Premium Tragacanth Gum – Gond Katira (گوند کتیرا) – Natural Body Coolant, 80% Dietary Fibre for Digestion, Calcium for Bones & Post-Pregnancy Strength

Welcome to Spices.pk, your most trusted source for 100% natural, chemical‑free spices and superfoods. Our premium Tragacanth Gum – Gond Katira (گوند کتیرا / Katira Gond) is a 100% pure, edible gum resin obtained from the dried sap of the Astragalus gummifer shrub, a leguminous plant native to the Middle Eastern Zagros mountain region. This translucent, odourless, tasteless gum has been treasured for centuries in Ayurveda and Unani medicine as a natural body coolant, digestive aid, and strength‑building tonic for new mothers. What makes Gond Katira truly unique is its extraordinary nutritional profile – an astonishing 30–35g of dietary fibre per 100g (up to 80% soluble fibre), yet containing almost zero fat and only 70–80 calories per serving. When soaked in water, each crystal swells to 20–30 times its original size, forming a cooling, jelly‑like gel that soothes the stomach, prevents heatstroke, relieves constipation, and keeps you feeling full for hours. Unlike acacia gum (babool gond), Gond Katira is cold‑seasoned and designed to cool the body from within – a perfect addition to your summer sharbat, falooda, lemonade, or milkshakes. This superfood is also a rich source of calcium (approximately 15mg per 3g serving), supporting bone density and preventing osteoporosis. Whether you're recovering after childbirth, looking for a natural laxative, trying to lose weight, or simply want to stay hydrated and energised during Pakistan’s scorching summers, Gond Katira is the answer. Packed fresh in Pakistan and ethically sourced from Iran and Turkey, this is the highest‑grade tragacanth gum available. Trust Spices.pk for purity, potency, and authenticity.

Gond Katira (گوند کتیرا) 

Why Choose Spices.pk Tragacanth Gum (Gond Katira)?

What Is Tragacanth Gum (Gond Katira / گوند کتیرا)?

Gond Katira, also known as Tragacanth Gum, is a 100% natural, edible gum resin obtained from the dried sap of the Astragalus gummifer shrub and other species of the Astragalus genus – plants belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae). These thorny shrubs are native to the rugged, mountainous regions of western Asia, specifically the Zagros Mountains across Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and the Caucasus. When the bark of the shrub is intentionally cut, a milky white sap exudes and hardens upon exposure to air, forming thin, twisted, translucent ribbons or crystals. These crystals are harvested, cleaned, sorted by grade, and either sold as whole crystals or milled into a fine powder.

Chemically, Gond Katira is a complex, heterogeneous polysaccharide composed primarily of high‑molecular‑weight galacturonic acid, tragacanthin (which is water‑soluble), and bassorin (which is water‑insoluble but swells to form a gel). This unique structure gives the gum its remarkable hydrophilic property: when placed in water, each crystal rapidly absorbs water and swells to 20–30 times its original volume, forming a cooling, jelly‑like gel with no discernible flavour or odour. Because of this neutral profile, Gond Katira can be added to virtually any cold beverage – milk, lemonade, fruit juice, coconut water, milkshakes, or sherbet – without altering the taste, while contributing a satisfying, chewy texture and a massive nutritional boost.

Nutritionally, 100g of Gond Katira provides only about 70–80 calories, zero grams of fat, 30–35 grams of dietary fibre (predominantly soluble fibre), 5–9 grams of protein, and a small but meaningful amount of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Because the fibre is entirely soluble, it does not add “bulk” in the same way as psyllium husk; instead, it forms a smooth gel that gently lubricates the digestive tract, relieves constipation, and supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria – indeed, recent scientific research has confirmed that tragacanth gum exhibits potential prebiotic activity, promoting the proliferation of Bifidobacterium longum in the gut. This gum is naturally gluten‑free, non‑GMO, vegan, and halal.

