Overview
How Bael Helps with Diarrhea
According to Ayurvedic pharmacology, Bael has specific properties that make it valuable for addressing diarrhea:
- Potency (Virya): Heating
- Post-digestive (Vipaka): Pungent
- Taste (Rasa): Astringent, bitter
- Qualities (Guna): Dry, light (immature)
Ayurvedic Properties
- Taste (Rasa)
- Astringent, bitter
- Quality (Guna)
- Dry, Immature (light)
- Potency (Virya)
- Heating
- Post-digestive (Vipaka)
- Pungent
- Dosha Effect
- VK<, P in excess
- Key Constituents
- Alkaloids Aegelenine, aegeline (leaves), skimmianine (roots and aerial parts) Anthraquinones Mucilage Pectin Coumarins Marmelosin, marmelide, psoralen Tannins Tannic acid (Swami Prakashananda Ayurveda Research Centre 1992, Williamson 2002)
- Dhatu
- Plasma, blood
- Srotas
- Digestive, eliminatory
▶ Classical Text References (5 sources)
- Atisara (diarrhea)
- Pravahika (dysentery)
- Grahani (malabsorption/IBS)
- Shotha (edema/swelling)
- Hridroga (heart disease)
- Vataroga (Vata disorders)
- Kapharoga (Kapha disorders)
Source: Bhavaprakash Nighantu, Varga 3
प वं सद ु ज ु रं व वं दोषलं पू तमा तम ् द पनं कफवात नं बालं, ा युमयं च तत ् Bilva phala (bael fruit) when ripe is hard to digest, aggravates the doshas and causes flatus;
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
Tikta Gana – group of bitters :त तः पदोल ाय ती वालकोशीर च दनम ् भू न ब न ब कटुका तगरा गु व सकम ् न तमाला वरजनी मु त मूवाट पकम पाठापामागकां यायोगुडू चध वयासकम ् प चमल ू ं महा या यौ वशाल अ त वषावचा Patoli, Trayanti – Gentiana kurroa, Valaka, Usira – Vetiveria zizanioides, Chandana – Sandalwood, Bhunimba – The creat (whole plant) – Andrographis paniculata, Nimba – Neem – Azadirachta indica, Katuka – Picrorhiza kurroa, Tagara – Indian Valerian (root) – Valeriana wallichi, Aguru, Vatsaka – Hol
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their
Either Rasanjana (Aqueous extract of Berberis aristata), Brihat Pancamula (Agnimantha, Shyonaka, Gambhari, Patala, Bilva), Guggulu – along with the fresh juice of Agnimnatha is suitable;
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Dvividha Upakramaneeya
Similar is the case of Anuvasana – fat enema and Matra basti – fat enema with very little oil 34-36 Anu taila जीव तीजलदे वदा जलद व से यगोपी हमं दाव व मधुक लवागु वर पु ा व ब वो पलम ् धाव यौ सरु भं ि थरे कृ महरं प ं ु ट रे णक ु ां कि ज कं कमला वलां शतगुणे द ये अ भ स वाथयेत ् ३७ तैला सं दशगण ु ं प रशो य तेन तैलं पचेत ् स ललेन दशैव वारान ् पाके पे चदशमे सममाजद ु धं न यं महागुणमुश यणुतैलमेतत ् ३८ Jivanti, Jala, Devadaru, Jalada, Twak, Sevya, Gopi (sariva), Hima, Darvi twak, Madhuka, Plava, A
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Nasya Vidhi Nasal
प वं सद ु ज ु रं व वं दोषलं पू तमा तम ् द पनं कफवात नं बालं, ा युमयं च तत ् Bilva phala (bael fruit) when ripe is hard to digest, aggravates the doshas and causes flatus;
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food; Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their; Dvividha Upakramaneeya; Nasya Vidhi Nasal
In addition to the above, the following items too should be kept available there – two grinding stones, two small pestles, two mortars, one untamed bull, two gold and silver cases for keeping needles, various surgical instruments that are sharp and prepared of metals, two bedsteads made of bilva (Aeglemarmelos Corr.
