Benefits of wonder herb Gond Katira and how to have it (recipes inside)

Gond Katira is a crystalline herb and you might have heard your grandmother mentioning it for its wonderful benefits. Also known as Tragacanth gum, it has amazing dual properties of cooling the body in the summer and heating it during the winter. It has been used from ancient times for curing diseases like cough and dysentery.

It is obtained from the sap of plants called gond or locoweed.It is usually consumed after soaking it in water overnight. This changes its appearance from crystalline to white jelly-like. Consuming Gond Katira is ideal for this extreme summer heat, and can help in keeping several health issues at bay.

Heat stroke is caused by your body overheating, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Gond Katira acts as a cooling agent and decreases the temperature of the body. Consuming cool chillers and drinks with Gond Katira in them can protect your body from dehydration.

Gond Katira’s laxative effects help in stimulating the movement of intestines. The enzymes present in this gum promote digestion and regularise bowel movements. This helps in providing relief from both constipation as well as diarrhoea.

Gond Katira helps in strengthening our immune system to fight diseases and other foreign invaders. Gond Katira helps to prevent cough, cold, and flu. It also helps in cell recovery and regeneration.

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Gond katira helps new mothers in regaining their strength back. It also helps to control the blood flow. Women are often treated with Gond laddoos post pregnancy. Gond Katira is also known to promote lactation, which makes it beneficial for both the mother and the child.

Here are some interesting and easy recipes to include Gond Katira in your daily diet.

A glass of chilled and refreshing Gond katira drink will provide solace to your body, perfect to beat the summer heat. It is a great recipe to help prevent nose bleeding in children which can happen due to the extreme heat. This easy-to-make drink can be prepared by taking a chilled glass of water and adding to it 2 tbsp fluffed Gond katira (soaked overnight). Mix well and add some sugar, lemon juice, roasted cumin seeds powder, salt and pepper. Give a good stir, add some mint leaves and your delicious drink is ready!

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A sweet dish with many health benefits, this kheer recipe is loved by children as well as adults. For preparation, set a pan of milk for boiling and add mishri and cardamom powder in it. Once the milk is reduced, let it cool to room temperature and later chill it in the refrigerator. Once cooled, add 1 tbsp fluffed Gond Katira and mix well. Top it with some chopped nuts and serve chilled.

A delicious and cooling drink, if your kids are fussy about milk, give this recipe a shot and you'll find them in love with milk. It can be quickly prepared even by the kids themselves by combining a glass of chilled milk with 2 tbsp fluffed Gond Katira and 1 tbsp rose syrup. You can add sugar as per taste. To change the colour or flavour, you can also opt for khus syrup.