J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010 Oct-Dec; 1(4): 241–242.

doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.74421

PMCID: PMC3117313

PMID: 21731368

A traditional way of rice preparation with particular benefits for Arthritis and musculo-skeletal disorders

Muralidhar Kontum

Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Sir,

The review paper by Chopra in J-AIM[1] concerning Ayurveda drugs for Arthritis is clearly of great value to those who have contracted the disease, but in order to be considered full Ayurveda treatments, such drugs need to be combined with diet and lifestyle recommendations appropriate to the patient. In this sense the studies concerned are not really about Ayurveda as practiced, but about a bowdlerized Ayurveda seen from the biomedical perspective, with its treatments implemented and evaluated strictly as a substitution for western medicine. This constitutes a sad failure to acknowledge Ayurveda’s unique features which promise to give it a highly valued place in medicine globally.

Diet and lifestyle components of Ayurveda are fundamental, and, as is well known, Ayurveda states that even the administration of the correct medicine to cure a complaint may not be of lasting value unless the lifestyle and diet of the patient are attended to. Most chronic illnesses or degenerative diseasees like arthritis result from persistent stresses placed on the system by personal habits which, in the long term, build into unacceptable strain on regulatory function. Over the years, such strain drives the system to breaking point, and pathology results.

Ayurveda is clear that diet and lifestyle have to be attended to. Without such action, say its texts, disease will inevitably return. To implement this, the vaidya plays the role of ‘doctor’ in the true sense of the word’s Latin root, ‘docere’, meaning ‘to teach’. Ayurveda traditional treatments incorporate components of instruction in remedial diet and so on, to help bring the patient’s regulatory system back to whatever state of relative equilibrium can still be regained after years of misuse. If the patient’s system is strong, however, such remedial instruction can often be of actual curative value.

Knowledge of good dietary practices was deeply embedded in India’s traditional culture. Earlier generations often observed age-old procedures for doing particular things for reasons they did not fully understand, but did out of habit from the example of their elders. Skeptical younger generations did not always continue to conform to tradition, and so the knowledge has slowly been lost.

In the case of arthritis, there is a method of cooking rice which appears to be very effective in helping musculoskeletal conditions. The method removes extra starch, increases vitamin content, and generally improves nutritional value, in such a way that arthritic conditions and several other classes of pathology seem to benefit considerably.

The method of preparation is simple and straightforward. First cook your rice with enough excess water, so that when water remaining after cooking is drained off, any excess starch is removed with it. Instead of throwing this valuable starch solution down the drain, it is used constructively: half is offered to animals and plants, while the other half is inoculated with buttermilk and a pinch of fenugreek seeds - apparently because the strain of yeast that grows on fenugreek seeds is of particular value - and fermented overnight. The following day it is added to the pot in which the day’s rice is being cooked.

The value of this procedure is easy to understand. Firstly, the most soluble carbohydrates are removed from the rice, so sugar loading is decreased. Early stages of digestion of ingested material may be expected to cause less impact on blood glucose levels. Secondly, decrease in the food’s Kapha content as a result of reduction of easily available carbohydrates decreases tendencies to constipation, and improves elimination. Finally, the food’s added microbial content from the lactobacillus and yeast considerably increases its nutritional value.

This single procedure therefore has health promoting and preventative value for many conditions. Decrease in sugar loading will reduce tendencies to obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 Diabetes. The reduction in Kapha and constipation will tend to improve long term colon health, and all conditions involving ama, and amavata, such as the various forms of arthritis. Improved vitamin content from the lactobacillus and yeast (killed by the cooking) will help all conditions. I have extensive anecdotal evidence for all these kinds of benefit from adopting the procedure.

My grandmother never failed to use the above procedure when cooking the day’s rice, and our family enjoyed excellent health, but neither she nor the next generation understood the basis for its benefits. When she died, it ceased. Some years ago, seeking ways to improve health, I remembered her procedure, so I then adopted it, and have found it beneficial.

I recently recommended it to an elderly female friend, who had become bedridden from arthritis. Within two weeks of adopting it she was on her feet and able to do housework again. I then told two vaidyas about it, and after the wife had lost four pounds in ten days, they were sufficiently impressed to print a small pamphlet and distribute it among their patients. They received many reports of freedom from constipation, and feelings of lightness in the body that had developed over a similar time period.

The same vaidyas said that they did not know of reference for this procedure in Ayurveda’s literature, but this does not make it less Ayurvedic. Ayurveda’s knowledge of life and how to improve life-span has been recorded, and ‘codified’, by those who observed benefits received by their fellow human-beings from whatever cause. Today’s Charaka Samhita is a compilation of such observations over many millennia, now amplified by all later Nighantus.

This kind of procedure is a free way to improve health. It could be easily taught by doctor-vaidyas everywhere. Precise assessment of its benefits as a preventive measure would be of interest to evidence-based medicine; so would its therapeutic applications. In his summary of his work to the World Ayurveda Congress*, Dr Chopra mentioned that he would like to see Ayurveda’s holistic treatments assessed, not simply their phytomedicines used as substitutes for biomedical drugs. Might he and his colleagues not consider also evaluating the benefits which the above procedure may bring to his patients, and eventually those in some future arthritis study? Then he will be one step closer to evaluating Ayurveda as actually practiced.

Go to:

REFERENCES

1. Chopra A, Saluja M, Tillu G. Ayurveda - Modern medicine interface: A critical appraisal of studies of Ayurvedic medicines to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. J Ayur Integr Med. 2010;1:190–8.[PMC free article] [PubMed]

Is it ok to eat left over rice?

trampledbygeese

trampledbygeese is a trusted home cook.

added over 4 years ago

NO! Cooked rice is more deadly than raw chicken - at least according to the BBC. There is something nasty for us in there that is NOT killed by reheating. "But rice is also a common cause (of food poisoning). It can contain Bacillus cereus, which is resistant to heat. "It's one that a lot of people don't know about, but you do have to be very careful with rice," says Martin. "It's not that rice itself is dangerous but after it's been cooked there are spores of bacteria that can germinate."" http://www.bbc.com/news...

https://food52.com/hotline/6308-is-rice-ok-to-eat-if-left-out-all-night

Traditional varieties of rice like - Mapillai samba(Red Rice), Arcot Kichili samba and Ponni

Goraksha Organic hand pounded rice is made from rice grown in the Goshala with out using fertilizers chemicals and pesticides. Only cowdung , cow urine and other organic inputs have been used to grow the rice. The rice has been hand pounded in order to retain all the nutrients.

