Tragacanth Gum, also called Gond katira, is a dissolvable gum got from the sap of the locoweed plant. It has a solid crystalline form and becomes like a gel when dissolved in water. It helps to cool you down in summers and can be mixed in juices or milkshakes to avoid sunstrokes. It is also good for the hair and ageing skin.
Gond katira health benefits
- Helps weight loss by improving metabolism and flushing out toxins from the body.
- Helps develop strong bones. It is rich in calcium and magnesium.
- Helps digestion and regularizes bowel movements. It helps prevent constipation as it has a laxative effect.
- Helps build your immunity.
- Helps reduce pain as it is an analgesic
- It is widely used in traditional medicine for treating burns.
- It has a cooling effect and a drink made from gond Katira is the perfect thing to beat the heat.
- One study showed that, Gum Arabic was a promising functional food with a potential hepatoprotective effect in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
How to make a drink with Gond Katira
Soak a small piece of Gond Katira in water for a couple of hours. The gum will swell up and look gel-like. You can have it as it is or blend the Gond katira in water, and lemon juice to it to make a refreshing drink. Gond Katira by itself is tasteless. This is a very cooling drink to have in summer.
Gond Katira Benefits for Skin
Gond Katira has anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps manage fine lines and wrinkles. The benefits of Gond Katira for the skin includes wound healing and spot reduction. It also helps get rid of pimples and acne breakouts, and skin pigmentation.
Gond katira has an antiseptic and soothing effect, recommended especially for dry skin that needs moisture. It is can be also used for burns and chapped skin.
Face Mask with Gond Katira
Ingredients
- 2-3 pieces of Gond Katira or 1 tsp of its powder
- 1 tsp of coffee powder
- 1 tsp aloe vera gel
- 1 tsp besan
Method
To make a face mask with Gond Katira, take a tsp of the the gum powder and soak it in water overnight. If you do not have the powder, you can also soak pieces of the gum in water. It will become soft and gel-like. Blend it well the next morning. To this add the besan, aloe vera gel and coffee powder. Apply it on your face and keep it for 10-15 minutes. Do not let the mask dry, you can keep it moist by spraying water on the skin.
This mask helps to tighten the skin. It is very good for ageing skin, reducing fine lines and bringing a glow to your face.
Gond Katira benefits for Hair
Gond katira, in addition to its various health benefits, is also used as a conditioner giving extra shine, smoothness and volume to hair. It is also used as a hair gel. Gond Katira not only adds more volume to your hair, also strengthens it and helps to reduce hair loss due to its rich calcium and protein content. Gond katira has emollient, viscous, thickening and gelling properties. It can be used as a base to make herbal hair packs and conditioners.
How to use Gond katira for hair
You can make homemade conditioner with Gond katira for the hair. This conditioner is excellent for adding volume to your hair, repairing damage to hair and for hair growth too.
Ingredients
- Gond katira 5 grams
- Water 100 grams
- Aloe gel 1 table spoon
- Veg glycerine 1 tsp
- Sweet almond oil 1 tsp
- Green tea (optional) 3 tablespoons
- Hibiscus tea (optional) 3 tablespoons
- Essential oil (optional) 5-6 drops
Method
Powder the Gond katira and soak overnight in water. The next morning you will see that it has formed a gel like consistency. Grind this gel in a mixer grinder, to get a smooth paste. You can apply this gel over the scalp and overall length of hair from roots to end, keep it for 1-2 hours and then thoroughly rinse it with water. Shampoo your hair first.
Gond katira acts as a perfect base to add ingredients that are good for the hair. You can add glycerine which gives a shine to your hair. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. You can also blend again in a mixer grinder to get a soft consistency. You can add more of the green tea and hibiscus tea to make the conditioner smooth and soft. All the ingredients mentioned will add extra shine and smoothness to the hair.
Once you prepare the conditioner, use a comb to spread the conditioner over the scalp and length of the hair. Apply generously, keep for at least an hour and wash with water. Do not use shampoo. Please apply on clean hair.
This conditioner has restorative and nourishing properties. It makes the hair appear shinier with more volume. You can also use this for styling. Apply this on your hair where desired and continue to dry and comb as usual.
Side effects and precautions
Gond Katira can cause choking or blockage of your intestines if not taken with adequate water. So, try to increase your water intake whenever you eat Gond Katira in any form.
Gond Katira side effects for allergic people can be dangerous as it contains noxious glycosides. Before you start taking this plant, try a small test amount to check for any allergies.
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