Ayurveda recommends apples to gain a healthy weight, increase sexual function, libido in men and women, and improve taste (rejuvenation of taste buds).
Related article 4 Ayurvedic Juice Recipes for Effective Weight Loss
It is popular saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This is true as apple has many medicinal properties and health benefits. It is a good source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, carbohydrates, and fiber. It has the botanical name Malus Domestica and belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree growing up to 4 ft.
The fruit, bark, and roots of this tree are used for medicinal purposes.
Apple Medicinal Properties According to Ayurveda
Apple has many names in Ayurveda.It is known as mushtipramana, badara, sevam, sivitikaaphalam. Texts of Ayurveda describe the medicinal properties of this fruit as follows.
Ripe apple balances Vata dosha and pitta dosha, but increases kapha dosha. It is sweet to taste (madhura rasa) and retains sweetness even after digestion (vipaka). It is heavy to digest (guru). Apple acts as a body coolant (sheeta veerya) It improves taste, helps to gain healthy weight (brumhana), and boosts the health of shukra dhatu.
Apple has many nutrients and constituents which are the reason for its medicinal properties.
Helps in healthy weight gain
Acharya Bhavaprakasha says that apples can be used in Ayurveda weight gain therapy or brumhana therapy. Persons who want to gain a healthy weight can use this fruit in their daily diet. Since it has a sweet taste or madhura rasa and heavy or guru quality along with cool potency it helps to increase the bulk of the body.
Boosts the health of Shukra dhatu
Due to its properties, it strengthens shukra dhatu. Strong and healthy shukra dhatu promotes sexual health, increases sperm count naturally, and helps in klaibya or erectile dysfunction. This fruit can be used in ayurvedic remedies for erectile dysfunction. This fruit can also be used as a vajikarana food.
Helps in weight loss
Since apple is high in fiber, eating apple along with their skin helps to control appetite and hunger pangs. It fills the stomach and satiates the sweet tooth.
Apple a day can keep the extra pounds away. New research says that the growth of good bacteria in our intestines helps in weight loss. Apples contain non-digestible compounds that promote the growth of good bacteria in our gut which promote weight loss. Hence consume an apple a day to aid healthy and good weight loss.
Helps in the management of diabetes
As this fruit helps in weight loss, this can be used to prevent diabetes. Its constituents like polyphenols (in its skin) and anti-oxidants may help to stimulate the secretion of insulin and increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin.
Relieves Constipation:
Consuming apples after a meal helps to normalize bowel movement. It provides a sufficient quantity of fibers and boosts intestinal motility. People who have sensitive digestive systems can peel the apple skin and immerse the apple in hot water for ten minutes to make it soft. Always eat an apple one hour after the meal. This helps to relieve constipation.
Soothes Sore gums:
When you have mouth ulcers and sore gums, peel the apple and cut it into pieces. Chew these pieces slowly. It cleans the gums and tongue.
Cools the bladder In Cystitis, UTI, gastritis and colitis:
Prepare apple juice and add a spoonful of fresh ginger juice to it. Consume this juice, an hour after a meal. This relieves cystitis, UTI (burning urination), gastritis, and colitis as in Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
In diarrhea and dysentery:
Peel a few apples and cook them. Add a pinch of nutmeg, saffron, and a teaspoon of ghee to the mashed apples. Consume this mix once in 4 hours when you have diarrhea and dysentery.
Helps to Boost Libido in Women:
Apples are storehouses of vitamins and minerals. This help to boost the female libido in women. The following dessert can be used as a libido booster.
Peel a few apples and remove their cores. Mash these apples to get the soft pulp. Add honey, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, and saffron. This delicious dessert can be eaten 1 hour after a meal.
Other Health benefits of apple
- Helps to reduce cholesterol
- Prevents tooth decay
- Helps to prevent Alzheimer
- Lowers risk of cancer
- Makes gall bladder stones soft
Ayurveda Home Remedies with Apple
Apples are available in many colors and with various tastes. Always choose apples that are ripe and sweet to taste. Sour apples may cause vitiation of pitta and acidity. Sweet and fully ripened apples are good for health. Hence our ancestors have coined the saying “Apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Sweet apples have little astringent (kashaya rasa) properties and pacify pitta and kapha. Uncooked sweet apples may vitiate vata, in some persons.
If you have a delicate digestive system, then do not forget to peel the skin of the apple. Its skin may cause indigestion and lead to the formation of gas by imbalanced Agni or body fire. Discard the seeds as their consumption may cause aggravation of Vata.
Don’t Eat Apple with these foods
Never eat apples immediately after consuming fish, milk or yogurt, or curd as these form an unhealthy combination of foods or opposite foods (viruddhahara)
Author : Dr. Savitha Suri Consultant Ayurvedic Physician
Reference – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442131/
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