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Like Wine, Ham Too Complex On Nose

Like fine wine, ham is also far more chemically complicated than previously thought as far as its aromas are concerned, say researchers.

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The study, led by Huanlu Song, a researcher in the College of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at China’s Beijing Technology & Business University, examined several kinds of ham to review the chemistry of their distinctive aromas.

The study was conducted on American country ham, which is produced in southern states and require curing and up to a year of aging to develop their flavours, and the compounds it releases.

“The aroma of country ham consists of a variety of compounds having different odour properties. A single compound cannot characterize the aroma,” Discovery News quoted Song, as saying.

In the study, hams from North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky manufacturers were included.

One test involved freezing pieces of ham in liquid nitrogen, grinding the mixture into a powder and then using special pumps to separate the ham odour’s individual chemicals. However, another test drew out the meat’s more acidic compounds.

The scientists compiled a list of all of the identified chemicals and their associated odour and flavour properties, similar to how wine tasters link wine characteristics to other well-known substance descriptions, like earthy or fruity.

For ham, the descriptions included: dark chocolate, fruity, fatty, vinegar-like, green orange, raw peanut, buttery, cheesy, cut grass, mushroom, popcorn, metallic, milky, cooked potato, cucumber, rosy, smoky, coconut-like, floury, peachy, burnt sugar, sour, tortilla-like and even faecal.

Song explained that most of these aromas and tastes arise from three chemical processes: the Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation and lipid oxidation.

The Maillard reaction happens when amino acids and sugar are heated to certain temperatures. Carbon atoms within the sugar react with organic amino acid compounds to produce what many cooks have described as the “golden brown deliciousness” of a range of odours and flavours most associate with caramelization.

Strecker degradation takes that reaction up a notch, to produce roasted, or even burnt, flavours and odours.

Lipid oxidation is the process of combining oxygen with fats on an atomic level. It’s one reason why ham smells so savoury and flavourful, but it can also indicate the presence of potentially dangerous free radicals, which are unstable molecules.

Song said different raw materials, pig species, processing technologies and even what the pigs eat all affect the final outcome of the ham.

Sources:The study is published in the Journal of Food Science.

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Health Quaries

Some Health Questions And Answers

Q: I have a paunch. How can I reduce it?….CLICK & SEE

A: Spot reduction of a paunch alone is not possible. You have to attempt all-round weight reduction and toning exercises. This can be done with a judicious combination of diet and exercise. Either alone will work only in the short term.

Men tend to accumulate weight around their middle. It will probably be the first place you gain weight and the last place you lose it. The risk factors associated with a paunch are diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. In men the risk increases once the waist measurement crosses 102 cm.

No surgery
Q: My eight-year-old son has frequent attacks of tonsillitis when the weather changes or if he drinks or eats refrigerated things. The doctor says I should wait and not have them operated. Is that correct?

A: Years ago many children had their tonsils removed as they were considered a useless troublesome organ. Today, we know that the tonsils filter out harmful viruses and bacteria and prevent them from entering the body and causing disease. Surgery is seldom necessary. It is recommended if there are seven or more episodes of tonsillitis in one year, the swollen tonsils interfere with breathing or swallowing, or an abscess develops in the tonsils.

Infection occurs with bacteria and viruses. These are usually spread with close contact. The number of infections increases when the child starts school. The refrigerator probably has little to do with the frequent attacks.

The tonsils tend to decrease in size as the child grows older. Waiting and watching instead of rushing into surgery seems like a sensible option. Your doctor is right.

Safe period
Q: We are a newly married couple and do not want children. My wife dislikes condoms and refuses to take the pill. My friend advised natural family planning and the safe days. I was too embarrassed to find out the details. How do we go about it?

A: First, you have to calculate the length of your wife’s menstrual cycle. This can vary in different women and can be anywhere from 26 to 45 days. The first day of bleeding is taken as day one.

Pregnancy occurs if there is sexual intercourse around the time the egg is released. This is usually 14 days before the next period starts. The safe period is thus seven days before and seven days after menstruation. It is not a very reliable method though.

