Indian Almond Tree Medicinal Uses.

The Indian almond tree is a big tree that grows in tropical areas. It is called Terminalia catappa and known by other names such as Malabar almond tree tropical almond tree, country almond tree, sea almond tree etc. The trees are commonly referred to as “fruit tree” in Nigeria while the fruits are just called fruits.

The fruit contains a fleshy mesocarp surrounding a fibrous layer which has a seed. The seed contains an edible kernel. The leaves are green and turn wine or brown before falling off during the dry season.

Indian almond tree is a very useful tree because it provides food, shade, medicine and dye. The tree helps in preventing erosion and acts as a windbreaker. The fruits, leaves and bark are the parts that are used in traditional medicine because they contain flavonoids, tannins, sterols and saponins. 

The important active ingredients give them antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Indian almond leaves and bark are used to treat many ailments effectively including treating;

• Skin issues such as scabies, leprosy, eczema, dermatitis, etc.
• Dysentery, diarrhea  and other stomach issues.
• Wounds.
• Inflammatory conditions of the joints (leaves dressing)
• Inflammatory issues of the respiratory tract like coughs and asthma.
• Intestinal parasites.
• Hepatitis and some other liver diseases.
• Fevers.
• Diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Erectile dysfunction issues.
• Anaemia.
• Body pains and aches.

Indian almond tree has more benefits for health than those listed above like many plants. They have been reported to be effective in treating HIV, lung cancer and tumours of the liver. Fish breeders and people who keep fish add dried almond tree leaves to the tanks or ponds due to their anti-microbial and anti-parasitic properties.

Indian almond tree gives abundant medicine because it has abundant leaves!

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