People are nearly familiar with the black horse gram images as well as the red and green ones too. But no matter whatever healthy ingredient you go with, you are sure to miss the horse gram images if you are a foodie. The ingredient was priory used for feeding the cattle and horses which gave it such a name. Macrotylomauniflorum is the scientific name of horse gram. The main fact about its name is that this protein-rich lentil was fed to the horses which gave it such comic name. It is also named as the superfood due to the bulk nutrients it carries. In this article, we will explore some best horse gram benefits for health and skin with their side effects.
Other Names Of Horse Gram:
The kollu horse gram is known by different names in different languages:
- In Northern India, it is popular by the name kulath.
- While in Bengali it is known as Kulthikalai.
- In Hindi, it is known as Kulthi, while in Telegu it is called Ulavalu.
- The Tamilians call it Kollu while the Kannada call it Hurali.
- For the Gujaratis, horse gram is Kadthi dal, while in Oriya people call it Kolatha.
- In Marathi, it is called Kulith while in Kumaoni it is called Gahat.
Finally, in Malayalam people call it Muthira. Hence, horse gram pulses are popular in various languages in different names.
What Is Horse Gram?
Horse gram is a nutritious lentil which is commonly used in a number of food recipes throughout India. With a bounty of benefits, there are various health benefits. It is known for the diuretic and anti-oxidant properties due to which it is recommended to the patients suffering from diarrhoea, haemorrhage, and haemorrhoids. As it is rich in protein and Vitamins, it is also beneficial for other health benefits too.
Is Horse Gram Good For Health?
Check out the picture of horse gram and you would surely get some idea of how it is beneficial for your health. Be it in powder form, juice or even horse gram flour, it provides the user with all the essential nutrients which helps with health benefits like ulcers, cough, excess perspiration, diarrhoea, worm infections and much more. Hence, it is much essential for health.
How To Eat Horse Gram?
The horse grams can be consumed in various forms. When it comes to how to eat horse gram, you can have it either in the form of horse gram powder, flour or even kollu juice. It can be used in making a variety of dishes like powder form, soup, salad with sprouts, boiled horse gram for breakfast, kollu dal, and much more. For the people looking for losing some weight, horse gram juice, add with sprouts salad or even boiled kollu is the best to go with. If looking for something tasty, add some tadka to horse gram and make out some dal from it.
Horse Gram Nutritional Values:
The horse gram nutritional value includes every essential element required for daily use. The horse gram nutrition facts for 100 grams include values like,
- Energy 321 Ecals
- 12 gm of moisture
- 22 gm protein
- 0 gm fat
- 3 gm minerals
- 5 gm of fibre
- 57 gm of carbohydrates
- 287 mg of calcium
- 311 mg of phosphorus
- 7 mg of iron
All these nutritional benefits of horse gram make it helpful in various health disorders and are also used since ancient times in the form of Ayurvedic medicine. They contain diuretic and astringent properties which help in keeping the body warm during winters along with other health issues.
Science Proven Horse Gram Health Benefits:
Here we enlisted 15 research-based horse gram uses for health and skin. Let’s have a look into them.
1. Treats Common Cold and Fever:
The kollu uses list also includes its quick effect on common fever and cold. Common cold and fever basically happen when the body is attacked with various viruses that damage the immune system. When consumed during fever and cold, it opens the nasal tracts and softens the mucous membrane. This also relieves congestion and boosts metabolism and immunity too. Along with the cold and fever, horse grams lentils are also helpful for cough, asthma, bronchial issues and much more.
How To Consume:
- For cold and fever, horse gram should be used in the form of soups.
- Having warm soup would melt the mucous membranes and provide you with relief from congestion.
2. Control Diabetes:
The list of kulthi dal benefits includes diabetes as one of the health benefits. The horse gram seeds come with anti-hyperglycemic properties which help in reducing the resistance of insulin. The seeds reduce the formation of insulin inside the body which helps in controlling the blood sugar levels which also reduces the rates of carb digestion. This also helps in reducing the blood glucose levels, overall controlling both type-1 and type-2 diabetes in various cases.
