Ayurveda properties of horse gram

The horse gram, which  came to be called so as it is used  to feed  horses, belongs  to  macrotyloma uniflorum family.In India it is  widely consumed by human beings too as  according to  Ayurveda, it has got some medicinal properties.

Ayurveda  recommends many concoctions which has been using horse gram as main  ingredient and  Kulathadhi kashaayam,  which  has been used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome in women is the finest example for its medicinal value.

As a hot natured bean, it is found that horse gram  can soothe ‘kabha and vatha‘. It  has been found  very beneficial in treating  urinary stones as it prevents calcium phosphate crystals from accumulating in urine.

Horse gram is being widely used by the local population of Sikkim and Dargeling where cold weather prevails in the whole year. However, it is not advisable to take horse gram while residing in hotter conditions.

Some of the other benefits:

1. Horse gram is found beneficial in treating Hemorrhoids that do not bleed. But not recommended in  bleeding conditions. Instead, green gram would be the best in that state.

2. Horse gram soup is highly recommended at the time of  cough, cold, fever and suffocation.

3. It is also beneficial in managing LDL cholesterol.

4. Horse gram could also be used to manage  arthritis pain.

5. In the case of women,  horse gram would be the best medicine in reducing dysmenorrhea.

6. Many studies proved its capacity to reduce sugar level in blood.

7. Frequent intake of horse gram helps lose weight and to this end,  it is advisable to take it in the form of salads.

8. Horse gram is rich in iron and molybdenum.

9.In  India, especially in the  South, horse gram is very common both as an ingredient in food items and as a medicine.

Though horse gram contains more  carbohydrates, fibre, subtle elements and vitamins it is not advisable in certain circumstances especially for stomach pain, gastritis, eesophagus ulcers, bleeding  and in hot weather conditions.Those who have high level of uric acid level should abstain from taking horse gram.

Pregnant woman should also regulate the use of this gram.However, the World Health Organization  (WHO) says it is yet to yield the medicinal properties of horse gram and more experiments are taking place in this regard.

courtesy:Dr. Shabu Pattambi ([email protected])