is an excellent way of stimulating bowel action. The general stimulating influence of orange juice excites peristaltic activity and helps prevent the accumulation of food residue in the colon, which leads to putrefaction and auto-intoxication.
4. Diseases of Bone and Teeth:- This fruit, being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin C, is valuable in the diseases of the bone and teeth. Disorders ill the structure of the teeth usually result from shortage of vitamin C and calcium and these can be overcome by sufficient intake of orange. Dr. Harke, a Chicago physician, has claimed to have cured several patients of pyorrhea and dental caries by giving them orange juice in large amounts.
5. Children’s Ailments:- Orange juice is considered an excellent food for infants who are not fed on breast milk. They should be given 15 ml. to 120 ml. of orange juice daily according to age. It prevents scurvy and rickets and helps growth. This juice can also be given with beneficial results to more grown up babies whose normal development is in satisfactory. They should be given 60 ml. to 120 ml. of orange juice daily.
6. Heart Disease:- Orange juice, sweetened with honey, is highly beneficial in heart diseases. In cardiac conditions like coronary ischaemia and infarction, when only liquid food is advisable. The use of orange juice with honey is a very safe energy giving liquid food.
7. Difficult Expectoration’s:- The use of orange juice mixed with a pinch of salt and tablespoonful of honey is an effective food remedy for tuberculosis, asthma, common cold, bronchitis and other conditions of cough associated with difficult expectoration! Due to its saline action in the lungs, it eases expectorations and protects from secondary infection.
8. Acne:- The orange peel is valuable in the treatment of pimples and acne. The peel, pounded well with water on a piece of stone, should be applied to the affected areas. It is said to be more effective, if it is pounded with rain water.

Uses

The orange is used in a variety of ways. It is usually taken as a dessert fruit. Large quantities of the fruit are used for making orange juice, which is canned. It is also made into squashes. Oranges are also used for marmalade and jams. Essential oil from the rind of the fruit is valued in perfumery

Botanical Name :: Mangilera indica

Indian Name :: Aam

Description

The mango enjoys a unique status among the fruits. It is the most popular fruit of the tropics and is called ‘The King of Asiatic fruits’. It is regarded as a valuable item of diet and a household remedy. The mango is fleshy drupe, variable in size and shape. with varying mixtures of green, yellow and red color. Inside the fruit is stony endocarp, variable in size. Mango grows on a large, erect, branched, evergreen tree. The leaves, when fully grown, are stiff, pointed and deep glossy green. These are used in ceremonial decorations. The dry twigs are used to light sacred fires. The worst type of mangoes are very fibrous with turpentine flavor, but the best are juicy, sweet, with very little fibre and a deliciously piquant flavor

Origin and Distribution

The mango is indigenous to India. It has been cultivated here for over 4000 years. In Vedas, mango is praised as a heavenly fruit. In Hindu mythology; it is believed that when Lord Shiva and Parvati came from Himalayas, they missed this heavenly fruit. Parvati who was very fond of mango, requested her husband to create mango tree by his Divine Power. Lord Shiva fulfilled her desire and mango appeared in India.

Alexander and his army men were the first Europeans who saw mango fruit in India in 327 Be. It was probably taken to Malaya and neighboring East Asian countries by Indians in the fifth century BC and to the East African coast by Persians about 10th century AD.

Besides India, the fruit is now widely grown in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Haiti, Mexico and Brazil. Numerous varieties are cultivated. In India alone, there are over 500 varieties, but only about 35 varieties are extensively cultivated.

Food Value

The mango is used as food in all stages of its development. Green or unripe mango contains a large portion of starch which gradually changes into glucose, sucrose and maltose as the fruit begins to ripe. It disappears completely when the fruit is fully ripe. Green mango is a rich source of pectin which gradually diminishes after the formation of the stone. Unripe mango is sour in taste because of the presence of oxalic, citric, malice and succinic acids.

Mango*

The raw mango is a valuable source of vitamin C. It contains more vitamin C than half ripe or fully ripe mangoes, It is also a good source of vitamin B1 and B2 and contains sufficient quantity of niacin. These vitamins differ in concentration in various varieties during the stages of maturity and environmental conditions. The ripe fruit is very wholesome and nourishing. The chief food ingredient of mango is sugar. The acids contained in the fruit are tartaric acid and malic acid, besides a trace of citric acid. These acids are utilized by the body and they help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties

The mango is well-known for its medicinal properties both in unripe and ripe states. The unripe fruit is acidic, astringent and anti scorbutic. The skin of the unripe fruit is astringent and stimulant tonic. The bark is also astringent and has a marked action on mucous membranes. Mango pickles preserved in oil and salted solution is used throughout India . However, these pickles, if extremely sour, spicy and oily. are not good for health and should be specially avoided by those suffering from arthritis, rheumatism, .sinusitis, sore throat and hyperacidity. The ripe mango is anti scorbutic, diuretic, laxative, invigorating, fattening and astringent. It tones up the heart muscle, improves complexion and stimulates appetite. It increases the seven body nutrients, called ‘dhatus’ in Ayurveda. They are food juice, blood. flesh, fat, bone marrow and semen. The fruit is beneficial in liver disorders, loss of weight and other physical disturbances.

