Cassia fistula, commonly known as golden shower, purging cassia, or Indian
laburnum is a flowering plant in the Caesalpiniaceae of the legume family, subfamily, Fabaceae. The species is native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions
of Southeast Asia. It ranges from eastward throughout India to Myanmar and Thailand. It is a ornamental plant and is also used in herbal medicine. It is both the national tree and national flower of Thailand.
It is the state flower of Kerala in India. It is antipyretic, abortifacient, demulcent, decreases inflammation and heat of the body useful in chest complaints, throat troubles, liver complaints and diseases of eye and gripping. The pulp of the fruit around the seeds is a mild purgative. The seeds of amaltas are emetic, used in constipation and have cathartic properties. The seeds are slightly sweet and possess laxative, carminative, cooling, improves the appetite and antipyretic activity. They seeds are useful in jaundice, biliousness, skin disease and in swollen throat. Its dried seeds produce marked hypoglycaemic activity. The Seeds powder of amaltas used in amoebiasis. The fruit pulp is used for constipation, colic, and urinary disorders.
Amaltas contains Sugar, mucilage, pectin, Anthraquinones 1.5% & Fistulic Acid. Main chemical components are:
Grows in valleys upto 1200 m in Himalayas.
Amaltas is not only a beautiful tree but also extremely beneficial to the human body. Here are some of the countless health benefits that this tree offers:
Balances Vata and Pitta.
Hindi | Sanskrit | English | |
---|---|---|---|
Rasa | Kashaya | Taste | Madhura,Tikta |
Veerya | Sheet | Potency | Usna |
Vipaka | Katu | Post-digestive effect | Madhura |
Guna | Laghu | Characteristics | Guru |
Consuming Amaltas in excess can lead to: