PLANT FOODS AND THEIR NUTRITIVE VALUES
Plant that are used as food and also of value as therapeutic or prophylactic medicine may be termed as nutriceuticals.
Food is needed as fuel (energy) and as raw material for growth and maintainance of the body. Even in adult life most tissued are continuously broken and replaced, and although some of the material can be resynthesised and used again much of it is lost. There are three principal foods—protein, fat and carbohydrate. All three can be used as fuel.
Protein and carbohydrate supply the almost same amount of energy i.e., 4 calories/gram. Fat provides 9.3 calories/gram. But whereas fat and carbohydrate can be freely consumed, a good deal of the protein in the diet must be conserved as building material.
In addition to the three basic components, essential substances that can not be synthesised in the body have to be supplied readymade i.e., vitamins (A, C, B-Complex-water soluble and D,K, E-fat soluble) and minerals (Copper, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Calcium, Selenium).
A balanced diet constitutes all the above substances in the right proportions i.e., protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin and minerals. Malnutrition which happens mostly in children arises due to inadequate unbalanced diet. Most of the children died as they do not get proper food and become victims of fatal infections of lungs, intestine, atrophy etc., even tuberculosis, a common curable disease among adults, is still a serious problem.
People quite unaware of the nutritive value of plants always opt for conventional source to tackle the malnutrition problems. But fruits and vegetables available in the market do not let any child/adult to fall victim of deficiency diseases, if eaten regularly.
MANGO (AAM)
Family: Anarcardiaceae
Name : Hindi Aam
Sanskrit Aamra
English Mango
Description : A large evergreen tree 10-14m high with a heavy dome shape crown and a straight stout bole.
Distribution : Throughout India. Cultivated in most parts of the Indian peninsula. It is common in subtropical Himalayas, hills of western and eastern ghats and forests of Central India, Orissa, Assam and Andaman Islands.
Parts used : Fruit, seeds, leaves and bark.
Properties : Ripe fruit laxative, diuretic, antihaemorrhagic, refreshing, restorative, linthotropic, ophthalmic, astringent anthelmintic and diarrhoea, antisyphilitic and tonic.
Forms of use: Mango kernel, juice of ripe mango, unripe small mango (about torch bulb size), pieces of unripe dried mango seed powder and boiled unripe mango etc.
Phytochemicals : Vit A, C, flavones, carotenes, glucosides, sterol, terpene, aromatic acids, essential oil, fatty acids and phenolics.
Minerals, amino acids and Vitamins-contents of Mango:
1. Fluorine 0.3-0.7 ppm dry edible material
2. Iodine 0.53 ppm dry edible material
3. Calcium 96 mg%
4. Magnessium 27.1 mg%
5. Phosphate 25.0 mg%
6. Ascorbic acid 16.0 mg /100g
7. Phosphorus 16.0mg/100g
8. Iron 1.3 mg/100g
9. Carotene 2743 ug/g (Vitamin A 2309-15589 1.4%)
10. Vitamin B1 0.08 mg/g
11. Vitamin B2 0.09 mg/g
12. Niacin 0.90 mg/g
13. Methionine and Lysine (Amino acids)
MEDICINAL USES
• It is a powerful nutritive fruit, containing most of all essential substances needed by our body.
• It contains vitamins and minerals alongwith important chemicals that keep our body fit and fine. So, it is a complete natural food.
• Its unripe fruit (of about torch bulb size) if used 6 pieces at a time per day for a week clears all stones from kidney. This should be repeated consecuitively for 3 years in mango season.
• A drink made from boiled unripe mango with salt is a wonderful remedy for heat stroke.
• Powdered mango seed when taken 3 times a day cures diarrhoea and dysentery.
• Mango juice is a restorative tonic. It should be taken throughout the season to stay healthy.
• Dentrifice prepared from mango leaves keeps teeth healthy.
FIG (ANJIR)
Family : Moraceae
Names : Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi Anjir
Sanskrit Anjir
English Fig
Telugu Anjuru
Tamil Simaiyatti
Kannada Anjura
Description : A bush or small free with a cylindrical stem, it grows to a height about 13ft and has an abundance of latex producing ducts. The rich green leaves are scabrous with a pubescent lower surface, they are 3-5 lobed with a cordate base and are borne on a long petiole. The flowers are monoecious, being enclosed in a flashy receptacle known as syconium which changes from green to deep purple as it ripens.
Distribution : All over India.
Parts used : Leaves, root, fruit.
Phytochemicals : Sugars, protein, salts vitamin A, B, coumarins and furo-coumarins etc.
