Diabetes mellitus : Herbal care -65
By Dr. Akshyakumar (Herbalist)
Contd. from last Wednesday
Diabetic Diet: The 80% absorbed, about 20 to 50 % either combines with or burns down into products that are excreted within about one week in the faces or urine. The remainder 30 to 60 per cent of the absorbed vitamin A is stored.
Functions in the Body: The best defined function of vitamin A is its role in vision in the retina. In addition, vitamin A is required for growth, reproduction, and the maintenance of life. If builds up resistance to respiratory and other infections, and keeps the mucous linings and membranes of the body, especially those of the eyes, lungs, stomach, and intestines, aids in the secretion of gastric juices, and the digestion of protein. It also plays a vital role in preventing and clearing up infections of the skin, and in promoting healthy hair, teeth, and gums. Vitamin A increases the permeability of blood capillaries, thereby contributing better tissue, oxygenation. It also helps prevent premature ageing and senility, increases life expectancy, and extends youthfulness.
Sources: Foods rich in vitamin A include those of animal origin such as sheep liver, egg yolk, whole milk, butter, and ghee vegetables such as colocasia, turnip greens, drumsticks, beets carrots and spinach contain a lot of carotene. Fruits , like mangoes, apricots, gooseberries, raspberries, and oranges are also rich in carotene.
Deficiency symptoms: Prolonged deficiency of vitamin A may result in inflammation of the eyes, poor vision. And night-blindness. There is an increased susceptibility to infections, especially of the respiratory tract, in the form of frequent and prolonged common colds.
Vitamin A deficiency may lead to lack of appetite and vigour, defective teeth and gums, skin disorders such as pimples, acne, boils and premature wrinkles. When vitamin A is present in insufficient amounts, the mucous membranes of nose, throat, and mouth, the bronchial tubes, lungs, intestinal tract, kidneys and vagina are greatly affected. Eventually the mucous membranes of the entire body lose their ability to secrete the normal quantities of the mucus needed to protect them from irritation, and the body degenerates rapidly. Other deficiency symptoms include retarded growth in children, dry and dull hair, dandruff, excessive hair loss, ridged nails, and a poor sense of taste and smell.
Healing and therapeutic properties: When taken in large therapeutic doses of 7,500 mcg to 15,000 mcg a day, for purposes of treating deficiency conditions, Vitamin A is beneficial in the treatment fo common colds, sinus problems, influenza and other infectious diseases. Vitamin A is valuable in curing nightblindness and other eye diseases, as well as asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure, and kidney disorders.
Eye problems: Nightblindness and the milder conjunctival changed respond well to 9,000 mcg of vitamin A daily for a week. Corneal damage constitute a therapeutic emergency and the usual treatment is 6,000 mcg per kg of body weight, per day, for 5 days.
Large doses of vitamin A have been used for reducing the incidence of vitamin A deficiency in small children. In cases of xerophthalmia, a type of dry conjunctivitis due to lack of vitamin A in very young children, 60,000 mcg of retinol.
Herbal care: Bishop’s weed (Ajwain) : Chemical composition: The ajwain seeds shows them to consist of moisture 7.4 per cent, protein 17.1%, fat 21.8%, minerals 7.9%, fibre 21.2% and carbohydrates 24.6%, per 100 grams, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thamine, riboflavin and niacin are amongst the vitamins and minerals in it.
Aphrodisiac for diabetic persons: Ajwain seeds, combined with the kernel of tamarind seeds are an effective aphrodiasiac. These should be fried in equal quantity of pure ghee, powdered and preserved in airtight containers. A teaspoon of this powder, mixed with a tablespoon of honey, taken daily with milk before retrieving makes an excellent aphrodisiac. It increases virility and cures premature ejaculation.
Cardamom: Chemical composition: An analysis of the cardamom capsule shows it to consist of carbohydrates, moisture, protein, ether extract, volatile oil, crude fibre, calcium, phosphorus and iron.
The seeds contain a volatile oil. The principal constituents of the volatile oil are cineol, terpineol, terpinene, limonene, sabinene, and terpineol in the formic and acetic acids.
The herb is useful in sexual dysfunctions like impotency and premature ejaculation of diabetic persons. A pinch of powdered cardamom seeds boiled in milk and sweetened with honey every night would yield excellent results. Excessive use of cardamom at times may lead to impotency.
Datura: Chemical analysis: The leaves of the plant contain alkaloids. The cultivated plants produce higher percentage of alkaloids. Seeds yield diploid I and tetraploid II besides alkaloids. Some amount of alkaloids are there in dried seeds and fruits.
Datura is useful in impotency. The seeds of 15 ripe fruits should be extracted and boiled in eight kilograms of cow’s milk on gentle fire. This milk should then be made into curd in the usual way and churned the morning to extract butter which is stored in a broad-mouthed bottle.
