Benefits of Custard Apple or Sharifa Juice
Juice Therapy
Botanical Name : Annona squamosa, Linn
Family Name : Annonaceae
Hindi Name : Sharifa
Sanskrit Name : Sitaphal
English Name : Custard apple
Description
Custard apple is a large genus, comprising over 70 species of trees and shrubs, distributed in tropical countries. Its five or six species, some of which yield edible fruits, have been introduced in India.
Its tree is small, more or less evergreen, 15-20 ft. high, bearing yellowish green fruit 3-4" in diameter. The flesh of the fruit is juicy, cream yellow or white, delicately flavoured, and tastes sweet. The seeds are mainly brownish-black smooth and oblong.
Distribution
This tree occurs wild and is also cultivated all over India.
Parts Used
Leaves, bark, root, seed & fruit.
Properties
Astringent, tonic, anthelmintic, purgative, diuretic and anti- cancerous.
Forms of Use
Fruit, root powder, decoction.
Food Value
The unripe fruit, seed, leaf and root are considered medicinal.
Fruit Preservation
Semi-ripe fruits are usually preserved under refrigeration but it is very difficult to preserve over-ripe fruits.
Medicinal Uses
It is found to have anti-cancerous properties against human epidermal cercinoma of the Nasopharynx in tissue culture.
Ripe fruit bruised and mixed with salt is applied to malignant tumours to hasten suppuration (pus formation) and healing.
The unripe fruit is useful in destroying insects and lices.
The fruit seeds are also abortifaciat.
It is considered an anti-scorbutic.
Fruit seeds were found to have oxytocic and some uterotonic activity.
Its powdered seeds give a good hair wash.
Unripe fruits are used in diarrhoea, dysentery and dyspepsia.
Leaf juice, when applied over head, kills lice.
Leaf juice is also helpful in hysterical or fainting fits when inhaled.
