Bael (or Bel, Bilva, Bil, Bela, Bilvam) is a large tree growing to a maximum height of around 18 meters. Its natural habitat includes the dry forests in India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. A member of the Rutaceae family, the Bael tree has a gray colored bark with thorny branches and aromatic leaves. The fruit is green, when raw, and appears pale brown upon ripening.
A Sacred Tree
The tree is regarded as sacred in Hindu mythology. It is said that the tree is dear to Lord Shiva who sits under the tree to meditate. The leaves of this tree are offered to Lord Shiva during religious rituals. The most important part of his tree is its fruit. It is a small, woody-skinned structure with a diameter of around 5 to 15 centimeters. On opening it, one finds many seeds embedded in a thick, mucus-like pulp.
Chemical Composition of Fruit
Chemical estimation of the pulp of the bael fruit reveals the presence of 61.5 percent moisture, 1.8 percent protein, 0.3 percent fat, 1.7 percent minerals, 2.9 percent fiber and 31.8 percent carbohydrates per 100 grams of edible portion. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin and vitamin C. It has a calorific value of 137.
Medicinal Effects of Bael
Ripe bael fruit is one of the best known natural laxatives. Unripe or half-ripe fruit is very useful in treating chronic diarrhea and dysentery. It is also used for the treatment of hepatitis, tuberculosis, colitis and dyspepsia. The fruit is also regarded as a heart and brain tonic. The raw fruit is an appetizer. The pulp of raw fruits is effective in treating bleeding piles and bacillary dysentery.
Apart from the fruit, bael leaves are also highly effective medicinally. The leaves contain large amounts of aromatic oils and infusion of leaves is considered a potent medicine for peptic ulcers. Fresh juice of leaves is used to treat eye infections. Roots of the young tree are used to treat ear infections. A small, stiff piece of root is dipped in neem oil and lighted. The oil that drips from the burning end is collected. This is an excellent medicine for treating ear infections. An ayurvedic preparation made from oils of leaves is used to treat recurrent colds and respiratory infections. A decoction of root and leaves has anti-pyretic effect and helps in reducing fevers.
The immense and varied beneficial effects of bael are not surprising given the amount of alkaloids and other medicinally important chemicals found in the different parts of the tree. These include marmelosin, umbelliferon, aegelin, xanthotoxin, aegelenine, mamesin, a new coumarin – marmin, sitosterol, sitosterol, marmesin etc. The pulp of ripe fruits is also used to make candies, toffees, squash and nectar.
References:
1. www.herbalremedies.com
2. www.naturaldatabase.com
3. www.yogamag.net
Jitendra Rathod - Jitendra holds a Master's Degree in Microbiology. He had been a Lecturer, teaching the subject to undergrads and postgrads for 8 years.
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