Benefits of Indian Food

Garlic

2007-09-24T14:12:00.000-05:00

Garlic is scientifically known as Allium sativum and belongs to the Alliaceae family. Other well-known members of this family include onions, shallots and leeks. Garlic is commonly used around the world for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Garlic is known as ‘Lassan’ in Hindi and is commonly used in curry preparations, chutneys, etc in India. Garlic has a pungent taste and odour.
Garlic is used world-wide in folk medicines and one of the common ailments for which it is used is Diabetes. Modern science has now given us proofs that garlic can indeed be useful in the management of Diabetes.
Garlic has been shown to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Mice.
Anti-bacterial and Anti-fungal properties of garlic have been now proven. Specifically,
Bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, etc have been shown to be susceptible to garlic.
Trichophyton (a fungal species which causes Ringworm) and Candida have been shown to be susceptible to garlic oil.
In humans, consumption of garlic has been shown to stimulate the immune response which can be beneficial in disease management.
Garlic extract can inhibit oral pathogens and help in gum disease management.
Garlic has been proven to be effective against bacteria which cause Pneumonia.
Due to the anti-bacterial nature of garlic, it can be used as a natural food preservative.
Garlic can be an effective treatment for atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a process in which fatty substances, cholesterol, minerals and waste products get accumulated in arteries causing blockages. Use of garlic by patients suffering from coronary artery disease is beneficial because garlic helps reduce heart rate.
In rats, use of oil extract of garlic, prevented bone mineral loss commonly associated with ovarian hormone deficiency.
Use of garlic has been shown to be inversely related with cancer.
Garlic has been shown to regulate hyperthyroidism in rats.
In rats exposed to high levels of lead, garlic proved to be beneficial in reducing the levels of lead in tissues.
Garlic extract was effective in preventing chromosomal mutations in various studies.
Garlic can be used as a therapeutic agent in preventing complications associated with Sickle- Cell Anemia. To learn more about Sickle-cell Anemia, click here.
Garlic has been shown to have spermicidal activity (ability to kill sperms).
For Nutritional facts on garlic, Click here.
For Recipes containing garlic, Click here.

Coriander

2007-07-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is one of the most commonly used spice (seeds) or herb (leaves). It is also called Cilatro in US and in India it is commonly known as Dhania in Hindi. In the western world Coriander is also know as Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley. The spice and/or herb are commonly used in world-wide cuisines. The seeds make up a major portion of most of the Indian mixed masalas, including but not limited to: Garam masala (North), Sambhar masala (South), Rasam masala (South), Goda masala (Maharashtra), etc. The herb or leaves are commonly used in India for garnishing, for preparing snack items and in chutneys. The leaves are normally eaten raw as they loose their flavor on heating, drying or upon long refrigeration.
In India, Coriander is believed to relieve bloating, and is also considered beneficial in diabetes management. Scientific proofs for these beliefs are now trickling in. Coriander has now been scientifically shown to relieve symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In diabetes management it has been shown that Coriander acts in a manner similar to insulin and also helps in the secretion of Insulin.
Compounds present in the fresh leaves, essential oil and aqueous infusions of Coriander have been shown to be anti-bacterial against wide range of bacteria. Coriander extract showed synergistic activity along with synthetic larvicides in killing the larvae of yellow fever mosquito.
Both the leaves and seeds have shown significant anti-oxidative potential. It is also important to know that Coriander may help removal of mercury from aqueous solutions. In case of lead poisoning, Coriander extract has shown the potential to suppress lead deposition.
Seed extract of Coriander helps in relieving anxiety. Coriander seeds have shown a beneficial role in lipid metabolism during colon cancer. Coriander seeds also were beneficial in reducing both cholesterol and triglycerides.
WARNING: Coriander seeds were shown to prevent implantation of embryos in rats.
WARNING: Coriander leaves when contaminated with either Salmonella or E. coli need to be discarded or cleaned thoroughly and cooked properly since these bacteria were shown to be persistent.
For nutritional facts of coriander seeds click here.
For nutritional facts of coriander leaves click here.
For recipes containing coriander click here.