Natural benefits of Unripe Mango

1. Heat Stroke:- The unripe mango protects men from the adverse effects of hot, scorching winds. A drink, prepared from the unripe mango by cooking it in hot ashes and mixing the pith with sugar and water, is an effective remedy for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Eating raw mango with salt quenches thirst and prevents the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating.
2. Gastro-Intestinal Disorders:– Unripe green mangoes are beneficial in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders. Eating one or two small tender mangoes in which the seed is not fully formed with salt and honey is found to be very effective medicine for summer diarrhea, dysentery, piles, morning sickness, chronic dyspepsia, indigestion and constipation.
3. Bilious Disorders:- Unripe mangoes are an excellent fruit remedy for bilious disorders. The acids contained in the green mango increase the secretion of bile and act as intestinal antiseptic. Therefore, eating green mango daily with honey and pepper cures biliousness, food putrefaction i.e. when proteins are decomposed by bacteria; urticaria and jaundice. It tones up the liver and keeps it healthy.
4. Blood Disorders:- The green mango is valuable in blood disorders because of its high vitamin C content. It increases the elasticity of the blood vessels and helps the formation of new blood cells. It aids the absorption of food-iron and prevents bleeding tendencies. It increases body resistance against tuberculosis, anemia, cholera and dysentery.
5. Scurvy:- The amchur, a popular article of diet in Indian houses, consists of green mangoes skinned, stoned, cut into pieces and dried in the sun. 15 gm. of it is believed to be equivalent to 30 gm. of good lime on account of its citric content. It is valuable in the treatment of scurvy.

Natural benefits of ripe Mango

1. Eye Disorders:- Ripe mangoes are highly beneficial in the treatment of night blindness in which one cannot see properly in dim light. This disease is caused by vitamin A deficiency. It is very common among children who are victim of malnutrition due to poverty. Liberal use of mangoes during the season will be very effective in such conditions. It will also prevent many other eye diseases which may ultimately cause total blindness. Eating mangoes liberally will also prevent development of refractive errors, dryness of the eyes, softening of the cornea, itching and burning in the eyes.
2. Infections:- All bacterial invasions are due to poor epithelium the tissue that covers the external surface of the body. Liberal use of mangoes during the season contributes towards formation of healthy epithelium, thereby preventing frequent attacks of common infections such as colds rhinitis and sinusitis. This is attributable to high concentration of vitamin A in mangoes.
3. Loss of Weight:- The mango-milk cure is an ideal treatment for loss of weight. For this mode of treatment, ripe and sweet mangoes should always be selected. They should be taken thrice a day-morning, noon and evening. The mangoes should be taken first and then followed by milk. The mango is rich in sugar but deficient in protein. On the other hand, milk is rich in protein but deficient in sugar. The deficiency of the one is made up by the other. Mango thus combines very well with milk and exclusive mango­ milk diet taken for at least one month, will lead to improvement in health, vigour and gain in weight. The quantity of milk and of the mangoes to be consumed in this mode of treatment should be carefully regulated according to the condition of the patient. For rapid gain in weight, about 4 to 5 litres of milk should be consumed with 3 to 4 kg. of mangoes.
4. Diabetes:- The tender leaves of the mango tree are considered useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared from fresh leaves by soaking them overnight in water and squeezing them well in water before filtering it in the morning. This infused water should be taken every morning to control early diabetes. As an alternative to infusion. leaves can be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved. Half a teaspoonful of this powder should be taken twice a day, in the morning and evening.
5. Diarrhea:- The mango seeds are valuable in diarrhea. The seeds should be collected during the mango season, dried in the shade and powdered and stored for use as medicine. It should be given in doses of about one and a half gram to two grams with or without honey. Juice of fresh flowers when taken with one or two teaspoonful of curds, is also valuable in diarrhea.
6. Female Disorders:- Mango seeds are considered useful in certain disorders connected with women reproductive organs. According to Dr. Aman, ‘A teaspoonful,of the paste of the decorticated kernel of mango is applied inside the vagina to cure leucorrhoea, vaginitis, and relaxed wans due to multiple pregnancies. Its use half an hour before conjugal union gives a virgin feeling and acts as a safe contraceptive. This has been tried many times with gratifying results.
   Juice of the fresh mango bark is also valuable in heavy bleeding during menstruation, i.e. menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, mucus and pus discharges from the uterus and bleeding or hemorrhage from uterus. The juice is given with the addition of white of an egg or some mucilage a kind of vegetable glue obtained from plant and a little opium in these diseases. In the alternative, a mixture of 10 ml. of a fluid extract of the bark and 120 ml. of water is given in doses of a teaspoonful every hour or two.
7. Throat Disorders:- The mango bark is very efficacious in the treatment of diphtheria and other throat diseases. Its fluid is locally applied and also used as a gargle. The gargle is prepared by mixing 10 ml. of the fluid extract with 125 ml. of water

