Khadira – Acacia catechu Uses, Qualities, Remedies, Ayurveda Details

Khadira is a very famous skin benefiting Ayurveda herb. Its botanical name is Acacia catechu and it belongs to Mimosoideae family. A famous Ayurveda skin tonic – Khadirarishta is prepared with this herb as the main ingredient.

Vernacular names, Sanskrit synonyms

Hindi name – Khair
English name – Cutch tree
Telugu name – Chandra, Sandra
Tamil Name – Karanagalli
Kannada name – Kaggali

Sanskrit  Synonyms:
Khadira – that which cures disease and brings stability to body.
Raktasara – Extract of which is red in colour
Kantaki – having thorns
Dantadhavana – useful as tooth brush.
Yajniya – the wood of this tree is used in Yajna, Homa etc, spiritual practices  as fuel.
Balapatra – having small sized leaves

Khadira for skin

Khadira is mainly used for the treatment of skin disorders. Its decoction, fermented liquids are used internally to treat a variety of skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, allergic hives, dermatitis etc.
Its oil, ointment, dusting powders etc are used for external application to treat skin conditions.

Apart from that, Khadira is hugely used in blood tissue disorders such as fever, bleeding disorders, etc.

Habitat

The tree is abundantly found in MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, AP, TN and Karnataka, up to 1200 meters from sea level.
Its heart wood extract is called as Khadira Sara. It is used as ingredient in many medicines such as Lavangadi Vati.

Medicinal qualities

Guna (qualities) – Laghu (light to digest), Rooksha (dry)
Rasa (Taste) – Tikta (bitter), kashaya (astringent)
Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion) – Katu (pungent)
Veerya (potency) – Sheeta (cold)
Effect on Tridosha – Balances Kapha and Pitta.

Uses

Of all the herbs to treat skin diseases, Khadira is the greatest.
Of all the astringent herbs that are used as tooth brush, Khadira is the best.
Water decoction (Kashaya) of Khadira is instantly useful in diabetes and urinary tract disorders.
Dantya – improves quality of teeth
Kandughna – relieves itching, pruritis
Kasaghna – Useful in cough, cold
Medoghna – Useful in obesity
Krumighna – Useful in worm infestation
Mehaghna – Useful in diabetes and urinary tract disorders
Jvaraghna – Useful in fever
Shvitraghna – Useful in leucoderma
Shothahara – relieves inflammation
Amahara – relieves Ama (a state of indigestion and malabsorption at digestive and cellular levels).
Pittasra hara – useful in bleeding disorders
Panduhara – useful in anemia, early stages of liver diseases
Kushtahara – Useful in skin diseases

In any skin disease, Khadira decoction should be used for bathing and drinking.

Part used, Dosage

Part used: Stem bark, heart wood, flowers
Dosage:
Powder – 1 – 3 grams per day, decoction – 30 – 100 ml per day
Heart wood extract – 500 mg to 1 g per day.

Interaction with medicines, supplements

Can this be used while taking Homeopathic medicine?
Yes. This product does not react with homeopathic medicine.

Can this medicine be continued while taking supplements like multivitamin tablets, Omega 3 fatty acids etc?
Yes. Generally, this product goes well with most of the dietary supplements. However, if you are taking more than one product per day, please consult your doctor for an opinion.

With western medicines
Seek your doctor’s advice if you are taking this product along with other western (allopathic / modern) medicines. Some Ayurvedic herbs can interact with modern medicine.
If both Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines are advised together, then it is best to take Allopathic medicine first, wait for 30 minutes and then take the Ayurvedic medicine.

Research

Phytochemical analysis

Ayurvedic medicines

Ayurvedic medicines with Khadira ingredient:
Khadiradi Gutika for cough
Khadirarishtam – useful in skin diseases
Khadiradi Vati – useful in teeth diseases, dental caries, etc
Dashamoolarishtam
Khadiradi kashaya – useful in infested wounds, intestinal worms, skin diseases.