Udumbara: Benefits, Evidence, Dosage & Safety

TL;DR

Udumbara is the Sanskrit name for Ficus racemosa (cluster fig, gular), a fig tree native to India whose bark, fruit, leaves, and latex are used in Ayurveda for bleeding, diarrhea, and skin problems. Animal studies show blood-sugar-lowering, wound-healing, and anti-inflammatory effects; one small month-long human trial (n=30) found lower blood sugar with 1.2 g/day of bark. Evidence remains early overall.

What it is

Udumbara is the Sanskrit name of Ficus racemosa Willd. (syn. F. glomerata), commonly called the cluster fig or, in Hindi, gular: a fig tree native to India, Australia, and Southeast Asia (Gupta & Roy, WJARR 2023; Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). The medicinal parts used are the bark, fruits, leaves, roots, and latex: distinct materials from the same tree that are not interchangeable (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015).

Traditional use

In Ayurveda, the roots are traditionally used for hydrophobia, while the bark is described as a galactagogue helpful in gynecological disorders. The fruits are used for menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, intestinal worms, dry cough, and urinary complaints (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). A bark decoction is traditionally given for piles, ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, dysentery, diabetes, and asthma. The latex is applied externally to wounds to reduce inflammation, pain, and swelling, and leaf buds are used for skin infections (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). In the Unani tradition, the leaves are used for bronchitis, bowel complaints, and piles (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Various parts, leaves, stem, root, fruit, seeds, latex, are also used in traditional practice for heavy menstrual bleeding (asrigdara) (Gupta & Roy, WJARR 2023). These are traditional uses, not clinical proof.

What modern research says

Blood sugar (animal studies and one small human trial)

The most-studied claim is glucose lowering, and nearly all of it is preclinical. A methanol extract of the stem bark at 200 and 400 mg/kg lowered blood glucose in both normal and alloxan-diabetic rats, with efficacy described as comparable to the standard drug glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) (Rao et al., PubMed 12237822; Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). An ethanol extract at 250 mg/kg/day normalized blood glucose and urine sugar in alloxan-diabetic rats within two weeks, and fruit extracts showed hypoglycemic activity in rats at 1–4 g/kg (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015).

One small human trial exists: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in 30 volunteers (18 men, 12 women, aged 35–50) given a human-equivalent dose of 1.2 g/day of bark (400 mg, three capsules) for one month reported a significant reduction in blood glucose without changes in cholesterol or triglycerides, with good tolerance and no withdrawals (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Small, short, and single: promising but far from establishing udumbara as a diabetes treatment.

Wound healing (animal studies)

An ethanol extract of the stem bark showed wound-healing properties in various rat wound models, consistent with the traditional external use of the latex on wounds (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). No human wound-healing trials were found.

Inflammation (animal and cell studies)

A leaf ethanol extract (400 mg/kg, oral) reduced paw swelling in several rat inflammation models, and a newly isolated compound, racemosic acid, inhibited the inflammatory enzymes COX-1 and 5-lipoxygenase in vitro (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Preclinical only.

Ulcers and digestion (animal studies)

A 50% ethanol fruit extract inhibited ulcers dose-dependently in several rat ulcer models and reduced oxidative damage to the stomach lining. A bark ethanol extract showed antidiarrheal effects in castor-oil and prostaglandin-induced rat models (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). These findings echo the traditional use for diarrhea and dysentery but remain untested in humans.

Platelet effects (small human study)

An aqueous bark extract showed dose-dependent platelet-aggregating activity (3–51% versus controls) in healthy human volunteers (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). This is a pharmacological observation, not a therapeutic claim: and it cuts against casual use alongside blood-thinning medication.

Dosage

The only human research regimen on record is from the small antihyperglycemic trial: 1.2 g/day of bark (400 mg, three capsules) for one month (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). This is a research regimen from a single small study: not a personal recommendation and not an established dose.

Safety & contraindications

Safety data are limited and mixed. In acute toxicity testing of an aqueous bark extract in mice, the extract was tolerated up to the highest tested dose, but it produced abnormalities in the liver and kidney, and fasting blood sugar pointed toward hypoglycemia. A subacute study found reversible liver injury with marked increases in creatinine and urea (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Because animal data show glucose lowering, anyone taking diabetes medication should be cautious about additive low blood sugar and should talk to a clinician first. There are no human safety data in pregnancy or breastfeeding: as a precaution, avoid use in both unless a qualified practitioner advises otherwise. The platelet-aggregating effect seen in volunteers also argues for caution with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015).

FAQs

What is udumbara?

Udumbara is the Sanskrit name for Ficus racemosa, the cluster fig (Hindi: gular), a fig tree native to India, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Its bark, fruits, leaves, roots, and latex are all used in Ayurveda, each considered a distinct medicinal material (Gupta & Roy, WJARR 2023; Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015).

Is udumbara good for diabetes?

Not proven. Bark and fruit extracts lowered blood sugar in diabetic rats, and one small one-month human trial (n=30) of 1.2 g/day bark reported lower blood glucose: but that is a single small study, not a basis for treating diabetes (Rao et al., PubMed 12237822; Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Do not replace prescribed diabetes treatment.

Can I take udumbara with diabetes medicine?

Be cautious. Animal studies show glucose-lowering effects, and an animal toxicity study noted a tendency toward hypoglycemia, so combining udumbara with blood-sugar-lowering drugs could theoretically push blood sugar too low (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Discuss it with your clinician first.

Is udumbara safe for the liver and kidneys?

Uncertain. An animal toxicity study of aqueous bark extract found liver and kidney abnormalities at high doses and reversible liver injury with raised creatinine and urea in subacute testing (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). People with liver or kidney disease should avoid it unless a clinician advises otherwise.

What parts of udumbara are traditionally used?

The bark (decoction for diarrhea, piles, diabetes), fruits (menorrhagia, worms, cough), leaves and leaf buds (skin infections; bronchitis in Unani practice), roots (dysentery, hydrophobia), and latex (applied to wounds): each with distinct traditional indications (Yadav et al., Pharmacognosy Reviews 2015). Traditional use is not clinical proof.

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Herbal products can interact with medications and are not suitable for everyone. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.