Jun 11, 2017

Aam - Maa
























Botanical name: Mangifera indica     
Family: Anacardiaceae (Cashew family)
Common name: Mango
Hindi: Am आम
Sanskrit: Aamra
Tamil: மா Ma
Manipuri: Heinou
Telugu: Mamidi
Malayalam: Mangga
Kannada: Mavina mara
Marathi: Amba अंबा
Konkani: Ambo आंबॉ

Description:
The mango tree is erect, 30 to 100 ft high, with a broad, rounded canopy which may, with age, attain 100 to 125 ft in width, or a more upright, oval, relatively slender crown. In deep soil, the taproot descends to a depth of 20 ft, the profuse, wide-spreading, feeder root system also sends down many anchor roots which penetrate for several feet. The tree is long-lived, some specimens being known to be 300 years old and still fruiting. Nearly evergreen, alternate leaves are borne mainly in rosettes at the tips of the branches and numerous twigs from which they droop like ribbons on slender petioles 1 to 4 in long. Hundreds and even as many as 3,000 to 4,000 small, yellowish or reddish flowers, 25% to 98% male, the rest hermaphroditic, are borne in profuse, showy, erect, pyramidal, branched clusters 2 1/2 to 15 1/2 in high. There is great variation in the form, size, color and quality of the fruits. They may be nearly round, oval, ovoid-oblong, or somewhat kidney-shaped, often with a break at the apex, and are usually more or less lop-sided.

Habitat
Mango is native to South Asia and cultivated from thousand years back. It is distributed throughout world in tropical and subtropical warm climates. Almost world's half mangoes are cultivated in India and next is China. It is also found in Central America, South, West and Central Africa, South Korea, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Different parts of this plant which can be used for multiple purposes. Fruits, seeds, pulp, bark, leaves, roots and almost any part of the plant are used for medicinal purpose.

Mango tree bark has astringent properties which make it useful to pacify kapha and pitta disorders.

Mango tree roots can treat IBS and Diarrhea.

Mango young leaves also show similar effects.

Mango flowers can be used to purify blood naturally and is also useful in gastric problems like anorexia, diarrhea, IBS etc. It is also useful in UTI and Diabetes.

Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. Studies show that mangiferin exhibits potent antidiabetic, anti hyperlipidemic properties without causing hypoglycaemia. The traditional home remedy is to boil the mango leaves in water, and soak it overnight, and then consume the filtered decoction in the morning or you can use the leaves powder available in market.

An infusion prepared from the tender leaves of mango is useful in early diabetes. Soak the leaves in water overnight, filter and have in the morning.

Dried mango seeds (Seed Kernels) are very effective for diarrhoea. Dry the mango seeds in the shade and powder them. You can store it and use when required or this can be bought in stores.

Make a decoction out of one tbsp of the pounded dry bark of the mango tree and two glasses of water. Add two tbsp of this decoction to half a glass of water and gargle with it 2-3 times a day to cure sore throat

A tooth powder made from burnt mango leaves relieves toothache
Fresh tender leaf from mango and neem tree, should be crushed and made into a coarse paste. A tsp of each taken once a day has a cleansing action on the digestive system and helps to get rid of toxins.

Mix dried mango flowers with an equal amount of dried Jamun seed powder and store it. Taking a tbsp of this every morning with hot water is good for diabetes




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