Gond Katira (Tragacanth Gum) Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

Gond katira is widely used for its cooling properties. In summers, tragacanth gum is mixed with water and consumed to keep the body temperature low. Hence, the consumption of gond katira in summers can prevent heat stroke. It is widely recommended by ayurvedic doctors as a means to maintain the internal body temperature for optimum functioning of the vital organs in our body.

Studies have found that tragacanth has the potential of acting as a hypotensive (blood pressure lowering) agent, which is likely to contribute towards its cooling properties. Incidences of nose bleeding due to excessive heat can be prevented by using gond katira.

Tragacanth gum is highly beneficial to health owing to its digestive property. The usage of gond katira has been found to provide a purgative (cleansing the gut by regularising bowel movements) effect. Certain enzymes like xylogalacturonan hydrolase present in tragacanth are responsible for promoting digestion. Gond katira, if included in regular diet can prevent constipation.

Read more: How to improve digestion

The effect of gond katira against involuntary urination and urinary incontinence (lack of urinary control) are well known. It helps in soothing the muscles of the urinary tract in case of a blockage or inflammation of the tract. Diabetes-induced urinary complications can also be reduced by consumption of gond katira.

Read more: Urinary tract infecton diet

Gond katira is considered to be very beneficial for pregnant women due to its nutritive properties. The practice of giving sweets containing tragacanth gum is very common in India. It is believed to be a healthy snack and a good source of nourishment for the mother as well as the child.

Gond katira is rich in nutrients like protein and calcium, two nutrients that are required by pregnant women. Post pregnancy, gond katira helps mothers to regain their strength. Studies have shown that tragacanth gum increases the production of milk in lactating (breastfeeding) mothers.

Read more: Foods to eat in pregnancy

Gond katira is believed to have anti-ageing properties. Tragacanth is often mixed with other plant products like aloe vera and used as a face mask. The combination is also found to be helpful in promoting wound healing. These face masks have been found to be very effective in reducing wrinkles and fine lines. 

Gond katira has several beneficial nutrients and thus has an important role in skin care regimes.

The clinical trials for use of tragacanth in skin care products are ongoing.

Read more: Skin care routine for a flawless skin

Tragacanth gum is suggested to be anti-cancerous in nature. The gum has been found to contain certain biochemicals that slow down the rate of cell division, a property effective against the development of tumours.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies have established the potential of tragacanth as an anti-cancerous agent. Further clinical trials are, however, required to determine the use of gond katira in day-to-day life as a preventive measure against cancer.

Various studies have been conducted to analyze the effects of gond katira in reducing pain. It is indicated that tragacanth gum could be used as an effective analgesic (painkiller) when given in appropriate amounts. The gum acts upon certain components of the nervous system to reduce the sensation of pain. Further studies in vivo are, however, required to study the exact mechanism of how tragacanth gum acts as an analgesic.  

In the food industry, continuous efforts are being made to replace fats with healthier substitutes. Tragacanth has been found to be an effective substitute in several packaged or processed meat products such as sausage. Its gum-like consistency also makes it a good binding agent with processed meats and a more nutritive alternative to foods with a higher fat content.

Gond katira has been suggested to be effective against various microbes. In fact, this gum has been studied by numerous researchers to evaluate its potential as an anti-microbial agent. In a lab study, the action of gond katira found to be more effective against microbes than the well known antibiotic ampicillin. In vivo, clinical trials are, however, required to test this property of tragacanth.

Read more: Bacterial infections treatment

Tragacanth gum extract can be used for encapsulating (containing) insulin. Diabetic patients who are on insulin are required to inject it directly into their blood system. The glue-like property of tragacanth can be used to capture the required insulin dosage. Then, this preparation may be consumed in the form of a tablet. Tragacanth holds a promising potential in this aspect and research studies are still ongoing to develop the required effective product.

Read more: Diabetes treatment

Gond katira has thickening properties and is relatively stable to heat and acidity. This makes it a suitable thickening agent in salad dressing, pickles, ketchups, and mayonnaise. The stabilizing property of tragacanth also makes it a suitable preservative. Additionally, its anti-acidic property helps to increase the shelf life (time period within which the product is safe for use) of these products.