This food prevents many infectious diseases

Ayurveda says a healthy and balanced diet works like medicines. If we able to regularise our routine lifestyle, there is no burden to the intake of more medicines. Intake of more medicines in any form may directly or indirectly affect our immune system. Nowadays, maintaining the immune system becomes a great challenge for all. A person with a strong immune system will be able to fight with a number of diseases. Is maintaining Immunity difficult? Absolutely No ! This can be maintained very easily by controlling our mood for eating unhealthy and junk food. Vegetarianism is also a good choice to maintain our immunity. A vegetarian meal in the form of a balanced diet is now the need of new normal life after unwanted entry of COVID -19 in the life of human beings.

Nowadays, eating nonvegetarian food becomes a fashion and a sign of prosperity for middle and high society people without considering health. Meat either it is pork, mutton, beef, or chicken, it will be served by grilling, roasting, or frying with more spices and oil will not going to give any good health benefit except bulk storage of animal protein, spices and oil in our body. This is also very important to consider the health condition of an animal while killed for obtaining meat. Whether the animal used for obtaining meat was in stress, in fear, suffering from any microbial contamination, or suffering from any life-threatening diseases like tumors, cancers, etc. Whether any fitness certificate was obtained before its killing for meat? 

As we know that many psychrophilic microbes can survive below -5 degrees Celcius temperature. In this way, if meat refrigerated will remain holding microbes. Some of the thermophilic microbes may survive 41 - 120 degrees Celsius temperature. Such microbes will not be killed on grilling, roasting, or frying the meat and they will remain in the living conditions in the food.  Though the gastric juices and other secretary substances present our body is working to kill the utmost microbes which are entering our body along with food but it will not be sufficient and as a result, many more infectious diseases may occur. 

It does not mean that a pure vegetarian will not be sick but chances are comparatively less than the person who fully or partly opting to eat non-vegetarian food.

Is there any compulsion to eat only Non - vegetarian food ? Surely answer will be - No. We should make a passion to eat vegetarian food and avoid frequent eating of non-veg food. Vegetarian food will give more strength, boost the  immunity and maintain longivity by minimising risk of frequent infection to the body.

This is not in the purview of my suggestions to hurt anybody's emotion but in my opinion, opting vegetarian food is now a good choice considering the worldwide situation because health only becomes wealth and also the best survival criteria in the world. 

Party cake, ceremony and COVID - 19: Attention please ...

Any country cannot prolong the lockdown beyond a certain period as there are many reasons involves that directly associated with public welfare.  It has been seen that many countries started to give relaxation in the lockdown based on the country's situations. In one way relaxation in lockdown may help the citizen of the particular country to survive with the new normal condition but on the other hand, there is many chances to spread COVID - 19 an invisible and communicable spreading disease.

It has also been observed that after getting relaxation, people forgetting to follow the guidelines given in order to safeguard themselves from COVID -19. On many occasions, I have personally experienced that people were not following the social distancing, neither wearing facemask nor sanitizing their hands frequently. The rate of spreading of the aforesaid disease is still increasing day by day. The awareness and alertness is the only key to make us remain healthy and uninfected. 

As soon as lockdown relaxed, many of the rituals as well as common functions started to organize. the gathering has been seen without social distancing. Everybody wants to return back in normal life but normalcy is not greater than a healthy life. If health can be obtained even with some condition, also it is good only I think so.

As we know that the COVID -19 symptoms to the patient most of the time not appeared in advance. The infected persons seem to be very normal and this is why such a patient now named "Asymptomatic" These asymptomatic patients are safe and look like a normal person it may be due to strong immunity. But, it does not mean that they will not be the causal factor for others. Whenever they come in contact with such a person who already had some health issue might get severe infection and may or may not be cure. No one asking not to attend function in the community but consciousness should be in priority for all. I would like to bring the attention to the person who feels compulsory to go to attend party or any ritual ceremony should first take care of his or her health. Traditionally, any party looks incomplete without cutting the cake. We know that while cutting cake there is a small system involve to blow out a candle through the mouth. This may be stopped in order to avoid contamination. Pasting of other person faces with cake also an unhealthy way nowadays. If the cake party is necessary, we may avoid putting candles on the cake. If putting candles on the cake is very much required then it may be blow out with sanitized hands but not by mouth.   Or otherwise, the cake may remain be without candles. 