Traditional varieties of rice like

Mapillai samba(Red Rice)
Arcot Kichili samba and
Ponni 
are grown in our Goshala using natural farming techniques

The traditional varieties of rice are very tasty and have special properties. Maplillai samba , for example, is very good for diabetics. The Mapillai Samba Kanji is very tasty and can be had hot, with milk and jaggery or cold ,with butter milk.

Earlier (Thousands of years), everyone used to eat brown rice until the invention of processing machine for white rice. 

People started using white rice because of its colour, can be stored for longer time than brown rice, and more over it takes less time to cook. Though white rice is popular, it has its own disadvantages.

Brown hand pounded rice

Brown rice is, rice which is hulled (the covering husk is removed) leaving the outer layer of the bran on the grain. Brown rice contains all the edible parts of rice. The greatness of hand pounded rice lies in its retention of bran

Brown rice is basically unmilled or partially milled or non-polished rice. It is produced by hand pounding using mortar and pestle or stone grinder. All types of rice are originally brown rice before they are processed into white rice. The removal of only the outermost layer (husk) of rice grains produces brown rice. When the next layers underneath the husk (the bran and the germ) are removed, the remaining starchy endosperm produces the white rice. This process strips out several of the nutrients, dietary minerals and almost all of the rice fiber.

It is a kind of whole grain. It bears a mild nutty flavor. Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that provides 15 essential nutrients, including B-vitamins, niacin and potassium. In the olden days, paddy used to be hand pounded and winnowed to remove the husk and consumed as such.

Polishing removes the layer that is filled with health-supportive, essential fats that make rice highly susceptible to oxidation. Though this extends the shelf life of the product, the resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely deprived of its original nutrients. But brown rice retains all the nutrients that nature bestowed it with.

Nutritional Profile of Brown Rice

Brown rice is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, silica, selenium, manganese, Vitamin K ,B1, B2, B3, and B6. Brown rice is a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and gamma-oryzanol. White rice is brown rice that has had essential nutrients removed when processed in order to make it easier and faster to cook, and to give it a longer shelf life. This is accomplished by removing the bran, and with it, minerals and vitamins that are necessary in our diet.

• Benefits of eating Brown rice
• Health benefits of brown rice
• Some facts about white rice

Caution

Brown rice is not seen to have any negative effect on the body, including any allergic effect. It does not contain any significant amount of oxalates and purines. The inorganic brown rice contains traces of arsenic. Though low doses of arsenic are not seen to cause any serious diseases, its heavy intake can make one more susceptible to the risk of cancer.

So, always go for the organically grown brown rice, as it is free of arsenic content.

SUMMARY

Brown rice should not be treated as farmer’s food or animal feed.

It has many nutritional values. However, white rice is easy to cook and looks pleasant it is not suggested for good health. It is better to switch back to brown rice to avoid the biggest killers of present generation such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer to have healthier and longer life.

Thus, we can consider brown rice to be a complete balanced food. After discovering such amazing facts we must gear up to quit white rice and switch over to brown rice.

We have only limited quantities of rice and kanji powder and these are sold directly to interested consumers. Our products are not available in shops.

Interested people may contact Radhakrishnan at 098400-41151 or send mail to purefood@goseva.net

ALL PROCEEDS ARE USED FOR GOSEVA

REFERENCES

• http://www.saviodsilva.net/brown-rice-benefits.htm
• http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0567e/T0567E0h.htm
• http://living-smartly.com/2009/10/brown-rice-keeps-you-away-from-obesity-diabetes-and-cancer/

http://www.goseva.net/handpoundedrice.aspx

Raw rice vs par-boiled rice vs hand-pounded rice (note: how par-boiled rice was made by grandmothers in the past)

Note: Almost everyone says par-boiled rice is better than raw rice.

Subra Velu, lived in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Answered Jan 12, 2016

If a person is used to raw rice (Pacharisi) or par boiled rice (Puzhungalarisi), it is difficult to change their digestive system.  Few will accept both types of rice without any stomach upset.  Raw rice is easy to cook and takes fewer minutes to be boiled.  In terms of nutrition, Par boiled rice has more nutrition due to the tiny amount of protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in the bran is transferred to the rice in the par boiling (steaming) process.  However, many rice mills have automated the par boiling process and the quality is not the same as it was done in olden days at home.  My grandmothers used to steam the paddy for 3-5 hours and the moisture will be retained for another 3-5 hours before the chaff/bran is removed.  

Generally, par boiled rice is also aged rice and is believed to taste better and retain more nutrition.

In my personal experience, raw rice causes gastric and acidity problem, as you have mentioned.  But there are millions of people, who will have stomach upset on par boiled rice as they are used to raw rice.

Sarath Babu, lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Answered Jan 6

Pacharisi is a polished rice and does not have starch. It is not good for those who has gastric trouble. Puzhungal arisi is the actual staple food. It is rich in starch and since it is unpolished, it is the healthy food.

Narmadha Krishnamurthy, lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Answered Aug 17, 2017

Paccharisi is raw rice whereas Puzhungal arisi is boiled rice. Boiled rice is much less glycemic and hence better for health. But pooja and naivedhya purposes, paccharisi or raw rice is preferred because puzhungal arisi is boiled and considered previously cooked.

Kalyanasundaram Srinivasan

Answered Oct 14, 2015

Puzhungal arisi is better than pacharisi & kaikuthal arisi is "THE BEST" (Note: Hand-pouned rice is the best. Even in beri-beri book by Edward Vedder, it is shown that hand-pounded rice has more fat, protein and fiber compared to par-boiled rice). In a rice grain outer layer on it's surface has more NUTRIENT value & this layer is lost in pacharisi due to 'polishing'. In self's opinion pachari is only starchy & puzhunga arisi has more nutrient value than pacharisi.

Kriya, studied at B.Sc. Phycology

Answered Jul 18

Pacharisi is not good if you take in longer terms, this rice is generally used in Hotels, Annadhan mandap.

Puxhungal arisi, will be good for intake on longer terms, has high levels carbohydrates, but these days, lots of polishing process is done, so that it loses the nutrition value.

Compared to both, consuming red rice is best for health. It has high nutritional values and gives strong immunity powers, the only issue with red rice is that it has to be soaked for a longer duration for it to be cooked properly.

Any rice, used in steamed form, do not pressure cook it.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-difference-between-pacharisi-and-puzhungal-arisi-Which-is-better-to-intake

Rice - most of the nutrients are in the germ

http://obarley.com/whole-grains/brown-rice/?ckattempt=1

Cooking Rice - traditional method of using water to boil rice and discarding the water

The video shows traditional method of cooking rice. Rice is washed with water. Then, washed rice is added to boiling water. After the rice is cooked (i.e. not too soft. just enough soft that when pressed with fingers, the rice gets pressed).

