The lotus also describes as Nelumbo nucifera which symbolizes purity, majesty, beauty, fertility, richness, wealth, serenity and knowledge. The pink color Lotus flower is the national flower of India. Nelumbo nucifera is described by many common names such as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, and sacred water-lily.
Lotus is available in pink and white colors and grown in murky and shallow water. Lotus flower manages warm sunlight and intolerant with cold water. This is the reason that lotus doesn’t grow in winter. The lotus flower and floating leave have long stems which comprise of air spaces to manage buoyancy. Lotus flower belongs to Asia and waves in a wide range of weather from India to China.
The lotus plant belongs to an aquatic perennial and native to Australia and southern Asia. It is commonly cultivated in water gardens. The plant root firmly stays in the mud, and long stems come out with its leaves. The lotus flower always grows on the water surface. The beautiful Lotus flower blossom in the morning and its petals fall down in the afternoon.
Lotus flower facts
Table of Contents
- The Lotus flower is a sacred flower among Buddhists.
- This flower is extensively mentioned in Vedic and Puranic literature.
- The flower Lotus is one of the eight promising signs of Buddhism. The eight-petaled lotus flower used in Buddhist mandalas which symbolize cosmic harmony and spiritual illumination. The famous Buddhist mantra ‘Om mane padme’ means the jewel in the lotus enlightenment.
- In Egyptian mythology, the Lotus flower is linked with the Sun, because it opened by day and close by the night. In fact, Lotus is believed to give birth to the sun.
- The Lotus flowers are normally available on deep stems extending to many centimeters on the surface of the water.
- The Lotus flowers, young leaves, seeds, rhizomes are all edible. The petals of Lotus are used to garnish and leaves used to wrap the food in Asia.
- Several parts of sacred Lotus also used as traditional medicines in Asia.
- The Lotus stems are used as a pickle in many parts of India.
Folate-8mcg Nutrition per 100g serving and cooked
- Calories-66
- Total Carbohydrate-16g
- Dietary Fiber-3g
- Magnesium-22mg
- Thiamin-0.1mg
- Vitamin C- 27.5mg
- Vitamin B6-0.25mg
- Niacin-0.3mg
- Pantothenic Acid-0.3mg
- Calcium-26mg
- Potassium-360mg
- Iron-0.9mg
- Manganese-0.2mg
- Phosphorus-78mg
- Copper-0.2mg
- Zinc-0.3mg
Benefits of Lotus Flower
According to ayurvedic practitioners, the 5,000-year-old system of the healing process in India, the lotus flower process provides healing and spiritual qualities. In fact, the lotus flower also represents the Hindu art which linked with different Hindu deities. It is an important Ayurveda remedy for treating several health problems. Learn more about lotus flower benefits.
Lotus Flower Benefit 1: Antioxidant Agent
Lotus flower is full of antioxidant which comprises of chemical compounds such as alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin, and phenolic. Antioxidants are important to flush out the bad chemical from the body and prevent its side effects. Antioxidants are available in every part of lotus. The lotus antioxidant benefit includes:
Rhizome extract containing flower which helps to clean the radical carbon from the body.
Lotus seeds comprise of chemical compounds which help to protect your body from lipoxygenase, free radical and anti-oxidative lipid.
Flavonoid that comprises of the lotus leaf will present antioxidant activity which based on hemoglobin concentrate.
Lotus Flower Benefit 2: Moisturise skin
Lotus flower has intense moisturizing and hydrating skin qualities and helps to heal the skin elasticity and glowing complexion. Applying lotus flower helps to erase the fine lines, wrinkles and brown spots.
Lotus Flower Benefit 3: Heals Dry and Flaky Skin
Different skin care product and cosmetics contain nelumbo nucidera as a prime ingredient. It helps skin to get instant hydration. Therefore, you can use herbal hydration of lotus to treat dry and flaky skin and get the excellent glow.
Lotus Flower Benefit 3: Acne Breakouts
Acne is a type of skin disorder which affect almost everyone. Acne happens when small pores of your skin surface become blocked with oil, bacteria and dead skin cells. Every person’s pore of skin opens up under the follicle which lies under hair and sebaceous gland. The sebaceous gland is important to produce oil to keep skin soft and lubricated. Due to dead cells, bacteria and excess oil, the white blood cells start to accumulate and cause acne. It often occurs on back, face, arms, chest, and buttocks. It also occurs on the faces such as on forehead, cheeks, jawline, and cheeks.
