Botanical Name:Brassica rapa Family: Cruciferae Genus:Brassica Synonyms: Brassica parachinensis – L.H.Bailey. Known Hazards: None known
Common Names:bok choy, pak choi, choi sum, Chinese white cabbage, Chinese flowering cabbage, Peking cabbage, celery cabbage, and white mustard cabbage. Nomenclature
In Mandarin Chinese bai cai ( “white vegetable”) refers to both groups of B. rapa. However, the English word bok choy and its variations bok choi and pak choi are derived from the Cantonese cognate, which instead denotes one specific variety of cabbage, namely those with white stems and dark green leaves. The other varieties all have different names which entered the English language as you choy, choy sum, napa and baby bok choy, etc. Hence the English word bok choy (and its Cantonese source) is not equivalent to the Mandarin word bai cai, though the Chinese characters are the same.
Description:
Pak Choy have gloss, dark green leaves with long, large white petioles. They are generally called Full Size White Pak Choy in the markets. These varieties grow best in mild and slightly cold climates, suitable for fall crops. They may go into the pre-matured flowering in heat conditions. Pak Choy is used extensively in Cantonese cooking. Many varieties can grow up to 20 inches high.
A type of Chinese vegetable of the mustard family. It has dark green leaves and white celery-like stalks that have a mild, slightly peppery flavor. Both the greens and the stalks are popular in salads and the stalks are often used in stir-fry recipes.Pak Choy is available throughout the year. When selecting, look for a firm compact head with fresh leaves. The cabbage should be used when fresh if possible because it does not store well. If it is necessary to store, keep it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, and it should stay fresh for 4 to 5 days.
Cultivation details:
Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil. Prefers a pH of 5.5 to 7. Prefers a cool moist reasonably fertile soil. The plant is shallow rooted and intolerant of drought, it responds well to a moist fertile soil but succeeds in poorer soils than standard Pak choi. Hardy to about -10°c, the plants stand up well to snow but are less likely to stand up to prolonged winter wet. The prostrate forms are hardier than semi-prostrate forms. The rosette pak choi is widely cultivated in China for its edible leaves, there are several named varieties. It is slower-growing than standard Pak choi, B. rapa chinensis.
choy seeds are extremely small, so difficult to handle when sowing. Pak choy can either be sown direct in the row and thinned to an appropriate spacing, or transplanted 15 to 30 days, depending on the variety, after seeding. Transplanting may reduce bolting, especially during summer. The soil should be well prepared so that the beds are raised with good drainage and air circulation.
Within row spacing varies from 2.5 to 10 cm for the smallest varieties and up to 45 cm for the largest. Spacing between rows varies between 15 and 30 cm. Do not sow seeds deeper than 2 cm below the surface.
Pak choy is a shallow-rooted crop and requires frequent watering. Apply light irrigations to avoid leaching. Outdoor plants can be protected by film covers in winter and shading net in summer. Do not apply large amounts of nitrogen to soil as this may increase the incidence of bacterial soft rots in pak choy.
Harvesting:
Pak choy are usually harvested by hand, cut off at the base 35 to 55 days after sowing. Pak choy should always be picked when leaves are fresh and crisp, and before the outer leaves turn yellow. Remove any dead or damaged leaves, trim the base flush with the first petiole and wash the plant. Harvest during a cooler part of the day. Yields are usually about 15 tonne per hectare. Market prices are highest for green, turgid produce.
Uses:
Pak choy is a vegetable which has been cultivated in China for thousands of years. In addition to being widely used in Chinese cuisine, pak choy or “white vegetable” is very popular in other parts of Asia as well. Many English speakers know pak choy as bok choy or pak choi, thanks to disagreement about how the Chinese word for this vegetable should be transliterated. Whatever you call it, pak choy is a very versatile, tender, flavorful vegetable which can be used in a wide assortment of dishes.