Some couples practice coitus interruptus. In this method, ejaculation takes place outside the vagina.

Medication and sterility
Q: My wife and I have been trying to have a baby for the last 20 years. She is now nearing 40. She has had two miscarriages in the past. I was given methotrexate on and off for my medical condition of psoariasis. I now think this may be the cause of our problem.

A: Gonadotoxins are substances that interfere with sperm formation and quality. They may be chemicals, medication (both prescription and non-prescription), tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. The severity and reversibility of the problem depend on the duration and amount of exposure. Methotrexate is one of the medicines that can do this if taken long term.

Consult a reproductive medicine unit in a hospital near you. They will be able to work with your physician to determine the best course of action.

Memory loss
Q: I am preparing very hard for my exams. My marks used to be very good. Now the more I study the less I remember. My marks are decreasing. All these late nights are making me irritable.

A: Sleep deprivation leads to memory loss, irritability and a decline in reasoning. All the three would work against good academic performance.

Most people need around eight hours of sleep a day. Your brain automatically knows how tired you are. If you are consistently using an alarm clock to wake up, it means that you are forcing your brain to function when it is not ready. This decreases efficiency and impairs memory.

Perhaps your marks will be better if you put in 30 minutes of physical activity a day and also got rid of your alarm clock.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Leucorrhoea

Leucorrhoea, vaginal discharge is a universal problem of all women. No body escapes from this illness. Female genitals are very much prone to infections since they are moist, more sweaty and covered. The white vaginal discharge with foul smell makes it embarrassing to get into social gatherings and even engage in personal affairs. The affected women need reassurance, prevention of infection and some counselling as they usually have abnormal psychosomatic scores.

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Most secretions are regarding life style physiological and warrant no medical interventions. But it is significant if it is blood stained, profuse, foul smelling or with changes in its colour. Usually the normal secretions are slimy and slightly sticky. It is something like nasal secretion. Normally the quantity of vaginal secretions varies throughout the menstrual cycle, peaking at ovulation and also increasing when under emotional stress.

There are two types of Leucorrhoea, physiological and pathological. In physiological Leucorrhoea, the discharge is normal due to excitement or other factors like nervousness. Such a discharge need not be worried about. It is found under following conditions:

*Seen in newborn baby for a week due to maternal oestrogen.
*Seen in girls during puberty due to hormonal changes.
*At the time of ovulation and in early pregnancy.
*During sexual excitement.

Causes:
General ill health and under nutrition.
Dysfunctional state in genital tract.
Psychological factors.

In addition to infection, some hormonal and metabolical disorders are also responsible for the condition.
Ayurveda considers that leucorrhoea is caused by the vitiation of kapha; it occurs commonly among weak and anaemic women. It can also be due to the inflammation of the womb following childbirth, displacement of the uterus, or gonorrhoea. Among young females, it may be due to threadworms, as the result of general debility combined with lack of cleanliness or infections. Leucorrhoea may also occur during the menstrual periods in young women, due to the thickening of the mucus membrane in the reproductive organs. During the child bearing years from adolescence to the mid-forties, infection may sometimes follow birth of a child due to damage of the cervix during the delivery of the baby.

Leucorrhoea usually shows symptoms in association with other illness. Wide variety of reasons are encountered in its causation. Commonly fungal, parasitic, bacterial and sexually transmitted diseases are the prime causative factors.

Symptoms:
The most comon symptoms are:
1.woman complains of a thin, yellow to grey vaginal discharge which is often foamy and has an unpleasant odour.

2. There may be some itching and redness noted around and inside the vagina.

3.Some women and men do not show symptoms at all. It is important that if your partner is treated for Trichomoniasis, you as well get treated.

The discharge is often white. Flow may stiffen the linen or simply leave back a trace of white powder or scales.
In most cases discharge emanates from the uterine cavity or vagina. In catarrhal or idiopathic variety of leucorrhoea the discharge is in mild and liquid form. The discharge from the uterus is often from uterine cavity. In certain ladies leucorrhoea discharge sets in even 8-10 days before anticipated period of menses and stops as soon as menses appear but in others, it may start when menses are over.
In addition to the whitish discharge from the vaginal tract, there is weakness as well as pain in the lumbar region and the calves. A burning sensation may be present along with constipation. There appears to be a direct relationship of this disease with a nervous temperament. The patient develops black patches under the eyes. Late nights precipitate the attack.

