Tragacanth gum is the sap of the thorny shrub tragacanth, which is a thorny and low-growing shrub. It is mostly found in the mountainous regions of the Middle East. Iran is the highest producer of this tree gum, which is also called Gond Katira in Hindi.

This gum is odorless, tasteless, and a water-soluble mixture obtained from the sap of the plant and then dried. Tragacanth gum has varied uses, which is not limited to consumption and includes uses in several other industries. It is also an important part of Ayurvedic treatment due to its medicinal properties.

How is the gum obtained?
The gum is derived from the roots and the stem of the plant by making an incision. The incision is generally made 5 cm below the ground level. The sap is then collected and dried as flakes or crystals.

Health Benefits of Gond Katira
Several health benefits are associated with Tragacanth gum. The best part, however, is that this sap cools the body during summer and in winters, it heats up the body. Tragacanth gum is beneficial for:

This gum is a part of herbal treatment for women who have small breast and wish to increase its size.

Tragacanth gum is great for new mothers who become weak after delivery. It is said to be beneficial for both the mother and the baby.

How to Consume Tragacanth gum
Tragacanth gum can be a part of several food items that we consume on a daily basis. It includes:

Dressings for salads, in sauces, mayonnaise as well as the base of condiments
As a thickener for ice cream
Used for making puddings as well as laddoos, especially during the winters
As cake decoration flowers

Other Uses: Apart from consumption, Tragacanth gum is also used in several other industries. Some of the other uses include:

Polish for leather goods or for leather dressing
In textile print paste for silks and crepes
For hardening calico
In ointments and creams as thickener or lubricants, in lotions for hair or hand as it increases the shelf life
In toothpaste as it acts as a suspending agent
As adhesive in the cigar to secure it
Side Effects

Though Tragacanth gum is good for health, you must be cautious about its side effects and also restrict the consumption amount. Some of the precautions include:

1.Consuming sufficient water to prevent choking or blockage in the intestine

2.Checking for sensitivity for natural gums or quillaia bark, which can cause breathing problem

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

One of the hottest trends among the health-conscious people and dietitians is of 'clean eating.' The concept is rather simple - eating foods that are least or minimally processed, adulterated or refined. Clean eating means consuming natural and whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, pulses and whole grains. It is not completely intended to eat specific types of foods that provide only certain nutrients such as low-carb foods, low-fat foods or protein-rich food. While practicing clean eating, you do not have to resist the urge to eat. In fact, you should eat whenever you're hungry and stop only when you're full. The only condition applied is that you must eat wholesome and preferably organic food instead of processed food. Many experts around the world have compressed the concept of clean eating into six steps. These six steps guarantee not only a healthy and fit body, but also a healthy and blissful mind which keeps you happy all the while.

1. Avoid Packed And Processed Foods

According to experts, processed food includes anything that is boxed or packed or sealed. It is always better to opt for whole and clean foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits from local vendors or farmers who provide fresher ingredients as compared to the supermarkets.

2. Add Protein And Carbohydrate-Rich Foods To Your Diet

Although nutrient-dense foods are not the most centric part of clean eating, experts recommend to include some amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in our daily meal. But, keep in mind that nutrients must be derived from natural and wholesome sources. For example, eggs and pulses are good sources of proteins while potatoes, milk and other dairy products are excellent sources of carbohydrates.

3. Limit The Consumption Of Fat, Salt And Sugar

One of the most imperative steps is to limit the amount of fats, salt and sugar in your diet. This is easier than you think, especially if you can cut out on processed foods. Processed foods are full of calories and packed with high levels of fat, sugar, and salt. Clean eating is generally devoid of such ingredients.

4. Fuel Yourself With Healthy Snacks In Between Your Meals

The three main meals should be spanned out as usual in the day, but nutritionists recommend having two or three snacks throughout the day to keep the blood sugar levels constant and maintain energy levels. Although, you must keep these snacks healthy and natural such as fruits, nuts or salads.