This vegetable is also sometimes called “Chinese cabbage,” a reference to the fact that it is classified in the Brassica genus, to which cabbages belong. Brassicas are also members of the mustard family, and they have a distinctive tangy, somewhat spicy flavor as a result. Brassica chinensis, as pak choy is more formally known, comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors, thanks to the development of specific cultivars.
Classic pak choy has white, crunchy stems and dark green leaves, both of which are edible. In China, the smaller the vegetable is, the more favorably it is viewed, because small pak choy plants tend to be more tender. Outside of China, some cooks seek out larger versions, as they are under the impression that bigger is better, but if you can obtain smaller vegetables, you may find that they are much more tasty; many markets sell young pak choy as “baby pak choy,” and it is growing easier to find. Big pak choy bunches tend to be woody and lacking in flavor.
Tender young pak choy only needs to be cooked very briefly, and the leaves take even less time to cook than the stems. Most cooks separate leaves and stems, throwing the leaves into a dish at the last minute to lightly wilt them before serving. The stalks can be allowed to cook a bit longer than the leaves, although many people favor a brief cooking time to leave the stalks crunchy and tender, rather than allowing them to soften.
Many cooks like to use pak choy in stir fries, and it can also be used in soups, curries, spring rolls, and a variety of other dishes. The flavor of pak choy is very mild, with a hint of a tangy bite which betrays its place in the mustard family, and this vegetable is also very healthy. It is high in calcium, like other Brassicas, and it also has high levels of vitamins A and C. Click to see:->Pak Choy cooking Terms
Botanical Name:Vaccinium macrocarpon Family:Ericaceae Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Genus: Vaccinium Subgenus: Oxycoccos Other names: North American cranberry, large cranberry
Parts Used: The ripe fruit of the cranberry is the part used in commercial and medicinal preparations
Habitat:Cranberries mainly thrive in sandy soil and bogs. They are mainly seen in the regions between Newfoundland, down to North Carolina, and also westwards to Minnesota. In terms of production, the state that produces the most cranberries in the US is Wisconsin, while Massachusetts comes a close second. Massachusetts alone produces about 2 million barrels of cranberries annually!
Description:
Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to 2 m long and 5 to 20 cm in height; they have slender, wiry stems that are not thickly woody and have small evergreen leaves. The flowers are dark pink, with very distinct reflexed petals, leaving the style and stamens fully exposed and pointing forward. They are pollinated by domestic honey bees. The fruit is an epigynous berry that is larger than the leaves of the plant; it is initially white, but turns a deep red when fully ripe. It is edible, with an acidic taste that can overwhelm its sweetness. click to see the pictures..>….(01)...(1).…..(2).……..(3)…….(4).... The cranberry plant–-called a vine by growers–is a long-lived perennial less than eight inches high with trailing, thin, wiry stems that bear small, opposite, evergreen leaves. Cranberry flowers appear around the Fourth of July; these are white to light pink, downward-pointing, bell-shaped, axillary flowers. The common name cranberry is a modification of the colonial name “crane berry,” because the drooping flower looked like the neck and head of the sand crane, which was often seen eating the fruits.
Cranberries are a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces (see “Cultivation and Uses” below). Most cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. Cranberry sauce is regarded an indispensable part of traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus and European winter festivals.
Since the early 21st century within the global functional food industry, there has been a rapidly growing recognition of cranberries for their consumer product popularity, nutrient content and antioxidant qualities, giving them commercial status as a novel “superfruit”.
Species: There are three to four species of cranberry, classified in two sections:
*Subgenus Oxycoccos, sect. Oxycoccos
*Vaccinium oxycoccos or Oxycoccos palustris (Common Cranberry or Northern Cranberry) is widespread throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America. It has small 5-10 mm leaves. The flowers are dark pink, with a purple central spike, produced on finely hairy stems. The fruit is a small pale pink berry, with a refreshing sharp acidic flavour.
*Vaccinium microcarpum or Oxycoccos microcarpus (Small Cranberry) occurs in northern Europe and northern Asia, and differs from V. oxycoccus in the leaves being more triangular, and the flower stems hairless. Some botanists include it within V. oxycoccos.