Comments

Selva C
6 months ago
Thank you mam. Nice explanation as usual.  Just want to add one point for everyone's benefit. The real reason behind to go with the approach is to have sufficient quantity of water in rice compared to cooker. As per siddha/ayuerveda, lack of water in rice/dhal or any grain will lead to vata(air) imbalance in body. This is the reason rice cooked in pressure cooker goes dry easily compared to this method and same happens inside the body when we consume. This is the finest approach to cook any grain or dhal. Thank you


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ok6dhqa9f8


***


Nagalaxmi Visveswaran
3 months ago
White rice has no calories but also has no fiber,no vitamin-B ,minerals all get removed in husk form by refining process so we anything out of it .empty calories,it makes you eat more rice ,but brown rice or red rice  are rich in fiber and everything that body needs,it won't make you eat more ,because they unpolished rice even it get rancid very quickly than white rice because even worms like brown rice ,😂,😱😥😏😒😳🙏

***

Misao Okawa, Oldest Living Person Until 2015, 117 - sushi, especially mackerel on vinegar-steamed rice.

Misao Okawa, Oldest Living Person Until 2015, 117

In Japan, where there are over 65,000 centenarians, Okawa held the record for world’s oldest person until her death in 2015. She told The Guardian, “You have to learn to relax,” in order to hit those digits, but also get plenty of sleep. Her favorite food was sushi, especially mackerel on vinegar-steamed rice.

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/oldest-person-in-world-food

Rice - Anything less than 18 months of aging is sacrilege.

Sarraju Narasinga Rao  For pulao and biryani, Basmati is a very desirable option. Especially if it is “No.4268 Special Old Malai”. I’ve found that Afghani sela also works beautifully for this purpose.
To eat with dals, sambars, and all manner of meats and fish and vegetables cooked, stewed, curried or even fried, Sona Masoori is extremely desirable. I believe there are a few cultivars that are together called SonaMasoori.
The common features of these are a medium grain, cooks fluffy with just the right amount of adhesion between grains and grows in several parts of India. In my home state, the best rice of this family comes from Nellore or Kurnool.
Aging is a terribly important thing for rice. New rice has far too much available starch that releases into the pot on cooking and makes the rice glutinous and sticky and sometimes even a bit slimy. I’m not a plant biochemist, but I deduce from that aging transforms these available starches and somehow fixes them so they don’t leech out into the pot. Six months to a year is considered acceptable by most people in this day and age of instant gratification and JIT supply chains. But that’s people who don’t taste what they eat.
Anything less than 18 months of aging is sacrilege.

https://www.indianfoodfreak.com/2013/07/30/whats-rice/

Doubled boiled rice is the best

It is suitability of stomach which should decide par boiled rice vs raw rice.  For most people who have used to use one type of rice in their family, switching to other type can cause stomach trouble, mainly indigestion, acidity and gastric problem.  Par boiled rice has slightly more protein and fat absorbed from the rice bran and retained.

A look at the current par boiling process in rice mills raises doubt if the nutrition is absorbed and retained sufficiently.  In olden days, par boiling used to be a slow process either at home or at the rice milll.  In olden days (more than 30-40 years ago), the difference between par boiled rice and raw rice was substantial.  A person used to one type and ate the other type wrongly would surely get indigestion in olden days.  Today, the difference is becoming minimal.  Par boiled rice is called steamed rice rather than true par boiled rice.  And, raw rice is also called "lightly" steamed rice.  I am experienced to "feel" the difference between par boiled vs raw rice quality by holding it tightly in my fist and looking at the color of the rice.  Today, the "feel" is less and less than it was 25 years ago.

***

Paddy Processing methods in South India is as below :

1.Raw Rice

[Raw Paddy is Dried below 11% Moisture or even Less .

Then It’s Directly Milled to get Brown rice & Brown rice is polished to White Raw Rice]

2. Steam Rice

[Raw Paddy is Directly Steamed .Then It’s Dried to reduce the moisture from 25 to 12 % Moisture, Milled & Polished to White Steamed Rice]

3. Ponni Boiled Rice (Single Boiled)

[Raw Paddy is Soaked in water tanks at normal temperature for Hours.Then its Boiled using manual or Automatic Paddy Cooker using steam from Pressure Boilers .Dried to reduce the moisture from 35 to 10 % Moisture, Milled & Polished to White Boiled Rice]

4. Kerala / Red Matta Rice (Double Boiled )

[Raw Paddy is Soaked in Hot water tank at around 80 Degree Celsius. Then its again Boiled using manual or Automatic Paddy Cooker. Dried to reduce the moisture to 10 % Moisture, Milled & Polished to White Boiled Rice]

*********************************************************************************

So the point i want to pitch here is, there are actually 4 different process in rice industry.

For this we have to understand that

Boiling of Paddy gives you Most nutritious Rice…

So the ranking in my opinion is based according to Boiling Process

*********************************************************************************

Rank 1 goes to Double Boiled Rice & It’s consumed more in coastal areas like AP & Kerala.

Due to Boiling twice (Boiling Paddy In Hot Water First & Boiling again through Paddy Cookers, more Gelatinisation[1] occurs & Ultimately more Nutritious.

But the Double Boiled Rice colour will be Dark to light Yellow & But not White, Smelly on Cooking ,Grain size is comparatively Big with Raw & single boiled rice , Rice Cooking time is more ,takes more time to digest.. So coastal people while going to fishing prefers this type for their spicy gravies )

In Tamilnadu Ration Shop Rice will be Mostly Double Boiled.

*********************************************************************************

Single Boiled Rice is mostly consumed in Tamilnadu & its ancient process from Tamilnadu.. The Single Boiled Rice Ranks 2 for its nutrition & Wins against the characteristics of Double Boiled Rice.

Cooked rice can be stored for more hours than Steam & Double Boiled Rice.

*********************************************************************************

Rice Fact : Old/ Matured Rice is good when compared with newly Harvested Crop

Old Rice on Cooking 1.Wont stick to each other 2.Wont spoiled even more water is added while cooking

[Water : Old Rice ratio,3 Cup* of water : 1 Cup* of Rice

Water : New Rice ratio,2 Cup* of water : 1 Cup* of Rice]

* any measuring cup common for both Water & Rice,

say a tumbler,100 ML plastic transparent cup

3.Yields more as it serves more persons

4. Old Rice Rates and Markets are always Premium.

New Rice is sensitive for cooking.

Steam Rice Process is now practiced in Many City across South India as Raw Paddy for steam Rice is only Newly Harvested Crop.

