The thought of eating gum may be revolting, but did you know there's something known as edible gum? Called gond in India, edible gum is the viscous sap derived from the babool tree.
The gum is water-soluble. It creates a viscous gel when it comes in contact with water. You can increase the viscosity by using alkali in the mixture.
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Gond or edible gum can be used as an emulsifier and stabilizer. This gum is also added to fizzy drinks, confectioneries, ice creams and even skincare products.
In India, edible gum is most notable used to make gond ke laddu. Traditional wisdom suggests edible gum benefits pregnant women and breastfeeding women. It's also believed to fortify the body against infections and improve general health.
Health benefits of gond and gond ke laddu
Gond is majorly consumed around winter for its calorific and warming properties. Traditionally, gond preparations are given to pregnant and lactating women because they help in recovery and boosting milk production. Gond is also good for people with weaker constitution because it helps in boosting overall health. Here are some of its known health benefits.
1. Boosts stamina: Gond preparations, especially gond ke laddu, help in boosting energy and stamina. Gond ke laddu are also full of other healthful ingredients like wheat, jaggery and nuts, making these laddus better than store-bought energy bars.
2. Has anti-bacterial properties: Extracts of babool, from which gond is derived, boasts of antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans.
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3. Boosts milk production in new mothers: Ayurveda prescribes gond preparations for new mothers struggling with lactation. It is believed that the gum increases milk production in women who are breastfeeding.
4. Helps in weight loss: Consuming edible gum can improve satiety and prevent overeating in people struggling with their weight. A study also showed that it can reduce the BMI and body-fat percentage in women.
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Other benefits of gond
- Boosts overall health
- Warming food for cold climes
- Energy booster
- Anti-diabetic
- Regulates immune system
- Protects liver health
- Has antioxidant properties
- Has weight loss properties
- Good for gut health
- Has anti-cancer benefits
Every 10g of edible gum or gond consists of the following nutrients.
| Nutrients | Measurement |
| Calories | 40 |
| Total Fat | 1% of DV |
| Dietary Fiber | 9g |
| Sodium | 3mg |
| Sugar | 0g |
| Protein | 1% of DV |
How to make gond ladoo
Gond or edible gum in India is most notably used in the preparation of gond laddus. These laddus are densely packed with nutrients, and eating just one of them a day can provide an array of health benefits, especially for people with weaker constitution.
To make gond ke laddu, you will need gond or edible gum, chopped nuts, dried coconut flakes, wheat flour, jaggery and ghee.
- Fry chopped nuts and dried coconut in ghee.
- Clean gond bits and fry them in ghee till they are puffy.
- Roast wheat flour till it turns fragrant and brown.
- Add the chopped nuts, coconut, gond and jaggery to the wheat mixture.
- Knead the pliable mixture and roll into balls. Add more ghee if necessary.
- Serve them once the laddus have cooled down.
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