There is a way to use every single part of the Sidr tree, even the ashes; the local Yemenis used the ashes of the Sidr tree to cure snake bites. The Sidr tree is medium-sized deciduous with a distinct golden yellow color from the Jujube family. Sidr tree is mentioned in the Quran as a tree from heaven; at the same time, it is Jesus Christ’s crown as mentioned in the Bible. On the other hand, the scientific community started giving this tree more attention, studying its effectiveness in several medical cases. Let’s dive to see what both science and history say about the Sidr tree!
You can learn more about the plant itself and its description in our Sidr Tree article
Does it really have medicinal properties?!
Starting with History:
In ancient times, people used to crush Sidr leaves into powder and then apply it on wounds, cuts or bruises because they thought this heals them faster. They mixed Sidr juice with olive oil (one part juice to eight parts of olive oil) to get rid of acne and pimples. The Yemeni ancestors crushed the Sidr leaves and made a shampoo out of them for hair. That shampoo was believed to reduce hair loss, treat hair follicles, and make hair thicker and longer.
For Science:
The bark on young trees is smooth and light grey but becomes rough with age. Using Phytochemical screening to the bark of the Sidr tree, a team from Albaha university and the University of Saskatchewan studied its antibacterial, antifungal activities. The team found that the bark’s ethanolic, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and Alkaloids extracts showed a potential resistance in facing germs attacks.
What else?
Statistics of intestine diseases between children show that %4 to %28 of children globally are infected with Enterobiasis Vermicularis Infection; accordingly, a scientific experiment tests the effect of the extracts from Sidr leaves boiled in hot water in curing such a disease. They tested the effect of two different doses of Sidr leaves extracts (10 & 20 mg/day) on EV infected stool samples. The infection disappeared in the second week from the group treated with 20mg/day, and in the 10mg/day group, the infection disappeared in the third week.
Proper Consumption of Sidr Products
There are many ways and recipes to appropriately use the Sidr tree products and enjoy their benefits and good taste.
- Sidr fruits are believed to help cool the mind and nerves, so you can add Sidr fruits to the salad or a snack to have a sweet taste.
- To help relieve toothache and treat gum infections, soak Sidr leaves in boiled water for several hours and rinse your mouth with the water.
- Before bedtime, drink Sidr tea to get rid of insomnia and tension. Besides, it helps lower body temperature and restores energy.
- Yemeni Women use Sidr leaves to make a face mask, as they think it’s beneficial for the skin.
In conclusion, the Sidr tree has a long historical timeline of medical usage; for that sake, many reputable institutions and organizations have proved the medicinal properties of the Sidr tree in different ways. It showed potential effectiveness in healing and curing several diseases.
Disclaimer
Although Sidr leaves and fruits haven’t recorded side effects, their overconsumption may result in bad side effects. Also, it is advisable to ask a doctor before using any medicinal treatment, whether it is chemical or natural.
Resources:
1- Evaluation of the Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities and Phytochemical Screening of Bark Extract of Ziziphus Spina Christi L (ZSC) in Albaha Area.
URL: www.researchgate.net/publication/334671999_Evaluation_of_the_Antibacterial_and_Antifungal_Activities_and_Phytochemical_Screening_of_Bark_Extract_of_Ziziphus_Spina_Christi_L_ZSC_in_Albaha_Area
2- Determination of total phenol, in-vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of seeds and fruits of Zizyphus spina-christi grown in Oman
URL:
www.researchgate.net/publication/276433745_Determination_of_total_phenol_in-vitro_antioxidant_and_anti-inflammatory_activity_of_seeds_and_fruits_of_Zizyphus_spina-christi_grown_in_Oman
3- Study of anticancer, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and silver nanoparticles production by Sidr honey from three different sources
URL: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6977415
4- Neurophysiological study on possible protective and therapeutic effects of Sidr (Zizyphus spina-christi L.) leaf extract in male albino rats treated with pentylenetetrazol
5- UTILIZATION FROM FRUITS AND LEAVES OF NAPEK (ZIZYPHUS SPINA–CHRISTI L.) AS A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS
URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316869303_UTILIZATION_FROM_FRUITS_AND_LEAVES_OF_NAPEK_ZIZYPHUS_SPINA-CHRISTI_L_AS_A_SOURCE_OF_BIOACTIVECOMPONENTS