To improve Cooking quality of Newly Harvested crop, Steam Rice Process is introduced.The rates will be cheaper & target markets are highly competitive & customers will be middle & lower classes .

Steam Rice Ranks 3.

Also Steam Rice appearance & quality will be Processed to suit the market condition to resemble like Single Boiled & Raw Rice. So many steam rice consumers do not know what type of processed rice they are Eating !!!

*********************************************************************************

Raw Rice Ranks 4th place as no boiling takes places during Paddy processing.

Its consumed by people who falls in the taste of raw rice &

who believes that Raw Rice as Divine, Gods Gift & should be consumed without any human/Machine processing !!!

On polishing Raw rice tends to leave away all the nutrients its have.

*********************************************************************************

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-boiled-rice-and-raw-rice-Which-is-healthier

There is Histidine in Indian rice varieties

There is 1.3-2% histidine in 6 Indian type of husked rice.

Sushruta gave Shali rice and barley for anemia.


https://books.google.co.in/books?id=463ERB3VeUoC&pg=PA342&lpg=PA342&dq=rice+varieties+low+in+histidine&source=bl&ots=d5KJCGRFav&sig=sn0a7jCBK17LY-L5c0e_o-NysEY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFkJrL4brWAhUDuo8KHaa7D5IQ6AEITDAH#v=onepage&q=rice%20varieties%20low%20in%20histidine&f=false

Rice - health benefits

In India, the medicinal value of rice have been documented in Charaka Samhita (700 BC) and the Samhita (400 BC) in ailments such as:
diarrhea
vomiting
fever
chest pain
wounds
burns

Laicha rice of Chattisgarh and 'Navara' rice of Kerala are the medicinal rice varieties that have been evidently treating diseases like
chronic gastritis and 
peptic ulcer
for a long time.

'Bhat moori' of Tamil Nadu which cures
anemia and
enhances blood circulation
in women after child birth contains folic acid which helps in the assimilation of dietary iron.

'Parmai-sal' of West Bengal has special nutritive properties for strength.

'Kabirak-sal' of Orissa is fed to convalescing patients to quicken the recovery.

Red rice - Considering that the highest antioxidant activity due to the presence of polyphenols in red rice than in white rice.

http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/33986/1/IJTK%2015%282%29%20321-329.pdf

Red rice health benefits 

Red rice Rakthashali (with red husk and grain) is the native staple food of Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka) and Kasaragod (Kerala) district.

A study was conducted to collect and document information from the traditional and qualified practitioners on the use of red rice in various medications and therapies to find its applicability as a functional food especially in promoting lactation.

Red rice was found beneficial to health in terms of its nutritional significance and its applicability in various medications like in
allergies,
skin ailments,
uterus related problems,
nerve disorders,
gastro-intestinal problems,
liver, kidney disorders,
fever,
infections and
in promoting lactation.

http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/19450


Green revolution which focused on higher yields led to discontinuation of many traditional healthy genetic variants of rice.

http://uni5.co/index.php/en/grains/grains-p-z/rice.html

What did healthy south Indians eat in the early 1900s?

Food was consumed in small quantities saving gluttony for religious festivals.

Rice was the staple and was consumed multiple times a day everyday.

Pazhaya sadham or old rice (rice cooked the previous day and soaked in water to keep), was consumed along with karupatti (palm jaggery) and/or green chili or pickled lemon, mango etc. very often.

Fruits were hardly consumed and if they were consumed, whatever seasonal fruits that were available were consumed.

When possible, ghee (clarified butter) was consumed in abundance.

Lentils were consumed about once a month when ‘specialty’ dishes like dosa and idli were cooked.

Vegetables were consumed when available and were mostly less special and mundane (carrots, onions, tomatoes, spinach etc.)

2-3 cups of fresh whole milk per person was consumed everyday.

Food items containing wheat (like poori, chapathi etc.) were non-existent.

Buttermilk was consumed (along with rice) when available.

Sweet and savory Indian snacks were made at home from scratch and consumed about 2-3 times a year during festivals.

***

Sheetal July 19, 2011 at 7:35 pm

Hi Raj,

Good article, makes you think. My grandfather lived to the age of 98 with hardly any problems, the doctors couldn’t find ANY problems with my nan after complete body check up(at 85 yrs I think), and my other grandfather lived with diabetes for 35 years without insulin…and here I’m, allready advised by doctors to control weight and diagnosed with initial stages of different conditions in early thirties. Would love to read that post on tweaking the SI diet( any other tweaks to North Indian diet would be a great help too:P).:)

Vizeet July 20, 2011 at 12:34 am

I’ll be waiting to learn about traditional Gujarati diet. What I have understood talking to my mother is that, millet was used instead of wheat in Hindu community in those days. I know Muslims and Christians always fermented wheat. Even today Gujarati, rajasthani, punjabi, and haryanawi eat lot of desi ghee.

I know mustard oil has been used for cooking for very long time in Bengal and diabetes is an old disease there. Gary Taubes mentions about it in “Good Calories, Bad Calories”.

Kanika July 19, 2011 at 8:06 pm

OMG it’s like you read my mind on this post!!! I was telling a friend JUST TODAY that after seeing Midnight in Paris, I was daydreaming about slipping into the 1930s era to grow up with my grandparents and live the way they did! Have heard countless stories of fresh lassi, tumblers full of milk, the ever-present GHEE that solved all digestive issues, fresh fruit from trees in the backyard and whatnot, basically a lifestyle that makes my soul salivate 🙂 My grandparents lived in pre-partition Pakistan and came from Zamindar families, so yeah, they were pretty active during the day. They ate plenty of fresh chapattis with their meals (since wheat was predominant in Punjab) but would grind it the old-fashioned way in a chakki (hardcore manual labor). Since they lived in joint families, it was not uncommon for the women to cook 100 rotis per meal, sitting on their haunches, on old-fashioned chulhas. Well, this post this makes me want to pick up the phone right now, dial my surviving grandparents and document the nitty-gritties like you’ve done. A pleasure to read about the grandparent south-indian diet Raj!

Kanika July 19, 2011 at 8:12 pm

PS – my surviving grandfather is 97, grandmom is somewhere in her 80s (date of birth uncertain), my great-grandparents lived till 95, and i have grandaunts and uncles in their 80s/90s as well…so yeah, they certainly did something right!

Kanika July 19, 2011 at 8:29 pm

Another thing that jumps out when you think about older diets is that everyone ate LOCAL. No fancy stuff, just whatever grew in your backyard and around. For that reason, I’d love to see a cross comparison of diets from different parts of India (or the world!) in the early 1900s to see which ones worked better, in terms of longevity. Of course, this would be totally disregarding genes and socioeconomic status and assuming a uniform moderately active lifestyle, but still telling…oooh I’m excited just about the prospects of what we could learn :))

anand srivastava July 20, 2011 at 3:53 am

Are you sure it was Wheat? It was predominately Jau in our areas eastern UP. But yes it is possible it was wheat in Punjab.