Precaution

Unripe mangoes should not be eaten in-excess. Their excessive intake may cause throat irritation, indigestion, dysentery and abdominal colic. One should, therefore, not consume more than one or two green mangoes daily. Water should not be drunk immediately after eating the green mango because it coagulates the sap and makes it more irritant. Sap or milky juice which comes out on breaking the stalk of the green mango is irritant and astringent. Eating green mangoes without draining the sap may cause mouth, throat and gastro intestinal irritations. The sap should, therefore be fully squeezed out or the skin should be peeled before using raw mango.

Excessive use of mangoes produce ailments like constipation, eye affections, blood impurities and seasonal fever. Children who use the fruit in excess generally suffer from skin disease in its season.

Botanical Name :: Citrusaurantifolia

Indian Name :: Niboo

Description

The lime is an important fruit of citrus group. It is very popular all through the tropics and is used as a necessary adjunct in everyday meal. It is regarded as a health-building food of great value. Limes are generally mistaken for lemons, but they represent two varieties of the same genus. The lime is smaller in size than the lemon, with a thin smooth skin. It has sweet smell and contains less juice than the lemon. The lime grows on a small, multi-branched tree up to 5 me. in height, with spiny branches, small green leaves and white and strongly scented flowers.

There are many varieties of limes, differing in size, color and shape. They are, however, classified into two main groups, namely, the sweet and the acid limes. The sweet limes contain a. higher proportion of sugar but they have an insipid taste and are not considered to be of high nutritive value. They are, therefore, not grown on any great scale. Acid or sour limes, on the other hand, are extensively cultivated as their importance as food and medicine has been recognized for centuries. The two most popularly known varieties are Pari and Kagzi niboo

Origin and Distribution

The lime is believed to have originated in India, where it has been grown since remote times. Arab traders are believed to have taken it to Eastern Mediterranean and Western countries in about l000 AD. The Spaniards took it to the New, World early in their colonization. It has since spread throughout the tropics, where it is the most commonly cultivated species of the acid citrus.

Food Value

Acid limes are excellent source of free citric acid, natural sugar, vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus. It contains by far more vitamin C than the lemon. It is generally used for its juice which is taken in various ways. The best way to use it is to take with water. The lime juice forms an indispensable ingredient of salads. In fruit salads, it helps to retain the normal color of fruits and imparts tart flavor. It is often mixed with cooked pulses, soups, sauces and gravies to make them more tasty and palatable.

Lime*

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties

The juice of fresh limes is being used in medicine from ancient times in India. In Vadas, lime has been mentioned as a sacred fruit. Cutting limes after reciting certain Mantras is considered an effective method for driving away the evil spirits. Charaka and Sharangdhara, the two famous physicians of ancient India, have mentioned about the therapeutic value of lime in various diseases of bones and joints. The vitamin C content in lime increases the body’s resistance to disease, aids the healing of wounds and prevents damage to the eyes. Vitamin C is also helpful in maintaining the health of the teeth and other bones of the body. It prevents decay and loosening of the teeth, dental caries, toothache, bleeding of the gums and fragility of bones.

