Remember that scrumptious grape flavored cough syrup that we all had to take when we were younger? Or maybe you remember that yummy pink medicine that we all secretly liked while our parents airplaned it into our mouths? Well, the truth is, I don’t. Growing up in an Indian family, I was accustomed to eating, what seemed to me, random plants and seed-based concoctions mixed with milk, honey, and everything else in between. Appetizing, huh? I often wondered if my parents were against modern medicine or simply out of their minds.
However, when I started high school, I remember having a conversation with a close cousin who recently had graduated from medical school. At the time I was suffering from acute viral nasopharyngitis, more simply known as the common cold (I’m just trying to sound smart).
Afraid to go to my parents for advice on what to take, I decided to ask him what would help me get over my horrendous cough. To my utter surprise, he looked at me and said, “You know, I could easily tell you to go buy Robitussin, or maybe even some DayQuil, but I’ll tell you a little secret….the best medicine for a cough is hardar varu doodh (Gujarati for milk with turmeric). Dumbfounded, I looked at him and gave him an “are you serious” type of look. Here was a young U.S. born doctor just recently finished with medical school prescribing that nasty, warm, yellow drink that I’ve been taking my entire life. Well, it turns out that many of these cultural herbal remedies are indeed beneficial to your health. Recent research has confirmed the medicinal uses of many of these medicines around the world, some even dating back to ancient Greece.
Today, as I took a bite out of that licorice stick, I was instantly reminded of those seeds you eat after a meal at an Indian restaurant. Being Indian-American, I’ve been around those seeds my entire life and have grown accustomed to their taste (which may explain why I was munching happily on mine while most everyone in class, especially Dr. Norton, was grabbing some Starburst as quick as they could). I’d always heard my parents talk about the mouth-freshening use of these seeds, known as Saunf or fennel seeds (from the plant anise). A quick search online brought up several home remedies and applications of these seeds. According to traditional Indian folklore, Saunf seeds are “hot” in nature and can be used to treat burning sensations, fever, thirsts, wounds, dysentery, biliousness, and even leprosy. These seeds are also taken to reduce stomach acid buildup, chest congestion, and headaches. Most surprisingly however, Saunf has been legendarily known for improving eyesight, especially after meals. This may explain why the tradition of chewing these seeds has remained in Indian culture for so many years. So the next time you’re at the Indian restaurant and you’ve finished that plate of chicken curry, it might not be a bad idea to chow down a handful of Saunf seeds. You never know, it might just make you see the uses of these home remedies a little more clearly.
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7 comments:
That is very interesting especially considering I just took a Sudafed. Do you add the tumeric to cold milk or do you drink it warm? I had a Pakistani friend in college who would add milk to hot tea and it was quite tasty. Even so, I can't say I am too anxious to try this tumeric-milk concoction.
Perhaps it is better that you took herbal remedies as oppose to modern medicine as a young child. I have always heard that frequently taking medication, especially early in life, with even the slightest onset of illness is not good for your future health. I think the reason behind this is that it is sometimes more beneficial to let your immune system naturally handle some of the less serious stuff early on, that way your immune system can strengthen and does not become dependant on modern medications later on.
Terry--I think your point is true for antibiotics.
My family has been using the same tumeric-milk concoction remedy since as long as I can remember. I spoke to my mother today about how she makes it, and she normally boils milk on the stove while adding 1/4 of a tablespoon of tumeric to it and some sugar. Our family has also used tumeric to treat open wounds a number of times, especially in areas that are hard to apply modern medication to, such as cuts inside of the the mouth. This practice seems to be very common in a number of Indian households.
I have also had the experience of drinking milk with tumeric. The milk is basically warmed up and some tumeric is added to it, my mother puts in some ghee (some form of butter). It is the most disgusting thing I remember drinking but I had to when I fell sick. I held my nose and gulped it down. When anyone gets sore throats my mother makes a mix of honey and tumeric right before we go to bed. It tastes pretty bad but it does work and I did feel a lot better the next day.
Dr. Norton, I think your friend was making Chai, which is made by adding milk to hot tea (usually black tea). I drink chai every morning because I think it's a better (healthier?) alternative to coffee. You can find a version of chai at your local Starbucks, but I assure you, it's not the same as homeade, but it does taste pretty good.
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