Diagnosis:
A vaginal smear reveals the type of infection. Blood studies are also important to study the serological reactions pertaining to the type of infections.

Treatment:

Treatment is in the form of vaginal tablets and cream. Sometimes tablets are taken by mouth as well. Candidiasis often recurs. It is important to continue treatment and follow all directions even after symptoms disappear.

Even though you have many means to kill fungus, bacteria or parasite, immunity plays important role in their elimination. That is the reason why you cannot find a permanent solution to a particular causation. The body that is more susceptible to infection of the particular pathogen, it invites a Homoeopathic remedy for permanent cure! Even the white discharge cases are treated with homoeopathy medicines. I have attended to a variety of cases with different illnesses. There are many clinical histories something peculiar to find in children. Many girls are prone to get leucorrhoea before puberty.

Homoeopathic prescriptions are based on the nature of the discharge and studying the patient as a separate, whole entity to raise the immunity. Say bye to all your problems!

Homeopathy Remedies and Treatment

Home remedies:
A proper diagnosis of the disease must be made and the cause removed. In addition to the medicine prescribed below, a regular douching of the genital tract with the decoction of the bark of the banyan tree or the fig tree is very helpful. A tablespoon of each of the powders of the barks of the two trees should be boiled in a litre of water till it is reduced to about half. Douching with the lukewarm decoction keeps the vaginal tract healthy and clean.
1. About 12 centigms. of assfoetida (hing) gum fried in ghee mixed with 120 gms of goat milk and a tea spoonful of honey should be given thrice a day for a month.

2. Bark of Asoka is an effective medicine for leucorrhoea.

3.Pessaries or vaginal suppositories made of henna (mehndi) leaves and seeds can be used beneffically.

4.A regular douching of the genital tract with a decoction of the banyan bark and the fig trees is very useful.A tea spoonful of each powder of the bark of the said trees should be boiled in a litre of water till it reduces to half.

5.A decoction made from babul tree should be used as a veginal douche.

6.A decoction of butea (palas) leaves should be used as a veginal douche.

Coriander(dhania) seeds: A home remedy used in this condition is to soak about ten Gms of dry Coriander(dhania) in 100 ml of water overnight, and to drink the water in the early morning. It gives relief in seven to eight days in most cases.

 

Fenugreek seeds: Fenugreek seeds are valuable in leucorrhoea. They should be taken internally in the form of tea and also used as a douche. As a douche, the solution should be much stronger than tea. Two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds should be put in a litre of cold water and allowed to simmer for half an hour over a low flame. The decoction should then be strained and use as a douche. ls.

 

Ayurvedic Medicinal Cure
Pushyanug Churna : 5-10 gm twice daily.
Patrangasava : 15-30 ml twice daily after meals with
Chandraprabhavati : 2 pills in the morning and evening with a glass of milk.
Dry Indian Gooseberry(amla) and liquorice(mulethi) in equal quantities, powdered and mixed with thrice the quantity of honey is an effective drug for this disease.
Pradrantak lauh : 1 gm thrice daily. To be taken with honey.

List of Ayurvedic Products Saleable Online
Diet
Fried and spicy foods are to be avoided. The patient should be encouraged to chew Betel nut (supari) after meals: it has a curative effect and also prevents the development of the disease.

Preventions:
If you notice discharge from the urethra or vagina, pain while urinating, ulcer on the genitals, consult your doctor.
Since the infection can be transmitted by sharing wash-cloths, towels, bathing suits, underwear or any moist object, be careful!
If you do have more than one sexual partner or unsure whether your partner has more than one partner, it is very important to use condoms.

Other precautions:
Wash genitals everyday
Wear clean underwear every day
Always wash yourself from front to back.
Avoid sprays, deodorants, and strong perfumed soap and bath products.

