- Botanical Name: Aegle marmelos
- Indian Name: Bel / Siriphal
- English Name: Stone Apple / Bengal Quince
Bael is also known as Bilva or Siriphal. The scientific name given is Aegle marmelos. It is a tree, which is approximately 8 meters tall. This herb is commonly found in the forests in India. It is extremely popular for its medicinal and nutritional properties. It is the fruit, which has a lot of properties. The tree produces approximately 1000 fruits in a year. It is also known as the Bengal Quince. The fruit it bears is highly beneficial and has a lot of nutritional elements in it.
Properties of Bael Fruit
The fruit is rich in the nutritional fibre known as the pectin. It provides relief from inflammation, pain, ulceration and other gastro intestinal painful disorders. Bael fruit works wonderfully against diarrhea, dysentery, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, indigestion and bowel infections. It has a lot of pharmaceutical properties and helps to provide relief from inflammation and various infections. Also, the bael fruit has various phytochemicals known as the plant steroids, coumarin and alkaloids. The fruit contains ethanolic extracts. These are used in fatigue, anxiety, depression and also have immunomodulator properties and stimulating action on the humoral and cellular immune systems of the body. It is generally consumed in the form of juices or with foods like candy, squash etc. It is also prepared to various refreshing beverages which are known as Bel Pena, Sherbet, etc. It has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. The fruit is also consumed in the dried form or consumed fresh. It has a taste of marmalade and has the odor of the roses.
Food values
Ayurvedic Properties
The various parts of the Bael tree is known for their various Ayurvedic properties:
The unripe form of bael helps to strike a balance between the Vata and Kapha disorders. It has astringent, bitter and pungent taste. Bael has unctuous, absorbing and piercing properties. It increases Pitta and enhances the strength of digestion and other metabolic activities significantly. It also helps to improve the level of endurance and physical strength of the individuals to a huge extent. Bael is anti-pyretic in nature and has restorative action on the individuals. Also, it acts as an intestinal astringent and is a wonderful laxative.
The Bael root is easy to digest and sweet to taste. It is anti-inflammatory in nature. This herb helps to balance Tridosha and provides relief from vomiting and other symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis and gastro-intestinal disorders. It also provides relief from the abdominal cramps, pain and aching conditions.
The Bael leaves are highly effective to fight away the GI tract infections and related disorders effectively. It relieves dyspepsia, sinusitis, cold, gastritis and indigestion. Bael works right in the cellular level and level of tissues. It acts as a wonderful absorbent and aids in treating the complications easily.
The Bael stem helps to treat rheumatoid arthritis, cold and cough. It has astringent properties. As is pungent in taste and is highly effective for cardiac disorders. It has a stimulating action on the digestive enzymes. It is carminative in nature, which helps to improve the power of digestion easily.
The Bael flower has a relieving action on diarrhea and dysentery. It is anti-emetic and has a relieving action on vomiting and thirst. It helps to provide relief from the various symptoms of IBD and Ulcerative Colitis effectively.
Various complications to be treated with Bael or Aegle marmelos
Bael or Aegle marmelos is the plant, which is highly rich in various essential elements required by the body of the individuals to ensure a sustained living. It helps to fight a wide array of ailments and illnesses significantly.
Treats IBD, IBS and bowel movement
The ripe fruit, bael has laxative properties. This helps to treat constipation to a huge extent. Unripe fruit is extremely effective in treating dysentery, diarrhea and other gastro intestinal disorders. It inhibits the intestinal movement and is highly efficient in treating inflammatory Bowel disorder and IBS. The fruit has anti-microbial and anti-diarrheal characteristics. It helps to treat the infections right from their roots. Bael fruit ensures smooth bowel movement within the body of the individuals.
Heals peptic ulcers
An infusion of bael leaves is regarded as an effective food remedy for peptic ulcers. The leaves are soaked overnight in the water, strain later and drink in the morning. Pain and discomfort are relieved with this home remedy. Its leaves are rich in tannins which help to overcome bad inflammation and also help in healing ulcers effectively.
Fights away microbial infection
Aegle marmelos has anti-bacterial properties. It provides relief against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella and other bacterial infections. The oil from bael acts as a food preservative. It has anti-fungal, anti-viral characteristics. Bael prevents the microbial growth and increases the longevity of the stored food. It also provides a natural way to store food materials effectively. This herb can fight away 21 various types of bacteria. It also helps the body to get rid of the rotavirus, giardia and prohibit the invasion of the bacteria in the gastro intestinal tract and the gut.
Treats Diabetes
The leaves of Bael are anti-diabetic in nature. It helps in controlling diabetes and polyuria. The juice extracted from the leaves of the Bael tree also acts as an anti-diabetic drug. It produces more amount of insulin from pancreas, which reduces the symptoms of diabetes. Bael also regenerates the cells of pancreas significantly. It improves the functioning of the beta cells of the pancreas. The leaves have the hypoglycemic property, which works wonderfully to fight diabetes. It reduces excessive urination and has a control on the level of sugar in the blood stream.
Fights Skin cancer
It has the potential to treat skin cancer and other skin related disorders. It reduces skin papilloma induced by the chemical, tumor incidence, tumor burden and a lot of papilloma.
Provides treatment for Cardiac disorders
It helps to control the functioning of heart, cardiac muscles and other cardio-vascular system of the body. Bael herb relieves palpitation, nervousness and anxiety considerably.
Helps to get rid of infections
It is effective in treating bowel infections or thrush. Bael also has a blocking action on the spread of the microorganisms throughout the body. It helps in healing the internal lining of the bowel and has anti-infective properties. This herb provides relief from the chronic conditions of Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammatory bowel disorders.
CLASSICAL REFERENCE
Role of Bael Fruit – Ulcerative Colitis, IBD and IBS
The Bael fruit in its powdered form helps in healing the Ulcerative Colitis, IBS and IBD effectively in the following ways:-
- It helps to fight constipation, dysentery and diarrhea. The fruit also provides relief from the infection and fever caused due to gastro-intestinal infections.
- The fruit has a stimulating action on the metabolism of glucose in the blood of the individuals. It increases the ability to utilize the external glucose by stimulating the consumption of the glucose by the body.
- Bael fruit helps in effectively evacuating the accumulated old fecal matter from the body.
- It has a soothing impact on the painful chronic condition of peptic ulcers. As also helps to relieve the discomfort to a huge extent.
- Bael is carminative and stomachic in nature. It provides treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.
- It regularizes stool and helps to provide relief from the various inflammatory situations.
- Leaves of bael are rich in tannins which help to overcome bad inflammation and also help in healing ulcers effectively.
Thus, bael along with its various parts has multi-faceted properties. These help to provide treatment to a lot of physiological complications easily. Thus, bael forms an essential and wonderful gift of nature to mankind. The myriad pharmaceutical properties make it highly efficacious to provide treatment to a lot of physical problems and disorders to a significant extent.