External use of lotus flower helps to balance the oily skin and prevent pimple and acne breakouts.
Lotus Flower Benefit 3: Healthy Hair
Hair is an important and attractive part of beauty. Hair fall is a cause of worry for many people. There are well known ancient remedies for hair health and lotus flower is one of them. Lotus is the best ayurvedic formula for good hair health.
You can apply lotus essential oil for hair strengthening, long and smooth hair. Mix eggs and lotus oil to create moisture in hair and soothe your scalp which helps hair growth. You can also use jojoba oil as it provides vitamin E and reduces hair loss.
Add 3 tbsp of jojoba oil with 2 eggs and 2 or 3 drops of lotus essential oil. Apply this mix in your hair and wash after 40 minutes.
Lotus Flower Benefit 4: Conditions Hair
Many hair conditioners contain lotus flower (Nelumbo extracts). Applying a good conditioner containing lotus flower helps to provide natural shine in hair and repair the split ends.
Lotus Flower Benefit 5: Add natural shine and volume
Lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera helps to create volume in hair and strengthen its elasticity from brittle hair. Therefore, if you have limp hair, dull hair, then use nelumbo nucifera extract for natural shine in your hair.
Lotus Flower Benefit 6: Remove Premature Graying
Premature graying hair is a shock for many people especially women. Trying lotus essential oil helps stimulate melanins synthesis in gray hair. Melanin is a pigment which creates color in your hair. Using lotus essential oil helps to prevent gray hair occurrence by regulating melanin content in the hair.
Lotus Flower Benefit 7: Hepatoprotection Agent
Lotus seeds extract is responsible for hepatoprotection particularly serum enzyme generation. The lotus extract helps to prevent the genotoxic effect. Additionally, lotus seed extract contains active compounds of lotus such as armepavine which are a helpful compound to treat hepatitis B.
Lotus Flower Benefit 8: Immunomodulation Agent
Armepavine compound which contains lotus flower and responsible for immunomodulation. Its responsibility to your body includes
- It presses significant cytokine RNA displenocytes
- It helps to hamper proliferate concanavalin A
- Promote kidney functions
- Reduce auto-antibody
- It helps to limit the interleukin-2 reproduction
- It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Lotus consumption helps to promote the immune system.
Lotus Flower Benefit 9: Relieve Stress
The Lotus also provide the benefit of relieving stress. Having a lotus plan in the front home garden or in the backyard can help to release the stress by seeing such a wonderful view. Having a lotus pond can also be more beautiful because of lotus flower have beautiful colors such as pink, white, blue, red and purple. Keeping a lotus plant in surrounding provide good oxygen for a healthy body.
Whenever you get free time, try sitting in the garden or backyard and enjoy the lotus view which helps to reduce your stress.
Benefits of Lotus Roots
Lotus roots provide several health benefits and reduce many health condition’s symptoms which includes the following benefits.
Lotus Roots Benefit 10: Boost bowel regularity
The Lotus root is fibrous and woody which required to prevent the constipation problem. Lotus root comprises of insoluble fiber which carries the intestinal tract almost unchanged and helps bulk stool to move from digestive tract with speed. Insoluble fiber helps to stimulate the poop urge and relieve the bowel discomfort. Lotus root consumption prevents colon polyp formation which can turn in to cancerous polyps. Therefore, add lotus root in your diet for boosting bowel regularity.
Lotus Roots Benefit 11: Support weight management
Food intake that makes you feel full for a longer time can assist the weight loss process. This characteristic of lotus root perfectly works because they contain a high amount of insoluble fiber which prevents frequent hunger for hours. It contains low sugar which helps to keep insulin levels low and enables frequent fat oxidation. High carb diet limits the fat burning process and restricts the calories. Adding lotus roots in your diet can help to manage your weight loss.
Lotus Roots Benefit 12: Protect Heart Health
Lotus roots provide benefits of improving blood vessel health and blood pressure. It works to protect your heart health by breaking down homocysteine levels which can cause heart disease risk. When homocysteine breaks down into methionine and converts into folate and pyridoxine, helps to make heart muscles healthy.
Lotus root consumption helps to promote the blood circulation and manage blood pressure which improves cardiovascular health. The fiber content of lotus root helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels which cause to clog arteries and result in reduced blood flow to hearth and leads to stroke, heart disease, and heart attack.
