Navara is a healthy food with sweet taste and a trace of astringency in it. It gets easily digested and is a suitable food for people of all age groups. Boiled Navara is a good weaning food for infants, particularly those with low body weight. Navara rice gruel made in cow’s milk improves lactation. It also said to be ideal for anemic patients. Ayurveda acharyas suggest it as a suitable food for people suffering from emaciation, rheumatoid arthritis, hemorrhoids, diabetes, tuberculosis, oligospermia and also for improving lactation. It is traditionally given as a supplementary diet to the under-weight and also consumed as a replenishing drink called ‘Karkadaka kanji’ during the monsoon season along with certain other herbal medicines. (Karkadaka kanji is gruel prepared with navara rice and some medicinal herbs) Navara is considered a safe food for diabetes patients.