Zizyphus jujuba or regu, or bare, as it is commonly called, is found in the wilds and cultivated in many parts of India. The fruits, leaves, and roots of Zizyphus help in curing various disorders such as fever, diarrhea, hiccups, urticarial rash, leucorrhoea and obesity.
There are two varieties of this fruit—the wild variety, that is smaller and rounded. Bigger one is sweeter in taste and fleshy when compared to the smaller kind. Both the varieties of the fruit contain Zizyphic acid, tannins, sugar, and other minerals, which are effective in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, gout, rheumatism and other ailments.
MEDICINAL USES
• Regular intake of the fruit prevents the formation of gravel in the bladder, obstruction of urine, constipation, leucorrhoea and controls spermatorrhea.
• The paste of the seeds taken along with water counteracts excessive hunger.
• To stop excessive menstruation and leucorrhoea (white discharge in women), take a teaspoonful of the powder of the dry fruit along with jaggery.
• This fruit can also be given in the form of decoction, along with sugar or honey to counteract mental retardness and stubbornness in children. This increases the brain functioning by releasing more glumatic acid in the blood.
• To prevent frequent attacks of cold and influenza, take a teaspoonful of the fresh juice extracted from the fruit pulp with a pinch of pepper, once in a day.
• If you have pimples, external application of the ash obtained from the burnt fruit will cure them in no time. This is to be applied with lime juice and seed paste.
• For excessive perspiration under the arms, hands and soles, fresh leaf juice can be applied. It stops the bad smell caused by growth of bacteria.
• Applying of the paste of the leaves over the scalp and hair prevents scalp diseases and cleans the hair apart from lengthening and darkening them.
• Leaves act as an excellent remedy for piles. Take some water in a vessel. Cover the mouth with a cloth. Put a handful of leaves over this cloth. Boil the water until the leaves are cooked. While cooking, do not forget to cover the leaves with a plate. This is to prevent the steam from escaping. Pound the boiled leaves with castor oil and apply as a warm poultice over the piles. Repeat this process twice daily for a week to get relief.
• For sore throat, stomatitis, bleeding gums, and cracked tongue, gargle the fresh infusion of the leaves after adding a pinch of salt.
• The same infusion can also be used to wash wounds and ulcers.
• The infusion of the inner layers of the bark of the Zizyphus tree is used as a purgative in constipation, rheumatism and gout.
• The paste of the bark is applied for relief from animal bites and venomous stings of bees, scorpion and wasps.