10 Top Benefits & Uses Of Avarampoo (Aavaram Poo)

Aavaram Poo also called Avarampoo in Tamil is a very popular shrub here in Tamil Nadu. Avarampoo has wide health benefits, medicinal uses, and skin and hair care benefits. Avarampoo is traditionally used for treating diabetes and avarampoo face pack made with the dried avaram flowers treats almost all skin problems.

Avarampoo tea made by steeping the flowers is also widely consumed for it’s amazing health benefits. Aavaram poo powder got by drying the flowers and leaves is widely used in skin care. Avarampoo leaf extract has been proven to aid weight loss as it has anti obesity properties.

AvaramPoo Plant:

Avarampoo plant is a shrub that has small leaves and beautiful yellow flowers. You can identify the plant with the yellow flowers. The fruit of the plant is a legume. We can find avarampoo shrubs all over India and Srilanka. Here in Tamil Nadu, you can find this shrub easily and it grows abundance in our farm so I never have any shortage of avarampoo flowers.

Avarampoo Plant Botanical & Common Names:

Senna Auriculata is the botanical name, it is also called Cassia Auriculata. It belongs to the family Fabaceae and Genus Senna. It is called Tanner’s Cassia | Tanner’s Senna | Avaram Senna in English, the flowers are called Tangedu Puvvu in Telugu and the plant is called Tangedu in Telugu, Tarwar in Hindi, Tangedi in Kannada, Charmaranga in Sanskrit, Avaram in Malayalam and Tarwad in Marathi.

Avarampoo Chemical Constituents:

Avarampoo flower methanol extract showed the presence of tannins, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, quinones and coumarins. The leaf extract showed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, proteins and carbohydrates. The ethanolic seed showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins, phytosterol, phenols, anthraquinones and amino acids.

Avarampoo Traditional Uses:

a. Avarampoo Flowers:

Avarampoo flowers have been traditionally used for diabetes, for treating all skin problems like itching and body odour and also for treating urinary problems. The flowers are cooked with dal and consumed for treating constipation too.

b. Avarampoo Bark:

Traditionally the bark powder is used for treating skin diseases. The bark is also boiled along with water and consumed for reducing inflammation.

c. Avarampoo Plant Leaf:

Avarampoo shrub leaves are traditionally used for hair wash. We add the avarampoo leaf powder while making hair wash powder, it helps clean hair well. The leaf poultice is used for healing wounds and for treating other skin problems.

d. Avarampoo Plant Seeds:

Some people make hair oil with avaram seeds and bhringraj to treat premature greying of the hair. The seeds are also used for treating some skin diseases.

e. Avarampoo Plant Roots:

Avarampoo roots are used for treating skin diseases, when we wash the wounds with the avarampoo root water got by boiling the leaves in water, it will help in faster wound healing. The root extract also has a protective effect on our kidneys.

Avarampoo Medicinal Uses & Health Benefits:

1. Anti Microbial Properties:

The leaf extract of avarampoo plant has amazing anti microbial properties and the methanol extract is more potent than the water extract. The antimicrobial property is due to the presence of phenolic and flavonoids present in the plant. This anti microbial properties is one of the main reason this plant is widely used for skin care.

2. Anti-inflammatory Properties:

The leaf extract of avarampoo plant has wonderful anti inflammatory properties. Traditionally we use the leaf poultice for treating wounds and it is because of it’s wonderful anti inflammatory properties that it helps reduce the pain and inflammation very quickly.

3. Anti Diabetic Properties:

Avarampoo flowers have been traditionally used for reducing high blood sugar levels in diabetic patients and I am happy to say that this traditional use has been backed by research. We make avarampoo flower tea at home and it greatly helps bring down high blood sugar levels effectively.

4. Antioxidant Properties:

Avarampoo plant has amazing antioxidant properties and regularly consuming antioxidant rich ingredients is the key to good health. Antioxidant rich herbs greatly prevents free radicals which is the major reason for premature ageing of hair and skin. Try to consume avarampoo tea regularly to get it’s amazing antioxidant benefits.

5. Antihyperlipidemic Properties:

Another amazing benefit of avarampoo is it’s cholesterol reducing properties, you can read the study that proves it here. The best part is avarampoo flower extract has been proven to be effective equal to prescription medications for lowering high cholesterol but without any of the side effects!

6. Anthelmintic Properties:

The leaf extract also possesses anthelmintic properties (ability to kill off parasites). The water extract got by boiling the leaves in water has the ability to kill the parasites and the effect is dosage dependent. The best part is the effect was equal to prescription medications and you can read the study here.

