Drumsticks for health

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” goes a popular proverb. How true! Health conscious people, who are busy counting calories and spending a fortune on expensive and nutritious foodstuffs, hardly spare a thought to the humble drumstick (sahjan) tree which is a common sight in the gardens of so many Indian homes. They don’t mind consulting dieticians who charge exorbitant amounts for chalking out a suitable diet chart but are hesitant to make use of any home-grown, nutritious or cheaply available vegetable. Why the special emphasis on 'drumstick' ? Simply, because it is loaded with all the vital health ingredients. Read on to find out more…

Drumstick or Moringa Oleifera is named so for its long bean-like fruit. Just about the whole plant is edible. The roots, flowers, leaves, pods are used in curries, salads and soups. The leaves are the most nutritious of all, and hence worth including in one’s diet. However, for maximum benefit, it should be consumed raw or in raw form. Don’t be put off by that characteristic aroma of the leaves. Just take a look at their nutritional value and then decide for yourself.

Nutritional value of drumstick leaves

* Seven times more vitamin C than oranges to fight many illnesses including cold and flu.

* Four times more vitamin A than carrots to protect against eye disease, skin disease, and heart disease.

* Four times more calcium than milk to build strong bones and teeth.

* Three times more potassium than bananas essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves.

* Nearly 2 times the protein in milk and almost equal amounts of proteins as in eggs basic building blocks of all our body cells.[Source 1 & 2]

Medicinal uses

*The bark contains a gum that is used as a seasoning and a treatment for some stomach ailments.

*The seed is often used to purify dirty or cloudy drinking water. It is pounded into small fragments, wrapped in some sort or cloth, and then placed into water jars or containers.

*This pounded seed acts as flocculent, taking impurities out of water solution.

Home remedies

* For loss of appetite, colic pain and flatulence, seeds are found to be highly beneficial.

* The decoction of the seeds is found to be useful in dysmenorrhea or scanty menstruation. Papaya and aloe vera are also useful in such cases.

* A hot infusion of the leaves provides relief in skin diseases.

* The same infusion as mentioned above can be used in fevers to reduce temperature.

* Externally, the paste of the roots can be used in swellings and abscesses.

* Applying the oil obtained from the seeds reduces arthritic and rheumatic pain and swellings.

* Pound drumstick pods and/or leaves to form a paste and then mix it with lemon juice and get rid of pimples and the scars left by them.

Pic credits:fotosearch.com

The ache of acne (pimples)

Acne is often the bane of a pretty face. It is painful more emotionally than physically, for the scar that it leaves behind can last for a lifetime, adding to one’s miserable look & feeling. No doubt many expensive skin care clinics have mushroomed in ever nook & corner, offering to clear all the scars & blemishes on the face, but they are very expensive & charge exorbitant price for each sitting; not everyone can afford them. So why not try out this simple skin care regimen to minimize the damage caused by acne & as far as possible prevent its eruption.

Natural remedies for dark circles around your eyes

Dark circles around your eyes. How unsightly they look and even your best dress and layers of make-up sometimes does not quite succeed in concealing them! Blame it on your genes or your lifestyle, but, you cannot deny the fact that these are a blot on your beauty . And they become more prominent as you age. Let’s just debunk some of the myths as well as unearth some of the facts about the causes of these ‘ panda eyes ’. Dark circles under eyes usually are temporary and not a medical concern. You may be surprised to learn that fatigue usually isn't the cause of dark circles. Instead, the most common cause is nasal congestion. When your nose is congested, veins that usually drain from your eyes into your nose become widened (dilated) and darker.

Home remedies for common cold

Common cold is a very common malady which affects people during monsoons. (Also see the post Beauty and body care in monsoon for a monsoon beauty regimen.) It can be caused by any one of more than 200 viruses. Normally it is confined to the nose and throat although the virus can infect the larynx and lungs. It is said that there is no particular cure for colds, they are naturally relieved within a week. Treatment is just an attempt to relieve its symptoms such as headache, stuffy nose, sore-throat and congestion. Paracetamol tablets are generally taken to get relief from these symptoms.

Beating stress – some tips

It is very difficult to come across a happy, contented face in a crowd these days. Stress has become a way of life with people these days. Sure, we all need to be a little tense once in a blue moon. After all it acts as a positive force and helps us get things done. But when tension becomes a habit with us and we are unable to cope up with it, we say we are undergoing stress. Some people are simply born more tense than others. Children of over-anxious parents generally grow up to be more anxious than the others.

Home remedies for sore throat

Sore throat is a common malady that each one of us faces sometime or the other in our lifetime. That scratchy, dry and abrasively painful feeling at the back of the throat that you experience is so very discomforting! There are many ways to relieve that scratchy and painful, infected throat. Sore throat home remedies are many and varied and range from the folk ones to the medically tested and proven ones. With this common recurring condition many sufferers have their own favourite sore throat treatments that seem to work for them. Sore throat is one of the ailments which responds very well to home based remedies, so there is no reason why one should hesitate to try out these invaluable tips which have been handed over to us by generations of yore. After all these remedies have negligible side-effects and so there is no harm in trying them. And you can always rush to a doctor if they don’t work for you.

Comments

Naomi4:46 PM
That's a very interesting article. I love trees but had never heard of that one before. Thanks for sharing that with us. I'm visiting you from the carnival.
Aparna3:33 PM
Thanks for visiting my blog, Naomi. Do try recipes with drumsticks if you can get them in England.
Anonymous6:11 PM
Interesting post. I look forward to seeing this herbal supplement in the U.S.
Anonymous11:04 PM
You did a great job with this post. I really didn’t know anything about drumsticks, although they look familiar so I may have seen pictures somewhere. I can’t believe how much I am learning from blogs these days.
Anonymous9:23 AM
Drumsticks or Moringa are high in calcium and dietary fibre, so it basically helps in bone development/nourishment & flushing out toxins from your body. It's part of a balanced diet regiment, and therefore a boon to you.
It wouldn't help you get thin, but will defintely help in keeping you healthy.
Anonymous8:38 AM
Drumstick pods are excellent cardio-protectors as they contain certain hypotensive compounds like thiocarbamate and isothiocyanate glycosides which help to lower blood pressure along with potassium. The fiber in the pods helps to lower cholesterol and prevent arterial clogs, thus reducing incidence of heart attacks and stroke.