Lotus Roots Benefit 13: Promote Immune system
Lotus roots contain a rich amount of vitamin C which is unexpected in the roots consumption. However, lotus roots are good to boost your immune system and decrease the risk of illness. It can help to protect from respiratory tract infection which commonly occurs from airborne and more contagious substances. Vitamin C consumption helps to promote the white blood cells production which fights against pathogens and prevent infections.
Lotus Roots Benefit 14: Boost Your Mood
Lotus roots consumption helps to boost your mood by providing beneficial effects to your brain. As lotus roots contain vitamin B6 or pyridoxine which include synthesis of dopamine and serotonin. Taking a good amount of vitamin b6 helps to boost brain functions and more importantly neurotransmitters.
Lotus Roots Benefit 15: Lotus root help Anaemia
Lotus roots comprise of an adequate amount of minerals such as iron, copper which are necessary for blood synthesis. You will need enough amount of iron to treat the anemia efficiently so make sure to add iron in your diet to prevent anemia. Taking care of low blood count helps to boost the energy levels as your blood cells get better oxygen and able to generate enough energy more efficiently.
Lotus Roots Benefit 16: Lotus roots can prevent Cancer
Cancer growth is a complex thing, and some people won’t get any symptoms. But there are some foods which help to prevent a certain type of cancers. One of important cancer prevention nutrient is Vitamin C which helps to assist DNA structure and decrease the anomalies which can lead to muted cells production. It is believed to be because of buffering damage of free radicals. Vitamin C can help to manage these reactive oxygen species and boost excretion.
Lotus Roots Benefit 17: Support Diabetic
Diabetes is a complex condition to maintain and have very few food options. Lotus roots are comparable to potato taste which helps to prevent repeated cravings. Lotus roots are more important as it comprises of fiber and fewer carbohydrates which helps to manage blood sugar levels. Decreased frequency of blood sugar cause to weekend your insulin to do its work efficiently. Add lotus roots when you want filling meal which keeps you satisfied till your next meal.
Lotus Roots Benefit 18: Treat Diarrhea
Different health conditions cause diarrhea, and most of the time it is linked with bacterial infection or intestinal malabsorption of the digestive tract. Try replacing drug based anti-diarrheal medicine with lotus root. Lotus helps to relieve diarrhea problems due to its fiber content. Lotus roots have proven results in the Indian study to provide anti-diarrheal qualities. Fiber helps to transfer waste from the digestive tract, it will take prolonged time for absorbing nutrients in the small intestine.
Lotus Roots Benefit 19: Anti-Infection
Lotus comprises of many beneficial qualities for the body. It also acts as an anti-infection agent. It prevents virus infection, fungus, and bacteria from the body. Here is the important chemical synthesis of the lotus to prevent infections.
- Ethanol: Lotus seeds contain ethanol which prevents the growth of (HSV-1) herpesvirus type 1.
- Flavanoid and Alkaloid: The lotus seeds contain flavonoid, an alkaloid, and its leaf extract help to protect the body from HIV virus which can cause life-threatening risky disease such as AIDS. Additionally, lotus seeds contain natural compounds which work as an anti-fungi activity.
- Rhizome extract: The Rhizome extract of the lotus is responsible for preventing bacteria and fungi and maintain body health.
Lotus Roots Benefit 20: Manage blood pressure
The combination of electrolyte minerals in the blood which can influence the blood pressure and irregularities in the blood cause more water retention. Specifically, minerals potassium and sodium which are essential for managing fluid balance and blood pressure. The content of high potassium in the lotus root helps to prevent harmful effects of extra sodium such as blood vessel constriction and water retention. Potassium helps to promote blood vessel dilation and boost excess water and sodium rejection and prevent the workout load of your heart.
Lotus Ayurvedic Benefits
Lotus Benefit 20: Reduce inflammation
Inflammation always occurs with heat sensation. It is a discomforting side effect or one of the symptoms of different conditions. It may also happen due to trauma, physical injury and chemical exposure.
According to the recent research, the lotus both seeds such as red and white helps to decrease the inflammation. According to the study of 2013, lotus comprises of two polysaccharides which are strong in anti-inflammatory effects for different treatments.
