Amaltas: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Most people who know the Amaltas tree know it for its show: long, drooping chains of golden yellow flowers that light up the tree between April and June. Ayurveda looks at those same flowers and sees a gentle medicine, mild enough that the flower decoction has been used as a soft purgative for children.

Indian Laburnum flowers, also called Golden Shower Flowers, come from Cassia fistula Linn., the deciduous tree known in Hindi as Amaltas. In Sanskrit the flowers are (Aragvadha Pushpa), literally "flower of Aragvadha", and are also called (Vyadhighata Pushpa), "flower that strikes down disease". The same tree is covered on our Aragvadha page.

The Bhavaprakasha Nighantu lists these flowers in its chapter on flowers (Pushpa Varga), among the flowers of trees. It describes them as cooling, mildly laxative and calming to Pitta, the dosha of heat and transformation.

Our sources record two therapeutic actions for Indian Laburnum flowers. Both come from the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, and both are modest rather than dramatic.

Gentle Bowel Movement

The flowers are classed as a mild purgative (Mridu Virechana), meaning they encourage the bowels to move without the force of stronger purgatives. This makes them relevant to occasional constipation in Ayurvedic thinking.

Their heavy (Guru) and unctuous, or oily, (Snigdha) qualities fit this softening, lubricating action. Our sources note that the flower decoction is used as a gentle purgative for children, which shows how mild the tradition considers it. This is a far gentler cousin of full therapeutic purgation (Virechana).

Cooling Excess Pitta

The flowers pacify Pitta (Pittashamaka). Their taste is sweet (Madhura), their potency is cold (Sheeta Virya), and their post-digestive effect (Vipaka), the lasting effect after digestion, is also sweet.

Sweet and cold are the two qualities Ayurveda leans on most to settle heat in the body. Our sources do not tie this cooling action to any specific named condition, so we leave it at that.

What Is in the Flowers

Our sources list anthraquinones, flavonoids and fistulic acid among the chemical constituents. No research findings on the flowers are recorded in our sources.

The one preparation our sources mention is a decoction of the flowers (Kashaya), a tea made by simmering the plant material in water. No dose, strength, timing or vehicle (Anupana) is recorded.

The tree flowers from April to June, which is when fresh flowers are available. Without a recorded dose, use Indian Laburnum flowers only under the guidance of a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, especially when the person taking them is a child.

Our sources record no specific contraindications, drug interactions or overdose signs for Indian Laburnum flowers. That is an absence of data, not proof of safety.

What we do know is that the flowers are a mild purgative. Anything that moves the bowels can cause loose stools, cramping or fluid loss if overused, so more is not better. Their heavy, cold and unctuous nature also suggests caution for anyone whose digestion is already sluggish, though our sources do not state this as a rule.

If you are pregnant, nursing, giving it to a child, taking regular medication or dealing with ongoing bowel problems, speak to a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or your doctor before using it.

Our sources make no direct comparisons for Indian Laburnum flowers. The table below sets them beside related herbs using only the properties our sources record.

Comparison	Indian Laburnum Flowers	Alternative	Verdict
Flowers vs Aragvadha (same tree)	Flowers; mild purgative; sweet, cold, heavy, unctuous	Our Aragvadha entry describes a gentle laxative that clears Pitta from the intestines, with the same sweet taste and cold potency	Same tree and very similar profile. Read the Aragvadha page for the wider picture of the plant.
Indian Laburnum vs Virechana	A single mild purgative herb	A full therapeutic purgation procedure	Not interchangeable. Virechana is a structured therapy; the flowers are a gentle remedy.
Indian Laburnum vs Trivrit	Flowers classed as a mild purgative	Root of Operculina turpethum, recorded in our sources as a classical purgative	Both act on the bowels. Our sources call the flowers mild and record their use for children; Trivrit is not described that way, so it belongs firmly with a practitioner.

Pregnancy & Nursing

No guidance is recorded in our sources for pregnancy or nursing. Because the flowers are a purgative, avoid them unless a qualified practitioner who knows your situation recommends them.

Children

This is the one group our sources mention directly: the flower decoction is used as a gentle purgative for children. No dose or age range is recorded, so do not give it to a child without a practitioner's or paediatrician's guidance.

Elderly

No guidance is recorded for older adults. Gentle laxatives are often considered for them, but fluid loss from loose stools matters more with age, so get professional advice first.

Athletes

No guidance is recorded for athletes. A purgative is not a performance aid, and losing fluid before training or competition is unwise.