Cinnamon

2007-06-12T10:31:00.000-05:00

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is a small evergreen, belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka and Southern India. The bark of this tree is widely used as a spice. The Cinnamon which is most commonly used in Indian homes, is actually a close relative of Cinnamomum verum known as Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum or Cinnamomum cassia). It is an evergreen tree native to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia.
Cinnamon has only the thin inner bark and hence is fine and crumbly. Cassia, on the other hand, has all of the layers of the bark and therefore is hard and woody. For the purpose of this essay, I will mention the uses for Cinnamomum verum only.
Cinnamon has been shown to be effective in the management of Diabetes especially the Type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon can also be used in blood pressure management. Caveat: Post-Menopausal women may not benefit by using cinnamon for their diabetes.
Numerous papers cite the use of cinnamon as anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Cinnamon is especially useful for preventing the growth of germs, which cause food spoilage. Cinnamon oil has shown the potential to be used as a fungicide in agriculture. It can also be used to prevent the browning of cut lettuce.
Cinnamon has some anti-oxidative and anti-cancer properties. Cinnamon oil may be used to treat Head louse, a common pest problem in children.
WARNING: FOR PREGNANT LADIES: Cinnamon oil was shown to have a negative effect on mouse embryos.
GENERAL: Cinnamon has been shown to have caused severe allergic reactions and inflammotory disorders in some cases.
For recipes containing cinnamon, click here.
For nutritional information, click here.

Clove

2007-05-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is a dried flower bud of a tree belonging to the Myrtaceae family. The tree is commonly grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, India and Sri Lanka. Clove is used as a spice worldwide and the essential oil of clove is used in aromatherapy. In India, clove is used in North Indian curries and South Indian biryanis. Clove's essential oil is also used to relieve toothaches.

Clove has been shown to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity. The anti-bacterial activity has been shown for wide variety of bacteria including, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella choleraesuis. Anti-fungal activity has been seen against both yeast (Candida albicans) and mold (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger). A few studies also show that clove extracts can be used to prevent plant diseases caused by bacteria.
Another use of clove in dental care, in addition to relieving toothache, is its inhibitory
activity against oral pathogens. Clove has also been shown to have the following activity against disease causing agents-
Inhibitory activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, known to cause Chagas disease
Inhibitory activity against Hepatitis C Virus which causes hepatitis infection
Prophylactic activity against Cytomegalovirus, known to cause congenital infections in US
Anti-Herpes simplex virus type-1 (Anti-HSV-1) in combination with acyclovir. HSV-1 is known to cause the STD, Genital herpes
Numerous studies have been performed to show that clove can be used as a mosquito repellent.
Some studies have been done to show the anti-cancer activity of clove. Clove extract has also been shown to inhibit Helicobacter pylori known to cause stomach ulcer.
Anti-oxidative activity of clove has also been elucidated in a few papers.
Clove has been shown to work like insulin and thus may be beneficial in diabetes management.
In male mice, clove has been shown to act like an aphrodisiac.
A CAUTIONARY NOTE to Pregnant Women: Clove has been shown to affect in a negative manner in mouse embryos.
For Nutritional Facts on clove click here.
For Recipes containing clove click here.

Mustard Seeds

2007-04-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

Mustard seeds are small spherical and black, brown or yellow in color. The black seeds (Brassica nigra) are from the Middle East, the brown seeds (Brassica juncea) come from India, and the yellow mustards seeds (Brassica alba) come from the Mediterranean countries. Most Indian recipes use mustard seeds as the starting ingredient. They are added to hot oil and are ready when they start to crackle.

Mustard seeds have been found to have some anti-cancer and anti-oxidative properties.

Anti-diabetic properties of mustard seeds have been well documented.