A cold hip bath taken twice a day for ten minutes at a time, will help relieve congestion in the pelvic region and facilitate quick elimination of morbid matter.

Do not stop treatment when symptoms disappear – the full course of treatment is very important. Abstain from sexual intercourse during treatment in order to avoid irritation of tissues, which are in the process of healing.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Help taken from:Allayurveda.com and Miracle of Herbs

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Herbs & Plants

Eucalyptus

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Botanical Name:Eucalyptus globulus
Family: Myrtaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Myrtales
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species: E. globulus

Common Name:Blue Gum

Synonyms—Blue Gum Tree. Stringy Bark Tree.
Part Used—The oil of the leaves.
Habitat—–Australia. Now North and South Africa, India, and Southern Europe.The bark shreds often, peeling in large strips. The broad juvenile leaves are borne in opposite pairs on square stems. They are about 6 to 15 cm long and covered with a blue-grey, waxy bloom, which is the origin of the common name “blue gum”. The mature leaves are narrow, sickle-shaped and dark shining green. They are arranged alternately on rounded stems and range from 15 to 35 cm in length. The buds are top-shaped, ribbed and warty and have a flattened operculum (cap on the flower bud) bearing a central knob. The cream-colored flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils and produce copious nectar that yields a strongly flavored honey. The fruits are woody and range from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter. Numerous small seeds are shed through valves (numbering between 3 and 6 per fruit) which open on the top of the fruit. It produces roots throughout the soil profile, rooting several feet deep in some soils. They do not form taproots.

The Tasmanian Blue Gum was proclaimed as the floral emblem of Tasmania on 27 November 1962. The species name is from the Latin globulus, a little button, referring to the shape of the operculum.
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Eucalyptus

Description:
The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an evergreen tree, one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. They typically grow from 30 to 55 m (98 to 180 ft) tall. The tallest currently known specimen in Tasmania is 90.7 m tall. There are historical claims of even taller trees, the tallest being 101 m (330 ft). The natural distribution of the species includes Tasmania and southern Victoria. There are also isolated occurrences on King Island and Flinders Island in Bass Strait and on the summit of the You Yangs

The leaves are leathery in texture, hang obliquely or vertically, and are studded with glands containing a fragrant volatile oil. The flowers in bud are covered with a cup-like membrane (whence the name of the genus, derived from the Greek eucalyptos well-covered), which is thrown off as a lid when the flower expands. The fruit is surrounded by a woody, cupshaped receptacle and contains numerous minute seeds.
Eucalyptus trees are quick growers and many species reach a great height. Eucalyptus amygdalin (Labille ) is the tallest known tree, specimens attaining as much as 480 feet, exceeding in height even the Californian Big Tree (Sequoia gigantea). Many species yield valuable timber, others oils, kino, etc.

There are a great number of species of Eucalyptus trees yielding essential oils, the foliage of some being more odorous than that of others, and the oils from the various species differing widely in character. It necessarily follows that the term Eucalyptus oil is meaningless from a scientific point of view unless the species from which it is derived is stated.

The oils may be roughly divided into three classes of commercial importance: (1) the medicinal oils, which contain substantial amounts of eucalyptol (also known as cineol); (2) the industrial oils, containing terpenes, which are used for flotation purposes in mining operations; (3) the aromatic oils, such as E. citriodora, which are characterized by their aroma.

Related species:
Many botanists treat The Tasmanian Blue Gum as a subspecies of a broader species concept. This broader E. globulus includes the following subspecies:

*E. globulus subsp. bicostata = E. bicostata – Southern Blue Gum, Eurabbie, Victorian Blue Gum

*E. globulus subsp. globulus = E. globulus – Tasmanian Blue Gum

*E. globulus subsp. maidenii= E. maidenii – Maiden’s Gum

*E. globulus subsp. pseudoglobulus = E. pseudoglobulus – Gippsland Blue Gum, Victorian Eurabbie

The broader E. globulus concept is supported by Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne and the Tasmanian Herbarium , but not by Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney where the four taxa are considered distinct species.