5. Avoid Unhealthy And Fatty Beverages

Most of us replace water with carbonated drinks and packed juices. High-calorie drinks, including soft drinks, packed juices and even tea and coffee, account for up to an extra 500 calories. In clean eating, you are recommended to boycott these drinks. Alternatively, you can also opt for unsweetened black or green tea.

6. Get Regular Exercise
Physical exercise accompanied by clean eating can do wonders for your body. On one hand, you're cutting down fats by eating wholesome foods, whereas on the other, you're eliminating the already stored fat with regular workout.

Clean eating is not just a fixed duration diet plan; it is a way of living. A healthy lifestyle means consuming wholesome natural foods and avoiding processed food, with regular exercise. Once you get the hang of it, you'll start to enjoy food more than ever. Clean eating will morph your body into a perfect shape and also provide you with mental satisfaction and happiness. Perhaps completely switching over to clean eating may be little difficult at once. Start with small steps.

Quite contradictory to popular belief, as per a research paper published in 2015 by Harvard medical school, people who eat spicy foods on a regular basis and in moderate amounts have a 14% probability of outliving their non-spicy food eating peers.

Also, the same research also indicates the fact that people who eat spicy food on a regular basis are less likely to suffer from cancer or other fatal heart diseases as compared to those who are averse to spice.

So, what is it that makes spicy foods better for your ticker and the overall health? Let’s find out.

Spicy foods are usually rich in anti-oxidants, a regular intake of which helps to prevent cancer, respiratory diseases and other heart disorders.


Peppers have a high amount of ‘capsaicin’ in them which is particularly beneficial in resisting abnormal swelling of different body parts. Capsaicin also helps in the regulation of metabolic functions of the body which prevents further serious complications of diabetes and cardio-vascular disorders. Capsaicin also helps to prevent sinus infections, hypertension and severe intestinal disorders. At times, Capsaicin acts as a pain-reliever.

Our body needs a number of nutrients in the form of minerals and vitamins to function properly. A deficiency of any of these minerals and vitamins leads to a deficiency in the body, which manifests itself in the form of a number of symptoms that can lead to illnesses.

While some of these nutrients are produced by the body, some others need to be provided to it. This is why we need to have a balanced diet to include all important nutrients in our meals. One such micronutrient that our body needs is vitamin A, which cannot be manufactured by the body naturally and therefore must be included in our diets.

The vitamin A that our body gets from our food, is stored in the liver, until it is required by the body. Vitamin A supports many bodily systems and a deficiency of this vitamin may lead to symptoms like throat infections and ulcers, acne and dry skin, sore eyes, etc. In pregnant women, a deficiency of vitamin A may result in night blindness and poor immunity, especially if the mother becomes deficient in the last trimester. It may also have an adverse impact on the brain development of the foetus.

Types Of Vitamin A
There are two different types of vitamin A- a preformed vitamin A called retinol present in meats, milk and eggs, and the other is a Provitamin A, called carotenoids, present in fruits and vegetables. The retinol or preformed Vitamin A is used up directly by the body, while the carotenoids need to be converted by the body into retinol. The most important carotenoid is the beta-carotene present in foods like carrots and oranges. Our body is able to convert this carotenoid into retinol, in the most efficient way. Yellow, orange and red coloured vegetables and fruits are the richest sources of beta-carotene.

Here are 5 benefits of vitamin A, which make it essential for the body:
1. Maintains Eye Health: Adequate intake of vitamin A can keep eye disorders at bay and even improve eyesight. A number of eye disorders like glaucoma, cataracts, night blindness, etc. can be avoided by regular consumption of foods with vitamin A in them.

2. Boosts Immunity In kids: Vitamin A is very important for improving immunity in kids. Research has indicated that a deficiency of Vitamin A in kids makes them susceptible to diseases like diarrhoea and measles.

3. Promotes Skin And Hair Health: Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for skin and hair health. This is because vitamin A promotes the replacement of skin cells and also promotes hair growth. It is used in making acne medicines and also medicines to treat baldness. Vitamin A also prevents skin ageing, making your skin looking young for longer.