*Vaccinium macrocarpon or Oxycoccos macrocarpus (Large cranberry, American Cranberry, Bearberry) native to northeastern North America (eastern Canada, and eastern United States, south to North Carolina at high altitudes). It differs from V. oxycoccus in the leaves being larger, 10-20 mm long, and in its slightly apple-like taste.
Subgenus Oxycoccos, sect. Oxycoccoides
Vaccinium erythrocarpum or Oxycoccos erythrocarpus (Southern Mountain Cranberry) native to southeastern North America at high altitudes in the southern Appalachian Mountains, and also in eastern Asia.
Chemical Composition of Cranberries
Basically, cranberries have a very rich chemical composition. They are formed chemically of triterpinoids, a range of acids, such as benzoic acid, citric acid, malic acid, quinic acid, ascorbic acid, leptosine glycosides, glucuornic acid, catechin, as well as alkaloids and anthocyanin dyes. The different combinations of these are what provide the rich variety of medicinal benefits associated with cranberries.
Phytochemicals: The cranberry contains Catechins, Triterpenoids, Quinic Acid, Hippuric Acid, Anthocyanins
Medicinal Uses and Indications Urinary tract infections
Cranberry is used to prevent urinary tract infections of the bladder and urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder). Several studies indicate its effectiveness. In one study of older women, cranberry juice significantly reduced the amount of bacteria present in the bladder compared to placebo. Another study showed that younger women with a history of recurrent UTIs who took cranberry by capsule significantly reduced the recurrence of UTI compared to those who took placebo.
However, evidence suggests that cranberry is not as effective against bacteria once they have attached to cells in the urinary tract. For this reason, cranberry is more effective at preventing UTIs than treating them. Instead, UTIs should be treated with conventional antibiotics.
Ulcers
A preliminary study suggests that cranberry may also prevent the bacteria Helicobacter pylori from attaching to stomach walls. H. pylori can cause stomach ulcers, so it is possible that cranberries may eventually prove to play a role in the prevention of this condition. However, more research is needed.
Heart disease
The antioxidants found in cranberry may protect from heart disease by lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, relaxing blood vessels, and preventing plaque from building up in arteries. However, more research is needed.
Cancer
In some test tube studies, cranberry appears to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. It is too early to say whether the herb will have the same effect in humans.
Oral hygiene
Studies also suggest that cranberries may help prevent bacteria from adhering to gums and around the teeth, helping to prevent cavities. Researchers caution, however, that cranberry juice is often high in sugar and should not be used for oral hygiene.
Available Forms
Cranberries are available fresh or frozen and in juice and concentrate forms. Dried berries are also available in tablet or capsule form. Pure cranberry juice is very sour, so most cranberry juices contain a mixture of cranberries, sweeteners (which may reduce the healthful effects of the juice), and vitamin C. Look for a brand of cranberry juice that has the lowest amount of added sugar or is sugar-free.
How to Take It Pediatric
There is not enough evidence to establish a safe dose for children prone to UTIs. A child with a UTI should be under the care of a qualified health care provider.
Adult
Juice: 3 or more fluid oz. of pure juice per day, or about 10 oz. of cranberry juice cocktail
Capsules: 300 mg to 400 mg, 6 per day in divided doses
Fresh or frozen cranberries: 1.5 ounces
Precautions:
The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner.
Cranberry juice and supplements are generally considered safe with no serious side effects, even for pregnant women.
Cranberry contains relatively high levels of oxalate, chemicals that may increase the risk of kidney stones. People who have or have had kidney stones should talk to their doctor before taking cranberry supplements or drinking large amounts of cranberry juice.
Cranberry should not be used as a substitute for antibiotics during a UTI.
Because most cranberry juice contains added sugar, people who have diabetes should look for brands of juice that are artificially sweetened or should limit their consumption of regular juice.
