Varuna (three-leaved caper / garlic pear)

Crataeva nurvala

Edible plant

Ayurveda

Photo credit: Vinayaraj

Safety information

Toxicity: Low at studied doses.

Contraindications: Pregnancy (insufficient data — caution); on diuretics; obstructive uropathy (treat cause).

Interactions: Diuretics, lithium, antihypertensives (additive); few documented.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Pregnancy: insufficient data — caution.

Evidence level

Clinical

Supported by clinical trials in humans.

Preparations

powder · stem bark

Part used: stem bark

Evidence:Preclinical

in urinary/lithiasis formulas (Varunadi kashaya) · stem bark

Part used: stem bark

Evidence:Preclinical

decoction · stem bark

Part used: stem bark

Traditional use: urinary calculi, dysuria, prostate/bladder complaints

Proposed mechanism: lupeol (triterpene), beta-sitosterol, saponins — antilithic (crystal/oxalate inhibition), anti-inflammatory, diuretic, bladder-tone-modulating

Evidence:Clinical

General preparation guide →

Associated conditions

urinary calculi Urinary complaints (general)overactive bladder prostate bladder complaints

Edibility

Edible parts: Young leaves/flowers of Crataeva pickled/eaten as a vegetable in some regions; medicinal part is the bark (not a food).

Toxic lookalike warning

Caper-relative leaves resemble other trifoliate plants; use only authenticated material.

Nutritional notes

Bark not a food; leaves a minor pickled vegetable.

Healing traditions

Ayurveda

Sources (3)

Schoendorfer 2018, BMC Complement Altern Med (Urox RCT) (PMC5793427)
Vidya 2004, J Ethnopharmacol (PMID 15339033)
Varuna urolithic study 2011, Anc Sci Life (PMID 22131740)

All sources →