Culture
5 Miraculous Foods Indians Consume Everyday, That Increase Immunity!
Turmeric latte might be new to you, but we have been consuming it for centuries!
When Covid hit the world, everyone’s eyes were glued to India because it has such a high population density and also more than a billion people live in the country. Where many countries had a death rate between 0.5 to 1%, India experienced ten times less than that.
As per official figures, the total deaths that happened in India due to covid were around 600k. The total population of India is more than 1.3 billion. The percentage comes out to be 0.046%. If we also think that official figures are rigged or real numbers are hidden, let’s multiply this number by ten.
Even then the death percentage comes out to be around 0.4% which is insanely low — considering the population, the density, the crowd in major Indian cities!
This, and many other incidents have proven in the past, that Indians have high immunity. And many of our foods are to be credited for that!
Indian foods and spices are famous in the world for their healing properties.
It’s a common joke that runs through the country, that the British colonized India for spices, they ruled us for over two hundred years, and yet they have such bland, tasteless food!
But jokes apart, Indian foods have been studied by various experts in the past to discover longevity, good health, better brain development, and even high immunity.
Today, we will talk about five such miracle foods that Indians consume almost on a daily basis, that grant them a high immunity. So let’s start —
Turmeric
This yellow miracle powder known as turmeric is something that we use in our foods every single day!
Turmeric latte might be a rage in the west now in the 2020s, but our Indian mothers have been feeding us turmeric milk ever since we were kids. Every night before going to bed, drinking a small cup of turmeric milk like a medical concoction, is still a ritual in many Indian households.
Not only in the milk, but turmeric is used in almost all curries and dishes that have red or yellow colors, and most Indian curries are either red or yellow!
Turmeric has many known benefits and some of them are —
- Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, and it helps to release anti-oxidants in your body.
- It might help to prevent cancer and lowers cholesterol.
- It can treat skin conditions, and is popularly used in homemade face masks as well!
- It can help you with digestion and gastrointestinal conditions.
- It boosts immunity and keeps seasonal the flu and illnesses away!
Cow Milk
Cow milk, not buffalo milk, is known as “amrut” in Hindu culture. Amrut means a concoction that grants you immortality! Now you can imagine, how highly cow milk is regarded in our country.
As per our strict religious beliefs, Hindus do not consume cow or buffalo meat. The reasons behind that are more scientific than religious. Consumption of cow meat is known to have increased the chances of getting cancer in the body.
Red meat has been proven to be a culprit in high-cancer countries, and that is why many people are advised medically to refrain from consuming it.
So, we don’t consume the meat of the cow, but we are encouraged to drink cow’s milk. And since it is an animal that provides us its milk, we regard it as high as our mother.
The Indian cow’s milk is known to benefit you in many ways —
- Cow milk is high in calcium and helps with bone development in kids
- It boosts immunity and keeps diseases at bay
- It helps to keep the blood pressure low
- It maintains the health of your heart
- It has high-quality protein that helps with muscle building
High Protein Lentils
Those who think protein is only present in non-vegetarian diets are mistaken because now the world has finally discovered that even a vegan diet can be sufficient to complete all nutritional requirements of the human body.
Indians have been consuming high protein lentils since time immemorial. The recipes of our lentils go back centuries, not just decades. There are accounts in history where people used to cook large amounts of lentils in a big vessel, as a part of community cooking with a common kitchen.
Indian lentils are not only high in protein but also in many other micronutrients, that are essential for the body.
Some of the amazing benefits of including lentils in your daily diet are —
- They are full of polyphenols — compounds that fight the bad stuff in our body! From ultraviolet rays and radiation to various heart diseases, polyphenols can fix it all.
- They are high in iron and protein. Vegetarian bodybuilders swear by them!
- They have high fiber, so if you have digestion issues, you must try them for at least a week and see the difference.
- They are a good source of folic acid and magnesium, hence recommended highly to pregnant women, and in general women of all ages.
- Provide you with high immunity against disease-causing agents.
Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Ghee or clarified butter is even healthier than normal butter. It is known as the golden elixir of Indian households. Just like we use turmeric in almost all curries, lentils, and vegetables, we also use ghee in almost all of them.
Even today, the tempering of all curries is done by frying cumin seeds or mustard seeds, in cow milk’s ghee.
The process to make ghee at home is quite cumbersome and tiring, as you need to boil milk, collect its cream, and store that cream until you have more than enough of it to make a small batch of ghee. Once you have collected enough cream, then it’s time to boil it, until it turns into a clear liquid.
In the Netherlands however, I don’t have that kind of time or energy, so I usually buy the highest quality butter and just boil it in any normal pan, until the froth dissolves and it turns into a clear golden liquid. That’s when you know that it’s done.
There are numerous health benefits of using ghee, some of them are —
- Although ghee is pure fat, it contains healthy fat. The ones that your bones and organs need. It does not cause heart issues as other saturated fats do.
- Ghee helps the body build T-cells by providing butyric acid, hence aiding the body in building high immunity.
- It has a rich quantity of Vitamins A and E that are required for high fertility, healthy functioning liver, and balanced hormones.
- Applying ghee to your skin will soothe it and it is one of the best natural moisturizers you can get, because of the high amount of Vitamin E in it.
- It helps in weight loss, yes, you might think how can a fatty thing help in weight loss? But ghee does, by increasing the body’s metabolism and aiding with digestion.
- Ghee attracts toxic elements in the body and cleanses it from the inside. Having ghee regularly is a better form of detox than drinking all those detox juices, laden with preservatives being sold in the market for 10x prices!
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are readily available in all Indian cultures. From North to South you will find dishes that contain fermented foods, that are good for your gut.
Staples in India were chosen based upon many factors like — climate, environment, and even the physical labor that a person has to do.
Some of the common fermented foods consumed in India range from various pickles made from seasonal fruits and vegetables to dishes made out of fermented rice, like idli, dosa, uttapam, and more.
Some of the benefits of fermented foods are —
- Fermented foods are high in anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory in nature, and have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.
- They aid in digestion and help improve immunity.
- They help keep blood sugar levels in control and prevent diabetes.
- Fermented foods have high pro-biotics and pre-biotics that keep your gut healthy.
If you include some of these foods in your daily diet, you can surely expect positive changes in your body!
References:
1. Benefits of drinking cow's milk
2. Turmeric and its ten benefits
3. Are lentils good for you? Why you should include them in your diet?
4. Benefits of Ghee you may not have known about!
5. Health benefits of Fermented FoodsIf this story was insightful, consider supporting my work by signing up to be a Medium member. It will cost you only the price of your one coffee, for a month-long subscription and you will get unlimited access to some of the best-written work on the internet!