How To Consume:
- Horse gram for diabetes is widely used in the raw state.
- The seeds can either be eaten on empty stomach or added to salads for obtaining complete benefits.
3. Treat Constipation:
Does constipation disturb you? Don’t worry, the horse gram uses also includes dealing with constipation with ease. Constipation is a result of lack of required hydration levels, minerals and other important nutrients in the body. Again, an unhealthy lifestyle and increased stress levels also affect the intestines and lining of the stomach. Horse grams come with strong nutrients along with the bulk of fibre contents in it too.
How To Consume:
- For obtaining the horse gram benefits for constipation, have these seeds in the pre-soaked state in the early morning or add them to the sprout’s salad.
- Having the horse gram juice is also beneficial.
4. Treat Diarrhea:
Looking for quick relief from diarrhoea? The kollu health benefits are surely going to help you out. Kollu seeds or says horse gram contains the bulk of fibre in it. This helps in boosting the digestion process and soaks the excess fluids from the stomach and intestine. This helps in working effectively on loose motion or diarrhoea by making the bowel movements normal. The fibre in the seeds soothes the intestine and digestive system that helps in working over diarrhoea.
How To Consume:
- Kollurasam health benefits for diarrhoea can be obtained by eating the seeds in pre-soaked form every morning.
- Doing so would boost the digestive system.
5. Conjunctivitis:
This might surprise you but the list of kollu benefits also includes conjunctivitis in it. The seeds contain required anti-oxidant levels which help in calming the eyes and soothing it too. It reduces the irritation caused to the eyes. Along with working on the irritation, the seeds also help in dealing with various infections that attack your eyes.
How To Consume:
- The uses of kollu for conjunctivitis need to be carried out in the morning.
- Soak the seeds overnight and in the morning strain the water from it.
- Use that water to wash your eyes at least two to three times a day.
6. Menstrual Disturbances:
Menses have been much irritating for any women. They are not only painful but also drain your energy levels which need to be boosted. The horse gram health benefits include dealing with menstrual disturbances too. The seeds contain iron in high levels which help in working over irregular menses and excess bleeding. The seeds help in boosting the haemoglobin level in the body which is essential during menses.
How To Consume:
- The kulthi dal uses for dealing with menses is in the form of salads and soups.
- Having it in salads or soups provide great relief from the pain in the abdomen during periods.
7. Treat Piles:
Piles are a condition in which the veins located in the rectum get swollen and turn out to be painful or inflamed. In this situation, people mostly run to the doctors for medicines or any other treatments. But the horse grams are helpful in looking after piles naturally without any medications. It contains the bulk of fibre and roughage which helps in working over the swelling of the rectum and curing it too.
How To Consume:
- For treating piles, soak around one cup of the seeds overnight.
- In the morning strain out the water and drink it on an empty stomach.
- You can also add kulthi to salads in the raw state.
8. Treat Ulcers:
Kollu powder benefits include ulcers which are quite a popular medicine in Ayurveda. The seeds help in the treatment of various ulcers except for the Gastric ulcers. The horse grams are rich in lipids which are much helpful for the people suffering from mouth ulcers and peptic ulcers too. The legumes contain lipids that work magically on the ulcers and reduce it slowly.
How To Consume:
- According to Ayurveda, to obtain the advantages of horse gram for ulcers, have them in mashed form and raw state.
- Having the mashed seeds around two times in a day would be highly recommended and effective too.
9. Urinary Discharge:
The embarrassment comes hand in hand when women suffer from urinary discharge. This condition arrives when the urinary discharge is quite thick and inconsistent. The urine also comes with a foul smell and is continuous in various cases. This can also cause inflammation, infection, and pain too at the cervix as well as vagina too. During such a situation, horse gram juice benefits work effectively. The seeds help in reducing the foul smell and also helps at the time of sexual arousal.
How To Consume:
- In Ayurveda, the seeds are soaked overnight in water.
- Next day, boil the seeds and consume the water around three times a day for treating the symptoms.
