This tree yields smallish, ribbed and nut-like fruits which are picked when still green and then pickled, boiled with a little added sugar in their own syrup or used in preserves Some people in Nepal pick the fruit premature and called it ‘Kaalo Harro’ meaning black Haritaki.
The trees that belong to this genus are known as a good secondary source of metabolites: Cyclic triterpenes and derivatives, flavonoids, tannins and other aromatic metabolites. Some of these substances are antifungal, antibacterial, anticarcinogen and hepatoprotective.
It is the fruits that are used for treating diseases. The matured fruits are normally harvested during the autumn season and this is the time these fruits are supposed to have the strongest medicinal and laxative effects. Drying the fruit properly in the sun to make it powder reduces the laxative effect slightly and cooking or steaming reduces it even further due to the oxidation of the laxative chemicals. Those traditional doctors disapprove of cooking the fruits when it should be sun-dried (a tedious process) because it is thought to weaken the herb’s medicinal effectiveness. Haritaki fruit embodies all the tastes except salt in it and it is also tridosagna meaning it can be used for any types of health imbalances. Furthermore, it is an anulomanum; a mild laxative that aids in digestion. The fruit is part of triphala, the three-fruit formula. It is generally administered in triphala form rather than by itself to draw upon the tonic effects. Each of the triphala fruits is tonic, and together they act to balance the three primary balancing forces, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. To bring out two opposing actions within a given product, Ayurvedic doctors administer it with warm water to strengthen the laxative action, and with ice cold water to promote the astringent action.
The trees that belong to this genus are known as a good secondary source of metabolites: Cyclic triterpenes and derivatives, flavonoids, tannins and other aromatic metabolites. Some of these substances are antifungal, antibacterial, anticarcinogen and hepatoprotective.
It is the fruits that are used for treating diseases. The matured fruits are normally harvested during the autumn season and this is the time these fruits are supposed to have the strongest medicinal and laxative effects. Drying the fruit properly in the sun to make it powder reduces the laxative effect slightly and cooking or steaming reduces it even further due to the oxidation of the laxative chemicals. Those traditional doctors disapprove of cooking the fruits when it should be sun-dried (a tedious process) because it is thought to weaken the herb’s medicinal effectiveness. Haritaki fruit embodies all the tastes except salt in it and it is also tridosagna meaning it can be used for any types of health imbalances. Furthermore, it is an anulomanum; a mild laxative that aids in digestion. The fruit is part of triphala, the three-fruit formula. It is generally administered in triphala form rather than by itself to draw upon the tonic effects. Each of the triphala fruits is tonic, and together they act to balance the three primary balancing forces, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. To bring out two opposing actions within a given product, Ayurvedic doctors administer it with warm water to strengthen the laxative action, and with ice cold water to promote the astringent action.