Kanika July 20, 2011 at 6:17 am

Anand, will have to check on this…I did sign up for finding out from the grandparents, but completely overlooked the fact that it’s going to be a tough exercise doing this over the phone from the US since they’re a bit hard of hearing 🙂 Let’s see..

Gayathri July 21, 2011 at 3:25 pm (My Note: Circadian rhythm)

Excellent Post and makes me think why didn’t we just continue to eat like our grandparents.

My grandfather is 87, healthy and very independent even today (touchwood). Leads a very disciplined life.His routine has been the same since his younger days, still wakes up at 4 am everyday(why why ??) , does his yoga 4-5 am, 5-6 am meditation.6-7 am brushing his teeth, bath, watering plants etc. 7 breakfast. He HAS to eat breakfast at 7 am everyday.11.45-12.00 Lunch and dinner at 7 PM, goes to bed at 9PM. This is his schedule, wherever he his and under any circumstances.

He eats Hindu non vegetarian diet. Not seen him eat anything in excess but will eat anything prepared. He has never had any health issues till today except cant hear as well as before.My parents seem to have more complications then him.Infact he helps my mom in lifting heavy objects around the house :-).Makes me think consistency, discipline must be the key here.

Will talk to him about his food habits growing up, I am sure it was simple, they didn’t have a lot of money.FYI he prefers to walk everywhere, distances we don’t even think is walkable. Gosh where do we have that kind of time, isn’t that our (my) excuse for everything ?

https://rajganpath.com/2011/07/19/what-did-healthy-south-indians-eat-in-the-early-1900s/

Why are Japan and Korea rice (rather than wheat) growing cultures when they on the same latitude as northern China?

Jay Liu
Jay Liu, I've been told I'm Chinese...
Answered Sep 16, 2015

They're not.

In pre-modern Korea and Japan, rice production, while highly treasured, was not the main source of nourishment for the masses. Millet, barley, and other rough grains were what most people actually ate most of the time. Rice was considered a luxury, especially in Korea and the northwestern half of Japan where the climate is quite unsuitable for rice cultivation. The fact that Southern Chinese farmers could enjoy an all rice grain diet was considered no small miracle in those days by the Japanese and Koreans.

The key to efficient rice cultivation is how many crops a year can be squeezed out. In places like Thailand were there's basically no such thing as winter, they could easily manage 3 crops a year. In Southern China, the traditional practice is 2 crops, in Northern China it's 1 crop.

In Japan, on the Kanto, Kansai, Kyushu areas, they can do 2 crops a year. But the arable land is so small in size, and the population so dense, it was never enough to support a large surplus.

Highest amount of minerals in white rice - potassium and phosphorus

Summary: 

White rice had many mineral and vitamins, it's just not empty calories.
Similarly, wheat has many minerals and vitamins.
Generally, both wheat and rice have more minerals in them but have low vitamins.
None of the other starches (potatoes, sweet potato, cassava, soyabean, yam, plantain) come close to wheat or rice in providing the energy or carbohydrates. Maize and

Wheat has 10 times fiber that of white rice.
Wheat has 5 times selenium that of white rice.
Wheat has 5 times magnesium that of white rice.
Wheat has 4 times manganese that of white rice
Wheat has 3 times potassium and phosphorous that of white rice
Wheat has 2 times zinc that of white rice

Wheat has Vitamin A, rice doesn't. 

Wheat has 20 times vitamin K1 that of white rice. 

Wheat has 10 times vitamin E that of white rice.
Wheat has 4 times niacin (B3) that of white rice.

But in absolute terms, wheat has highest amount of fiber, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and selenium compared to white rice.

Minerals in white rice (per 100 grams)

Potassium - 115 mg
Phosphorus - 115 mg

Calcium - 28 mg
Magnesium - 25 mg
Iron - 0.8 mg
Sodium - 5 mg
Zinc - 1.09


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice


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Ayurveda on Rice

Rice is cooling in nature.

Ayurveda recommends avoiding excess consumption of rice that is parboiled, instant or pre-cooked because is has less nutrition and less prana, or life energy,

Rice is generally good for balancing Vata and Pitta. However old rice does not increase Kapha.

The Ayurvedic treatise Charaka Samhita (c. 700 B.C.) praised the medicinal value of certain varieties of rice – to balance or pacify all the mind/body constitutions (vata, pitta and kapha), to strengthen, revitalize and energize the body, regulate blood pressure, and to prevent skin diseases and premature aging.  But not all rice is the same. Indeed, Ayurvedic treatises document the properties of different varieties of rice, grown in different seasons, in different growing areas, soil types (marshy or dry soils), land preparation (plowed or unplowed land), planting method (broadcast or transplanted), post harvest processing, and aging of rice (new or one/two-year old rice).

Ayurvedic Properties of Rice

Rasa (Taste): Sweet
Virya (Potency): Cooling
Vipaka (Post digestive effective): Sweet
Guna (Qualities): Unctuous, nourishing and Strength promoting. Brown rice is light to digest and white polished rice is slightly heavy to digest
Actions on the doshas: Balances Vata and Pitta and increases Kapha. But old rice does not increase Kapha.

“Old rice” (one year maturity after harvest) versus new rice  (Freshly harvested rice)

 

Freshly harvested rice is hard to digest, whereas 1-year-old rice is “lighter” and two-year old rice is even more “excellent in quality”. Also Ayurveda texts explain that old rice is wholesome in diabetes and obesity. Ayurveda recommends storage of rice in moist free airtight containers.

Now – a – days we are eating newer and newer rice which is becoming harder and harder for us to digest. 

With respect to the preparation of rice, the Ayurvedic texts explain that dry roasting (i.e. drying over heat) certain varieties of rice can make them “light” to digest and hence beneficial when the digestive fire is low. In addition, there are references to the digestive benefits of soaking rice prior to cooking it. Soaking the rice for at least 1 hour prior to cooking them will make it lighter for digestion. 

Some benefits of rice mentioned in Ayurveda texts –

 

From Ayurvedic point of view, rice provides the basis of wide range of healing gruels. Rice was prepared as a thin stew with specific spices to treat different illnesses.

Khichadi made of old rice and mung is beneficial to a person suffering from fever or stomach disorder.

Rice gruel mixed with ghee or butter is advised throughout pregnancy. As rice, ghee and butter are cooling and anabolic, they nourish the mother – to be as well as help in proper growth of the fetus.

