Ber: Winter fruit

Ber is an excellent fruit of winter season. It has various nutritional and pharmacological properties.

Indian ber (Ziziphus mauritiana lamk.) is one of the most ancient fruits indigenous to India which belongs to the Rhammaceae family and genus Ziziphus. 

Ber is the most common fruit in the tropical, subtropical and arid regions such as in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat . The fruits are a drupe varying from round to elongate and from cherry size to plum size depending on cultivur. 

Health benefits of ber

* Ber is a cheap and ignored fruit which has high nutritional and medicinal value. 

* It has high sugar content.

* It is also a source of vitamins and minerals and contain fair amount of vitamin A and B, minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron and also higher in calorific value and ascorbic acid content.

* Dried ripe fruit is a mild laxative.

* Ripe fruit has sweet and sour taste can expel phlegm and relieve cough. 

* Dried fruit contain saponin and alkaloids, that are helpful in blood purification.

* It improves nervous system as well as provide relief in insomnia symptoms.

* Ber fruit is effective in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, gout, rheumatism, etc.

* Regular use of fruit prevents the formation of gravel in the bladder, diabetes, constipation, leucorrhoea and spermatorrhoea. 

*A teaspoonful of the powder of the dry fruit is given to stop excessive menstruation.