Constituents-–The essential Oil of Eucalyptus used in medicine is obtained by aqueous distillation of the fresh leaves. It is a colourless or straw-coloured fluid when properly prepared, with a characteristic odour and taste, soluble in its own weight of alcohol. The most important constituent is Eucalyptol, present in E. globulus up to 70 per cent of its volume. It consists chiefly of a terpene and a cymene. Eucalyptus Oil contains also, after exposure to the air, a crystallizable resin, derived from Eucalyptol.

Other Uses:
Timber and Fuelwood
Blue gum is renown as a fast growing timber tree. It comprises 65% of all plantation hardwood in Australia with approximately 4,500 km² planted. The tree is widely cultivated elsewhere in the world. It is primarily planted as a pulpwood, and also as an important fuelwood in many countries. It has poor lumber qualities due to growth stress problems, but can be used in construction, fence posts and poles.
Essential Oil
The leaves are steam distilled to extract eucalyptus oil. E.globulus is the primary source of global eucalyptus oil production, with China being the largest commercial producer. The oil has therapeutic, perfumery, flavoring, antimicrobial and biopesticide properties. Oil yield ranges from 1.0-2.4% (fresh weight), with cineole being the major isolate. E.globulus oil has established itself internationally because it is virtually phellandrene free, a necessary characteristic for internal pharmaceutical use. In 1870, Cloez, identified and ascribed the name “eucalyptol” – now more often called cineole – to the dominant portion of E. globulus oil.
Herb Tea
Blue gum leaves are used as a therapeutic herbal tea.
Honey
Blue gum flowers are considered a good source of nectar and pollen for bees.
Environmental Weed:
It was introduced to California in the mid 1800s and is prominent in many parks in San Francisco and throughout the state, where it is currently considered to be an invasive species due to its ability to quickly spread and displace native plant communities.
Medicinal Uses:

Stimulant, antiseptic, aromatic.

The medicinal Eucalyptus Oil is probably the most powerful antiseptic of its class, especially when it is old, as ozone is formed in it on exposure to the air. It has decided disinfectant action, destroying the lower forms of life. Internally, it has the typical actions of a volatile oil in a marked degree.

*Best solution for blocked nose & sore throat.
*Excellent deodorant.
*Effective for acne and boils
*Acne & boils: Mix eucalyptus oil with mustard oil and apply on the affected zone

Eucalyptus Oil is used as a stimulant and antiseptic gargle. Locally applied, it impairs sensibility. It increases cardiac action.

Its antiseptic properties confer some antimalarial action, though it cannot take the place of Cinchona.

An emulsion made by shaking up equal parts of the oil and powdered gum-arabic with water has been used as a urethral injection, and has also been given internally in drachm doses in pulmonary tuberculosis and other microbic diseases of the lungs and bronchitis.

In croup and spasmodic throat troubles, the oil may be freely applied externally.

The oil is an ingredient of ‘catheder oil,’ used for sterilizing and lubricating urethral catheters.

In large doses, it acts as an irritant to the kidneys, by which it is largely excreted, and as a marked nervous depressant ultimately arresting respiration by its action on the medullary centre.

For some years Eucalyptus-chloroform was employed as one of the remedies in the tropics for hookworm, but it has now been almost universally abandoned as an inefficient anthelmintic, Chenopodium Oil having become the recognized remedy.

In veterinary practice, Eucalyptus Oil is administered to horses in influenza, to dogs in distemper, to all animals in septicaemia. It is also used for parasitic skin affections.
EUCALYPTUS GUM or KINO
E. nostrata and some other species ofEucalyptus yield Eucalyptus or Red Gum, a ruby-coloured exudation from the bark (to be distinguished from Botany Bay Kino).

Red Gum is a very powerful astringent and is given internally in doses of 2 to 5 grains in cases of diarrhoea and pharyngeal inflammations. It is prepared in the form of tinctures, syrups, lozenges, etc.

Red Gum is official in Great Britain, being imported from Australia, though the Kino generally employed here as the official drug is derived from Pterocarpus Marsupium, a member of the order Leguminosae, East Indian, or Malabar Kino, and is administered in doses of 5 to 20 grains powdered, or 1/2 to 1 drachm of the tincture.