Possible Interactions
A preliminary report suggests that cranberry may interfere with the effects of the blood-thinning drug warfarin. If you take warfarin, do not take supplemental cranberry and limit your consumption of cranberry juice.
Research Reviews:
*A flavonoid fraction from cranberry extract inhibits proliferation of human tumor cell lines
*Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori and associated urease by oregano and cranberry phytochemical synergies. *Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections
*What’s the use of cranberry juice?
Abstracts:
*Cranberry and the Urinary Tract
*Anti-Adhesion Properties of Cranberry
*Cranberry and Dental Health
*Cranberry and Stomach Ulcers
*Influence of Cranberry on Heart Disease
*Anti-Cancer Properties of Cranberry Phytochemicals
*Phytochemicals in Cranberry
Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Some informations about the tart fruit’s healing abilities.…….European settlers first put cranberries on the Thanksgiving table because the local fruit lasted through winter and enhanced the flavor of gamy meat. The settlers had picked up on the berry’s culinary potential from Native Americans, who survived cold winters by filling up on pemmican, a cake of cranberries, nuts and dried venison or bear meat.
Both groups also prescribed cranberries for fevers, gastrointestinal problems and dropsy — a term used to describe any swelling or inflammation. Turns out, they were onto something. In the last few decades, scientists have begun to confirm and explain the cranberry‘s ability to fight infections of the urinary tract and gut and its potential to fight gum disease, heart disease and cancer.
“For over a hundred years, women have known that cranberry juice can prevent urinary tract infections,” says Amy Howell, associate research scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research at Rutgers University in Camden, N.J. “They thought it was due to acidity, but that’s actually not the case.”
Cranberry’s antibacterial properties are due to a class of chemical compounds called proanthocyanidins. Ten years ago, Howell’s research group isolated the compounds and demonstrated how they work: Proanthocyanidins bind to harmful bacteria such as E. coli, forming a “Teflon-like” coating around them. The coating prevents the bacteria from sticking to gastrointestinal and urinary tract walls, impeding infections.
The nonstick properties of proanthocyanidins may explain the results of several clinical trials that showed that cranberry juice can reduce the frequency of urinary tract infections.
For example, a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 showed that women who drank a couple of ounces of cranberry juice daily for six months had a 20% lower risk of urinary tract infections, compared with women in a control group. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Urology in 2002 showed that just 20% of women who drank three glasses of cranberry juice daily for a year experienced urinary tract infection symptoms, compared with 32% of women who drank a placebo.
And last month, a study in the journal Urology found that two glasses of cranberry juice a day reduced the frequency of urinary tract infections by 41% among pregnant women.
Proanthocyanidins also appear to keep the bacterium H. pylori, which causes ulcers, from sticking to the linings of the stomach and intestines. A 2005 study of 189 adults with H. pylori infections in the journal Helicobacter, showed that two glasses of cranberry juice daily for three months reduced the degree of infections, compared with those who drank a placebo.
And a study in the journal Nutrition this year showed that a daily glass of cranberry juice eliminated H. pylori infections in 16% of infected children; a placebo eliminated only 1.5%.
Other research suggests that the compounds could keep plaque-forming bacteria at bay. In lab experiments, cranberry proanthocyanidins stopped oral streptococci and other bacteria from sticking to surfaces. But researchers warn against using the juice as a mouthwash because of its sugar content and acidity.
Cranberries are high in vitamins A, E and C, iron, calcium, potassium and antioxidants. The last may explain the fruit’s possible anti-cancer and anti-heart-disease effects. Cranberry impedes the growth of liver and breast cancer cells in lab dishes, says Jie Sun, a scientist at General Mills who previously researched the fruit’s anti-cancer effects at Cornell University.
And in 2006, Canadian researchers published suggestive findings in the British Journal of Nutrition showing that drinking a glass of cranberry juice a day increased concentrations of good HDL cholesterol by 8% in overweight men. (The study was funded by the Canadian Cranberry Growers Coalition.)