Lotus Benefit 21: Treat bleeding disorders
During bleeding disorder (Hemostasis) bleeding is held after an injury to blood vessels. It is a delicate multiphase process which involves interaction between blood vessels, coagulation, and platelets. Any defect of coagulation phases leads to the bleeding problem. The process of coagulation is a combination of biochemical and cellular events that work together to blood in the form of a fluid and prevent blood loss after injury and blood clot formation.
The lotus leaves help for the treatment of excessive fever, sweating, nosebleed, bleeding disorder and blood in urine.
Lotus Benefit 22: Cure fungal infections
The Lotus stem helps to treat skin diseases such as ringworm, fungal infection, leprosy, smallpox, diarrhea, vomiting, dysentery, and cough.
Lotus Benefit 23: Boosts Fertility
Lotus flower can provide fertility benefit. It creates balance and positivity while you are experiencing infertility. You can use lotus print or image and displaying the home where you can often see it. Seeing the positive image of lotus helps to keep you remember positiveness.
The male who experiences premature ejaculation can get benefits from lotus tea.
In women drinking lotus tea helps to reduce the blood flow in heavy periods.
Lotus Benefit 23: Reduces Cholesterol Levels
The human body produces cholesterol when it requires. If you consume a low cholesterol diet, then the body produces more cholesterol. Cholesterol performs many different benefits. It is important for producing adrenal glands hormones including progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol.
Cholesterol is an important part of the immune system to fight with several diseases and boost recovery. Animal contains good cholesterol including cod liver oil, butter, fish and other seafood.
Lotus flower contains 0.0 mg cholesterol per 100 grams.
You can use lotus flower tea which is a great option to reduce cholesterol. The lotus tea helps to block the absorption of fats and reduce bad cholesterol levels.
Lotus Benefit 24: Loads of Vitamin C
Lotus roots contain rich vitamin C. Nearly 73% of the human body needs vitamin C provided by every 100 grams of lotus roots. As a strong antioxidant, vitamin C helps your body in numerous ways. It helps to eliminate the free radical from the body and prevent harmful conditions risks such as cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C is an essential part of collagen which helps to manage and strengthen your skin, blood vessels and organs and immune system.
Lotus Benefit 25: Treat respiratory disorders
According research lotus roots provide a beneficial effect on your respiratory system. It helps to cleanse and strengthen your respiratory system. You can have warm tea to get the relief from cough and reduce the accumulated mucus. The lotus juice also helpful for respiratory diseases such as asthma and tuberculosis.
Lotus Benefit 26: Cure Stomach Problems
Drinking lotus root juice mixed with ginger helps to decrease inflammation in the intestines and work efficiently. Experiencing blood vomiting from esophagus or stomach can stop it with lotus root juice. If you have an ailment where you have blood in stool or bleeding in the rectum, intestine, and stomach. If you encounter any of these symptoms, drink lotus juice to ease the pain.
How to Use Lotus Flowers?
While eating lotus flower make sure that it is cooked completely. You can get lotus at the high-class restaurant of Chinese, India, and Vietnam. Those restaurants, you need to check it is well-cooked.
You can consume four parts of lotus such as seeds, rhizome, leaf, and stem. These four parts of lotus contain excellent natural synthesis which helps obesity and prevent diabetes. It contains synthesis which helps to promote antioxidant and anti-infection in the body.
Cautions with Lotus flowers
Lotus flower contains many natural compounds for good health. You should avoid undercooked lotus flower and roots. Because undercooked lotus flower’s synthesis may turn into poison and affect health negatively. Eat raw lotus flower may contain rhizomes which have some parasite describe as Trematoda.
Special Warnings
Avoid lotus flower consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There is no research about the safety of lotus during pregnancy. Stay safe and avoid it.
People with diabetes should monitor blood sugar levels while taking lotus because some people may extremely lose sugar levels.
During surgery procedure, it is recommended to avoid lotus because it will reduce the blood sugar levels. Stop using lotus before two weeks of your surgery schedule.
Dosing
The proper dose of lotus depends on different factors such as health, age, and other conditions. There is no scientific information about the specific amount of lotus doses. Remember more consumption of natural products may also cause side effects. It is a better idea to take ayurvedic expert help for safety. Make sure to follow relevant product direction as given on the labels.
However, every person has different health, and their immune system works in a different way. Therefore, lotus work effectively for some people and some people may get side effects. If you get any side, then immediately stop the usage of lotus and contact your doctor.