In traditional South Asian medicine, Gond Katira is classified as having a “cold” or “cooling” potency (taseer-e-thanda) in Unani medicine, meaning it actively lowers core body temperature when consumed. This makes it a staple household remedy for the hot summer months, where it is soaked overnight and added to drinks to prevent heat stroke, sunstroke, nosebleeds (epistaxis), and dehydration. In Ayurveda, it is used to balance aggravated Pitta dosha (the dosha responsible for body heat and inflammation). Beyond summer, Gond Katira is given to post‑partum women in the form of gond ke laddoo (round balls made with ghee, whole wheat flour, jaggery, and soaked gond katira), traditionally believed to rebuild depleted energy levels, promote lactation, strengthen bones, and aid the body’s natural recovery after childbirth. Modern research has also begun to validate many of these ancient claims, with studies showing that the soluble fibre content can increase feelings of fullness (satiety), support weight management, and help regulate blood sugar levels.

Because of its high quality and traditional preparation method, our Gond Katira is graded as “hand‑selected premium” – crystals are uniform in size, free of debris, and have not been treated with any chemical agents or preservatives. It is packed fresh in Pakistan to preserve its nutritional integrity and shipped directly to you. Whether you're looking to beat the heat, improve your digestion, lose weight, strengthen your bones, or recover after pregnancy, adding a spoonful of Gond Katira to your daily routine is a delicious, effortless, and time‑tested way to support your health.

A 5,000‑Year Legacy: The Ancient History of Gond Katira

The use of tragacanth gum spans over five millennia, with evidence of its medicinal and culinary applications found in ancient Persia (modern‑day Iran), Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley Civilisation. The name “tragacanth” is derived from the Greek words “tragos” (goat) and “akantha” (thorn), a reference to the thorny appearance of the Astragalus shrubs from which the gum is harvested. However, in South Asia, the gum is universally known as “Gond Katira”, “Katira Gond”, or simply “Katira”, while in South Indian cuisine, it is often called “Badam Pisin” or “Kamarakas”. In the Unani system of medicine, which flourished throughout the Mughal empire, Gond Katira was classified as having a “cold” potency and was prescribed to treat a wide array of conditions, including excessive thirst, fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, and as a general tonic for convalescents.

The primary growing region for the Astragalus gummifer shrub is the Zagros Mountains, which stretch across western Iran, eastern Turkey, and northern Iraq. For millennia, local pastoral communities have harvested the gum using the same traditional methods. After a period of rain, incisions are made in the bark of wild shrubs, and the milky sap that exudes is left to dry and harden on the plant. Once dry, the gum is carefully collected, sorted by colour and purity (white being the highest grade), and transported via ancient trade routes to markets as far west as Europe and as far east as China. The Silk Road – the ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean – played a crucial role in spreading tragacanth gum across Asia, where it was adopted into the traditional pharmacopoeias of India, China, and Tibet.

By the 16th century, during the height of the Mughal Empire, Gond Katira had become a staple in royal kitchens and medicine cabinets across the subcontinent. It was prized not only for its cooling properties but also for its ability to thicken sherbets and confections. The famous “falooda” – a rich, cold dessert drink made with milk, rose syrup, vermicelli, and basil seeds – often contains soaked Gond Katira as a key ingredient, giving the drink its characteristic gelatinous texture and cooling effect. Today, tragacanth gum is still harvested by hand in Iran, Turkey, and parts of Afghanistan, with Iran alone accounting for approximately 70–80% of global production. However, India is the largest global importer and consumer, using the gum in traditional medicines, summer beverages, and post‑partum nutritional supplements. Tragacanth gum is also widely used in the food industry (as a thickener, stabiliser, and emulsifier), the pharmaceutical industry (as a binder for tablets and as a suspension agent), and the cosmetics industry (as a film‑former in face masks, hair conditioners, and lotions). This incredible versatility, combined with its ancient heritage, makes Gond Katira one of the most valuable and revered natural gums in the world.