With an array of benefits, Horse Gram is rightly called the Miracle Pulse! But, the name may make you wonder; whether this gram is meant only for horses? So, here goes a fact about its exciting name! It is because this protein-rich lentil is fed to the horses that are used in races. From here, it derived its unique character, Horse Gram.
Offering many health benefits due to its rich nutritional value, Horse Gram is like a superfood not just for the horses but also for human beings. People who have diabetes, bad cholesterol, constipation, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and many more health disorders can get relief with regular consumption. The best thing to note here is; that you can consume this miracle pulse in various forms like juice, powder, or salad.
Horse Gram – One Lentil with Different Names
Interestingly, like its various benefits, it carries different names in different languages. The Tamilians call it Kollu, while the Bengali refers to it as Kulthikalai. In Marathi, Horse Gram is known as Kulith, whereas, in Gujarati, it is called Kadthi Dal. Most of the people in India refer to Horse Gram as Kulthi Dal.
Nutritional Value of Horse Gram
The reason to tag Horse Gram as Miracle Pulse will be apparent if you check out the following nutritional value of this powerful ingredient that nature has given us. The chart shows the value of different nutrients per 100gm of serving:
- Energy – 321Ecals
- Carbohydrates – 57gm
- Protein – 22gm
- Iron – 7mg
- Fibers -5gm
- Minerals – 3gm
- Phosphorus – 311mg
- Calcium – 287mg
- Antioxidants like Flavonoids and Polyphenols
Health Benefits of Horse Gram
#1. Boosts Weight Loss
No wonder that people often refer to Horse Gram as a Miracle Pulse because it is incredibly effective for weight loss. However, this happens only if it is consumed in a powder form along with a pinch of cumin seeds on an empty stomach with a glass of water. Alternatively, you may consume this superfood soaked and mixed with Bengal Gram and a bit of pepper and watch it help you shred your excess weight.
#2. Aids in Digestion
If you are suffering from gastrointestinal issues like GERD or acid reflux, we strongly recommend including Horse Gram in your meal. Horse Gram should be the first thing to consume in the morning on an empty stomach to keep your digestive tract working effectively the whole day long.
#3. Maintains Blood Sugar Level
When counting the top 15 surprising benefits of eating the Miracle Pulse or Kulthi Dal, one can’t ignore mentioning its positive effects on a diabetic person. According to some scientific reports, Horse Gram has the power to maintain insulin levels in your body. Horse Gram is proven to bring down the body’s resistance to insulin; therefore, it is treated as a miracle food for patients with Diabetes Type 2.
#4. Lower Down Cholesterol Levels
Being rich in fiber and lipids, Horse Gram acts as a powerful ingredient to control LDL or lousy cholesterol accumulated in the blood. This remedy is to eat overnight soaked horse gram twice or thrice a day on an empty stomach. Regular consumption helps in reducing blockages from the heart veins.
#5. Good for Skin
If you face rashes or any skin disorder, Horse Gram will be a miracle food for your skin. It boasts of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. All these make this ingredient powerful against all sorts of skin infections. For this, you need to make a paste of soaked Kulthi Dal and apply it on your face for 30 minutes.
#6. Breaks Kidney Stones
The powerful antioxidants present in Horse Gram help break down the kidney stones formed by the crystallization of calcium phosphate salts. You need to consume this lentil in a soup form to see it fight against kidney stones. Just soak this gram overnight and boil it in the morning to make a soup.
#7. Cures Common Cold and Fever
Another remarkable benefit of Kulthi Dal is curing common cold and fever. We all know that we get infected with a common cold and fever due to a weak immune system. So, if we consume Kulthi Dal during common cold and fever, it helps soften the mucous membrane and open the nasal tracts. At the same time, it helps boost our metabolism and immunity.
#8. Beneficial in Menstrual Problems
Not many people know that Kulthi Dal is also effective in relieving menstrual problems. Be it the issue of excessive bleeding or irregular menstrual cycles, Horse Gram works wonders in maintaining the hemoglobin levels in a woman’s body. For this purpose, this pulse should be consumed in a soup form or salad form.
#9. Reduces Urinary Discharge
Likewise, the problem of urinary infection, foul smell, and discharge can be reduced to an incredible limit with regular consumption of Horse Gram. If this lentil is soaked overnight and boiled in the morning to be consumed twice or thrice a day, you will see the results in a few weeks.
#10. Helps in Constipation
Being rich in fiber and other nutrients, Horse Gram helps in relieving constipation. Lack of hydration levels and minerals leads to constipation, but thankfully, this lentil deals with both these issues, thereby helping you in constipation. All you need is to consume this lentil in a pre-soaked state or as a sprout salad. Besides, you may drink Horse Gram juice and extract its benefits for an easy bowel movement.
#11. Help treat Diarrhoea
As we just mentioned, Kulthi Dal is a rich source of fiber, so as it helps in constipation, it helps in diarrhea too. It soaks excessive fluids in the stomach and boosts up the digestion process. The problem of loose motions and diarrhea can be eased to a great extent by consuming Horse Gram in a pre-soaked form early in the morning.
#12. Helps in Piles
Miracle Pulse does miracles for those suffering from piles. Just soak this miracle pulse overnight and consume its water the following day and the soaked lentil as a salad. This remedy helps in relieving the veins in the rectum and reduces inflammation and pain.
#13. Treats Conjunctivitis
Those suffering from conjunctivitis can expect great relief with horse gram water. For this, you need to soak the lentil overnight and wash your eyes early morning with its water. All the action here is done by the antioxidant levels in the water that helps combat the eye infection giving it a soothing effect. Try washing your eyes twice or thrice with this lentil water.
#14. Treats Ulcers
Apart from gastric ulcers, Kulthi Dal is known to treat all sorts of ulcers, especially mouth ulcers and peptic ulcers. Various studies and even Ayurveda regards this lentil as miraculous to treat ulcers if taken in a boiled and mashed form twice or thrice a day. Horse Gram is referred to as Dolichos biflorus Linn in Ayurveda.
#15. Suitable for Pregnant Women
Kulthi Dal is considered a super nutritious food for pregnant women due to its rich nutritional value. This lentil is rich in protein, iron, calcium, phosphorous, and other essential nutrients required during pregnancy. However, it should be consumed in a limited quantity. During pregnancy, ladies can consume it in a raw, boiled, juice, or powder form.
Some Side Effects of Horse Gram
Like every coin has two sides, so does this miracle pulse! You just read about its numerous benefits, now have a look at some of its side effects:
- People suffering from gastric ulcers must avoid this lentil.
- If suffering from gout, try avoiding Kulthi Dal.
- We discourage those taking medications for anemia to consume Horse Gram to prevent any contradiction.
- People suffering from Plethora and Tuberculosis should also avoid consuming Horse Gram.
The Bottom Line
Yes, indeed, Horse Gram is not as famous, unlike black gram or green gram. However, its super nutritional values make it better than other types of lentils. The best thing is that there are various delicious recipes to consume this miracle pulse, and the Internet is full of such recipes. All you need is to consider what kind of health benefit you want to extract with its consumption.
So, isn’t this lentil worth calling a Superfood with all such surprising benefits? So, pick one pack when going out for grocery shopping and try it out to see the benefits yourself!