Old rice is beneficial in diabetes and obesity.

Indications of rice wash water (Tandulodaka) are also mentioned in many disorders like bleeding disorders, leucorrhoea, etc.

Khichari for Tridosha - A wholesome meal for one and all

  

Benefits - Khichari for Tridosha balances Vata, Pitta and Kapha by providing complete tissue nourishment. It helps in elimination of Ama (metabolic toxins) and improved Agni (metabolic fire). It serves as meal in fever, nausea, loss of appetite.

 

Ingredients –Dhanya (Oryza sativa), Mudga (Vigna radiata), Jiraka (Cuminum cyminum), Rajika (Brassica juncea), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Dhanyak (Coriandrum sativum), Twak (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Curry leaf, Lavana (Rock salt), Ghrita (Ghee)

 

How to prepare Khichadi?–Take one cup (100 gm) and add 3 times water and cook on slow heat. If required more water can be added while cooking. This serves one person.

http://chakrapaniayurveda.com/Newsletter/2016/Ayurvedic-view-on-Rice.html

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Summary

Old rice is preferred. 

Old rice
- absorbs more water.
- It's less sticky. Each grain is separate.
- Based on what the quora writer learnt from her parents, old rice is to be preferred.
- Usually, 1.5 years to 3 years old rice is to be preferred.

New Rice
- absorbs less water.
- It's more sticky.
- Chinese and others using chopsticks usually prefer this type of rice.

https://www.quora.com/Indian-Cuisine-and-Food-Why-is-aged-basmati-rice-highly-prized-and-more-expensive

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Rice congee - food for the sick 

Rice may also be made into congee (also called rice porridge or rice gruel) by adding more water than usual, so that the cooked rice is saturated with water, usually to the point that it disintegrates. Rice porridge is commonly eaten as a breakfast food, and is also a traditional food for the sick.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice

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Arsenic concerns 

Rice contains 10-20 times more arsenic than other cereal crops.

Arsenic is a carcinogen.
Diabetes - More importantly, it could be arsenic in rice that is causes diabetes. (Source: Research in Taiwan - Regional Synthesis of medical geology book)
Immune development -
Growth development -
IQ development -
"We know that low levels of arsenic impact immune development, they impact growth development, they impact IQ development," say Prof Andy Mehrag of Queen's University Belfast who has been studying arsenic for decades.

"The only thing I can really equate it to is smoking," says Prof Andy Meharg of Queen's University Belfast, who has been studying arsenic for decades. "If you take one or two cigarettes per day, your risks are going to be a lot less than if you're smoking 30 or 40 cigarettes a day. It's dose-dependent - the more you eat, the higher your risk is."

He believes that the current legislation isn't strict enough, and that more needs to be done to protect those who eat a lot of rice.

Eating a couple of portions of rice a week isn't putting an adult like me at high risk, but Prof Meharg is concerned about children and babies.

Arsenic is a Group 1 carcinogen. The amount of arsenic in rice varies widely with the greatest concentration in brown rice and rice grown on land formerly used to grow cotton, such as in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas. White rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas, which account collectively for 76 percent of American-produced rice, had higher levels of arsenic than other regions of the world studied, possibly because of past use of arsenic-based pesticides to control cotton weevils. Jasmine rice from Thailand and Basmati rice from Pakistan and India contain the least arsenic among rice varieties in one study. China has set a limit of 150 ppb for arsenic in rice.

Cooking

Now, some ways of cooking rice reduce arsenic levels more than others. We carried out some tests with Prof Meharg and found the best technique is to soak the rice overnight before cooking it in a 5:1 water-to-rice ratio.

That cuts arsenic levels by 80%, compared to the common approach of using two parts water to one part rice and letting all the water soak in. Using lots of water - the 5:1 ratio - without pre-soaking also reduced arsenic levels, but not by as much as the pre-soaking levels.


So, while I would now think twice about feeding young children too much rice or rice products, I'm not going to stop eating rice myself. I will, however, be cooking it in more water and, when I remember, leave it to soak overnight.

*
Matta rice is traditionally double cooked. The rice is washed in a large pan and left to soak from 1 hour to overnight. The rice is drained and simmered with 4 to 8 parts water for 30 minutes. It is then covered and left for 15–20 minutes. The rice is then salted and boiled for another 15–20 minutes or until cooked. It is finally drained and left covered for a further 10–15 minutes before serving.[7]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38910848

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice

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Bacillus cereus

Cooked rice can contain Bacillus cereus spores, which produce an emetic toxin when left at 4–60 °C (39–140 °F). When storing cooked rice for use the next day, rapid cooling is advised to reduce the risk of toxin production.[25] One of the enterotoxins produced by Bacillus cereus is heat-resistant; reheating contaminated rice kills the bacteria, but does not destroy the toxin already present.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice

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Red Rice is the best variety 

In Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medical system, colored rice has been called shastika rice and claims that it can restore imbalances in the human body. Pigmented rice is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols and has two or three times as much zinc and iron as white rice [17] which possess the desirable quality to boost, strengthen, regenerate and energize the body [18]. It is also used as baby food and replaces white rice on special occasion in the state. The red color, varying from light to dark red, is confined to the bran layer. Red Rice (Zag, Tel Zag, Gull Zag, Shel Kew, Kaw Quder) Keeps You Away From Obesity, Diabetes and Cancer. Rice with a red bran layer is called red rice. Susruta (400 BC), Charaka (700 BC), and Vagbhata (700 AD), the well-known vriddha trayi (Trio of Elders) of Ayurveda, considered red rice (rakta shali) the best among the other rice varieties, due to desirable property as they had the power to redress the imbalance in the tridosha or humours (the vata, the pitta, and the kapha – are collectively called the tridosha) whose imbalance in the body causes various types of diseases. In recent times, interest in red rices has been revived because of the presence of antioxidants. The antioxidant and scavenging activity of red rice is higher than that of white rice [19].

Ancient Ayurvedic treatises laud the red rice as a nutritive food and medicine. They are known to be influential in the treatment of various ailments such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, hemorrhage, chest pain, wounds, and burns [20]. Colored rice has been preferred in the past for their special features such as medicinal value and exclusive taste. A large number of these varieties are still grown in various parts of the sate by tribal’s and small farmers who are deprived of modern technologies and health care systems, where indigenous rice with their nutritional and medicinal properties are a rich alternative for the same. This indigenous rice variety in state and India seems to contribute tremendously to the health of the women including adolescent girls, lactating mothers and pregnant women [20]. Ayurvedic properties of Raktasali (red rice) and their effect on human physiology. Red rice (Raktasali) was the most efficacious in subduing deranged humors [21,22]. It was considered good treatment for fevers and ulcers, Improves eyesight, voice improver, semen enhancer, diuretic, spermatophytic, refrigerant, cosmetic, and tonic and was antitoxic.

https://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/health-benefits-of-traditional-rice-varieties-of-temperate-regions-2167-0412-1000198.php?aid=58451

http://asianagrihistory.org/articles/Red-Rices-Uma-Ahuja.pdf

Humans feasting on grains for at least 100,000 years

By Katherine Harmon on December 17, 2009

 

 

Grains might have been an important part of human dietsmuch further back in our history than previous research has suggested. 