It is not my objective to hurt anybody's emotions but being a responsible person of health Deptt., I feel my duty to add a small suggestion to the public interest considering that it might be helpful to public health. 

Origin of natural substances used in aushadhi (Medicines)

On the basis of their origin, substances have been classified in the following four categories - 

1. Jangam (Movable) - the substances obtained from such creatures that can move from one place to others eg. gorochan (a yellow color, fragrant substance obtained from the bile of cow), Kasturi - musk  (obtained from musk deer), milk, butter, ghee, honey, wax, etc. 

2. Jada or Sthavar (Non-Movable)-  They come to existence from the underground of the earth such as trees, creepers, vegetations., etc.

3. Parthiv (Born by Earth )- These substances are obtained by the deformation of the soil in raw form such as salt, metals, shilajit., etc.

Jada (Non - Movable) substances further divided into four categories - Vanaspati (Cryptogams - non-flowering and seedless plants), Vanaspatya (Phanerogams - flowering plant and having seeds), Aushadhi (it includes those plants that is either annual (complete their life cycle within the year or in a season) or biennial (they will complete their life cycle within two years or two seasons) Such annual and biennial plants become dry after completing their lifecycle. these are cereals, legumes, and all other herbaceous plants)

4. Virudhi - It includes various types of creepers. 

Among the above four categories annual and biennial plants are used in plenty in the preparations of medicines. Nowadays, these plants are being cultivated and attracts very good market too. Mentha (Mentha piperata), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) etc. are the few examples given here. 

As we know the medicinal plant can be cultivated along with other crops. Now, awareness towards utilization of traditional medicine rising day by day and the demand of traditional medicine becomes high not only India but also in the world and therefore, it is very much required to start cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants in bulk so that it can be utilized in the manufacturing of traditional medicine (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha) as the traditional medicines demands very high and in comparison to present requirement, the production of medicines seems very least due to scarcity of raw materials. There are many know-how for cultivation and other guidelines have already been published by various institutes. Only the things to approach and move ahead.     

Do we have to live with COVID-19?

Do we have to live with COVID -19? It is a very big puzzle. Whether will it be solved in the future? or we have to adjust to this disease and adopt the same in our regular and routine life? There are many more questions vibrating in our mind. There are many diseases like HIV, AIDS, Influenza, H1N1, dengue, malaria etc.,  and many more seasonal and communicable disease making guest appearances in our life every year and human beings become accustomed by using precautionary measures for instance, when mosquitos breedings started in May to October every year in India, we are making alert ourselves to avoid infection of dengue, chikungunya, and zika like seasonal diseases and for that, we are maximum taking safety measures in order to avoid mosquito bites. Many seasonal and infectious may not severely harm human beings because of our alertness and the following of correct guidelines made for every citizen. Apart from that many vaccines also invented and now are being given compulsorily at a particular age by hospitals. Many diseases often enter to our life but no one harm like COVID -19. It is the matter of investigations that what particular lacunae from human beings giving favorable conditions to spread the corona. Why we are not able to create a check post for it. Why figures increasing day by day. Why it occurs repeatedly? These are the questions that are now being frequently asked by the public. At present, wearing the face mask and making social distancing and avoid physical contact etc., the recommended precautions are beings adopted but what are the guarantees that even an alert people will not commit any mistake. We have to find out proper solutions in this regard. Many research laboratories in the world keep on trying to invent a vaccine for this pandemic but it will take time. We have to come forward to think seriously on this issue to avoid further spread of Corona so that we may come back to our normal life as we had earlier. 

CORONA - an unwanted guest in human life

CORONA has totally disturbed the routine life of not only any individual country but also the whole world. It is true, it will not come in our ways with its own but if we invite it to bring home, then, it will act just like an unwanted guest. Many of us might have experienced such guest appearances minimum one time in our life certainly that some gust will come to our house and we will also give them good hospitality considering that the Guest is just like GOD but we cannot tolerate them for long time. however, among our family, some of our family members supporting such guests, and that's why they try to stick with us. 

