Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

florapal.org

Family

Leguminosae (Fabaceae)

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Lentil

Hebrew Name(s)

adasha tarbutit

עֲדָשָׁה תַּרְבּוּתִית

Arabic Name(s)

`adas عدس

Life Form

Annual, Climber

Habitat

Disturbed habitats

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Lens culinaris Medik.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Dermatological	Itch/ pruritis	Anti-pruritic	Cook lentil seeds in water briefly & use watery extract to wash affected area.	Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Diarrhea	Anti-Infective, Anti-diarrheal	Prepare soup from seeds. (Admin. not specified.)	Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Heartburn & gastric acidity	Antacid	1.Eat dried seeds. (Z) 2. Eat ground seeds or roast seeds first, then grind & eat. (Z) 3. Cook seeds in water & eat. (Z) 4. Eat uncooked seeds as needed. (B)	Seed	Z, B
Gastrointestinal	Jaundice	Hepatic	Prepare soup from seeds. (Admin. not specified.)	Seed	Z
Haematology	Anaemia	Anti-anaemic	Make soup from seeds by cooking & eat x1 plate (portion)/day.	Seed	B
Infectious Diseases	Chicken pox	Anti-Infective	Prepare soup from seeds. (Admin. not specified.)	Seed	Z
Infectious Diseases	Measles	Anti-Infective	Cook seeds & drink the water. Consistently eat sweet foods.	Seed	Z
Opthalmic	Eye pain	Analgesic	Cook lentils in water, sprinkle the water on cotton wool & apply to painful eye.	Seed	Z
Oral Health	Strengthen teeth & gums & prevent bleeding	Anti-caries, Anti-gum disease	1. Prepare flour from lentil seeds + flour made from crushed eggshells (Admin. not specified.) 2. Cook seeds in water + dried rose petals + young vine leaves + myrtle (Myrtus communis) leaves & use as gargle.	Seed	Z
Women`s Health	Promote lactation	Galactagogue	Make soup from seeds by cooking & eat x1 plate (portion) / day.	Seed	B
Wound Healing	Burn	Vulnerary	Mix roasted ground seeds + olive or castor oil & apply to burn.	Seed	Z
Wound Healing	Stop wound bleeding & prevent infection	Anti-septic, Haemostatic	Grind roasted seeds & apply to wound.	Seed	Z

Notes

Cautions

Z notes that lentils (Lens culinaris) can cause abdominal bloating (gas).

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.