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
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.
Dear Ajay Agarwal, Please consult your doctor. You may require stronger medicines. Regards
Dear Dr., I am told that the foods that contain Catechins are good for reducing obesity. And Acacia catechu is supposed to contain a lot of the same. If so, please suggest some Ayurvedic Medicine which contain the extract of the same in good quantity. Thanks and regards,- Anil Sharma,CA, New Delhi.
There are lot of medicines containing Khadira.
Maha Manjishtadi Kashayam – http://ayurmedinfo.com/2012/02/15/maha-manjishtadi-kashayam-benefits-dose-side-effects-ingredients-reference/
and
Ayaskriti – http://ayurmedinfo.com/2011/06/23/ayaskriti-uses-dose-side-effects-and-ingredients/
these are the two famous products, used for obesity, containing Khadira.
But please consult an Ayurveda doctor in person.
Dear Doctor Hebbar
I am a practitioner of Vedic Astrology, and I am interested in trying basic ayurvedic & herbal medicines together with astrological solutions. Do you have a list of herbs / trees / etc., that are associated with various CONSTELLATIONS such as Goose Berry for Bharani, Etti for Krithika, etc., IF possible I would like to know the exact TAMIL / SANSKRIT NAMES for the same. If you have any such table for instant reference, can you please spare.
K Vasudevan
You may send the details to
[email protected]
Sir, We do not have any list as such.
Dear doctor as khadiradi gutika contains camphor and areca nut ,is it safe to take this medicine ? Areca nut is carcinogenic and camphor is like poison to our body kindly reply
As per Ayurveda, pach karpoora – is edible and areca nut in limited quantities is harmless.
Is there any side effect of Khadira powder?
Generally, it is very safe.
Sir on asking for khadira I have been given a dark brown crystalline powder.i think it’s a resin. Is it the right extract to be used as an ingredient in your bathing powder mix?
Which tree used for loose my weight , male or female tree ?
( of khairnar tree)
I am not a botany expert. I only know that Acacia catechu is Khadira.