More or less CORONA also behaves like an unwanted guest.  If we consider entire world like our family, then, we will be able to see two categories of people. One, who trying to send back to CORONA by following proper guideline of the particular states or countries like washing hands frequently, wearing a face mask and maintaining social distancing, etc and another who won't like to send this CORONA from their home and providing it favorable conditions to survive by common gathering, shaking hands, spitting on public places, not maintaining social distances, not wearing mask properly. If they wear masks, it is just a show to escape from the police or other corona warriors because they will put mask over their chin even though knowing that the main entry of corona in our body is through the nose and mouth. 

A country cannot prolong lockdown beyond a certain limit in order to save their countrymen, their business and other necessary work like education, transport, hospital, etc., Now, whether, is it not our duty to cooperate that family member who really want to eradicate the corona from our life? 

Why we are unable to control our mood and mind? Why we allow our mind to overrule us and compel us to do such activities that are favorable for corona spreading? These activities are going to cinema, visit the mall, restaurant, barbershop, bar shop, conducting public functions, etc. at least one year. Is it not our duty to follow all precautionary measures that are being given by our Government from time to time.

The government is still trying to make our nation free from corona, then is it not our moral duty to follow the Government guidelines and also teach the persons who are not aware? We should not blame our Government but it is time to correct ourselves.

Let us come forward together to fight with COVID -19 a terrible pandemic and pray to GOD, it will never come back to our life.

Alpinia officinarum acts as internal mask against communicable diseases.

Nowadays, COVID-19 becomes a great challenge for human life. Lacks of people died all over the world. Previously, it was announced by the World Health Organization about spreading of disease from one person to others through physical contact like shaking hands, hugging, etc. later on, it was told that this virus is lived in the air for more than three hours. It is unknown that whether people in our surroundings are well or affected with corona. It is very difficult to identify infected persons. If symptoms like coughing, sneezing, body temperature, etc appear in a person, we may get awareness and make social distancing and avoid physical contact of such people but recently it was reported that some person whom there were no symptoms appeared but found corona positive and that is why they have been categorized in to two categories, a person who showed symptoms, named as “Symptomatic patient” and the person not showing any symptoms for corona but carrying viruses is named as “ Asymptomatic” Might this virus unable to harm such asymptomatic person due to strong immunity but if any person comes in contact to the asymptomatic person, the corona may jump up to the other human body and once it gets new host, it may start multiplication base on position of the immune system of the body as a result it makes ready again symptomatic or asymptomatic patient and then such a chain may continue. Many countries are continuously trying to prepare a a suitable vaccine to treat this pandemic disease but still not a success because of the typical structure of the corona and its tendency to continuous changing its spike protein nature based on that it adheres to the host. Anyway, it will again take more than a year to come a conclusion to decide vaccine till then, two precautionary measures only will work. The first precaution is to maintain social distancing very honestly and the other is our awareness and alertness.

I have given many points in my previous blogs to avoid the infection of the corona by using traditional medicines. In continuation, I would like to inform a magical single drug that really works well and I practically experienced the same. This drug is very useful to those people who cannot opt stay home and has to go to attend essential services in lockdown period like our doctors, paramedical staff, medicine manufacturing staff, bankers, police department and others who have to compulsorily attend their duty for public welfare. The importance of this drug is well known to all people and I just make a reminder for its utility. 

Alpinia officinarum -Rhizome

Botanically, this is called Alpinia officinarum; family- Zingiberaceae, widely used in Siddha Medicines and culinary in the name of Sittrarattai in Tamil, Lesser Galangal in English and Kulanjan in Hindi. The the horizontal underground stem (rhizome) is used to make medicine. This drug popularly used for fever, muscle spasms, intestinal gas, and swelling (inflammation) to kill bacteria and viruses and as a stimulant. This spice is also used to improve certain ailments, as it's believed to help treat many infections, reduce inflammation, boost male fertility, and even fight different types of cancer. Wearing a mask and making social distancing is necessary before going out to work in order to avoid infection of corona a communicable disease. The rhizome of Alpinia officinarum would help to add one more safety measures along with face mask and social distancing and minimize risk by killing viruses if it crosses face mask and reaches in the mouth by chance. It is very simple to use the lesser galangal. Just take a dried and mature rhizome of lesser galangal. Cut a small piece of the rhizome of about 1.5 -2.0 cm long and 1.0-1.5 cm wide. Clean with drinking water and keep inside the mouth near premolar teeth and then wear face mask too. The cut pieces of lesser galangal will start work immediately. It is to be noted that the piece of lesser galangal neither crushes with teeth not swallow it. The saliva of the mouth will moist the drug and as a result, the extract of the drug will come out. The extract mixed saliva will not allow viruses to settle in the mouth cavity for multiplication but kill the viruses and bacteria before entering to the throat. On swallowing, it will go to the stomach and then the remaining portion of the virus will be destroyed there. This practice will work like an internal protective mask that will add one more layer of protection. After 4-5 hours, the piece of the drug should spit out and may be taken new pieces if it still requires during field duty. Staying at home, this practice is not necessary but if any shore throat or infection observed, it may be taken at homestay period too.