Although cupcakes and crumpets were still a long way off during the Middle Stone Age, new evidence suggests that at least some humans of that time period were eating starchy, cereal-based snacks as early as 105,000 years ago. The findings, gleaned from grass seed residue found on ancient African stone tools, are detailed online Thursday in Science. 

Researchers have assumed that humans were foraging for fruits, nuts and roots long before 100,000 years ago, but cereal grains are quite a new addition to the early prehistoric gastronomic picture. "This broadens the timeline for the use of grass seeds by our species," Julio Mercader, an assistant professor at University of Calgary's Department of Archeology and author of the paper, said in a prepared statement. 

Plant domestication, most scientists think, made its debut some 10,000 years ago, with grain storage cropping up about 11,000 years ago. An ancient site in Israel yielded a hearty collection of grains, which were dated to about 23,000 years ago, according to a 2004 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper. But such an early appearance of wild cereals in the human diet—as this new paper proposes—would push the assumed date of substantial grass-seed eating back more than 70,000 years. 

So just what were these gatherers purportedly gnashing? 

Mercader and a team from Mozambique's University of Eduardo Molande had uncovered hundreds of ancient artifacts in a limestone cave near Lake Nissa in Mozambique. Analyzing the surface of 70 of these tools, Mercader found some 2,370 granules of plant starch, which, he reasons, could not have accidentally come from growing plants in such dark reaches of the cave. And the fact that so many of the tools had a coating is evidence of at least some processing to make the seeds more edible. 

"The inclusion of cereals in our diet is considered an important step in human evolution because of the technical complexity and the culinary manipulation that are required to turn grains into staples," Mercader said. Indeed, a descendent of the wild sorghum found on the tools still makes up a large portion of modern diets in sub-Saharan products including breads, porridge and even beer. 

Other tidbits that these hungry humans appear to have been dining on during that period include the African false banana, pigeon peas, wild oranges, African wine palm and the African potato, the researchers concluded. These finds are "proof of an expanded and sophisticated diet much earlier than we believed," Mercader said. And grain consumption was the first step toward grains' domestication—and, eventually, cupcakes. 

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/humans-feasting-on-grains-for-at-least-100000-years/

Benefits of eating fermented rice

History / Epidemiology 

Fermented rice is common across diverse geographies - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, AP, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Bangladesh

If it were not beneficial, fermented rice would not be common both in Kerala and Bangladesh. It would have been local to one particular region. Also, fermented rice is eaten with onion and chilli in most of the places including Bangladesh. The reason for this is in ayurveda. Fermented rice is 'cold' food. Onion and chilli are 'hot' food. So, it is important to eat a hot food along with fermented rice, otherwise, it could be unhealthy.
(http://www.curejoy.com/content/hot-cold-foods-ayurveda/)


Science

Phytic acid: Structure

So why are we letting rice for fermenting ? Have you ever thought about it ?

In rice grains, the phosphorous molecules are well bound to the phytic acid moiety making them unavailable to the human body when we eat it.

Additionally, these phytic acids are tightly bound with the essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, resulting in to low bio availability. Thus in its native forms, the phytic acids are anti-nutrient inhibiting the key digestive enzymes in our body including pepsin, amylase and trypsin. So when you ferment the rice, all those essential minerals and nutrients get released into the body making us more healthy. Thats it :)
(https://www.quora.com/How-good-is-Pazhaya-soru-Fermented-Rice-for-breakfast)

Benefits of Fermented Rice

Shambavi, Ayurvedic skin therapist

Written Aug 6, 2016

*Pazhyam Kanji * Best rated Breakfast

American Nutrition Association says that the previous day's soaked rice is the best for breakfast, used to be the staple diet in Kerala and Tamilnadu, not so long ago...

Rice (Tanjana Facts)

Traditionally rice is cooked in the afternoon and excess water is drained. After the rice cools down to room temperature, it is soaked fully in water and stored in an earthen clay pot. This covered pot with soaked rice is left overnight at regular room temperature. The rice would ferment by the next morning and is eaten for breakfast. Traditionally, it is eaten with a side dish, raw onion or green chili. Some prefer to drain excess water and eat it with yogurt and a slight sprinkle of salt.

The lactic acid bacteria break down the anti-nutritional factors in rice resulting in an improved bioavailability of micro-nutrients and minerals such as iron, potassium and calcium by several thousand percentage points. For example, after 12 hours of fermentation of 100 grams of rice, the availability of iron changed from 3.4 mg to 73.91mg (an increase of 2073%).

In the agrarian communities of South East Asia, fermented rice played a big role in the lives of people. It gave the energy, the nutrition and the cooling effect that they needed for a full day of manual labor. Unfortunately, people moving up the food chain (or wealth chain, rather) looked down on fermented rice as the pauper’s food and ignored the great nutritional value it provides.

Food scientists who researched on the food practices among various regions in the world and concluded that the South Asia’s tradition of consuming the previous day's cooked rice soaked in plain water overnight, in the morning next day, as break-fast, is the best. It has the rare B6 B12 vitamins which are not otherwise easily available in other food supplements. This rice generates and harbors trillions of beneficial bacteria that help digestion and has many disease fighting and immunity developing agents. The bacteria that grow in the intestines due to this rice safeguard the internal organs and keep them fit and ready. Consuming this rice helps quicker digestion and wards off ageing, bone related ailments and muscular pains. Brown rice is the best for this as its nutrients are retained intact.

American Nutrition Association has listed the following benefits if you stick to the practice of consuming such soaked rice.

• Consuming this rice as breakfast keeps the body light and also energetic.

• Beneficial bacteria get produced in abundance for the body.

• Stomach ailments disappear when this is consumed in the morning as excessive and harmful heat retained in the body is neutralized.

• As this food is very fibrous, it removes constipation and also dullness in the body.

• Blood pressure is normalized and hypertension subsides appreciably.

• Body feels less tired due to this food as a result of which one feels fresh throughout the day.

• This removes allergy induced problems and also skin-related ailments.

