Babul - Health Benefits, Therapeutic Uses (Indian Gum Arabic Tree)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Acacia, popularly known as Babool, it is a large tree, up to 14 meters high, with thorn branches. It has darkish grey bark and yellow flowers in spherical heads. The tree yields a gum known as babul gum, the bark the leaves and fruit of babool tree all contains tannin and gallic acid.

Its bark, leaves and pods are used in Ayurveda to treat various health ailments like skin disease, to promote physical strength, diabetes, worm infestation, weakness and hemorrhage.

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2. Common Names

• Family - Mimosoideae.
• Hindi Name - Babool, Kikar.
• English Name - Babul, Indian Gum Arabic Tree.
• Synonyms - Yugmakantak, Kinkiraat, Kinkirath.

3. Morphology

It is a perennial tree of medium height, with black rough fissured bark and a pair of long spines in the axil.

Bark - Black, rough, and longitudinal fissured.

Leaves - Bipinnate with spinescent stipules.

Flower - Golden-yellow color, crowned in long-peduncled globose head.

Gum - Different shape and size, red or light yellow, tasteless and odorless, soluble in double quantity water.

4. Ayurvedic Properties 

5. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

It Ayurvedic actions are, skin disease, worm infestation, diarrhea, dysentric, bone fracture, menometrorrhagia, rectal prolapse, stomatitis, diabetes, hemorrhage, weakness.

Pharmacological Actions

Its Pharmacological actions are appetizer and fecal astringent, wound healing, anthelmintic, antileprotic and antidote.

Gum

Promote physical strength, aphrodisiac, oleation, and diuretic.

6. Health Benefits 

The leaves and the bark are useful in arresting secretion or bleeding. The pods help to remove catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. The gum allays any irritation of the skin and soothes the inflamed membranes of the pharynx, alimentary canal, and Genito-urinary organs.

Here are some benefits of Babul bark and Babool Pods.

Acacia nilotica Bark Benefits

• Babool bark is commonly known as babool chaal or Vachellia Nilotica Bark. It contains tannin, calcium, and magnesium, and the bark is mainly used for oral health.
• The bark has cool potency and aphrodisiac, and astringent in taste, it is dark brown, and it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, astringent, and antioxidant properties.
• It is beneficial in oral health, uterus swelling, and healing wounds. It is also beneficial in bleeding piles, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, and bleeding gums, and is used for vaginal infections.
• It gives relief from cold and cough symptoms. It is also beneficial in treating skin diseases and burns injuries and helps to control bleeding and infections.
• Chewing small pieces of fresh babool bark is good for oral health. Babool bark is highly beneficial in managing oral health problems and strengthens gums & teeth because of its astringent properties.
• Regular use of babul bark makes your teeth stronger, and gums healthier, and reduces plaque accumulation.
• Its Kapha balance property gives relief from sore throat and helps to remove mucus from the air passage for ease of breathing.
• It is also beneficial to treat diarrhea and loss of motion and improve metabolism, giving strength to the intestine.

Kikar / Acacia nilotica Pods Benefits

It is green in color when young and pale white after maturing, it contains seeds that are symmetrically adjusted in the pods.

• Babul pods contain vitamins and minerals, and seeds are a moderate source of energy, it is also rich in soluble and non-soluble fiber.
• Babul phali has analgesic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, it has a bitter and astringent taste.
• It is beneficial in joint pain, if you are struggling with joint pain then you must try the babul phali or pods powder.
• It is not only good for joint pain. It is also beneficial for patients with arthritis. To get rid of knee pain, you can take the powder of acacia pods with warm water in the morning and evening.
• Babul pods are beneficial for frequent headache problems. It also gives relief from women’s leukorrhea problems, male sexual health, back pain, and body weakness.

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Acacia nilotica Gum Benefits

1. Soothing Properties: Babool gum is known for its soothing and cooling properties. It can be used topically to alleviate inflammation, skin irritation, and minor wounds.

2. Oral Health: Babool gum is a common ingredient in Ayurvedic toothpaste and oral care products. Its antimicrobial and astringent properties may help in maintaining oral hygiene, reducing plaque formation, and strengthening gums.

3. Digestive Support: Babool gum is believed to have a mild laxative effect and can aid in promoting healthy digestion. It is traditionally used to alleviate symptoms of diarrhea and dysentery.