In veterinary practice, Red Gum is occasionally prescribed for diarrhoea in dogs and is used for superficial wounds.

E. globulus, E. resinifera and other species yield what is known as Botany Bay Kino, an astringent, dark-reddish, amorphous resin, which is obtained in a semi-fluid state by making incisions in the trunk of the tree and is used for similar purposes.

EUCALYPTUS OINTMENTS— A good ointment for the skin, containing antiseptic and healing properties. It produces very satisfactory results in scurf, chapped hands, chafes, dandruff, tender feet, enlargements of the glands, spots on the chest, arms, back and legs, pains in the joints and muscles.

Apply a piece of clean cotton or lint to wounds after all dirt is washed away. For aches and pains rub the part affected well and then cover with lint. Repeat two or three times, taking a blood-purifying mixture at the same time.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
botanical.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_globulus

 

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Herbs & Plants Herbs & Plants (Spices)

Asafoetida

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Botanical Name : Ferula asafoetida
Family:    Apiaceae
Genus:    Ferula
Species:    F. assa-foetida
Kingdom:    Plantae
Order:    Apiales
Common Names : Asafoetida , devil’s dung, food of the gods, hing, narthex

It has several Names
Asafetida, Assafetida, Assafoetida, Devil’s Dung, Devil’s Durt, Food of the Gods (Persian), Laser (Roman), Stinking Gum
French: assa foetida, ferulr perisque
German: Asafotida, Stinkender Asant
Italian: assafetida
Spanish: asafetida

Ferula foetida
Ferula foetida (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Afghan: kama-i-anguza
Indian: hing, hingu, heeng
Tamil: perunkaya,   Bengali :Hing

Asafoetida gets its name from the Persian aza, for mastic or resin, and the Latin foetidus, for stinking. It is a gum that is from the sap of the roots and stem of the ferula species, a giant fennel that exudes a vile odour. Early records mention that Alexander the Great carried this “stink finger” west in 4 BC. It was used as a spice in ancient Rome, and although not native to India, it has been used in Indian medicine and cookery for ages. It was believed that asafoetida enhanced singers voices. In the days of the Mughal aristocracy, the court singers if Agra and Delhi would eat a spoonful of asafoetida with butter and practice on the banks of the river Yamuna.

Plant Details and it’s Cultivation
Asafoetida is grown chiefly in Iran and Afghanistan from where it is exported to the rest of the world. In India it is cultivated in Kashmir. It is a perennial fennel that grows wild to 3.6 metres (12 ft) high, in large natural forests where little else grows. It bears fine leaves and yellow flowers. The roots are thick and pulpy and also yield a similar resin to that of the stems. All parts of the plant have the distinctive fetid smell. In March and April, just before flowering, the stalks are cut close to the root. A milky liquid oozes out, which dries to form a resin. This is collected and a fresh cut is made. This procedure lasts for about three months from the first incision, by which time the plant has yielded up to two pounds of resin and the root has dried up.

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Asafoetida is a hard resinous gum, grayish-white when fresh, darkening with age to yellow, red and eventually brown. It is sold in blocks or pieces as a gum and more frequently as a fine yellow powder, sometimes crystalline or granulated.
Bouquet: a pungent smell of rotting onions or sulfur. The smell dissipates with cooking.
Flavour: on its own, extremely unpleasant, like concentrated rotten garlic. When cooked, it adds an onion-like flavour.
Hotness Scale: 0

To make and store:

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It is vital to keep asafoetida in airtight containers as its sulfurous odour will effect other foods and spices. It is most commonly available as a powder or granules that can be added directly to the cooking pot. It is also sold in lumps that need to be crushed before using. This is a very powerful spice and even in its ground state lasts well over a year if stored properly, away from light and air.

Cultivation and manufacture:
The resin-like gum comes from the dried sap extracted from the stem and roots and is used as a spice. The resin is greyish-white when fresh but dries to a dark amber colour. The asafoetida resin is difficult to grate and is traditionally crushed between stones or with a hammer. Today, the most commonly available form is compounded asafoetida, a fine powder containing 30% asafoetida resin, along with rice flour and gum arabic.