A few papers have also been published to evaluate the cholesterol lowering effects of mustard seeds. These papers are significant because almost all Indian recipes containing coconut, a fruit high in saturated fats that elevate blood cholesterol levels, contain mustard seeds and curry leaves, both of which have been found to reduce cholesterol.

One of the most unusual properties of the mustard plant that has recently come into focus is its ability to decontaminate soil of heavy metals.

For recipes containing Mustard seeds,Click Here.

For Nutritional information on Mustard Seeds, Click Here.

नव वर्षाच्या शुभेच्छा ||

2007-03-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

नव वर्षाच्या शुभेच्छा
- प्रभुदेसाई

Curry Leaves

2007-03-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Curry Leaves come from a tropical plant named Murraya koenigii. They are widely used in India and Sri Lanka in gravies, chutneys, and vegetable preparations, especially the ones with coconut. Curry plant is easy to grow at home and most Indian households will have one in the yard.

It is interesting to read about some of the studies performed to elucidate the hypoglycemic effect of curry leaves and also its anti-diabetic effect. These studies especially become important in the light of the fact that curry leaves are commonly used in recipes containing coconut. Also in view of this fact, it is also very important to know that studies have been done to understand the role of curry leaves in reducing blood cholesterol levels.
There has been a study done on frog hearts, which concludes that curry leaf extract can positively affect heart muscle contraction.
Some studies have been performed to show that curry leaves can kill cancerous cells and thus may help in reducing the tumor sizes.
Numerous studies have been performed which conclude positively that curry leaves are anti-oxidative in nature.
A study has also been performed to check the anti-trichomonal activity of curry leaves. Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease.
For recipes using curry leaves, click here.

Cumin

2007-03-02T13:10:00.000-06:00

Cumin, as used traditionally, is the seed of Cuminum cyminum. The seeds look very similar to fennel seeds but are darker and smaller than fennel seeds. Cumin is also very similar to caraway seeds but cumin is larger and lighter that caraway seeds. Cumin is known as Jeera in Hindi. Cumin
is widely used in Indian, Thai and Mexican recipes.

Cumin seeds have a very strong, bitter taste which is attributed to the abundance of essential oils. One of the main components is cuminaldehyde (4-isopropylbenzaldehyde).
Cumin has a strong anti-bacterial activity and has been shown to be effective against-

Helicobacter pylori (Bacteria known to cause ulcers),
Bacteria known to cause plant and mushroom disease, and
Bacteria known to cause human infections.
Cumin seeds when administered with known carcinogens (agents capable of causing cancer) to either mouse or rats offered significant protection against cancer.
Extracts of cumin seeds showed an increase in gastric secretions. When rats were administered ethanol and thermally oxidised oil, they showed significant hepatotoxicity, in that; there was an increase in the levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides. This hepatotoxicity was reduced significantly in rats given cumin.
Studies focusing on diabetes have shown significant anti diabetic effect of cumin seeds.
Cumin seeds have been shown to have some anti-oxidative power. There have been studies done to show that cumin seeds can prevent oxidation of sunflower oil and hence reduce rancidity of oil.
For nutritional facts, click here.
For recipes containing cumin seeds, click here.

