The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mango

The mango is well-known for its medicinal properties both in unripe and ripe states. The unripe fruit is acidic, astringent and antiscorbutic. 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 antiscorbutic, 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.

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.

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.

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 bacteria; urticaria and jaundice decompose proteins. It tones up the liver and keeps it healthy.

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.

Ripe Mango

Night blindness

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 that may ultimately cause total blindness. Eating mangoes liberally will also prevent development of refractive errors, drynessof the eyes, softening of the cornea, itching and burning in the eyes.

Common 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.

To gain weight

The mango-milk cure is an ideal treatment for weight gaining. 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 other makes up the deficiency of the one. Mango thus combines very well with milk and exclusive mango milk diet taken for at least one month, will lead to improvement in health, vigor 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 liters of milk should be consumed with 3 to 4 kg. of mangoes.

Banana

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.

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 and they relieve acute symptoms and promote the healing process.

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.

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.' 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.

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.

Anemia

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

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 are not allergic. The fruit, however, does cause allergic reactions in certain sensitive persons and they should avoid it.

Kidney Disorders

Bananas are valuable in kidney disorder because of their low protein and salt content and high carbohydrate content. They are useful in uremia, 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. ( Those who are suffering from kidney failure because of its high potassium content should not take the fruit.)

Tuberculosis

Bananas are considered useful in the treatment of tuberculosis; the juice of the plantain or the ordinary cooked bananas works miracles in the cure of tuberculosis.

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 clears the excretion 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.

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.

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.

Precautions

Banana, taken as a table fruit, must be thoroughly ripe as otherwise it cannot be digested in the small intestine- which then ferments in the large intestine, often causing wind. The raw bananas contain 20 to 25 per cent starch. But during the process of ripening, this starch is almost wholly converted with assimilable sugar.

Bananas should never be kept in a refrigerator as low temperature prevents their ripening. Those who are suffering from kidney failure because of its high potassium content should not take the fruit.