Dandasa (Walnut Tree Bark) Benefits For Teeth, Lips, Hair & Side Effects

If you have ever been to the suburban areas of Pakistan & India, you would have heard about Dandasa or Dhandasa, No? What is it? Dandasa is the bark of Persian walnut tree or English walnut tree which is also known as Juglans Regia. It is found majorly in Pakistan, Japan, China, India, Southern Asia, and Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, North of Iran, Easy Turkey, and Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, more than half the population uses the bark as chewing sticks for maintaining oral hygiene. Dandasa is renowned for its use as a natural & instant teeth whitening agent. It is also mentioned in Ayurvedic scriptures as a potent medicine for oral diseases.

Persian walnut should not be confused with black walnut as both have different properties. Black walnut is native to united states and is difficult to crack while the Persian walnut has its origins in Iran.

Properties of Dhandasa

• Anti-bacterial
• Anti Oxidant
• Strong Antimicrobial
• Antifungal
• Laxative
• Blood Purifier
• Anthelmintic

Walnut Tree Bark / Peel Benefits

There are many benefits of Walnut tree bark for health. It is useful as a complete oral solution and also for skin diseases like eczema, blisters, severe itching of the skin (also called pruritus). It is a natural blood purifier and laxative. Let’s look at the benefits in detail.

Dandasa Benefits For Teeth & Overall Oral Health

Studies show that the walnut bark contains large quantities of manganese and other minerals along with important subgroup of a polyphenolic compound called ellagitannins. Ellagitannins have high antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

The use of the dampened bark instantly whitens the teeth. The whitening action is due to the presence of carbonates, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc ions found in the walnut bark.

The tree bark also keeps the gum tight and strong which ensures the healthy life of teeth. It is said that the Egyptian mummies had fully intact good teeth after thousands of years because of the use of this herb.

Regular use of dandasa can be very effective against oral infections, tooth decay, gingivitis, pyorrhoea, bad breath & cavities as well. A study was conducted on the herb for a deeper understanding of its antimicrobial activity. Experiments conducted on two samples collected from different regions showed methanolic bark extract’s strong antimicrobial action against 6 samples of human pathogenic microorganisms; E. coli, P.aeruginosa, S. Suis, S. Sonnie, and yeast C. Albicans.

How to use for whitening?

Soak a small twig of dandasa overnight. In the morning, rub some coconut oil on your lips, teeth and gums. Now rub the datun (twig) on your teeth for 5 minutes. You will see your teeth will become lighter in colour. It will, however, leave some reddish-brown colour on your fingers.

Dandasa For Lips

It is also useful as a natural dying agent for the lips. When damped with water and mixed with saliva, it leaves a reddish-brown colour if applied on the lips.

Dandasa Benefits For Hair

The dark brown colouration produced from the bark can also be used for natural dying of grey hair. If the hair is not chemically treated or you have never used any chemical dyes that are available in the market, dandansa can quickly work for your hair. If you have used chemical dyes, it takes a while to work.

Apart from walnut tree bark, the leaves and green husk of walnut fruit are also used for making semipermanent hair dyeing formulations.

The herb is also great for preventing hair falling and dandruff but walnut leaves are a better remedy when it comes to hair loss, itching of scalp and dandruff.

How to use for hair dying?

You can boil 1 large stick of dandasa with 100 ml of beetroot juice and 2 glasses of water. After it is reduced to half, cool it and mix it in 200 gm of henna (Mehendi) powder and 2 tsp of fresh aloe vera gel. Leave it overnight and apply on hair in the morning.

Dandasa Benefits For Intestinal Worms

The fruit, peel and leaves of walnut tree are found to be Anthelmintic & anti-diabetic in nature. It kills intestinal worms and expels parasites from the body without harming the host. It is also beneficial in improving bowel movements.

How to use for intestinal worms?

The most common method to consume the bark is to make it into a tea. Boil a piece of the bark for 15 to 20 minutes in 2 cups of water. Let it steep for 5 minutes more and then consume.

Dandasa Side Effects

There are no side effects of using this natural herb. However, it is always recommended to skip its use during pregnancy and lactation.

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