Precaution: In pregnancy and infant milk feeding, this drug may be taken under the supervision of Ayurveda or Siddha Physician only. Children under age 5 years may be avoided giving this medicine without proper consultancy of concerned doctors.          

Easiest method to identify adulterated saffron

Saffron, a well known spices attract the people due to its high medicinal as well as confectionary properties. The saffron use had been reported since Vedic periods. In ancient days, it was used for gaining the natural color of many sweets and condiments, applied as tilaka (red dot on the forehead). Saffron is a small bulbous perennial, 15- 25 cm high, and cultivated by corms. Therapeutically, it had been reported to use in the preparation of many Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani formulations. It is a powerful antioxidant, relaxing mood, treating depressive symptoms, reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS), aphrodisiac, reduce appetite, and aid to weight loss and also has anti-cancerous properties. The stigmas are also reported to use to making medicine for asthma, cough, whooping cough (pertussis), and to loosen phlegm (as an expectorant). Saffron is also good for colds and coughs, stomach issues, uterine bleeding, insomnia, flatulence and heart trouble; it is also great for the skin. It is rich in manganese, which regulates blood sugar and in turn gives you glowing skin. 

Saffron (Kumkuma or Keshar) is the most expensive spice in the world due to its labor-intensive harvesting method, making the production costly. Saffron is harvested by hand from the flower of Crocus sativus (Family - Iridaceae) and commonly known as the “saffron crocus.” The term “saffron” applies to the flower's thread-like structures, or stigma.

The greater demand of saffron is attracting high profitable business at the same time chances of adulteration is more? One thing should be noted that once the saffron gets adulterated or substituted, it is very difficult to segregate from good materials and thus the efficacy of drugs cannot be determined. It is clearly mentioned in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India that the saffron must be free from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and florets of marigold (Tagetes erecta). When we start identification of saffron as per the specification mentioned in aforesaid Pharmacopeias, we will often try to check the adulteration in the form of safflower and marigold florets. This makes alertness to those people who try to adulterate the original saffron and therefore, the adulteration catches other path and start mixing some other materials that are not able to catch easily due to more similarity in morphology. This becomes more troublesome when both natural and artificial saffron found mixed together in the same packet.

A. Original Saffron

B. Artificial Saffron

C. Original Saffron (Close view)

D. Artificial Saffron (Close view)

Following two main observations may make it easy to identify the adulteration even on the spot of the arrival of the material and if is found adulterated, may be sent back to the supplier for its replacement without further delay so as to get good material in time in order to avoid interruption in the productions of medicines.

1. The original saffron has dark red or reddish-brown trifid stigma and cornucopia shaped. The margin of stigma is fimbricate (hair-like projection at the margin of stigma) whereas; the artificial stigma has a sharp cutting edge and smooth margin. The color of stigma may slightly show differences and remain in dark pink color when seen with a hand lens (Image A & C).

2. Under Microscope, thin-walled parenchyma cells found containing coloring matter; at the upper end numerous cylindrical trichomes are seen. Some of the pollen grains either adhering to stigma or occasionally germinated and exhibiting pollen tubes. Whereas in artificial saffron stigma will not show such characters except thin-walled parenchyma cells (Image B&D).

The above identification is practically enough to decide the prime quality for authentication whether the supplied material is real saffron. After that other tests may be performed to access its potency and efficacy of the saffron.