It is considered a ‘super plant’ because of its proven medicinal value that contributes to the management of several health conditions in a safe and natural manner.
All the different parts of the nutrient-rich Drumstick plant — its root bark, stem bark, fruits, leaves, and seeds — are used for therapeutic purposes. Each of the parts has its distinctive medicinal properties.
The stem of the Drumstick plant — called ‘Shajan’ in Hindi — is a staple vegetable used by people in South India, and is also consumed widely by people of other Indian states. Drumsticks are believed to be a healthy food because of the abundance of healthy proteins and essential minerals.
Hence, the addition of Drumsticks to the diet can offer a significant nutritional advantage, and help the body fight several health disorders.
Drumstick: Ayurvedic Perspective
In Ayurvedic texts, Drumstick is referred to as ‘Shobhanjana’ or ‘Shigru’, and is used widely in herbal formulations because of its medicinal value.
As per the Ayurvedic principles, Drumstick is hot in potency, and has a pungent taste (katu rasa) or a bitter taste (tikta rasa). The health benefits of Drumstick can spread quickly in the body because of its strong piercing qualities (teekshna).
Ayurvedic experts believe that Drumstick is ‘light’ food in terms of digestion (laghu) and it provides dryness to tissues (rooksha). It also has the ability to vitiate the Pitta dosha, and alleviate the Vata and Kapha doshas.
Health Benefits of Drumstick
The powerful medicinal properties of Drumstick make it an excellent food for fighting several health issues that affect different systems of the body. The high nutritional content in Drumstick can provide an overall benefit to the body, due to which the vegetable is commonly used, particularly by South Indians, while preparing soups, salads, pickles and various types of sauces.
Some of the most notable health benefits of Drumstick can be listed as follow:
- Improving Digestive Health
The intake of Drumsticks can aid the digestive process and manage stomach disorders like indigestion, acidity, constipation, gastritis, colitis, etc. Drumsticks enhance the health of the digestive system because of the presence of dietary fiber, together with rich amounts of B complex vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, and vitamin B12. These vitamins assist the digestive process as they can help in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into simpler forms, to ease the process of digestion.
- Maintaining Blood Sugar Levels
Drumstick is a very beneficial food for people suffering from Diabetes because it can effectively regulate the blood sugar levels in the body. The presence of various vitamins and minerals in Drumsticks can significantly reduce the elevated blood sugar levels, and improve the functioning of the gall bladder so that optimum blood glucose levels can be maintained.
- Strengthening the Bones
Drumstick is abundant in calcium and iron and can promote a healthy bone structure. The intake of Drumsticks on a regular basis can make the bones stronger, enhance bone health in children, prevent the loss of bone density, and increase overall stamina.
- Purifying the Blood
Drumstick — especially its leaves and pods — has proven blood-purifying properties and is also considered a potent natural antibiotic agent. The regular intake of Drumsticks can purify the blood and streamline the circulation of blood in the body, thereby treating a number of skin disorders.
- Providing relief in Respiratory Disorders
The presence of a good amount of Vitamin C in Drumstick can provide relief in respiratory disorders — like asthma, bronchitis, and tuberculosis — because the spread of allergies in the respiratory tract can be checked. This can ensure that allergies do not cause congestion or develop into respiratory infections. The anti-inflammatory actions of Drumstick can eliminate the toxins and relieve numerous respiratory complications.
- Boosting the Immune System
Drumstick can enhance the immune system of the body due to its anti-bacterial properties. The Vitamin C content in Drumstick can boost immunity, prevent throat and skin infections, remove harmful free radicals from the body, and treat common ailments like cold and cough.
- Improving Heart Health
The addition of Drumsticks to the diet can also be beneficial for keeping the heart-healthy. The regular consumption of Drumsticks can lower the body’s elevated blood pressure levels and cholesterol levels, and can thus prevent the occurrence of heart disorders.
- Easing Pre-delivery and Post-Delivery Complications in Women
The use of Drumsticks is very beneficial for women during pregnancy and lactation. The presence of iron, calcium, minerals, and vitamins in Drumsticks can reduce the sluggishness of the uterus, ease the delivery process, reduce post-delivery problems, and boost the production of breast milk.
- Manage the risk of Cancer, Intestine Tumour, and Ulcer
Studies have revealed that regular intake of Drumstick and its leaves can help in reducing the potential risk of cancer by up to 80 percent. In particular, the use of Drumsticks can be extremely beneficial for speeding up the recovery process for breast cancer patients. Moreover, the health-boosting contents of Drumsticks can also reduce the risk of Intestine tumors and ulcers.
Apart from the above-mentioned health benefits of Drumstick, there are several other ways in which regular use of Drumstick is advantageous for the effective management of some other health conditions. These conditions include:
- Preventing acne, pimples and other skin problems.
- Providing immunity against chickenpox.
- Enhancing eye health.
- Curing hair-related problems.
- Managing lung disorders.
- Treating impotence and premature ejaculation.
- Preventing menstrual cramps.
- Providing relief in uterus fibroids.
- Managing urinary disorders.
- Treating gall bladder problems.
- Dealing with fungal skin conditions.
- Improving the nervous system.
In general, it can be said that the consumption of Drumstick has immense health benefits because it has proven anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as the ability to offer effective protection against arsenic toxicity. The leaves of Drumstick are highly nutritious and can benefit people who lack essential nutrients in the body. Furthermore, Drumstick can reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, make the bones strong and healthy, and cleanse the bloodstream. The bottom line is, it’s not a vegetable but a super vegetable.
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