Asafoetida

2007-02-21T14:44:00.000-06:00

Asafoetida (a.k.a asafetida) is a gum made from dried sap of the stem and roots of the plant Ferula assafoetida. The dried gum has yellow color and is normally used in powder form. The two most famous brands Vandevi and LG are commonly available in any Indian grocery store. Asafoetida is known as Hing in Hindi. Asafoetida has a strong pungent odour which led to it being called Devil's Dung. Asafoetida was introduced to India by traders coming in from the North West (Afghanistan).
In India, Asafoetida is commonly used to relieve stomach problems especially caused due to gas. A pinch of asafoetida is normally added to food preparations consisting of potatoes, lentils, peas, etc. (foods which cause gas related problems). When suffering from bloating, a pinch of Asafoetida in a glass of water helps relieve the suffering.
Scientific studies have also started to show that Asafoetida is a good anti-inflammatory agent and a good anti-oxidant agent.
Effects of environmental mutagens (agents which are capable of causing mutations in DNA) present in food can be reduced by using Asafoetida.
Role of Asafoetida in preventing cancer cell growth is now coming into focus.
In a comparative study done in Egypt, Asafoetida was shown to be anti-parasitic towards Trichomonas vaginalis, which is known to cause Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease.
Apart from all these studies, there have been studies done to show the importance of Asafoetida in digestion of food.
For recipes using Asafoetida, click here.

Turmeric Part 2

2007-02-15T11:02:00.000-06:00

After I wrote my last blog entry, I realised that although I did a pretty good job of searching scientific proofs for what most Indians already knew, I did forgot to enumerate the various other uses of Turmeric. I will try and do so in this entry. Turmeric has had such a historical record and Indians make use of Turmeric so widely that we tend to forget the everyday uses.
Apart from the various medical uses already enlisted, Turmeric is also used to relieve sore throats and cough. Ask any Indian what is the one thing that their mom would give them when they would have throat complaints and the answer will be warm milk with about one teaspoon of turmeric and may be sugar. This drink taken just before bed time normally relives sore throat significantly by next morning.
Turmeric is considered so important that Indians offer it to their Gods and Godesses. This tradition must have started because turmeric is so helpful and good, that it would be considered a very pious offering.
Turmeric has also been used as insecticide and I have myself tried this on vegetable plants with some success. I did not see any insects for a day or two but they came back later. I have a feeling that if I had used the stronger turmeric solutions now available in market it would have worked better. I had just mixed up two teaspoons of turmeric with half gallon of water and used it on plants.
In India, Turmeric has been widely used to dye clothes. It will impart a bright yellow / orange shade. Remember, in my last entry, I did warn you to be careful when you eat your curry.
Now, I think I have enlisted all the uses that I know of Turmeric. But I am pretty sure that some of you readers might find a few more. If you do please let me know.
For recipes using Turmeric, Click here.
For Nutrition facts click here.

Turmeric

2007-02-13T14:24:00.000-06:00

Turmeric is a powder made from root of a plant called Curcuma longa. It is mainly produced in the Indian Subcontinent. Most Indians use this spice in their everyday cooking but it is also widely used in other South Asian countries. Turmeric is normally used in any spicy dish to add color and flavor but is not preferred in sweets because of its strong flavor.

The yellow or orange pigment in turmeric also known as Curcumin has been shown to contain a wide variety of medicinal benefits.

It is widely used as antiseptic in India not only on cuts and scrapes but also on burns.
It is used in facials by women to give the skin a lighter look and also in treatments of acne and blemishes. Vicco Turmeric Cream is a widely used product by most Indians. Following link will tell you more about this product- http://www.viccolabs.com/tur.php This product is available in most Indian stores and by the way I am not affiliated with Vicco labs whatsoever.
In Ayurveda, Turmeric preparations are used to treat most GI tract problems and also as a blood purifier (anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant). Scientific studies published have shown the various anti-inflammatory properties and anti-oxidant properties of turmeric.
Studies have also shown the cholesterol lowering properties of turmeric in both rats and rabbits.
Turmeric has also been shown as an anti-tumor agent.
Recent studies have also shed light on curcumin's beneficial role in Alzheimer's disease.
Curcumin has also been shown to suppress HIV gene expression.

There is more and more research coming out which shows that a bit of turmeric a day will help improve your life and keep the doctor away.

Before, you go and eat your curry thou, remember to be careful and not drop it on your clothes as it is very difficult to get the stain out. If you do have an accident, don't panic, wipe it as much as possible with water and wash it by hand with soap and water ASAP. If you were unfortunate enough to wear a white dress bleach it before you let it dry again.