Bel Aegle Marmelos (L), family: Rutaceae Bengali Bel fruit is valuable chiefly for its mucilage and pectin; it is very useful in chronic diarrhoea and dysentry. The antibiotic activity of the leaf, fruit and root of this plant has been confirmed.
Heal Benefits of Bael
Called by many names as bilva, bel, sadaphal and shriphal and held sacred, the bael tree is found from the sub-mountainous regions to the dry plains throughout India. More often it is seen in the vicinity of temples where devotees offer its leaves to Lord Shiva. The medium-size, strong and thorny tree with leaves in the set of three is usually laden with hard-shelled yellow or light-green fruits. Almost all parts of the bael tree — root, leaves, bark and fruit — are medicinal.
Bael finds mention in many ancient ayurvedic texts. It has been described as kashaya (astringent) and tikta (bitter) in taste and laghu (light), rooksha (dry) and ushna (hot) in effect. It alleviates vata and kapha. The chemical composition of its fruit pulp shows mucilage, pectin, sugar tannic acid and a volatile oil. The wood ash contains potassium and sodium compounds, phosphates of lime and iron, calcium, magnesium and silica etc.
Different medicinal properties are attributed to various parts of bael, but it is the half-ripe bael fruit which is known for its anti-pyretic, digestive and restorative action on the body. Moreover, it is a unique fruit which is famous as laxative and at the same time as an intestinal astringent also. Leaves of bael are anti-diabetic whereas the bark and the root have proven anti-inflammatory properties.
The hard rind or shell of the bael fruit cracks open to reveal pale, tawny and aromatic pulp which is, perhaps, the most effective herbal remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery. Being astringent, it is also helpful in a number of other complicated intestinal disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitics. The use of the ripe fruit is highly efficacious in the case of chronic constipation and where patients complain of incomplete evacuation.
Due to its digestive qualities bael sharbat is an effective home remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery. Also in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bael acts as stool-regulariser. Patients of ulcerative colitis can use bael fruit, its sharbat for gentle and less painful bowel clearance.
The dried powder of the bael pulp crushed along with an equal amount of sonth, rock salt, roasted jeera and nagarmotha, if taken in the dose of one to two gm twice a day with buttermilk or water, is very helpful in mucous diarrhoea.
Bael leaves are an important constituent of a number of anti-diabetic medicines. The chewing of five to 10 leaves daily on an (empty stomach) controls diabetic polyurea.
In case fresh bael is out of season, dried bael pulp should be procured and crushed. This powder can be used in the dose of one to two gm twice a day. However, to make muraba, half-ripe fruit, and for making sharbat full-ripe bael, should be used. There are various classic ayurvedic medicines such as bilvadi churna, bilva panchaka qwath and pilva tailam where bael is used as the chief ingredient. The bark of bael root constitutes the famous dashamoola (ten roots of medicinal plants) which is a proven ayurvedic remedy for chronic inflammatory conditions and many of the gynaecological problems.
Bael, a fruit tree of Indian origin, is well known for its medicinal and nutritional properties. It plays an important role in protecting the environment too.
The pulp of bael is very nutritious and used for making sharbat. The pulp has a detergent property also, which offers it as a herbal substitute for soaps, especially for allergy patients. Chemical studies have revealed that bael is rich in mineral and vitamin contents, and its young leaves and shoots are eaten as vegetables.
Its leaf extract has been used in ayurveda as a medicine for diabetes. It enhances the ability to utilise the external glucose load in the body by stimulation of glucose uptake similar to insulin.
Bael extracts have been observed to be very effective in reducing levels of blood urea and cholesterol in various experiments conducted on laboratory animals.
Juice of leaves is also employed as an antidiabetic drug in the Unani system of medicine. Favourable effects of the bael leaf extract have been reported for various cardiac disorders and palpitation.
Bael has been used traditionally for fertility control in Bangladesh. Ripe fruit is regarded as best of all laxatives. It cleans and tones up the intestines.
Its regular use for two to three months helps in the evacuation of even the old accumulated faecal matter from the bowel. Hence, it is naturally a very effective remedy for constipation.
Patients with peptic ulcer can take this fruit in the form of beverage and get relieved from pain and discomfort as its mucilage forms a coating on the stomach mucosa and thus helps in the healing of ulcer.
It is also used as carminative, astringent, stomachic and for treating the irritable bowel syndrome. Bael is one of the most sacred trees of India and is valuable in several religious rituals also.
Owing to its environment-friendly nature, bael has been placed in a plant species group called “climate purifiers” which emit a greater percentage of oxygen in sunlight as compared to other plants.
Its leaves and bark act as a sink for dust and poisonous gases. It has the fragrance effect also which deodorises the bad odour of the air.
Bael in Diabetes
Studies have shown that administering leaf extracts of bael reduced blood glucose levels up to 54%.
In a clinical trial, leaves of Aegle
marmelos was found effective in mild
to moderate diabetic patients, which included even the insulin
dependent ones. The treatment, reportedly, tends to increase
insulin secretion from pancreas. The
treatment of leaf extract on diabetic pancreas showed improved
functional state of pancreatic beta cells. This study indicates the
hypoglycemic nature of the leaf extract, helping in regeneration
of damaged pancreas
Consuming about 20 ml juice extracted from bel leaves is valuable in managing diabetes and reducing excess urination.
Bael leaves are effective in controlling diabetes and are taken in various combination as under
Bael leaves by themselves, also serve as medicine. Bael is quite efficacious in bringing down blood sugar level
10gm. Bael leaves to be grounded and taken every morning on empty stomach for 7 days
Five leaves of Bael, Neem and Tulasi each with 5 pepper and a few Gudannar leaves are ground into fine paste and made
into small pills and taken daily in the morning on empty stomach..
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