But the tart red berries may not be for everyone. Gorging on too many or guzzling too much juice can result in an upset stomach or diarrhea. A couple of reports indicate that cranberry juice may increase the risk of kidney stones in people prone to them. And there’s conflicting evidence that cranberries may interfere with blood thinning drugs, such as warfarin.
The common cranberry’s benefits still seem to outweigh its drawbacks, but despite this, most Americans limit their consumption to a single day of the year. The reason for this may have been best summed up by writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau more than 150 years ago: Cranberries, he wrote, were easy to harvest, but their taste was “a little bitterish.”
Other Names:
Okra, Okro, Ochro, Okoro, Quimgombo (Cuba), Quingumbo, Ladies Fingers,gombo, quingombo, Gombo, Kopi Arab, Kacang Bendi, Bhindi (S. Asia), Bendi (Malaysia), Bamia, Bamya or Bamieh (middle east), Gumbo (Southern USA), Quiabo, Quiabos (Portugal and Angola), okura (Japan), qiu kui (Taiwan),in India it is bhindi,eastern Mediterranean and Arab countries bamies.
Parts Used: Immature pods
Etymology, origin and distribution
The name “okra” is of West African origin . In various Bantu languages, okra is called “kingombo” or a variant thereof, and this is the origin of its name in Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French. The Arabic “bemyah” is the basis of the names in the Middle East, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece, North Africa and Russia. In Southern Asia, its name is usually a variant of “bhindi” or “vendi.”
The species apparently originated in the Ethiopian Highlands, though the manner of distribution from there is undocumented. The Egyptians and Moors of the 12th and 13th centuries used the Arab word for the plant, suggesting that it had come from the east. The plant may thus have been taken across the Red Sea or the Bab-el-Mandeb strait to the Arabian Peninsula, rather than north across the Sahara. One of the earliest accounts is by a Spanish Moor who visited Egypt in 1216, who described the plant under cultivation by the locals who ate the tender, young pods with meal.
From Arabia, the plant spread around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and eastward. The lack of a word for okra in the ancient languages of India suggests that it arrived there in the Common Era. The plant was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade by 1658, when its presence was recorded in Brazil. It was further documented in Suriname in 1686. Okra may have been introduced to the southeastern North America in the early 18th century and gradually spread. It was being grown as far north as Philadelphia by 1748, while Thomas Jefferson noted that it was well established in Virginia by 1781. It was commonplace throughout the southern United States by 1800 and the first mention of different cultivars was in 1806
Description:
Okra is a member of the Mallow family, related to cotton, hibiscus and hollyhock. It has heart shaped leaves (one species is cultivated for its edible leaves), and large, yellow, hibiscus-like flowers.
The species is an annual or perennial, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm long, containing numerous seeds.
It is a tall-growing, warm-season, annual vegetable from the same family as hollyhock, rose of Sharon and hibiscus. The pods, when cut, exude a mucilaginous juice that is used to thicken stews (gumbo), and have a flavor somewhat like a cross between asparagus and eggplant.
Cultivation:
Abelmoschus esculentus is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world. It will tolerate poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture. Severe frost can damage the pods.
It is an annual crop in the southern United States.
Recommended Varieties :
Annie Oakley (hybrid; 52 days to harvest; compact plant; extra tender pods)
Dwarf Green Long Pod (52 days; ribbed pods)
Clemson Spineless (56 days; AAS winner)
In cultivation, the seeds are soaked overnight prior to planting to a depth of 1-2 cm. Germination occurs between six days (soaked seeds) and three weeks. Seedlings require ample water. The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and woody and must be harvested within a week of the fruit being pollinated to be edible.
The products of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic “goo” when the seed pods are cooked. In order to avoid this effect, okra pods are often stir fried, so the moisture is cooked away, or paired with slightly acidic ingredients, such as citrus or tomatoes. The cooked leaves are also a powerful soup thickener.
Based on the rising experiences with its country cousin, kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), okra could, at least in principle, have a future producing yet more things that are strange for a vegetable crop, including:
*Construction materials: Kenaf-blend panels are said to perform better than the present particleboard.
