Wednesday, 11 March 2020

World looks at Indian Rasam to deal with Corona Virus




World looks at Indian Rasam to deal with Corona Virus

It wont be long before the world returns back to traditional Indian systems for anything that is worthwhile in healthcare and diet. Our systems of diet and medicine were created by Enlightened masters whos only interest was in giving something good to humanity. There were no commercial interests in Ayurvedha or Siddha. They have done unimaginable research on every plant species and human systems.

Here is an interesting recent article to help combat the Corona virus. Most of our great modern Indian doctors who are nothing more than technicians will not accept it, but those who follow will benefit

Superfood Rasam Replaces Mineral Loss
says Dr Alex Hankey - Center for Soft Power


Rasam is a traditional South Indian dish, prepared almost thrice or more times a week. It is a comfort food and also a dish that is filled with tons of medicinal properties and is served when one is sick.

This beautiful concoction now seems to be used as a prophylactic measure against CoViD-19 in China. In the infected patients, it cannot kill the virus but helps to ward off any other foreign intrusions and helps build immunity.

The word rasam derives its origin from the Sanskrit word “Rasa” which simply means juice. It also means “The essential products of digestion”. It is known as Rasam in Tamil, Saaru in Kannada and Chaaru in Telugu. Each part of South India has its own variety of Rasam that is enjoyed by one and all. It is traditionally served after Sambar rice during a meal and sometimes even served in a cup to drink. Rasam is prepared by using tamarind juice as its base and followed by a variety of spices that includes coriander powder, turmeric, cumin, chilli powder, and pepper, and also includes tomatoes, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Rasam is regarded as the ideal recipe that follows the exact principles laid down by Ayurveda and Siddha. You can even call it a Superfood!

Professor of Ayurveda, Dr Alex Hankey says South Indian cuisine with its Sambhar and Rasam emphasises replacement of mineral losses due to Swedana. “Both systems use the fundamental masalas including Haridra, Ginger, Dhanya and Black Pepper that reduce cancer, especially in the GIT (Haridra), enhance digestion (Ginger and Dhanya) and absorption (Black Pepper).

How did Rasam come into existence? According to ancient stories, rasam’s origin dates back to the Pandiyan rule in the South, which is around the 14th century. A young ruler of the dynasty fell very ill and no medicine seemed to cure his illness. The court then sent out a proposition to the subjects of the kingdom that if anyone were to come up with a cure would be awarded heavily. A young Brahmin priest by the name Karunas decided to try his luck out and came up with a recipe using some ingredients and seasonal vegetables like lemon, curry leaves, gooseberries, pineapple, black pepper, salt, turmeric and ground them together before boiling it in water. This soup like concoction cured the prince of his illness and the prince termed this soup as his favourite dish.

Sourastara, an immigrant community living in Madurai from the 16th century, still refer to it as Pulichaaru, Puli meaning sour. Since then, we have had a diverse collection of rasams across India. To name a few that originated in the south: Mollagu rasam (Pepper rasam) Poondu rasam (Garlic rasam) Maangai rasam (Mango rasam) Elimichai Rasam (Lemon rasam) Mysore Rasam Nellikai rasam (Gooseberry rasam) Jeera Rasam (Cumin rasam) Inji chaaru (Ginger rasam) Paruppu rasam (Lentil rasam) Kadale Saaru (Groundnut rasam) Kotambari Jeerige Saaru (Coriander and Cumin Rasam)

Rasam became very popular during the British rule in India and the recipe was adopted by them to come up with a new variety known as Mulligatawny. This word originates from the Tamil words Milagai meaning chilli or Milagu meaning pepper and Tanni meaning water.

As mentioned before, Rasam is medicinal concoction. Hot and spicy rasam is great to have during a cold, cough and fever. It has antipyretic activity which means it brings down the high temperature in the body. Bolla et al., 2015, have reported that a South Indian diet with rasam everyday showed a significant reduction in the blood sugar levels of forty volunteers between 30 and 60 years (1).

The incorporation of Rasam in the diet of an anaemic patient showed a better iron profile- haemoglobin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity. Rasam also aids in lactating in mothers and is served during the evening. Rao et al., 2006, have reported that rasam is one of the daily preferred food items during pregnancy and after delivery among the tribals of north coastal Andhra Pradesh(2).

The Yanadi tribe of Andra Pradesh consider rasam as a good laxative. Due to the incorporation of turmeric in rasam, it has very good antimicrobial properties.

Now, one will rethink before saying no to mum’s Rasam Anna!