4. Cooling Effect: The gum is considered cooling in nature (Sheeta Virya) in Ayurveda. It can be beneficial in managing conditions associated with excess heat in the body, such as fever or burning sensations.

5. Respiratory Health: Babool gum may help in soothing respiratory issues like cough and sore throat due to its calming and anti-inflammatory properties.

7. How to use Acacia nilotica Pods (Babool Phali) and Bark?

Conjunctivitis

Benefits – The leaves of the babul tree are effective medicine in the treatment of conjunctivitis, it helps to give relief from pain and redness.

Uses – Take fresh leaves of the babul tree, grind the paste, and apply to the affected eyes at night and bandage it, untied the next morning.

Diarrhea

Benefits – The babul tree bark, gum, and leaves are beneficial in the treatment of diarrhea, decoction, infusion, and powder are the best.

Uses – Take a mixture of equal parts of the tender leaves with white and black cumin seeds administrated in doses of 12 grams, thrice daily. An infusion made of the bark of the babul tree taken thrice daily gives relief. The gum of the babul tree is used either in decoction or in syrup.

Eczema

Benefits – The bark of the babul tree is an effective medicine in the treatment of eczema, it helps to soothe the affected part.

Uses – The affected part is fomented with the vapour of about 25 grams each of babul bark and mango tree bark, boiled in 1 liter of water. After fomentation anointing of the affected part with ghee is advised.

Epiphora

Benefits – The leaves are beneficial in treating epiphora, i.e., watering the eyes or when tears flow onto the cheeks due to a fault in the tear drainage system.

Uses – Take 250 grams of leaves have boiled them in one and a quarter liter of water until only a quarter-liter of water is left which is then filtered and kept in a corked bottle. This solution is used on the eyelids in the morning and evening.

Leucorrhea

Benefits – the bark of the babul tree is beneficial in the treatment of leucorrhea; it gives relief from inflammation and infection in the urinal tract.

Uses – Make a decoction prepared with the bark of the babul tree and used as a vaginal douche, two times a day.

Teeth disorders

Benefits – From ancient times babul bark is used for teeth and gums problems, it helps to arrest any bleeding from the gums and for cleaning teeth.

Uses – Take 60 grams of powder of charcoal of babul wood, 24 grams of roasted alum, and 12 grams of rock salt, it is an effective powder for cleaning teeth.

Tonsillitis

Benefits – Babul bark is beneficial in the treatment of tonsillitis, it helps to reduce inflammation and gives relief from sore throat.

Uses – Make a decoction of babul bark mixed with rock salt, use this decoction for gargling, thrice a day for 5 days.

Sexual Disorders

Benefits – Fresh babul pods are beneficial and effective medicine in sexual disorders like night discharge, loss of viscidity of the semen, and premature ejaculation.

In Ayurveda, a preparation made from the pods is considered highly beneficial in treating these disorders.

Uses – Take 6 grams of seedless babul pod powder and mixed with an equal weight of brown sugar. Take this mixture with cow’s milk in the morning.

Precaution before taking Babool Powder

• Do not consume Vachellia Nilotica powder if you are suffering from a breathing problem, first consult the doctor.
• Do not consume Vachellia Nilotica powder if you are suffering from a constipation problem, first consult the doctor.
• It is not recommended for breastfeeding women and for pregnant women.
• If you are on any medication, first consult the doctor before starting to take babool powder.

 Some Ayurvedic herbs may interact with Allopathy or Homeopathy.

• If you are on supplements or multivitamin tablets, consult the doctor before taking babul powder.

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8. Dose

• Bark Decoction - 50 to 100ml.
• Fruit Powder - 3 to 6gm.
• Gum - 3 to 6gm.

9. Official Part Used

Bark, Fruit and Gum.

10. Side Effects of Vachellia nilotica

There are no side effects of any Ayurvedic herb if it's taken under prescription. But in some cases, people face some side effects which are,

• Nausea
• Bloating
• Loose motion
• Skin rashes (sometimes)
• Gas

It is always advisable to consult the doctor before taking babul powder along with amoxicillin.

Note: This post is about educating about the benefits and uses of Babool, consult the Ayurvedic doctor before starting.