Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa) - Benefits, Medicinal Properties, Origin, Indications, Uses and Side Effects

Latin Name : Symplocos racemosa
Family : Symplocaceae
English Name : Lodh tree
Ayurvedic Name : Lodhra, Shavarak, Akshibhashaijya

Meaning of the Word Lodhra

Lodhra basically means the one which helps in making the body firm.

Lodhra is even mentioned to as Divya Aushadhi (Divine herb).

Description

Lodhra is an evergreen medium size tree.

Leaves: 3 to 4 inches long, circular or oval shaped, leaf stalk is small and it is velvety to touch.
Flower: Flowering generally occurs in the month of November and continues till the month of February. Flowers are cream colored, small in size and are mostly found in clusters.
Fruit: Purple blackish in colour and are about 1.5 inches long, leathery.
Seed: Its fruits contain about 1 to 3 seeds.
Bark: It is light brown in colour.

Origin

It is generally found in Nagpur, Manipur, and Burma.

Properties

RAS : Kashaya (Astringent), Tikta (Bitter)
VIRYA : Sheet (cold)
VIPAK : Katu (Pungent )
GUNA : Laghu (Light), Rooksha (Dry)

Chemical Properties

Lodhra contains Alkaloids like:

Loturine – 0.25 %
Colloturine – 0.02 %
Loturidine – 0.06 % along with them it contains glycosides

Part Used

Bark of this tree has medicinal uses.

Indication and Uses

According to Ayurvedic texts the main indication of lodhra is to maintain the pitta (Agni) and the kapha (phelgum) in the body.
Lodhra contains khashay ras (Astringent) due to this it’s formulations made from the bark are generally used to soothe the pitta and its ill effects in our body.

Lodhra is especially used to improve the women’s health.
In diseases like Menorraghia (excessive bleeding during menstrual cycle), it is highly effective as it relaxes the uterine tissues and acts on the relaxed mucus membranes.
Lodhra has proved to be very useful in disease like leucorrhoea (white discharge).
Lodhra is even prescribed to the women’s after their delivery.
Lodhra helps to detoxify the blood.
Lodhra is indicated in Useful in the treatment of eye disease, powder formation of its bark along with ghee is used in eyes.
Lodhra helps in maintain the shape of the body.
It is clearly referred in Ayurvedic texts that Lodhra helps in making the body attractive and skin glow.
Due to its Grahi (absorption enhancing) property it is used in clotting and in diseases like diarrhea.
Lodhra is Grahi (absorption enhancing) Sheeta (cooling) and Laghu (light) which itself is a unique combination, which makes it very useful in reducing inflammation and heaviness in the body.
Lodhra is used in epistaxis (raktpitta), the people who have high pitta generally experiences nose bleeding, and the Grahi (absorbing) quality of Lodhra helps in thickening of blood to stop haemorrhaging (bleeding).
Lepa (paste) form is used to treat the skin diseases like leprosy.
Combination of sugar, ghee and a paste of Lodhra leaves are used to treat cough.
Powdered formation of the bark Lodhra is used to heal wounds. Lodhra actually lowers the PH of the body; due to which inflammation process is fasten which gradually leads to increased wound healing process.