— Charaka Samhita, Sharira Sthana — Human Body & Embryology, Chapter 8: Guidelines for Lineage (Jatisutriya Sharira / जातिसूत्रीय शरीर)
Out of this, cakes of one bilva or pala each should be prepared.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 11: Chest Injury and Emaciation Treatment (Kshatakshina Chikitsa / क्षतक्षीणचिकित्सा)
Take 40 gm fine powder each of svarajjikā and yava-kshara, four varieties of salt, iron bhasma, trikatu, triphala, pippalimula, pealed seeds of vidanga, mustaka, ajamodā, devadāru, bilva, indrayava, root of chitraka, pāthā, ativishā and liquorice;
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Make paste of 10 gm each of chitraka, coriander, ajawan, cumin, sauvarchala-salt, trikatu, amlavetasa, bilva, pomegranate, yavakṣāra, pippalimula and chavya;
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Take 5 gm each of jivanti, cumin, saṭi, pushkarmula, karvi (celery), chitraka, bilva and yavakashara, make a medicated gruel (yavāgu) and then fry it in ghee and oil.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Sharira Sthana — Human Body & Embryology, Chapter 8: Guidelines for Lineage (Jatisutriya Sharira / जातिसूत्रीय शरीर); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 11: Chest Injury and Emaciation Treatment (Kshatakshina Chikitsa / क्षतक्षीणचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Two Shuktis make one Pala (~48g), also called Mushti, Ama, Chaturthika, Prakuncha, Shodashi, or Bilva.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 1: Paribhashakathana (Definitions)
Masha, Tanka, Bilva, Kudava, Prastha, Adhaka, Rashi (Drona), Goni (Droni), and Khari — each successive unit is four times the preceding one.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 1: Paribhashakathana (Definitions)
Amritottara Kvatha: Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Nimba bark (Azadirachta indica), Bilva bark (Aegle marmelos), Padmaka (Prunus cerasoides), and Raktachandana (red sandalwood — Pterocarpus santalinus) — this decoction should be consumed.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.)
The ingredients are: Patala (Stereospermum suaveolens), Aranikas (Premna mucronata and Clerodendrum phlomidis), Kashmarya (Gmelina arborea), Bilva (Aegle marmelos), Araluka (Ailanthus excelsa), Gambhari (Gmelina arborea), the two Brihatis — Brihati (Solanum indicum) and Kantakari (Solanum surattense), Pippali (Piper longum), Shringi (Pistacia integerrima), Draksha (Vitis vinifera), Amrita/Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), and Abhaya/Haritaki (Terminalia chebula).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
The powders to add are: Rasanjana (extract of Berberis aristata), Mocharasa (Bombax ceiba gum resin), Trikatu — Shunthi (Zingiber officinale), Maricha (Piper nigrum), Pippali (Piper longum) — Triphala — Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Bibhitaka (Terminalia bellirica), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) — Lajjalu (Mimosa pudica), Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Bilva (Aegle marmelos), Indrayava (Holarrhena antidysenterica seeds), and Tvak (Cinnamomum zeylanicum).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 1: Paribhashakathana (Definitions); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
Perform oblations with sticks of Khadira (Acacia catechu), Palasha (Butea monosperma), Devadaru (Cedrus deodara), and Bilva (Aegle marmelos) — or of Nyagrodha (Ficus benghalensis), Udumbara (Ficus racemosa), Ashvattha (Ficus religiosa), and Madhuka (Madhuca longifolia) — smeared with curd, honey, and ghee, while reciting the Pranava (Om) and Maha-vyahritis.
— Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 2: Shishyopanayaniya Adhyaya - Initiation of the Student
Kutannata, sphotaphala, jjaka, bilva (bael), pattura, arka (calotropis), kapittha (wood apple), and bhanga (hemp).
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 11: Kaphabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Kapha-type Conjunctivitis)
Also ajaka, sphotaka, kapittha (wood apple), bilva (bael), nirgundi (vitex), and jasmine flowers.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 11: Kaphabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Kapha-type Conjunctivitis)
Prepared from patali, arjuna, shriparni, dhataki, dhatri (amla), and bilva (bael).
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 12: Raktabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Blood-type Conjunctivitis)
Bilva (Aegle marmelos), Shirisha (Albizia lebbeck), Golomi, and the Surasa (basil) group of herbs should be used for sprinkling (parisheka) to pacify Skanda-type epilepsy.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 29: Skandapasmarapratishedha
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 2: Shishyopanayaniya Adhyaya - Initiation of the Student; Uttara Tantra, Chapter 11: Kaphabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Kapha-type Conjunctivitis); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 12: Raktabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Blood-type Conjunctivitis); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 29: Skandapasmarapratishedha
Safety & Precautions
Contraindications: Dried immature fruit if constipated; fresh fruit for congestion,; ama, weak digestion
Safety: No drug–herb interactions are known.
Other Herbs for Diarrhea
See all herbs for diarrhea on the Diarrhea page.
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Ayurvedic treatments should be pursued under the guidance of a qualified practitioner (BAMS/MD Ayurveda). Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment. Content is sourced from classical Ayurvedic texts and may not reflect the latest medical research.