7 Incredible Benefits of Gond Katira

It is tasteless; it is odourless; colour plays no part in this as well. But despite lacking all these, gond katira is a gem. For centuries, humans have been looking into the depths of nature for healing and beneficial foods. Gond katira, a gum-like plant-based substance, is one such beauty that has been extracted and used for all its health benefits. 

Traditionally used for medicinal purposes, gond katira has recently got quite some attention from health enthusiasts. The reason? All the many gond katira benefits. It is believed to contain strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties. And then there are numerous other benefits, some scientifically studied, some not. 

Today, we’ll be learning why gond katira is a healthy addition to the diet, how it must be consumed, when or when not, and a few other interesting facts plus some recipes. Let’s start extracting the sap.

What Is Gond Katira?

Gond katira is a Hindi term for the gum extracted from several species of Astragalus trees. The process of collecting this gum is fairly simple:

• Few incisions are made on the bark of branches and stems of shrubs or trees
• The sap is allowed to ooze out
• The exudate sap is then left to get dried and hardened
• The hardened gum is then chipped off and consumed

Usually, people get confused between gond and gond katira. The common gond (gum), also known as acacia gum or gum Arabica, is derived from different plants, has different colours (reddish), and has heating properties. 

Now, that we know what gond katira is, let’s move on to unearth the numerous gond katira benefits.

Gond Katira Benefits

While Gond Katira has been used for centuries in traditional medicine, today it is even used for various industrial processes. It has been used as a binding agent in cosmetics, a thickening agent in textiles, to coat tablets, and even in bookbinding. The uses are many, especially for health purposes. 

Here are all the gond katira benefits that make them a must-have in your kitchen:

Ayurveda considers gond katira to be cooling in nature

1. Source Of Antioxidants

Antioxidant is the new buzzword today. It is everywhere. And for all the right reasons.

The present toxicity in the environment has put us at risk of being more prone to diseases more than ever before. This has challenged our immunity. Consequently, our bodies bow before free radicals that damage our cells and reduce our lifespan. 

Gond katira contains numerous antioxidants that provide us with the much-required protection from these free radicals. This strengthens our immunity and protects our organs from damage. As a result, we live longer. 

The diet of people living in the blue zones (areas in the world where people live longest) has been found to be rich in antioxidants. 

Not only immunity, but antioxidants serve numerous other purposes too. Here are a few other benefits of antioxidants that gond katira can provide:

• Our brains get protection from memory issues and other age-related damages
• Our hearts get protective benefits through their cholesterol and triglycerides-lowering properties
• Skin health sees a glow
• Their anti-inflammatory potential saves us from inflammation-related pain (joint, muscle, etc.) ^[1][2]

2. May Protect From Bacteria

Gond katira possesses anti-bacterial properties too. This means that consuming it can

• May protect us from common or seasonal bacterial infections
• May help strengthen our immune system 
• May protect our skin from acne and other skin problems

And much more. This means a few days of sickness, or maybe not even those.

Although gond katira does contain antibacterial properties, it should never replace regular medical treatment. Use it as a prevention, not a cure. ^[3]

In Iranian medicine, gond katira is used to relieve pain ^[4]

3. Helps in Reducing Inflammation 

Inflammation is not to be feared about. It is a weapon that our bodies use to fight pathogens and provide us with quick healing. However, due to stress and several other factors, this protective mechanism gets derailed and inflammation becomes chronic inflammation. Now, chronic inflammation is something we must all fear. 

• It damages our tissues, which then leads to organ damage
• It harms the brain and can cause memory loss
• The immune system backfires and starts attacking our bodies

And all of these cause us to age quickly. 

Gond katira has been found to possess strong anti-inflammatory properties. Consuming it regularly can not only help you bring down the inflammation but it may even prevent it. Furthermore, it can even relieve pain. ^[5]

4. Contains Amino Acids

While the primary components of gum tragacanth are polysaccharides, it also contains some amount of amino acids. These amino acids make gond katira a beneficial addition. Why? Amino acids help in the generation, repair, and maintenance of tissues. 

Some vital amino acids that are found in Gond kaitra include

• hydroxyproline, 
• serine, 
• proline, 
• and valine 

These amino acids serve several beneficial purposes. ^[6]

For example, serine is known to be a part of various metabolic processes. It helps metabolise fat and grow muscle. Not just this, serine is also important for brain function and the immune system. About proline – it helps in wound healing and skin health. 

5. It Cools Down The Body

Unlike gond (gum Arabica), gond katira has cooling properties. This makes it a perfect summer drink to beat the heat. This is why this gum has been used since ancient times to make cooling drinks (sharbat). 

When mixed in water, gond katira forms a gel-like texture. This characteristic not only contributes to the refreshing mouthfeel of the drinks but also boosts digestion. How? By soothing the digestive tract and relieving constipation. 

Also, this same gel-like consistency of gond katira helps to slow down the absorption of sugar in the body. Perfect for those dealing with blood sugar issues. 

Gond Katira is a rich part of traditional Chinese medicine

6. May Enliven Your Liver

We all have only one liver. It is one of the few organs (unlike kidneys, lungs, etc.) that do not have their second. This makes it crucial for us to take care of them more than ever.

One great work that the liver does is to turn harmful toxins into unharmful ones. And when it fails to do this, toxins start building up inside us. NAFL (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver) is one such condition that is very common around. It is caused due to obesity and metabolic disorder. When it happens, the liver fails. 

Consuming gond katira in healthy ways may help treat several liver problems. 

7. Source Of Saponins

Saponins are plant compounds that are usually found in various legumes and other crops. The plant gond katira is extracted from (astragalus) is known to be a rich source of saponins. ^[7]

What saponins do to plants is to help them fight fungi and bacteria, grow better, interact with other plants, etc. And what saponins do to humans? 

• They may show strong cholesterol-lowering effects
• They may help in reducing inflammation
• May boost immunity 
• May help in maintaining blood sugar 
• Even auto-immune problems may be taken care of by saponins

All these benefits can be reaped just by consuming gond katira. 

Gond Katira – Risks and Precautions

While all the gond katira benefits we just saw might make you gulp down glass after glass of gond katira sharbat, know that it could be potentially harmful too. 

• Because gond katira possesses medicinal properties, it must be consumed within healthy limits

The phenolic compounds present in it can backfire and be potentially harmful if consumed over the limit. 

• Overdosing on this gum can cause diarrhoea or bloating
• Although rare, some people might face allergic reactions too

Ensure that you soak it fully before consuming it. This will prevent you from a possible choking hazard. 

The Bottom Line

Gond katira has been a long part of traditional Chinese, Indian, and even Iranian medicine. It is thought to have a cooling potency. This is why it is cherished as a cooling summer drink. But the gond katira benefits go far beyond this. 

Gond Katira has been found to be quite potent at boosting immunity, soothing inflammation, enhancing liver health, and even aiding digestion. And if you think this is all, then know that this gum is rich in antioxidants as well. While research is ongoing, traditional wisdom and emerging studies suggest that it could be a valuable addition to a healthy lifestyle. 

So, why not take a deep dive into the ancient wisdom and get soaked in the benefits of gond katira? Your body and taste buds might just thank you!