10. Leucorrhea:
Leucorrhea has been a disturbing situation difficult to manage during sanitation requirements. This is a situation when a normal and common type of discharge is observed from the vagina. This comes with a change in the colour and consistency which results in infection, inflammation, and pain around the vagina and cervix. This is mostly observed with irritation occurs around the membrane giving out the foul and smelly discharge. The black horse gram benefits help in a great way for this situation.
How To Consume:
- To obtain the horse gram powder benefits, soak the seeds overnight, boil them in the morning and drink the water during the day.
11. Lower Cholesterol Levels:
The benefits of eating horse gram sprouts also include controlling the cholesterol levels. The seeds contain lipids and fibre in it which help in controlling and managing the LDL levels or say the bad cholesterol levels in the blood. The seeds eliminate the bad cholesterol that is stuck in the heart veins. The lipid levels it contains boost good cholesterol in the veins that help in reducing the blockage.
How To Consume:
- Take a handful of horse gram seeds and soak them overnight.
- Have a handful of them two to three times every day on an empty stomach.
- The lipid levels would clean the veins and remove the LDL levels from the blood.
12. Skin Rashes and Boils:
Yes, along with the health benefits, the horse gram sprouts benefits also include various skin benefits too. The seeds when used on the face helps in reducing the boils, rashes and other skin disorders too. The seeds come with antibacterial and antimicrobial benefits. It also works as an anti-oxidant along with other minerals for nourishing the skin. The seeds also replicate the lipid layers and much more.
How To Consume:
- Take a handful of the seeds and soak overnight.
- Crush them and apply on the face in the form of a pack.
- Wash off after half hour with cold water.
- This exfoliates the skin and removes the dead skin cells too.
13. Horse Gram Benefits for Weight Loss:
Very few know that the list of benefits of the seeds also includes uses of horse gram in weight loss. The seeds are rich in fibre which is much helpful when it comes to weight loss. The seeds keep the digestive system active which also helps in reducing weight effectively.
How To Consume:
- The horse gram for weight loss can be used in various ways.
- You can consume the horse powder as well as horse gram water for weight loss.
- Again, there are some who use the seeds by adding them in the salads with some pepper or eat it raw soaked.
- The soups are also effective for weight loss.
14. Horse Gram Soup for Kidney Stones:
Surprisingly, using horse gram for kidney stone is an effective way of dealing with kidney stones naturally. The stones are formed due to the calcium oxalate in the body. The seeds when used for kidney stones, work magically overnight. The horse gram seeds are rich in iron and polyphenols which prove to be the best antioxidant for removing the kidney stones.
How To Consume:
- To obtain the horse gram benefits kidney stones, soak around one cup of the seeds overnight.
- Try it on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Continue this for a week for magical results on the stones.
15. Horse Gram During Pregnancy:
There has always been a debate about whether to consume the horse gram seeds during pregnancy or not. The answer to this question is yes, but in a limited quantity. The seeds contain iron, proteins, calcium, and various other essential nutrients that are helpful during pregnancy both for the fetus and the mother. It helps in improving the blood count which is much essential during pregnancy.
How To Consume:
- To obtain the horse gram nutritional benefits during pregnancy, you can have it in every state fine to you.
- Have it raw, boiled, soaked, water, powder or even juice form.
- Soups and salads are also best to go with.
Horse Gram Side Effects:
Here are some of the side effects of horse gram you should know before starting with it:
- For the people suffering from hyperacidity and gastric ulcers, horse gram seeds should be avoided as it can be worse.
- The horse gram disadvantages also include heavy bleedings, so for those with excessive bleeding during menses, consult your gynaecologist before starting with it.
- The people suffering from gout should also avoid consuming horse gram
- The kollu side effects also include consuming with medications for anaemia. This might lead to a contraindication.
- If you are suffering from TB or plethora, eliminate horse gram seeds from your diet list.
Horse gram henceforth is a superfood that comes with a bundle of health benefits. It can be grouped in a particular food class which is filled with dense nutrients and antioxidants along with proteins compared to the normal quantity of veggies you would be consuming on a daily basis. What else do you need? So, try this multi-nutrient ingredient today through various delicious and mouthwatering recipes like spicy water, porridge, curries, powdered form, soups, salads, and that not to obtain its health benefits.
