Kaith

Common Name: Wood Apple, Elephant Apple

Botanical Name: Feronia limonida

Active Agents: Vitamins like thiamin, niacin and riboflavin and beta- carotene; minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron; phytochemicals like flavanoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, coumarins and tyramine derivatives

Uses of Kaith

Dysentery, Diarrhea and Piles: 3-6 gms of powder of dried tender leaves can be taken twice a day to get relief from diarrhea. The mashed fruit pulp is equally beneficial.

Stomach Worms: Mix 50 gms pulp of the ripe fruit is in buttermilk and take once daily, for 3 days.

Diabetes: 10 g of ripe fruit along with 5 gms jaggery once daily for a month.

Women’s Health: The infusion made from its bark is helpful in menorrhagia as well as preventing uterine/breast cancers.

Liver and Kidney Health: Eat the fruit regularly to reverse damage to the liver done by alcohol. Drink an infusion of the bark as a hepatoprotective and diuretic.

Anemia: Leaf juice of the wood apple tree can treat anemia.