Health benefits of banyan tree

Banyan tree is a common tree found in many parts of India. Banyan trees are assets of our environment. It is good have knowledge why these plants are important for us.

Generally, they create a larger canopy with their branches and aerial roots and provides shade to all. For many home remedies and in Ayurveda, parts of this tree is one of the main ingredient.

Almost all parts of the plant –  bark, leaves, aerial roots, buds, milky exudes, flowers and fruits are medicinal and has several health benefits.

1. Piles: If someone has bleeding pile, consuming few drops of the milky sap daily for few weeks helps.
2. Fever: Heat and burning sensation of fever can be controlled by the kahashayam prepared with hanging roots. Decoction should be mixed with ghee and consume twice a day.
3. Diarrhea: Grind pieces of aerial roots with butter milk prepared using cow’s milk and drink.
4. Join pain: Collect milky sap and massage on joint in circular fashion. It helps to reduce the pain.
5. Tooth care: Young and tender aerial roots should be chewed to strengthen gum and teeth
6. For bad breath: Collect the milky exudate from young leaves or young branches. Mix this with honey. Apply the mix on gums. Keep this for ten minutes then wash mouth twice.
7. Boils: Apply sesame oil on the leaves and warm it on a heat source. Keep these leaves as poultice on the boils – it promotes early breaking of boils and healing process fast.
8. Heel crack: Apply milky sap to crack daily night
9. Hair care: Dry aerial roots and prepare powder. Mix the powder with lemon peel and coconut oil. Apply this to hair. This reduces baldness.
10. Acne and pimples: Apply aerial root paste on acne and pimples to reduce the pain, spreading.
11. Reducing freckles: Grind tender coconut pulp with tender leaves of banyan tree. Apply the paste on the freckle areas.
12. Fruits: Fruit paste externally can be applied on cuts, bruises, sores and ulcers.
13. Hemorrhage: For certain type of hemorrhage (intrinsic) banyan and durva leaves are helpful. Grind the tender leaves of both in equal proportion, mix with honey and consume.
14. Immune boosting: Drinking khashayam made of of banyan bark helps in boosting immune system
15. Infertility cure: Extract of bark and leaves helps to increase sperm count and reduces infertility in women.
16. Vaginal infections: One table spoon of dried leaf powder, boiled in one liter of water until it reduces to half and cooled should be taken to reduce the infection.
17. Fat reduction: Bark decoction also helps in reducing fat accumulation in the system.
18. Warts: Applying milky sap on warts helps
19. Reducing sugar level: The decoction and infusion from leaves and bark helps in reducing sugar level (not for high sugar level)

(The above medicinal information of banyan tree is to give a glimpse of the benefits of this wonderful tree. The remedies should be tried only under the supervision and guidance of a experienced doctor)

Collection from Grandma @ healthylife, www.werindia.com