Badam / Vatadha

Botanical Name

Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb, Family:- Rosaceae. 

Synonyms

Prunus amygdalus Batsch, Amygdalus amara Duhamel, Amygdalus communis L., Amygdalus dulcis Mill., Amygdalus fragilis Borkh., Amygdalus sativa Mill., Prunus communis  Fritsch, Prunus communis (L.) Arcang.

Regional Name

English : Almond, Hindi : Badam, Sanskrit : Vatamah, Tamil : Vatamkottai, Kannada : Badaami,  Malayalam : Badam, Badamkotta, Marathi : Baadaam, Telugu : Badamvittulu, Paarsibaadami.

Part Used

Seed & Oil.

Description

Badam is a native to the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and  North Africa. The almond is a deciduous tree, growing 4–10 m (13–33 ft) in height, with a trunk of up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. The leaves are 9-15 Cm (3–5 inches), long, with a serrated margin and  2.5 cm (1 in.) petiole. The flowers are white to pale pink, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) diameter with five petals, produced singly or in pairs, and appearing before the leaves in early spring. The almond fruit measures 3.5–6 cm (1–2 in) long, it is not a nut but a drupe. The outer covering or exocarp, inside the hull, is a reticulated, hard, woody shell (like the outside of a peach pit) called the endocarp. Inside the shell is the edible seed.

Phytoconstituents

The fruit of the wild forms contains the glycoside amygdalin. Almond fruit contains- B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B6, and folate; choline vitamin E, and the essential minerals potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. It is also rich in dietary fiber, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, contain phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, sitostanol, and campestanol.

Medicinal Uses

It is used for the treatment of kidney stones, gallstones, bladder, and biliary cleanser. It is also used for cancer (esp. bladder, breast, mouth, spleen, and uterus), carcinomata, condylomata, corns, indurations, and tumors. It is also used for asthma, colds, corns, cough, dyspnea, eruptions, itching, gingivitis, heartburn, lungs, skin, sores, spasms, constipation, stomatitis, and ulcers.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Kasaya, Guna : Guru, Snigdha, Vipaka : Madhura, Virya : Usna, Karma : Dipana, Grahi, Rucya, Vatahara, Pacana.

Ayurvedic Applications

Anaha, Arsa, Grdhrasi, Gandamala, Gulma, Kandu, Kaphavataja roga, Krmi, Kustha, Sotha, Prameha, Udara, Udavarta.