*Handicrafts: Kenaf fiber makes excellent mats, hats, baskets, and more.
*Forage: Chopping up the whole kenaf plant and feeding it to animals has proven successful.
*Fuel: Kenaf roots and stems burn fiercely.
Uses:
Abelmoschus esculentus is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. The fruits are harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable.
The immature pods are used for soups, canning and stews or as a fried or boiled vegetable. The hibiscus like flowers and upright plant (3 to 6 feet or more in height) have ornamental value for backyard gardens.
A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known vegetable has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.
In Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Yemen, and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean, okra is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat. In Indian cooking, it is sauteed or added to gravy-based preparations and is very popular in South India. In Caribbean islands okra is cooked up and eaten as soup, often with fish. In Haiti, it is cooked with rice and maize; it is also used as a sauce for meat. It became a popular vegetable in Japanese cuisine toward the end of the 20th century, served with soy sauce and katsuobushi or as tempura. It is used as a thickening agent in gumbo. Breaded, deep fried okra is served in the southern United States. The immature pods may also be pickled.
Okra leaves may be cooked in a similar manner as the greens of beets or dandelions. The leaves are also eaten raw in salads. Okra seeds may be roasted and ground to form a non-caffeinated substitute for coffee. As imports were disrupted by the American Civil War in 1861, the Austin State Gazette noted, “An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation of fifty negroes with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio.
Okra forms part of several regional “signature” dishes. Frango com quiabo (chicken with okra) is a Brazilian dish that is especially famous in the region of Minas Gerais. Gumbo, a hearty stew whose key ingredient is okra, is found throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States and in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The word “gumbo” is based on the Central Bantu word for okra, “kigombo”, via the Caribbean Spanish “guingambó” or “quimbombó”. It is also an expected ingredient in callaloo, a Caribbean dish and the national dish of Trinidad & Tobago. Okra is also enjoyed in Nigeria where okra soup (Draw soup) is a special delicacy with Garri(eba) or akpu.
In Vietnam, okra is the important ingredient in the dish canh chua.
Mature okra is used to make rope and paper! (Avoid those old woody pods!).
Medicinal Uses: Nutrition:
Okra is a good source of vitamin C and A, also B complex vitamins, iron and calcium. It is low in calories, a good source of dietary fiber, and is fat-free.
Okra oil is a pressed seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the okra. The greenish yellow edible oil has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid. The oil content of the seed is quite high at about 40%. Oil yields from okra crops are also high. At 794 kg/ha, the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial.
Unspecified parts of the plant reportedly possess diuretic properties.
Contains male contraceptive gossypol.
According to Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D. (nutritionist) Okra has several benefits.
1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
2. Okra’s mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver.
3. Okra helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. The okra fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools. This helps prevent and improve constipation. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra’s mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic. Okra binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids). These, if not evacuated, will cause numerous health problems. Okra also assures easy passage out of waste from the body. Okra is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming, has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most unlike the OTC drugs.
4. Okra fiber is excellent for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics). This contributes to the health of the intestinal tract.
5. Okra is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression.
6. Okra is used for healing ulcers and to keep joints limber. It helps to neutralize acids, being very alkaline, and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract.
7. Okra treats lung inflammation, sore throat, and irritable bowel.
8. In India, okra has been used successfully in experimental blood plasma replacements.
To retain most of okra’s nutrients and self-digesting enzymes, it should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly steamed. Some eat it raw.
Specific Ailments:-
Acid Reflux and Constipation
A person, suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and recently from acid reflux, started eating 6 pieces of Okra. Since then, has not taken any other medication. Now, his blood sugar has dropped from 135 to 98 and his cholesterol and acid reflux are also under control.
Asthma
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may curtail the development of asthma symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C. 1/2 cup of cooked Okra contains over 13 mg of vitamin C.