The rind of the fruit also has medicinal properties. It contains a volatile oil which is used in medicine for improving digestion and removing wind

1. Scurvy:- As a rich source of vitamin C, the lime has been regarded as a food of exceptional therapeutic value. It has saved the lives of innumerable crews of ocean-going vessels from scurvy. The Boards of Trade regulations have made it compulsory for the crew to have a supply of lime juice when vegetables are not available.
2. Digestive Disorders:- Lime is considered highly beneficial in the treatment of digestive disorders. A teaspoonful of fresh lime-juice should be mixed with equal quantity of bony. It should be licked to stop bilious vomiting, indigestion, burning in the chest due to high acidity in the stomach and excessive accumulation of saliva in the mouth.
   A teaspoonful of lime juice mixed with water and a pinch of soda bicarb makes an excellent remedy for reducing the acidity in the stomach. It also acts as a powerful carminative in case of indigestion. It produces a marked sedative effect in the stomach due to release of carbonic acid gas.
3. Constipation:- The lime juice is of great value in constipation, when it is taken as the first thing in the morning in a glass of warm water. In chronic cases, it helps remove tire disorder by promoting biliary secretion from liver.
4. Peptic Ulcers:- The citric acid in limes has an alkaline reaction in the system. This acid together with the mineral salts present in the juice, helps the digestion by assisting in the absorption of fats and alcohol and by neutralizing excessive bile produced by the liver. The juice counteracts the effects of greasy food and reduces gastric acidity. It is, therefore, specially valuable in the treatment of peptic ulcers.
5. Common Cold:- Lime is ideal in alt types of fevers and cold if taken well ­diluted. Vitamin C rich lime juice increases resistance, reduces toxicity and cuts down the course of the illness. Unless one is specially allergic to citrus fruits, one should not avoid lime in cold. A glass of diluted lime juice prepared in warm water, to which a teaspoonful of honey is added, is an ideal remedy for cold and dry cough.
6. Tonsillitis:- Lime has proved effective in the treatment of acute tonsillitis. A fresh lime squeezed in a glass of warm water, with four teaspoonful of honey and a quarter teaspoonful of common salt, should be sipped slowly in such cases.
7. Gums :- Lime is valuable in swollen gums. A glass of diluted fresh lime juice mixed with a pinch of rock salt should be taken in this condition. The squeezed lime rind should also be rubbed over the gums, before throwing it away.
8. Eye Disorders:- Lime juice is valuable in eye disorders. Few drops of warm lime-juice diluted with water should be instilled in the eyes in case of conjunctivitis. Its regular use with pure rose water in the ratio of 1:4 is helpful in preventing old-age cataract.
9. Cystitis:- Lime has proved valuable in cystitis – ie., inflammation of urinary bladder. A teaspoonful of lime juice should be put in 180 gm. of boiling water. It should then be allowed to cool and 60 gm. of this water should be given eVery two hours in this condition. It gives relief to burning sensation and also stops bleeding in cystitis.
10. Scorpion Sting:- When externally applied, fresh lime is highly beneficial in the treatment of scorpion sting. A crystal of potassium permanganate should be put over it. It will have effect in ten minutes.
11. Obesity:– The lime juice is also excellent for weight reduction. It has a sedative effect on the nerves. Fresh juice’ of a lime mixed in a glassful of water and sweetened with honey should be taken every morning on empty stomach in case of obesity. It will reduce the weight in two to three months time. One should however, take low calorie diet to get the desired result.

Precaution

Limes should not be used in excess. The alkaline salts of the lime juice neutralize the free uric acid and precipitate it. It has; therefore, been found that its excessive use may cause the formation of renal calculi.

Excessive sucking of fresh lime is also bad for teeth as the acid damages the delicate enamel of the teeth and makes them sensitive. Its excessive use weakens digestion and impoverishes the blood.

Botanical Name :: Citrus limon

Indian Name :: Bara nimbu, Pahari nimbu

Description

The lemon is an important fruit of citrus group. It ranks high as a health food. It is sometimes mistaken for the lime, but the lime is a smaller species and the lemon forms a bigger variety, with a rough, thin and loose rind.

Lemon is oval in shape and light yellow in color with thick, rough skin. When riPe it has pale yellow pulp, abundant juice and a small number of seeds.

Origin and Distribution

The lemon is indigenous to the north-west regions of India, ascending to an altitude of 4,000 ft. It has been cultivated in south-east Asia from ancient times. It reached Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. It is now widely grown in all tropical and subtropical countries, notably in the United States, Spain, Portugal, France, West Indies and New South Wales. In India, lemon is cultivated in home gardens and small-sized orchards in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bombay, Madras and Mysore.

Food Value

The lemon is rich in many food ingredients, particularly citric acid. Different varieties contain this acid in different proportions ranging from 3.71 to 8.40 percent. It is mainly due to its citric acid and Vitamin C contents that the lemon is widely used in medicine. It is valued for its juice which is mostly used as an accessory food. It increases the flavor and improves the taste of various dishes. It is often used in the preparation of salads and prevents and discoloration of sliced bananas and apple. It is widely used in the preparation of lemonades, squashes, jams, jellies and marmalades. The lemon juice has a good keeping quality and it can be preserved for a long time with certain precautions.

