Urad Dal or black gram Health benefits for males and females are eulogized by Ayurveda. It helps in erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, PCOS or PCOD, and menopause and increases skin glow.
Related article
Can Constipation Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Ayurvedic Food for Testosterone
Black gram is known as urad dal in Hindi. In the texts of Ayurveda, this bean is known as “MASHA” or “MASH”. This lentil is a bean grown mainly in South Asia. The plant of this bean is erect and hairy. It is an annual herb. It has a taproot that branches to form branched roots. The cylindrical pod of this plant contains seeds. The pods are usually six cm long.
According to Acharya Charaka, There are two rice preparations that have the same qualities. One is rice prepared with meat, vegetable, muscle fat, oil, ghee, marrow ( majja ), and fruit. This rice preparation boosts strength, refreshes the body and mind, acts as a cardiac tonic, is heavy to digest, and nourishes. Another urad dal or black gram recipe is rice cooked with Black gram, Sesame, Green gram, and Milk. This rice also has the same properties as the first rice preparation.
This plant is known by various names in India. It is ‘urad’ in hindi, ‘mashkalai’ in bengali, ‘udid’ in marathi, ‘udad’ in gujarati, ‘ulundu’ in tamil, ‘bhinumu’ in telagu, black gram in english, ‘mashe’ in parsi.
The health benefits of this lentil are described as follows.
Balances Vata and Kapha
This lentil is heavy to digest (guru) and improves the moistness of tissues (snighda). It has a sweet taste (madhura rasa) and tastes sweet even after digestion. But it has hot potency or hot in nature (ushna veerya).
Owing to these properties it balances vata dosha and increases Kapha dosha. But vitiates or imbalances pitta dosha.
Useful in vajikarana therapy
Due to the high potassium content urad dal acts as an aphrodisiac and is recommended in vajikarana therapy. High blood pressure occurs due to high sodium levels and low potassium levels. Black gram contains plenty of potassium. This helps to balance sodium-potassium levels and reduce hypertension or high blood pressure. There is a strong link between hypertension or high blood pressure and klaibya or erectile dysfunction. As potassium helps to reduce high blood pressure, it also helps in erectile dysfunction. Hence this bean is praised as Vajikarana Food
Since it normalizes vata it is recommended in diseases caused due to vitiation of vata.
Helps in Erectile Dysfunction and male infertility
Imbalanced Vata dosha causes many diseases and also leads to men’s health problems like erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, low sperm count and motility, etc. Hence Ayurveda acharyas recommend the use of “masha” in many male health conditions. It is eulogized as the best ayurvedic herb for erectile dysfunction. It nourishes the male reproductive system and balances imbalanced doshas, especially apana vayu. Apana vayu gets imbalanced when there is constipation. This bean is the best remedy for constipation. It is also praised as shukrala or the food which increases shukra dhatu. Hence it is recommended for male infertility. Urad dal is also used in many Indian ayurvedic home remedies for erectile dysfunction.
Useful in PCOS
This herb is effective in dysmenorrhea and primary amenorrhea. This acts as the best protein diet for women who suffer from PCOS or PCOD. It helps to lose fat and gain healthy muscle weight. It relieves constipation and provides nutrition. In India, it is a custom to give urad dal recipes to girls when they first start menstruating.
Helps Lactating Mothers
This pulse is very useful for women who are breastfeeding babies. It improves milk secretion and also boosts the quality of breast milk.
Acts as Coolant in Cystitis and UTI
This bean is recommended in ‘basthi shotha’ or cystitis. It reduces inflammation of the inner layers of the bladder and also reduces burning sensation while passing urine as in UTI.
Good As a face pack
The flour of this gram can be mixed with chickpea flour and applied to the face as a face pack. Take 1 teaspoon of urad dal flour and 1 teaspoon of chickpea flour. Add sufficient water and mix well. Apply this on the face and wash it off after 20 minutes with plain water. This helps to enhance the glow of the face and increases fairness.
Helps in Weight Gain
Urad dal helps to gain a healthy weight. It is used in ayurveda weight gain therapy or brumhana therapy. This pulse is recommended as a diet for men who undergo Vajikarana Therapy
Reduces Joint Pain
According to the principles of Ayurveda vitiation of Vata causes inflammation of tissues and initiates the sensation of pain.“Mash” or urad dal normalizes Vata and hence has anti-inflammatory properties. Usually, a hot poultice of black gram is used in the inflammation of joints and muscle pain. Massaging with herbal oil processed with this wonderful herb helps to reduce pain and inflammation.
Acts as a nervine tonic:
This herb strengthens the nervous system. Ayurveda acharyas recommend preparations of this herb for nervous debility, partial paralysis, facial paralysis, and other disorders which involve the nervous system.
Relieves constipation
“Vigna Mungo” or masha helps to increase the bulk of stools. The moistness increasing property coupled with bulk increasing quality helps in easy movement of bowel. Therefore the usage of this bean is recommended in conditions like constipation, piles, and colic. This herb is a very good liver stimulant.
Boosts Strength and increases life span
Apart from above mentioned medicinal properties, black gram also helps in increasing body bulk and body energy level. It strengthens the body and increases lifespan. Bodybuilders can use this as a protein supplement to increase their muscle (mamsa dhatu) bulk.
Who Should Not Use Black Gram?
One should not eat this pulse daily as it is heavy to digest and may cause indigestion. Urad dal should not be used by persons who suffer from the following diseases.
- Vitiligo
- Raktapitta (bleeding diseases)
- Vata raktha (gout or increased uric acid level)
- Eczema
- Difficulty to pass urine
- Diseases in which rakta dhatu or blood is vitiated
- Ekakushta (Psoriasis)
- Itching
- Intestinal worms
- Skin diseases etc
Do not eat masha with the following foods
Jack fruit, Meat of Yak, buffalo, cow, deer, elephant, fish, whale, pearl oyster, conch snail, catfish, and crocodile.
Nutritional facts or Contents of Urad Dal:
Black gram is rich in vitamins, and minerals and devoid of cholesterol. It is a storehouse of calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, etc. Urad dal contains vitamins and dietary fibers.
Author : Dr. Savitha Suri Consultant Ayurvedic Physician
Reference : http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/12287/1/NPR%202(5)%20240-242.pdf
(Whats App Dr.Savitha Suri @+ 91 6360108663/ to know more about ayurvedic treatment and remedies )
Call us at +91 9945995660 / +91 9448433911
Whats App + 91 6360108663/
