Folklore With Regards To Fruit Therapy

Potato: There was an Irish proverb: Be eating one potato, peeling a second, have a third in your fist and your eye on the fourth.

Spinach: In ancient times, spinach juice was used as a cure for conjunctivitis and defective vision; a cure for anemia, weakness and low vitality.

Carrot: In medieval times, it was believed that carrot juice improves eye sight; it was also used as a cure for loose teeth; bleeding gums, anemia, scurvy and rickets.

Beet root: In dark ages, beet juice was used for dissolving fibroid tumours in the uterus, in the bones and in the stomach. Its juice was also used as a cure in fevers, bronchitis, cough and cold.

Tomato: Tomato is neither a vegetable nor a fruit but botanically it is considered a berry. In ancient times, half-ripe tomatoes were used as a remedy for diarrhea and dysentery. It was also called 'love-apple'.

Cabbage: In ancient times, cabbage juice was used as a cure in gastric or peptic ulcers. Its juice was found to be very useful in all sorts of stomach or liver troubles. For this reason, ancient people ate only boiled cabbage with salt.

Margosa: In dark. ages, margosa (neem) leaf juice was used as a cure for fevers, skin diseases and boils.

Holy basil (tulsi): In ancient times, holy basil leaf juice with honey and liquorice was used as an effective remedy in malarial fevers, bronchitis, cough and cold.

Pumpkin: In medieval times, pumpkin seed were used as a cure for prostate gland disorders, impotency, sterility and leucoderma.

Peppermint: In dark ages, peppermint oil was used as a cure for flatulence, nausea and gastralgia.

Rhubarb (pies): In ancient times, rhubarb root juice was used as a purgative.

Apple: In medieval times, apple juice was regarded as a cure for anemia, low vitality, and general debility. Ancient people believed in the proverb: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Fig (dumur): In ancient times, figs were used as an effective remedy for menorrhagia, diabetes and sore throat.

Anise: In medieval times, the dried seeds of the anise plant were used to relieve flatulence and were considered as a remedy for worms, stomachache,

vertigo, giddiness and nausea. They were also used to increase the breast milk of nursing mothers.

Cherry: In ancient times, it was believed that six cherry kernels a day prevented the formation of kidney stones. It was also used as a cure for appendicitis.

Cloves: In medieval times, the dried, aromatic immature flower buds of the evergreen clove tree were used as a breath sweetener, a comfort for the heart and stomach; a remedy for nausea, colic, flatulence and diarrhea.

Ginger: In ancient times, raw ginger was used as a breath sweetener; an aid to digestion; a cure for toothache and bleeding gums, and as a strengthening agent for loose teeth and weak eyes.

Black-pepper (kalajira): In medieval times, the black-pepper was used as a cure for toothache. It was also used as a preventive drug in blood dysentery, scarlet fever, small-pox, leprosy, typhus, cholera and plague.

Garlic: Ancient people believed that garlic was a powerful charm against evil eye, demons, witches and vampires. In ancient Rome, the garlic was dedicated to Mars, the god of war. Medieval people used garlic as a cure for heart-attack, cancer and tumour. Garlic was believed to be sure remedy for all sorts of ailments in the body. It was also regarded as 'heal-all' vegetable. Externally garlic juice was applied to insect bites, scorpion stings, and even to dog bites. In old age, it would be very difficult to keep the body fit and active by drugs. If one takes a few cloves of fried garlic daily and a glass of musumbi juice the morning, one will remain free from all sorts of diseases. Medical experts gave us this valuable advice.

Onion: In ancient times, onion was used as an effective cure for insomnia, sunstroke, heat-stroke, headache, and travel sickness. Externally its juice was applied to insect bites and scorpion stings.

The ancient people used to eat raw onions at supper time in order to get sound sleep. If anyone eats fried garlic at supper time, he will surely get a very sound sleep.

Bitter-gourd (karela): In ancient times, raw bitter gourd juice was used as an effective remedy for diabetes, eye troubles, jaundice, skin eruptions, liver troubles and stomach disorders.

Lady's finger (dheras, bhindi): In ancient times, raw lady's finger was used as remedy for impotency,' sexual frigidity, sterility.

Musumbi (lime): In medieval times, musumbi was regarded as a 'miracle fruit'. They treated this fruit as a 'heal-all' fruit. Musumbi juice was used as a very effective and sure remedy in diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, diabetes,

cirrhosis of liver and all sorts liver troubles. It was also used as a specific remedy for heart-­attack and thrombosis. Musumbi juice was also used as a sure remedy for anemia, fever, bronchitis, general debility, small-pox, prostate gland disorders, kidney disorders and uterine troubles. Ancient people treated this fruit as all-purpose medicine.

Sabeda: In ancient times, sabeda was used as a cure for anemia, general debility, low vitality, lassitude, general weakness, headache, and travel sickness. They believed that this fruit was a sure remedy for impotency, sexual sterility, frigidity, etc.

Orange (narangi): In olden days, orange juice was used as an effective remedy for fever, bronchitis, cough and cold, low vitality, lassitude, general debility, anemia, general weakness, impotency, sterility, kidney disorders and prostate gland disorders.

Lemon (nimbu): In ancient times, lemon was regarded as a miracle fruit. It was used as.an effective remedy for diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, flatulence, indigestion, dyspepsia, cirrhosis of liver, diabetes, dropsy, and intestinal troubles. It was also used as a cure in eye troubles and kidney disorders.

Plantain (kela): In medieval times, green plantain flower (mocha) juice was treated an effective remedy for menorrhagia. Boiled green plantain was regarded as an effective remedy in diarrhea and dysentery.

Liquorice (jastimadhu): In ancient times, liquorice with honey and ginger was used as a powerful remedy in fevers, bronchitis, cough and cold.

Tamarind (imli): In medieval times, ripe tamarind pulp was used as a remedy for loss of memory, bilious vomiting, loss of appetite and travel sickness.

Papaya: In ancient times, ripe papaya was used as an effective remedy for all sorts of stomach troubles. Green papaya was used as a vegetable in diarrhoea and dysentery.

Marmelos: In ancient times, ripe marmelos was used as a cure for diarrhea and dysentery. A few slices of marmalade of marmelos will be very useful in diarrhea and dysentery.