• It removes all types of ulcers in the body.

• Fresh infections are kept at bay due to consuming this rice.

• It helps in maintaining youthful and radiant look.

Consuming this takes away your body’s craving for tea or coffee. This is the richest source of vitamin B12 for vegans. So, do not throw away that extra rice you had cooked. It could be the healthiest breakfast you will ever have.

(https://www.quora.com/How-good-is-Pazhaya-soru-Fermented-Rice-for-breakfast)

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1. More mineral: The following minerals are more bio-available in fermented rice compared to normal rice. As per research by Assam Agricultural University, after 12 hours of fermentation

Iron - 3.4mg in 100 grams of rice, 74mg in 100 grams of fermented rice.
Calcium - went up from 21mg to 850 mg
Potassium - went upto to 839 mg
Sodium - came down from 475 mg to 303 mg

Zinc - increased in fermented rice (from another source)

Madhumita Barooah, who worked along with Gunajit Goswami of the department to isolate the bacteria, said cooked rice had an element that prevented the availability of minerals like iron, potassium, sodium and calcium in high quantities.

Even after slight fermentation (three hours), the breakdown of the nutritional inhibitor by the lactic acid bacteria increased the mineral content manifold, she added.

“Although rice is an important source of dietary energy and nutrients, it is not a good source of metabolic micro-nutrients because of the presence of anti-nutritional factors such as phytic acid. Cereal grains such as rice also contain oligosaccharides that are not easily digestible because of absence of an enzyme in the human intestinal mucosa. Fermentation allows for breakdown of this and easy digestion,” Barooah said.

The dish is slightly sweet and sour in taste because of fermentation by the lactic acid bacteria.

It is considered to be a coolant during summer.
(https://www.telegraphindia.com/1110804/jsp/northeast/story_14328967.jsp)


2. Prevents fatigue and provides strength: People who eat fermented rice are strong and can take work strenuous in nature.

Example - on quora, one guy explains how during his NCC days, he was strong and sturdy during early morning session while others used to faint. This cadet's mother used to feed him fermented rice early in the morning as dosa/idly was not possible at 5.30am.

3. Clears constipation: Fermented Rice is a natural laxative. It has healthy bacteria that help the bowel movement, without any side effects of the medications.

4. Cures ulcer: Micro-organisms are produced during the fermentation process and the pH levels are balanced in the stomach.  It also replaces the gut with healthy bacteria.

5. Produces collagen, Beauty care product: Fermented rice is considered as one of the beauty secrets of Asia.  It helps in the production of collagen, which is necessary to maintain the elasticity of the skin.  It also repairs the dead skin cells and produces the skin with necessary vitamin E to make it look younger.

6. Reduces Blood Pressure: Fermented rice is a rich source of Potassium.  Research shows that when the level of intake of potassium is high, it will reduce the blood pressure.

7. Secretes breast milk in feeding mothers: Fermented rice has a good source of lactic acid and helps secrete good flow of milk for the baby.

(http://boostuplife.com/fermented-rice-benefits/)

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Fermented foods help in brain / psychiatric diseases. 

The purposeful application of fermentation in food and beverage preparation, as a means to provide palatability, nutritional value, preservative, and medicinal properties, is an ancient practice. Fermented foods and beverages continue to make a significant contribution to the overall patterns of traditional dietary practices. As our knowledge of the human microbiome increases, including its connection to mental health (for example, anxiety and depression), it is becoming increasingly clear that there are untold connections between our resident microbes and many aspects of physiology. Of relevance to this research are new findings concerning the ways in which fermentation alters dietary items pre-consumption, and in turn, the ways in which fermentation-enriched chemicals (for example, lactoferrin, bioactive peptides) and newly formed phytochemicals (for example, unique flavonoids) may act upon our own intestinal microbiota profile. Here, we argue that the consumption of fermented foods may be particularly relevant to the emerging research linking traditional dietary practices and positive mental health. The extent to which traditional dietary items may mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress may be controlled, at least to some degree, by microbiota. It is our contention that properly controlled fermentation may often amplify the specific nutrient and phytochemical content of foods, the ultimate value of which may associated with mental health; furthermore, we also argue that the microbes (for example, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species) associated with fermented foods may also influence brain health via direct and indirect pathways.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3904694/

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Ramadas Mannattil, Loves and practices Non-Dualism (Advaita)

Written Jan 12, 2016

During my school days (1978) I was an NCC cadet and was always selected for participating in the Republic day parade at Chennai.  The parade starts from fishermen colony in Foreshore estate beach (opposite AIR) and ends at Madras University Centenary auditorium, about 3.25 km, going thru the Kamarajar Salai (then called North Beach Road).

The practice sessions used to start 10 days before, and continued daily, until 24 January and then the final parade on 26

January. All NCC cadets are supposed to report by 6.30 am (Contingents from the Army, Navy, Airforce and Police, RPF, CRPF would be also there). This means I have to leave home at 5.30 am from Chetput and get my first 27B bus, get down at Kannagi statue and walk back to behind the light house to join the squads.

Many cadets used to swoon during the march, but not me! The secret was my mother’s special “pazhaya soru recipe”. It was too early to cook proper idly, dosai breakfast, so she used to take the last night’s cooked rice, socked in water. Add curd and salt and the side dishes are small sambar onions and green chillies. This energy used to take me up to  10.30 am when we are given food at University centenary auditorium after the march.

(https://www.quora.com/How-good-is-Pazhaya-soru-Fermented-Rice-for-breakfast)

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It is usually served as breakfast,^[11] though noon or evening consumption is not uncommon.^[12][13]

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panta_bhat#cite_note-14)

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It also restores healthy intestinal flora (bacteria) and relieves all diseases related to stomach and intestines, like dueodenal ulcers, infectious colitis, Ischemic colitis, Radiation colitis, Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Diverticular disease, Hemorrhoids, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease , candida infections etc.

It is the bacteria cells that also contribute to the bulk of feces that when reduced is one of the factor for constipation.

I stopped water therapy and ate refined foods for a month and made my levels go to the upper side of normal. Then ate fermented rice and fermented barley using organic-whole-milk-yogurt for 10 days and checked my blood parameters before and after this regimen.

(http://uni5.co/index.php/en/grains/grains-p-z/rice.html)

Eating Fermented   Food		Home checked Values	Hospital checked Values
	Day-1	Day-10	Day 20
Fasting sugar (mg/dl)	92	71
2hrs after meal (mg/dl)	123	106
Cholesterol (mg/dl)	193	172
Triglycerides (mg/dl)	155	125
Weight (pounds)	152	144
Blood Pressure	123/80	101/70	99/71