Bolla K, Santhi KV, Afnan KS, Krishnaveni P, Kusuma M. Effect of diet counseling on type 2 diabetes mellitus. Int J Sci Technol Res. 2015; 4:112–8. Rao PD, Babu MS, Rao VL. Persistent traditional practices among the tribals of north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Stud Tribes Tribals. 2006; 4:53–6.

Monday, 9 March 2020

Japanese using urine from cows to make & export organic fertilizer & deodorizers

Urine from cows on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is being used to produce organic fertilizer and deodorizers

Its common practice in India amongst sickularists and such like, to ridicule Hindus for treating the cow with reverence. When Hindus with tens of thousands of years of scientific wisdom, talk about the merits of cow urine and dung, they are made fun of. 

Well, now a Japanese company has found a modern way to use the same cow urine to make 'environmentally friendly fertilizer' to remedy the degradation and declining fertility, of much of South-East Asia's farmland as a result of longtime overuse of agrochemicals.

And they are making millions from this. Foolish 'educated' Indians will soon have to buy one more product, which was originally and naturally theirs, from most likely, the Japanese.



Kankyo Daizen's fertilizer wins over farmers in Vietnam and Cambodia
TORU OTSUKI, Nikkei staff writer
March 08, 2020 17:18 JST
Source - https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Agriculture/Japanese-organic-products-maker-turns-cow-urine-into-gold

Urine from cows on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is being used to produce organic fertilizer and deodorizers. © Kyodo

ASAHIKAWA, Japan -- An organic products company based in northern Japan hopes its environmentally friendly fertilizer made from cow urine will catch on with farmers in Southeast Asia.

The liquid fertilizer, Tsuchi Ikikaeru -- or "soil comes back to life" -- is sold in five countries including Vietnam and Cambodia. Farmland in much of Southeast Asia faces degradation and declining fertility, the result of longtime overuse of agrochemicals.

Kankyo Daizen collects the urine from dairy farmers in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's main islands, where the company is located. In 2012, it began exporting Tsuchi Ikikaeru to agricultural producers through two Japanese trading houses.

Cow urine, which is often dumped into rivers or sprayed over farmland, contaminates water sources and has an offensive smell. Kankyo Daizen has turned this nuisance into a valuable resource for Hokkaido farmers. Now the natural soil conditioner is winning new customers abroad.

Kankyo Daizen, which also makes organic deodorizers, estimates that its overall sales rose 11% to 230 million yen ($2.13 million) for the 12 months ended in January. Its overseas business has grown and now accounts for 10% of total revenue, as the company has expanded its sales channels.

"Southeast Asia has a young and growing population," Kankyo Daizen President Makoto Kubonouchi said. "It is a promising market as long as we can meet registration requirements in different countries."
Kankyo Daizen's environmentally friendly liquid fertilizer is making inroads in Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Growing incomes in Southeast Asia have spurred interest in more natural farming practices in the region. Kankyo Daizen's organic fertilizer, for example, is a good substitute for conventional agrochemicals. The company says the product, which is diluted with water when applied, is an effective growth booster for a wide range of crops including rice, vegetables, flowering plants and farmed shrimp. It also helps maintain soil fertility when the same crop is grown on the same plot of land year after year.

Kankyo Daizen also plans to sell Tsuchi Ikikaeru in Malaysia and the Philippines, but it is not limiting its ambitions to Asia. In February, Kubonouchi traveled to Brazil as part of a research tour organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, inspecting large farms growing crops such as soybeans and sugar cane. The company plans to explore market opportunities there after receiving a positive response from local farmers. One challenge to overcome is the shipping cost, given the distance between Japan and Brazil.

In Japan, the company works with a number of dairy farmers in Kitami and areas along the Sea of Okhotsk. The manufacturing process starts by fermenting cow urine using a special mix of microbes. The liquid is collected in a tanker truck and then fermented some more in six 18-ton tanks at Kankyo Daizen's headquarters. The company believes lactic acid bacteria and yeast grown with cow urine inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the soil.

Kankyo Daizen sells 50 products in all, including a clear, colorless liquid designed to eliminate household odors. The fertilizer and the deodorizer look different but the bacteria that they contain work the same way. The company provided the deodorant free of charge to evacuation shelters and temporary toilets in areas hit by recent earthquakes in northern Japan.

Kankyo Daizen verified the effectiveness of its cow urine-derived products in tests conducted at the Kitami Institute of Technology. But mysteries remain, including how the active ingredient forms through fermentation and how it reduces odors and increases soil fertility. The company plans to work with a private research group to solve these puzzles.