4. Lowers Risk Of Cancer: Research has shown that adequate intake of beta-carotene is linked to lower risk of lung, stomach and prostate cancer in people. However, an overdose of vitamin A supplements may actually lead to an increase in the risk of cancer.

5. Maintains Bone Health: Vitamin A is essential for healthy bones as it plays an important role in the formation of osteoblasts- the bones that are responsible for building new bones. A deficiency of vitamin A leads to poor absorption and metabolism of calcium, leading to poor bone health.

Although vitamin A is essential for the body, its overdose through supplements can have adverse impact on your health. Studies have suggested that higher doses of vitamin A may lead to osteoporosis and even hip fractures in older people. It's healthier to consume Vitamin A through natural sources like fruits and vegetables, instead of taking supplements. To know the recommended daily intake of vitamin A for you or your kids, it is always better to consult an expert dietitian or nutritionist.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine included food as a part of treatment to cure disease. Food as medicine is not something new to a nation like ours with a rich heritage of 5,000 years. The fundamentals of using edible herbs, barks, seeds, stems, leaves and other food items to treat illnesses are well documented in our ancient records including texts like Charaka Samhita. They are an integral part of our ancient healing system of Ayurvedic medicine. The system, however, suffers from a lack or inadequate research and controlled clinical trials. This often leads to conflict with the concept of ‘evidence-based’ medicine fundamental to modern western medicine.

Modern medicine and food science recognise that food serves a primary function of providing energy and nutrients. It is also established that secondary function of food is that it must be good to taste.

It is the tertiary function that deals with the regulation of physical condition of the body that was recognised later. This led to the formulation of special category of foods called functional foods.

Functional foods are defined as foods that provide special health benefits, which go beyond their nutritional components like energy, vitamins, minerals etc. They are natural or formulated foods that enhance physiological performance or prevent diseases. Functional foods have emerged when limitations of modern medicines have been felt and consumer interest in diet and health is at an all-time high.

Taken from many cultures, herbs and plants commonly used for treatments for specific disorders have been carefully identified. By now, modern analytical methods have identified more than 10,000 physiologically active constituents provided by the human diet, some of which have been developed into medicines.

It was the Japanese in the 80s who developed and commercialised the concept of functional foods. Their Ministry of Health and Welfare initiated a regulatory system to approve certain foods with documented health benefits. Thus, was born FOSHU — Foods For Specified Health Use. This was the first time food could legitimately be labelled and categorised as possessing specific health promoting or disease preventing properties. The government’s would provide FOSHU status.

This sort of regulation, backed by scientific clinical trials, unifies the gap that exists between medical, nutrition, food sciences and traditions. The FOSHU system was introduced to encourage the maintenance of health, prevention of lifestyle-related diseases based on the consumption of functional foods with scientific evidence. To secure FOSHU status, there must be adequate evidence of effectiveness of the products; there must be identification of active constituents and guarantee of its safety. There are over 700 products in the Japanese food market that carry FOSHU status.

Benefits of FOSHU food range from cholesterol lowering, blood pressure regulating foods, to those that improve bowel and gastro-intestinal health.

Interestingly, the positive health correlations of functional foods are not on the basis of nutrient content. Non-nutrient constituents contribute beneficial physiological effects that either retard or prevent disease. Some of these include allyl sulfides in garlic and onions that prevent heart disease, phytates in grains and legumes protect against cancer and heart disease, lignans in flaxseeds too have protective effect against cancers, isoflavones in soy protect against osteoporosis.

In India, a wealth of knowledge lies in our ancient texts. Many people have been consuming a majority of these foods for thousands of years to prevent and treat specific health conditions. As there is little recorded history of actual outcomes, their dose controls or identification of possible contaminants, this has put them under uncontrolled and questionable categories.

The average consumer remains unclear, unsure and often under-confident about the usage of foods as medicine, worsened by doubts created by mainstream physicians. It’s time that we too establish and put in place a regulatory system for such food, something similar to the Japanese (It’s not a coincidence that their average life span is 87 years for women and 78 years for men) or else we may lose out not only patents on haldi and neem but also their health benefits.