Author: Randeep Singh / go to all articles on Yoga Concepts
The yoga center at Shahzadpur has
its own shrubs and herbs,
which have their own significance
in Ayurveda. Karonda,
or Carissa Carandas is a thorny,
thick oblong leaved shrub,
which is evergreen and,
morphologically resembles the vegetation of arid regions (Succulents like leaves, branches with thorns etc.). The fruits, pink to dark red, hard to touch berries, ripen in the month of August to September in North India. The benefits of Karonda are majorly unknown to general populace.
As Shahzadpur is located in the foothills of Shivalik Himalyas, Karonda shrub grows to its full potential in this region, though the climate is not arid here. The ladies in and around Shahzadour village prepare karonda pickle which is considered as healthy and a delicacy in the region. In other areas, towns and cities, it is also converted into jams and other preserves.
A single Karonda bush, some 4 feet in height, grows in the Western corner of the Yoga center, along the pathway that circumambulates the boundary of the compound.
Karonda resembles cranberries in both; shape, size, and color, as well as the nutritional value. The berries of karonda change color from green (when unripe) to dark purple (when fully ripe), the purplish color is an indicator of the berries being loaded with iron as one of its nutrients. The ripened fruit when cut into two halves is tempting to taste, as the pulp within the cut fruit seems to melt into drips of iron rich sweet purple juice.
Thus, people who are short of iron in their blood – anemia – can benefit from consuming Karonda in adequate quantities for some time. It is also rich in vitmains: C and B. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which can prevent destruction of body tissue, as well as repair the damaged ones. It helps maintain the health and quality of skin as well as the inner linings of the organs, Vitaminc C is vital for making collagen which is the base material from which the skin and the linings of the organs are made up of.
Vitamin C also helps fend of infections by strengthening the immune system, thus relieves any fever caused by various infections. A strong immune system keeps away cold or cough and various types of inflammations. Karonda berries are also rich in calcium, vitamin A, and phosphorous. Flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and carissone are the other antioxidants found in carissa carandas fruit. Consuming the berries of Karonda plant also improves the health of liver, as it controls any excessive secretion of bile from it.
It is good for the heath of the heart, we recommend Karonda to our campers on the yoga camp for a healthy heart which is conducted at the yoga center at Shahzadpur on weekends. It is a powerful analgesic, helps heal diarrhea, is effective in controlling hypertension, good for digestion, and helps relieve constipation.
The karonda berries are best consumed, for extracting maximum benefits from it, in the juice form, with added salt or other spices for making it more palatable to drink.
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