Herb × Condition

Pomegranate for Fever

Sanskrit: Da-d• ima | Punica granatum

How Pomegranate helps with Fever according to Ayurveda. Classical references, dosage, preparation methods, and what modern research says.

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Overview

Pomegranate is one of the herbs traditionally used in Ayurveda for fever. Dadima (Pomegranate/Anar) is one of the most valued fruits in Ayurveda. It is a small tree or shrub cultivated throughout India. The fruit is unique in being Tridoshahara (pacifying all three doshas). The sweet variety is the most useful medicinally. The fruit juice is excellent for the heart, digestion and blood formation. The rind (bark) of the fruit is highly astringent and used in diarrhea, dysentery and oral diseases. The root bark contains Pelletierine, an alkaloid used as an anthelmintic, particularly effective against tapeworm (Taenia). The fruit is one of the few fruits recommended even during illness. The flower buds (Pushpa) are used in bleeding disorders. Three varieties are described: sweet (Madhura), sour (Amla) and sweet-sour (Madhura-Amla). The sweet variety is considered the best. Pomegranate is mentioned as Hridya (best for the heart) in multiple Ayurvedic texts. Dose: Fruit as food; rind powder 1-2 masha; root bark for tapeworm as directed. Verses: 39.

How Pomegranate Helps with Fever

According to Ayurvedic pharmacology, Pomegranate has specific properties that make it valuable for addressing fever:

  • Potency (Virya): Heating
  • Post-digestive (Vipaka): Sweet
  • Taste (Rasa): Sweet, astringent and sour
  • Qualities (Guna): Light and unctuous

Ayurvedic Properties

Taste (Rasa)
Sweet, astringent and sour
Quality (Guna)
Light and unctuous
Potency (Virya)
Heating
Post-digestive (Vipaka)
Sweet
Dosha Effect
Dos.aHIIHFW93.ï
Key Constituents
(Fruit) Vitamin C Pectin Sterols Estrone (Rind) Alkaloids Pelletierine, punicalagin, punicalin Tannins Gallic acid, ellagic acid Triterpenes (Williamson 2002)
Also Known As
English: Pomegranate
Sanskrit: दाडिम, लोहितपुष्पक, कुचफल, दन्तबीज, शुकप्रिय
Hindi: अनार
Dhatu
Plasma, blood, reproductive
Srotas
Digestive, reproductive
Classical Text References (4 sources)

115-116 ½ Dadima – (Pomegranate) उ त प ता जय त ी दोषान ् वाद ु दा डमम ् ११७ प ता वरो ध ना यु णम लं वातकफापहम ् सव दयं लघु ि न धं ा ह रोचन द पनम ् ११८ It mitigates the greatly increased pitta in particular and the other doss also and is sweet;

— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food

All varieties of Pomegranate are good to the hear, easily digestible unctuous, without elimination of fluids, stimulate appetite and digestion.

— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food

Pathya – food that can be consumed habitually (on daily basis, for a long time) – शीलये छा लगोधूमयवषि टकजा गलम ् सु नष णकजीव तीबालमूलवा तुकम ् प यामलकम ृ वीकापटोल मु गशकराः घत ृ द योदक ीर ौ दा डमसै धवम ् Shali (rice), Godhuma (wheat), Yava – Barley – Hordeum vulgare, Shashtika (rice maturing in sixty days), Jangala (meat of animals of desert like lands), sunisannaka, Jivanti – Leptadenia reticulata, Balamulaka (young radish), Pathya (Haritaki) Amalaka (Amla – Indian gooseberry), Mridwika – dr

— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Food habits &

, Dadima – Pomegranate – Punica granatum, Rajata (Siver), Buttermilk, Chukra, Palevata, Dadhi – Curds, Mango, Amrataka, Bhavya – Dillenia indica, Kapittha – Feronia limonia / Limonia acidissima, Karamardaka etc.

— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their

Amla ायो अ लं प तजननं दा डमामलकाहते Generally substances of sour taste aggravate Pitta, except Dadima – Pomegranate – Punica granatum and Amalaka (Indian gooseberry).

— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their

Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food; Food habits &; Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their

Pomegranate (unctuous, hot, sweet, benefits kapha/pitta).

— Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana — Fundamental Principles, Chapter 27: Classification of Food & Beverages (Annapanavidhi Adhyaya / अन्नपानविधि अध्याय)

Patient should drink goat-meat juice with long pepper, barley, horse gram, ginger, pomegranate, emblic myrobalan, and unctuous articles.

— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 8: Consumption and Wasting Disease Treatment (Rajayakshma Chikitsa / राजयक्ष्मचिकित्सितं)

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)

The patient should drink the juice of dadima (pomegranate), milk, meat soup of birds, water, alcohol, asava (medicated wine) after taking this medicine.

— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 16: Anemia Treatment (Pandu Chikitsa / पाण्डुचिकित्सा)

When external application of paste prepared from pomegranate, wood apple, lodhra (Symplocos racemosa), white yam and citron or of whitish emblica myrobalans mixed with ghee and sour wheat porridge is done over head area it proves useful.

— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 22: Thirst Disorders Treatment (Trishna Chikitsa / तृष्णाचिकित्सा)

Source: Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana — Fundamental Principles, Chapter 27: Classification of Food & Beverages (Annapanavidhi Adhyaya / अन्नपानविधि अध्याय); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 8: Consumption and Wasting Disease Treatment (Rajayakshma Chikitsa / राजयक्ष्मचिकित्सितं); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 16: Anemia Treatment (Pandu Chikitsa / पाण्डुचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 22: Thirst Disorders Treatment (Trishna Chikitsa / तृष्णाचिकित्सा)

The juice of a Dadima (pomegranate — Punica granatum) Putapaka, combined with honey, destroys all types of Atisara (diarrhea).

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.)

— Yavakshara (alkali of barley) half a Karsha, and Dadima (pomegranate — Punica granatum) two Karsha.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations)

Dadima (pomegranate) should be four Karsha;

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 6: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations - Extended)

07 liters) of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) juice.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 9: Snehakalpana (Oleaginous Preparations - Ghrita and Taila)

The method for destroying grey hair: Triphala, iron powder (Loha Churna), pomegranate rind (Dadima Tvak, Punica granatum), and lotus stalk (Bisa, Nelumbo nucifera) -- each five Palas (approximately 200g each) -- the wise one should prepare as a powder.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)

Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 6: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations - Extended); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 9: Snehakalpana (Oleaginous Preparations - Ghrita and Taila); Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)

With sugar, madhuka (licorice), katphala, whey, honey, sour substances, and saindhava — also with bijapura (citron), kola (jujube) acid, and pomegranate acid, in proper proportion.

— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 12: Raktabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Blood-type Conjunctivitis)

With pomegranate, arevata, ashmanta, kola (jujube) acid, and saindhava — or rasakriya (concentrated extract) should be administered to properly counteract suppuration.

— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 12: Raktabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Blood-type Conjunctivitis)

A soup of pomegranate, Amalaka (gooseberry), and green gram is beneficial in Vata-Pitta fever.

— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha

MANAGEMENT OF FEVER COMPLICATIONS: Head paste (Pradeha) for fever patients: Madhuka (licorice), Rajani (turmeric), Musta, Dadima (pomegranate), Amlavetasa, Anjana, Tintidika (tamarind), Nalada, Patra, Utpala (lotus), Vyaghranakha, Matulunga (citron) juice, and honey -- mixed with honey and vinegar, applied to the head.

— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha

The Parushakadi Gana consists of: parushaka, dracha (grapes), katphala, dadima (pomegranate), rajadana, kataka fruit, shakaphala, and triphala (verse 43).

— Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 38: Dravyasangrahaniya Adhyaya - On the Collection of Drugs

Source: Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 12: Raktabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Blood-type Conjunctivitis); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha; Sutra Sthana, Chapter 38: Dravyasangrahaniya Adhyaya - On the Collection of Drugs

Safety & Precautions

Contraindications: Constipation; Avoid the use of the rind in; pregnancy

Safety: * Rhubarb root following a dose of the rind to loosen the tapeworm from the gut wall. * Arjuna, bala, ashwagandha for strengthening the heart. * Shatavari for the menopause with the fruit and seed. No drug–herb interactions are known.

Other Herbs for Fever

See all herbs for fever on the Fever 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.