Properties : Pectoral belonging to the thorax; applied to therapeutic agents which have good effect in respiratory diseases, laxative, emollient, energy giving, anti-boil, nutritive, tonic.
Forms of use : Its main use is as an edible fruit having high nutritive value. Decoction and poultice.
MEDICINAL USES
• Fig is high in calories and is easy to digest and assimilte. The latex that oozes out of the freshly cut leaves contain chymase (a milky fluid with a coagulate action), lipase, amylase and protease. It also contains a diastasic enzyme which when applied over uncooked meat increased maturation process.
• It also has an analgesic effect against insect sting and bites.
• The leaves can be used in decoction form to condition hair.
• Decoction of the young branches is an excellent pectoral (for respiratory problems).
• Fig is a highly nutritious fruit. Since it does not contain any fibre, persons recovering from illness are specially advised to take it. It is a wholesome food which is easily digested.
• It is also effective in removing stones in the kidney or the bladder and also helps in the removal of the obstruction of the liver and spleen in subacute cases.
• The fruit is also given as a cure for piles and gout.
• It is also beneficial in infantile liver, piles and diarrhoea.
• Above all it is very useful in leucoderma treatment, patients are advised to take a good of fig 3 times a day for a month and use juice of fresh leaves on the white spots 2-3 times in a day and bedtime. They can also use moistened leaves of chenopodium (Bathuey Ka Sag) on the white spots.
RIDGE GOURD (TORAI)
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Names : Hindi Torai
Sanskrit Koshataki
English Ridge gourd
Bengali Thinga
Gujarati Kadavighisodi
Tamil Peypirakam
Telugu Aelavibua
Trade name Kukarvela
Description : A climber, leaves 4 to 8 inch long, orbicular reniform, 5 lobed, flower yellow, strongly ribbed ovary. Fruit 6 to 12 inch long, clavate, oblong obtuse, smooth, longitudinally ribbed. Seed 1/4 to 1/3 inch ovoid-oblong, compressed, black, not winged.
Distribution : Cultivated throughout India.
Parts used : Fruit, seeds, root and leaves.
Properties : Nutritive, bitter, tonic, diuretic, demulcent, expectorant and hypoglycemic.
Phytochemicals : Amino acids—arginine, glycine, threonine, glutamic and leucine, Bitter substances—Cucurbitacins, terpenes and saponins, Vitamins and Minerals—Calcium (18mg), Phosphorus (0.5mg), Iron (33gm), Vitamin B2 (0.001mg), Niacin (0.01mg), Vitamin C (5mg), Carotene (2.6mg). Presence of fluorine, iodine is also reported.
Forms of use : As vegetable, decoction, juice.
MEDICINAL USES
• It is a nutritive plant and used as vegetable.
• It is a better tonic and diuretic.
• Seeds are emetic and purgative.
• It is useful in the enlargement of spleen.
• Leaves are good substitute for ipecacuanaha in dysentery.
• The leaves or its juice are used as a dressing of sores, inflammed spleen, ringworm, piles, leprosy and bites of insects.
• Oil of seeds is effective in skin diseases.
• The root is laxative.
WINTER CHERRY (ASGANDH)
Family : Solanaceae
Names : Hindi Asgandh
Sanskrit Ashwagandha
English Winter Cherry
Bengali Aaskanda
Gujarati Asoda
Kannada Hirimaddina Gadde
Marathi Aaskandha
Malayalam Ammukivann
Trade name Nagauri Asgandha
Description : A small under shrub upto 1.5 high stem and branches covered with minute star shaped hairs. Leaves upto 10 cm long, ovate, hairy-like branches. Flowers pale green, small about 1cm long, few flowers borne thgether in short axillary clusters. Fruit 6 mm diameter, globose, smooth red, enclosed in the inflated and membraous calyx.
Distribution : Found throughout India, cultivated.
Properties : Nutritive, tonic, alterant, aphrodisiac and nervine sedative.
Phytochemicals : Alkaloids, amino acids, sterols and neutral compounds.
Forms of use : Powder, decoction, paste of root and leaves.
MEDICINAL USES
• It enforces fresh energy and vigour in a system worn out owing to any constitutional disease like syphilis and in rheumatic fever.
• Powdered root is very useufl with equal parts of ghee and honey for impotence and seminal debility.
• As nutrient and health restorative to the pregnant and old people, a decoction of the root is recommended.
• For glandular swelling fresh green root reduced to paste with heated water is applied to the affected parts.
• For improving sight, a mixture of this plant powder, liqorice powder and juice of embic myrobalans is recommended.
• Removes functional obstruction of body, promotes urination.
• The antibiotic and antibacterial activity of the roots as well as leaves has recently been confirmed.