7. Anti Cancer Properties:

Another important medicinal of avarampoo plant that really amazed was it’s anti cancer properties. The leaf extract of the plant was tested on breast cancer and larynx cancer cells and in both cases it proved to be very effective in inhibiting the cancer cell growth. You can read the study that proves it here. 

8. For Hair Growth:

Dried Avarampoo flowers are generally added to hair oil preparations along with other herbs like amla, fenugreek, henna and curry leaves to promote hair growth. Since avarampoo has anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties, it helps treat scalp infections and also helps reduce scalp inflammation really well.

9. For Skin Care:

Avarampoo is very popularly used for skin care here in Tamil Nadu, from lightening scars and blemishes to treating wounds, it is extensively used. For skin care, we include the avarampoo powder in bath powder recipes, face packs and face scrubs. Avarampoo is very fragrant and is very mild on the skin so it can be used for young kids too.

10. Anti Pyretic Properties:

Avarampoo tea got by steeping the flowers in water has fever reducing properties as well. Along with reducing fever, it also reduces body pain too as it has analgesic properties. If you are suffering from fever I would suggest consuming avarampoo tea regularly for a few days.

Avarampoo Side Effects:

Avarampoo has very low toxicity so it does not cause harm if consumed internally at all but like with any herb, it is best not to over consume avarampoo. In my personal experience, I have not seen one single person reacting badly to avarampoo when used for external application.

Avarampoo Powder:

We can easily buy avarampoo powder from the markets. In Tamil Nadu almost all the nattu marundhu shops stock it regularly. But if you have access to fresh avarampoo, you can make your own avarampoo powder at home.

To make avarampoo powder, collect fresh avarampoo, spread on a cloth to remove any excess moisture and sun dry covered with a thin mesh under hot sunlight till the flowers turn crisp. Now while still crisp from sun drying, powder in a dry mixer, sieve and store.

Where To Buy Avarampoo?

We can buy dried avarampoo flowers easily in the markets, 1 kg of dried avarampoo costs around 650 rupees when you buy it online. But if you buy avarampoo directly from the farmers, it will cost a lot less. Avarampoo powder also is easily available and can be got both though online shops or through local herb shops.

5 Top Ways To Use Avarampoo For Hair, Skin & Health:

1. Avarampoo Tea:

To make avarampoo tea, take enough palm candy and cardamom seeds from one cardamom pod and pound them both together in a mortar and pestle along with 2 tbsp of dried avarampoo. Boil a cup of organic whole milk in a pan, add this powder and when it comes to a boil switch off. This tea has a mild sweet taste that I completely love and if you find that the tea is very thick, you can use half cup milk and half cup water for making this simple tea. This tea can be made without milk too.

2. Avarampoo For Hair:

Here in our place, it is a common practice to collect the fresh avarampoo leaves, grind to paste and use it for hair wash just like hibiscus leaves. Avarampoo powder can be added to hair wash powder recipes. Avarampoo is added to hair oil preparations, you can little bit of avarampoo to any herbal hair oil preparations.

3. Avarampoo Face Pack For Dry Skin:

Avarampoo face pack is an amazing skin treatment. For making the face pack, we need avarampoo powder, it can be either homemade or store bought. To make the face pack, take a tsp of avarampoo powder in a bowl, add in equal quantities of gram flour to it. Now add enough curd to form a paste and use it as a face pack.

4. Avarampoo Bath Powder:

This bath powder has got 6 amazing ingredients – avarampoo, bengal gram dal, urad dal, kasthuri manjal, vetiver and organic rose petals. Bengal gram dal and urad dal are amazing cleansers, vetiver is a natural coolant and prevents boils on the skin, avarampoo and kasthuri manjal prevents infections in the skin. This powder is also very very fragrant and is wonderful for all types of skin.

To make the powder, collect 1/4 cup avarampoo flowers and 1/4 cup rose petals and sun dry till crisp, make sure the rose petals are not sprayed with pesticides. Also sun dry 1/4 cup bengal gram dal and 1/4 cup urad dal, a small bunch vetiver root and 1/4 cup kasthuri manjal till crisp. Powder everything together well and sieve to get a very fine powder. Store in an airtight box and use daily.

5. Avarampoo Face Scrub For Oily Skin:

Avarampoo face scrub helps exfoliate the skin wonderfully and is so easy to make it at home. All we need for the scrub is avarampoo powder, rice flour and rice water and this scrub is perfect for oily skin. For the scrub, take a tsp of rice flour in a bowl. Add in 1/2 tsp of avarampoo powder to it and mx well. Now add enough rice water and mix to form a smooth paste and use it as a face scrub.