Anjīra (Ficus carica L) – A food supplement with medicinal benefits

Abstract

Natural products and derivatives such as plants and mineral derivatives have been in extensive use as food and
as medicines for ages. Āyurveda has used crude plants or plant product, singly, or as combinations for securing
health benefits. Food and food products have been considered as the Primary source of maintaining health. Food
and food articles have been accorded immense importance for the source of maintain and deriving health as a
whole and thus have been advised as a co-entity during the treatment of an illness, described specifically as Pathya
and Apathya aiding in better and faster recovery from a disease. In one of the Ä€yurveda classics, the KÄÅ›yapa
SaṃhitÄ, food is considered as MahÄbheÅ›aja, the supreme medicine. With the rise of the present day medicine
few centuries ago, natural medicine, and diet was somewhat neglected as a part of health. However, looking at the
limitations of the present modern medicine and with the rise of a new branch, Lifestyle Diseases, food items and
plant derivatives have again started regaining the past glory. It is necessary to evaluate the benefits of food items
on the present day parameters and study their biological activities in detail so as to reconsider and re-include and
promote them into the routine diet. Ficus carica L. colloquially known as Anjīra, a common dietary fruit, is used
in traditional medicine as remedies for many health problems, and its biological activities. The plant has been
used traditionally to treat various ailments such as gastric problems, inflammations, blood disorders, reproductive
disorders, and also as a health booster. This review paper is an attempt to relate and confirm the traditional uses
and benefits of Anjīra on the modern scientific analysis and experiments.