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Curry
is good for you
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Dr R N Gopee
This good news comes from New York Medical College where
lead researcher Nader Abraham has concluded that “curry
can not only prevent disease, it could help keep the brain
sharp as people age.” In fact, in investigations about
brain function and Alzheimer’s disease, it has been found
that the brain is particularly vulnerable to a process known
as oxidation that affects negatively all tissues of the body
as we age. Curcumin, the chemical ingredient found in
turmeric – our ubiquitous “safran” – has been
shown to have a double protective effect on the brain
through its anti-oxidation property: it prevents
deterioration of the communication among the cells of the
brain (which is fundamental to the memory process) and it
slows or actually prevents the formation of what are called
amyloid plaques that are thought to be related to the
genesis of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, the researchers
have found that the incidence of Alzheimer’s is much lower
in India, where curry consumption is a daily affair. Pity,
isn’t it, that westernized and urbanized India is
increasingly turning away from its beneficial traditions and
glorifying, instead, imported varieties of fast foods. In
their very countries of origin, these are being blamed for
the alarming rise of the “diseases of affluence” (heart
disease, hypertension, cancers, obesity etc), and strong
advisories have been regularly issued by the appropriate
scientific and medical circles to the population at large to
curb their bad habits which can lead to irreparable harm.
As
children growing up in the days when access to doctors and
hospitals was very limited, we were familiar with the
application of “safran vert” for various
ailments, particularly sprains of joints such as the ankle.
Recently, I have come across some people with post-Chikungunya
ankle swelling and pain who have found some relief from this
simple, natural medication. But if the modern doctor were to
recommend – not to say prescribe – this to a patient, he
would no doubt be taken for a charlatan and severely
proscribed! People prefer popping a pill: the easier route.
Who’ll bother going for “safran vert” in spite
of its easy availability!
Similarly,
all Mauritians know about the saffron–milk hot drink laced
with honey and sometimes ginger that is an “incontournable”
in the treatment of sore throat and cold. Not only does
it have a nice taste, and during the winter months when cold
tends to strike it makes for an excellent warm drink, but it
also has a soothing effect and almost all people report at
least some relief after even one single glassful of the
elixir.
Another
custom which is also known to all is the smearing of ground
turmeric on parts of the body during the “haldi” ceremony
on the eve of the wedding day in Hindu marriages. In fact
the proper custom is to have it smeared over the whole body
and then a bath taken after some time. The skin is left
silky, smooth and shiny as a result, the overall effect
being enhanced by the mild and pleasant aromatic smell.
There are further applications known to beauty care
specialists – the point is that turmeric has been known
for millennia to have beneficial effects on the body. It
acts as an antiseptic, and the discovery of its biochemical
mechanism of action with a positive influence on brain
function confirms its empirical use. Garlic, ginger,
cinnamon, coriander and a host of other spices and leaves in
current usage in the east have been analysed and
investigated similarly, and in many the active ingredient(s)
identified. Further work is under way along these lines to
make formulations or recommendations. While all this is very
good from a scientific point of view, which will inevitably
be concerned with dosages and combinations, there is no
doubt that there is an intuitive, indigenous knowledge which
ensures that these substances are used for/in particular
conditions and situations.
When
I was a medical student, we had the expression “hurry,
worry, curry” as capturing the essential triggering cause
of the acidity that was responsible for stomach ulcers. Now
we know that the main culprit of such ulcers is a bug called
Helicobacter pylori, the discovery of which and its
definitive establishment as the cause of ulcers led to a
Nobel Prize for its author last year. The consequence was
that a combination of antibiotics was then evolved to deal
with the bug, reducing to almost nil the need for operation
which used to be a major tool in the armamentarium for the
treatment of stomach ulcers earlier. It is not that
“hurry, worry and curry” are eliminated altogether in
the production of symptoms, and certain dietary precautions
and measures are still advised, but they are not as rigid as
before. The point that this example illustrates is that
scientific knowledge allows us to vastly improve the quality
of our lives, and many long-held views bordering on
superstitions if they are not plainly mythical are them
jettisoned for the benefit of one and all.
One
such myth, in the religious …sphere, was the view that it
was the sun that revolved around the earth, and it held sway
even after Copernicus then Galileo proved that it was the
opposite that was true, namely that it was the earth and the
other planets that went round the sun. This was known in
ancient India, also that the earth was not flat but a
sphere; the term used was “bhugol”, “bhu”
meaning the earth, and “gol” meaning spherical.
And since we are speaking about India, in the south Indian
state of Kerala, following the translation of the book
‘The Da Vinci Code” into the Malayali language, some
religious heads have protested that this ought not to have
been done because it helps to disseminate information
contrary to their religious preachings. In that case,
replied the translator in answer to a question put to him,
should the findings of genetics which similarly go against
religious teachings not be published and disseminated by the
scientists and researchers? It is well known that the
science of genetics has made tremendous strides, the
fallouts of which are proving beneficial to many sufferers
the world over. And besides, the author of the book did
specify that his was a work of fiction.
All
this makes for variety which is said to be the …spice of
life. With more and more discoveries being made about spices
that confirm the fundamental native notions about them, it
goes without saying that this field is set for expansion.
This should come as no surprise, as other practices such as
meditation and yoga have also been validated experimentally
and clinically, with proven medical benefits in cases of
hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, stress amongst others. If
anything, we in Mauritius are far behind in the official
mainstreaming of these practices to complement our
allopathic health practices. A focused policy has got to be
adopted in their respect so that the myriads of patients who
are in need can find solace.
Meanwhile,
let us continue to enjoy our curries. Yumyum!…
R
N Gopee
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