Lemon*

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties

The various parts of the lemon used for medicinal purposes are rind of the ripe fruit, essential oil of the rind and expressed juice of the ripe fruit. A pale yellow volatile oil is derived either through distillation or by squeezing out from fresh outer part of the paricarp of the fruit. Though the oil is bitter yet it is highly valued in medicine as a flavoring agent, carminative that relives flatulence for treating gastric discomfort and stomachic that improves appetite.

Rind is also both stomachic and carminative. Lemon juice, the expressed and strained juice of the ripe fruit, is valuable as anti scorbutic and refrigerant. It destroys the toxins in the body. This detoxifying property arises from its high potassium content. The germs of diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases are destroyed by its use. The juice also encourages bile secretion and is valuable in jaundice and gravels-a condition of small stone in urinary tract. The bark of the lemon tree is used as febrifuge which prevents fever and seeds as a vermifuge which expels worms from intestine.

1. Scurvy :- The lemon is chiefly valued for its vitamin C content. Its juice contains more vitamin than the whole fruit, being about 60 ml per 100 gram. The juice also contains appreciable quantity of vitamin B. This makes it anti scorbutic or an excellent food medicine for the prevention and treatment of scurvy. A mixture of one part of lemon juice, three parts of water and a desirable quantity of sugar or honey should be taken in this condition.
2. Oral Diseases :- Due to its high content of vitamin C, lemon strengthens the gums and teeth. It is also very effective for preventing and curing acute inflammations of the gum margins, pyorrhea, dental caries and other oral diseases.
3. Throat Disorders :- Lemon is highly beneficial in the treatment of throat disorders such as catarrh, choking sensation and itching sensitivities. A ripe unpeeled lemon should be roasted slowly until it begins to crack open. Then one teaspoonful Of the juice with a little honey should be taken once every hour, or the same juice of the roasted lemon in a glass of boiled water should be taken flavored with honey. It should be sipped slowly.
4. Burning Soles and Heels :- Sliced lemon should be rubbed over the entire burning soles and heals of feet. A great deal of toxin elimination takes place through the pores of the feet. Lemon application promotes such elimination and keep the feet free from pain and distress.
5. Digestive Problems :- A ripe lemon is a good appetizer. The lemon juice stimulates the flow of saliva and gastric juice and is regarded as an excellent digestive agent. It destroys intestinal worms and eliminates the gases formed in the digestive tract. It is highly beneficial in the treatment of several digestive problems like dyspepsia, constipation and biliousness. Heartburn is easily relieved by taking the juice of half a lemon in a little water.
6. Fevers :- Lemon juice makes an effective thirst-quenching drink in pox, measles, scarlet and other fevers which are attendant with extreme thirst and a very hot and dry skin. About 15 to 25 Km. of lemon juice should be taken in these conditions.
7. Hemorrhage :- Lemon is effective in the hemorrhage or bleeding of lungs. stomach, intestines, uterus, kidneys and other internal organs. In these cases, lemon juice should be taken with water several tierns a day.
8. Obesity :- An exclusive lemon juice is an effective remedy for obesity. 011 the first day the patient should be given nothing but plenty of water. On the second day juice of three lemons mixed with equal amount of water should be given. One lemon should be subsequently increased each day until the juice of 12 lemons is consumed per day. Then the number of lemons should be decreased in the same order until three lemons are taken in a day. The patient may feel weak and hungry on first two days, but afterwards the condition will stabilise by itself.
9. Cholera :- Lemon has been provided by nature with wonderful anticholera properties. Lemon juice can kill cholera bacilli within a very short time. It is also a very effective and reliable preventive food item against cholera during the epidemic. For this purpose, it can be taken in the form of sweetened or salted beverages. Taking of lemon with food as a daily routine also saves from cholera.
10. Beauty Aid :- Lemon is regarded as a youth restorative. It helps create youthful health. To help cleanse blemished skin, the area should be rubbed with a fresh piece of lemon. The juice should be soaked into the skin, allowing it to remain overnight. Strained fresh lemon juice mixed with cool water should be used to wash the hair to add to their brightness. Dry or scaly skin should be rubbed with the peel of a lemon. It will restore the skin to softness. Rough elbows can be soften by rubbing the area with the cut side of a lemon.
11. Corns :- Lemon is valuable in corns. A fresh slice of lemon should be tied over the painful area at night and it should be allowed to remain there whole night.