If someone asks you, is wood apple and bael fruit the same? What will you answer? Some people think both fruits are the same since their appearance are much similar. Some may think they are different.
Let’s see, is wood apple and bael fruit same? This article will provide you a better answer.
Wood apple is a generic name given to the fruit of the tree from the subfamily of Aurantioideae. Here are two relatively well-known fruits:
- Wood apple (Aegle marmelos): Commonly known as bael fruit and it is an edible fruit of indigenous plants. Other names for this variety are Bengal quince, golden apple, stone apple, pure fruit and Japanese bitter orange.
- Wood Apple (Limonia acidissima): This is a fruit native to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
Native countries of Bael fruit & Wood apple
In different parts of Southeast Asia, the two fruits differently known as wood apple, bale fruit, bell, and elephant apple. However, both have different textures, fragrances, and flavors.
Here is a Wood apple Jam made from the flesh part of it.
If you missed the Wood apple season you can taste Wood apple jam.
Wood Apple and Bael Fruit both come from the same plant family, Rutaceae. Each fruit has different qualities. So, wood apple and bael fruit, couldn’t consider as same fruits. But both fruits are in same family but different species.
Some Qualities of both fruits are same. As an example, Wood Apple and Bael fruit has hard outer cover. When it comes to benefits, both fruits are good remedy for constipation.
Bael Fruit
Bael Tree, Golden Apple, or Bengal Queens – A medium-sized, slow-growing deciduous tree native to India. The fruits, leaves, twigs and roots of the bael tree use medicinally. This tree considered sacred by the Hindus. Its fruits are using in traditional medicine and as food. A pronounced dry time required to give. Oranges have an aromatic, pleasant-tasting yellow pulp that can be eaten fresh or dried. The leaves and small shoots eaten as salad greens. The flowers are fragrant.
This plant is a deciduous tree that can be grown in tropical and subtropical regions and tolerates harsh conditions including high temperatures. It thrives at an altitude of 1,200 m above sea level and has an average annual temperature of -6 to 48 C. In Thailand, it is only flowers and fruits that thrive where there is a remarkable dry season. Suitable for rich, well-drained soils but can tolerate poor soils and alkaline conditions. It also grows well in swampy, alkaline, or rocky soils with a pH range of 5 to 8
The taste of the fruit regrettably, leaves of many plants have as well as regenerative properties, but all parts of the tree are using for a variety of purposes. Those are including the manufacture of perfumes, soaps, and home furniture.
Fruit
Bael fruits are spherical and have rough baseball dimensions. Fruits start with gray-green color and turn pale yellow every time it grows. When split, the fruit has a pale orange pulp separated by a thick, dark orange wall. The fruit can also be pasted with gummy hair seeds covered with a mucous membrane. Some people can’t stand the smell of fruit. Following are some health benefits from Bael Fruit.
Health Benefits
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Constipation
Ripe bale fruit is definitely the best of all laxatives. It cleanses the intestines. It uses frequently for 2 or 3 months and even old accumulated dead urine is removed from the intestines.
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Diarrhea and Diarrhea
Ripe or semi-ripe fruit is often the most effective dietary treatment for chronic diarrhea as well as fever-free diarrhea.
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Peptic ulcer
Peptic ulcer is a very effective dietary treatment for peptic ulcer. Bale leaves are rich in tannins that reduce swelling and help heal ulcers. In addition to the bale fruit used in the form of drinks. Also, it has excellent sticky content. This substance forms a covering around the mucous membranes of the stomach and therefore it helps to heal ulcers.
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Respiratory Affections
Respiratory effects Oil made from bale leaves Medicinal oil gives relief from recurrent colds as well as diseases of the respiratory system. The juice obtained from the bale leaves is combining with the same sesame oil and heating completely. It is a common custom in South India to always give the juice of bale leaves to relieve cough and shortness of breath. After a bit of pepper, moistened with warm water, the leaves are serving as a juice.
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Gastro protection properties
It is the most common gastric ulcer.. The phenolic substances contained in bale extracts contain powerful antioxidants that help reduce gastric ulcers.
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Antimicrobial properties
Antimicrobial Properties Bale leaves, roots and fruit extracts have been researched because of their anti-microbial properties. The extract shown to inhibit most bacterial strains. In addition to bacteria, bale extract is also excellent in controlling fungi and infections that Anti-microbial properties occur.
Wood apple
Unlike bael fruit, Aegle marmelos is less well known around the world. Wood Apple is a tree that has a perennial life span. Wood apple trees could be found in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Tropical Indomalaya. These trees are growing in dry areas Wood Apple tree has white color flowers and the color of its fruit is Greyish brown or light green.
Botanically known as the Limonia acidissima, the Wood Apple endemic to India and is found in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and southern Asia. The tree grows to a height of 6 to 15 m and the edible fruit is 7 to 10 cm in diameter.
This tree has rough and spiny bark. Wood Apple Flowers are white in color with five petals.
Fruit
The shells of the fruit are hard. It has brown pulp and small white seeds inside the fruit. It has a woody, white-light brown shell with a rough consistency similar to tree bark. There is a small hole in the top of the fruit that was once attached to the tree where it sticks out and the butter smells mostly like blue cheese.
It is almost impossible to determine the ripeness of the fruit by appearance alone. The woody apples have a complex sweet, sour, and acidic taste reminiscent of delicate, eggnog, raisins, and sharp cheeses.
In some parts of the world, this fruit is calling the elephant apple because it is one of the favorite foods of elephants. Although most varieties are large in size (5 inches) and there are other varieties that are smaller and have an acidic taste.
Health benefits
Wood apples have traditionally been used in India as a liver and heart drink. Ripe fruits have bitter properties that can prevent diarrhea and treat sore throat. As a traditional remedy, fruit pulp or powdered pods often used as poultry for insect bites and stings. Like the bael fruit, the fruit, seeds, roots, and bark have all been used for folk remedies for many years.
According to an analysis, wood apple contains significant amounts of protein, carbohydrates, iron, and fat. Pulp also contains pectin fiber and tannin. It is a good source of calcium, vitamin C, zinc, and sodium.
As a rich source of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, and vitamin C, these wood apples explored for a variety of cosmetic purposes.
Following are some health benefits of wood apple:
- Wound healing
- Antibacterial activity
- Antifungal activity
- Make the digestion Easy
- Cure Chronic Diseases
Conclusion
Even though many people think, that Bael fruit and Wood Apple is same, there are differences in every part of the tree. And the qualities, as well as the benefits of each variety, is different.