Atherosclerosis
Diets high in insoluble fiber, such as those containing okra, are associated with protection against heart disease in both men and women.
Cancer
The insoluble fiber found in Okra helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy, decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colo-rectal cancer.
Capillary fragility
Eating plenty of flavonoid and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables such as okra helps to support the structure of capillaries.
Cataracts
1/2 cup of cooked okra contains 460 IU of vitamin A. Some studies have reported that eating more foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A was associated with a lower risk of cataracts.
Cholesterol
A study (JAMA July 23, 2003) showed that consuming a “dietary portfolio” of vegetarian foods lowered cholesterol nearly as well as the prescription drug lovastatin (Mevacor). The diet was rich in soluble fiber from oats, barley, psyllium, eggplant and okra. It used soy substitutes instead of meat and milk and included almonds and cholesterol-lowering margarine (such as Take Control) every day.
Depression and Lack of Energy
Okra is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression.
High homocysteine
A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered homocysteine levels. Healthy people were assigned to either a diet containing a pound of fruits and vegetables per day, or to a diet containing 3 1/2 ounces (99g) of fruits and vegetables per day. After four weeks, those eating the higher amount of fruits and vegetables had an 11 percent lower homocysteine level compared to those eating the lower amount of fruits and vegetables. Okra is a storehouse of vitamins and folic acid.
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk.
Known Hazards : The hairs on the seed pods can be an irritant to some people and gloves should be worn when harvesting. These hairs can be easily removed by washing.
Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Botanical Name:Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr Family: Rutaceae Kingdom: Plantae Order: Sapindales Genus: Citrus Species :C. maxima Synonyms:Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck, Citrus decumana L. Common Name:Pomelo, Pummelo, Chinese grapefruit, Pommelo, Shaddock, Jambola Dutch: Pompelmoes French: Pomélo, Pamplemousse German: Pompelmus, Pampelmus Spanish: Pomelo
Chinese grapefruit, pummelo, pommelo, Lusho Fruit, jabong, shaddock, Citrus maxima (Merr., Burm. f.), also Citrus grandis (L.), is a citrus fruit.
Indigenous names include som in Thai and buoi in Vietnamese. In Burmese, the fruit is called kywègaw thee in the south and shaupann thee in upcountry. In Malay and Indonesian, it is known as limau/jeruk bali (“Balinese lime/orange”) after the island of Bali. In the Philippines, while the common name is pomelo, it is also known as suha in Tagalog and boongon in Visayan.
In Chinese, the fruit is known as yòuzi , although the same Chinese characters can also be used for the yuzu, a different species. The Japanese refer to the pomelo as buntan ( buntan) or zabon ( zabon), apparently both derived from Cantonese captain , whose name is read Sha Buntan in Japanese.
Batabi Nimbu in India and particularly in Bengal
Habitat:The pomelo is native to South-East Asia.The pomelo is native to southeastern Asia and all of Malaysia; grows wild on river banks in the Fiji and Friendly Islands. It may have been introduced into China around 100 B.C. It is much cultivated in southern China (Kwang-tung, Kwangsi and Fukien Provinces) and especially in southern Thailand on the banks to the Tha Chine River; also in Taiwan and southernmost Japan, southern India, Malaya, Indonesia, New Guinea and Tahiti.
It is grown in many eastern countries including China, Japan, India, Fiji, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is also now grown in the Caribbean and in the United States, in California and Florida. In season November through March, Pummelos are especially popular for Chinese New Year. The Chinese believe the delectable Pummelo is a sign of prosperity and good fortune – good things will happen if they eat it.
Description:The Tree is Evergreen,grows large to midium.Large flowers of 3-7 cm in diameter, either single or in small clusters, with cream colored petals. : Pomelo has the largest leaves among all citrus. You may click to see the picture
Pomelo fruits are pale green to yellow when ripe. Pomelo is a big citrus fruit (larger than grapefruits), 10-25 cm in diameter, with a thick spongy rind. The flesh is sweet. Pulp vesicles are large with a yellow or pink color.
