Mango Seed Kernel Medicinal Uses

Mango fruit needs no introduction. It is one of the tastiest, juicy and nutritious fruit available during the summer. It is native to India and has botanical name Mangifera indica (Family Anacardiaceae). In Hindi, it is called Aam, Amba and Ambra. We eat mango pulp and throw away the inner seed as waste. But even the seeds and kernel are nutritious and are full of medicinal and food value.

Mango stone (Guthali in Hindi), which is the inner part of mango fruit, is very nutritious and can be grinded after drying to prepare flour. The food value of this flour is equivalent to that of rice. It can be even used as food source.

Mango seed kernel is obtained by breaking hard seed coat of mango stone.  It is edible, nutritious and non-toxic. The kernel is helpful in balancing deranges Kapha and Pitta inside the body. It is sweet, acrid, astringent, refrigerant, anthelmintic, constipating, haemostatic and tonic.  The kernel is a rich source of natural antioxidants, nutrients, fat, starch and protein. Although the amount of protein in kernel is low, but its quality is good due to richness of all essential amino acids. Generally mango seed kernels contain on a dry weight average 6.0% protein, 11% fat, 77% carbohydrate, 2.0% crude fibre and 2.0% ash.

Kernel is a good source of polyphenols, phytosterols, ?-sitosterol and tocopherols. The kernal has antidiabetic, antioxidant and antibacterial properties and can be safely used for treating various infectious bacterial diseases.

Mango seed is also used in preparation of Ayurvedic medicines such as Brihat Gangadhar churna, Pushyanuga churna and Ashokaristha.

Here is given few medicinal uses of mango seed kernel. These are safe and without any toxic effect on the body.

• Excessive thirst
  Prepare a decoction of seed kernel by boiling 5 grams in 400 ml water till water reduces to one fourth. This should be taken in dosage of 40-50 ml after adding misri/sugar candy.
• Diarrhoea, loose motions, dysentery
• Mix seed kernel powder and mango resin in equal amount.  Take one gram of it, 2-3 times a day.
• Mix powder of mango seed kernel, belgiri/bel seed kernel and misri in equal amounts. Take 3-6 grams of this preparation with water.
• Roast seed kernel of mango. Pulverise it and give in a dose of 1-2 grams with 1 tsp honey, twice a day.
• Diarrhoea during pregnancy
  Pulverise seed kernel and take in a dose of 4 grams with honey/water, thrice a day, two hours before having meal.
• Bleeding piles
  Take seed kernel powder in a dose of 1-2 grams, twice a day.