Cultivation and uses:-
The Chandler is a Californian variety with a smoother skin than many other varieties. In Vietnam, a particularly well known variety called b??i N?m Roi is cultivated in the Vinh Long Province of the Mekong Delta region.
The tangelo is a hybrid between the pomelo and the tangerine. It has a thicker skin than a tangerine and is less sweet.
The pummelo is an exotic large citrus fruit that is an ancient ancestor of the common grapefruit. It is the largest of the citrus fruits with a shape that can be fairly round or slightly pointed at one end (the fruit ranges from nearly round to oblate or pear-shaped). They range from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25-pound watermelon and have very thick, soft rind. The skin is green to yellow and slightly bumpy; flesh color ranges from pink to rose.
Like grapefruits, they can range from almost seedless to very seedy, from juicy to dry, from sweet to sour. It is sweeter than a grapefruit and can be eaten fresh, although membranes around the segments should be peeled. Pummelos commonly have 16 to 18 segments, compared to most grapefruit that have about 12 segments. Be sure to refrigerate and use quickly. Use as you would grapefruit sections. They are also good for jams, jellies, marmalades and syrups.
The pomelo tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit – it has very little or none of the common grapefruit’s bitterness, but the membranes of the segments are bitter and usually discarded. The peel is sometimes used to make marmalade, or candied then dipped in chocolate. The peel of the pomelo is also used in Chinese cooking or candied. In general, citrus peel is often used in southern Chinese cuisine for flavouring, especially in sweet soup desserts.
The flowers of Pomelo are highly aromatic and gathered in North Vietnam for making perfume. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, fine-grained and suitable for making tool handles.
Containts:One-fourth of a Pummelo (152 grams) has 60 calories and provides 130% of the Vitamin C recommended for the day. It is sodium, fat and cholesterol free and is a source of potassium.
Medicinal Uses:
In the Philippines and Southeast Asia, decoctions of the leaves, flowers, and rind are given for their sedative effect in cases of epilepsy, chorea and convulsive coughing.
The hot leaf decoction is applied on swellings and ulcers. The fruit juice is taken as a febrifuge. The seeds are employed against coughs, dyspepsia and lumbago. Gum that exudes from declining trees is collected and taken as a cough remedy in Brazil.
In the Philippines and Southeast Asia, decoctions of the leaves, flowers, and rind are given for their sedative effect in cases of epilepsy, chorea and convulsive coughing, The hot leaf decoction is applied on swellingd and ulcers. The fruit juice is taken as a febrifuge . The sarcocarps are employed against coughs, dyspepsia and lumbago. Gum that exudes from declining trees is collected and taken as a cough remedy in Brazil . An essence prepared from the flowersis taken to overcome insomnia, also as a stomachic, and cardiac tonic. The pulp is considered an effective aid in the treatment of urinary disorders. Leaf extractions have shown antibiotic activity.
In Indian AyurvedaPomelo is verymuch useful for vata-kaphha nashak,mild laxative,digestive,appetiser,loss of appetite,abdominal colick,worm,vomiting,nausea
Recipes Pomelo salad
Ingredients:
1 large pomelo, 1 red chili, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 stalk lemongrass, 2 limes, some fresh coriander
Preparation:
Peel and segment the pomelo. Crush the garlic. Slice the lemon grass (fine) and the chili. Squeeze the limes. Prepare a dressing from chili, garlic, honey, fish sauce, lemon grass and line juice. Mix this dressing in a bowl with the fruit and decorate it with fresh coriander.
Dangerous/Poisonous:
Like that of other citrus fruits, the peel of the pummelo contains skin irritants, mainly limonene and terpene, also citral, aldehydes, geraniol, cadinene and linalool, which may cause dermatitis in individuals having excessive contact with the oil of the outer peel.
Harvesters, workers in processing factories, and housewives may develop chronic conditions on the fingers and hands.
(Morton, J. 1987. Fruits of warm climates.)
Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
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