Ferula assafoetida is a monoecious, herbaceous, perennial plant of the family Apiaceae. It grows to 2 m (7 ft) high, with a circular mass of 30–40 cm (12–16 in) leaves. Stem leaves have wide sheathing petioles. Flowering stems are 2.5–3 m (8–10 ft) high and 10 cm (4 in) thick and hollow, with a number of schizogenous ducts in the cortex containing the resinous gum. Flowers are pale greenish yellow produced in large compound umbels. Fruits are oval, flat, thin, reddish brown and have a milky juice. Roots are thick, massive, and pulpy. They yield a resin similar to that of the stems. All parts of the plant have the distinctive fetid smell.

Edible Uses:
Use in minute quantities, adding directly to cooking liquid, frying in oil, or steeping in water. Asafoetida is used mostly in Indian vegetarian cooking, in which the strong onion-garlic flavour enhances many dishes, especially those of Brahmin and Jain castes where onions and garlic are prohibited. It is used mostly in south and west India, though it does not grow there. It is used in many lentil dishes (often to prevent flatulence), vegetarian soups and pickles. It is also suited to many fish dishes and some pappadums are seasoned with asafoetida.

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Constituents:  Typical asafoetida contains about 40–64% resin, 25% endogeneous gum, 10–17% volatile oil, and 1.5–10% ash. The resin portion is known to contain asaresinotannols ‘A’ and ‘B’, ferulic acid, umbelliferone and four unidentified compounds.
Medicinal Uses:
*Antiflatulent. Asafoetida reduces the growth of indigenous microflora in the gut, reducing flatulence.[8] In the Jammu region of India, asafoetida is used as a medicine for flatulence and constipation by 60% of locals.

*A digestion aid. In Thailand and India, it is used to aid digestion and is smeared on the abdomen in an alcohol or water tincture known as mahahing.  Assafoetida in this tincture form was evidently used in western medicine as a topical treatment for abdominal injuries during the 18th and 19th centuries, although when it came into use in the West and how long it remained in use is uncertain. One notable case in which it was used is that of Canadian Coureur des bois Alexis St. Martin, who in 1822 suffered a severe abdominal injury from an accidental shooting that perforated his right lung and stomach and shattered several ribs. St Martin was treated by American army surgeon William Beaumont, who subsequently used St Martin as the subject of a pioneering series of experiments in gastric physiology. When St Martin’s wounds had healed, there remained an open fistula into his stomach that enabled Beaumont to insert various types of food directly into St Martin’s stomach and record the results. In his account of his treatment of and later experiments on St Martin, Beaumont recorded that he treated the suppurating chest wound with a combination of wine mixed with diluted muriatic acid and 30-40 drops of tincture of asafoetida applied three times a day, and that this appeared to have the desired effect, helping the wound to heal.

*Fighting influenza: Asafoetida was used in 1918 to fight the Spanish influenza pandemic. In 2009, researchers reported that the roots of Asafoetida produce natural antiviral drug compounds that demonstrated potency against the H1N1 virus in vitro and concluded that “sesquiterpene coumarins from F. assa-foetida may serve as promising lead compounds for new drug development against influenza A (H1N1) viral infection”.

*Remedy for asthma and bronchitis. It is also said  to be helpful in cases of asthma and bronchitis. A folk tradition remedy for children’s colds: it is mixed into a pungent-smelling paste and hung in a bag around the afflicted child’s neck.
An antimicrobial: Asafoetida has a broad range of uses in traditional medicine as an antimicrobial, with well documented uses for treating chronic bronchitis and whooping cough, as well as reducing flatulence.

*A contraceptive/abortifacient: Asafoetida has also been reported to have contraceptive/abortifacient activity,. It is related to (and considered an inferior substitute for) the ancient Ferula species Silphium.

*Antiepileptic: Asafoetida oleo-gum-resin has been reported to be antiepileptic in classical Unani, as well as ethnobotanical literature.

*Balancing the vata and kapha. In India according to the Ayurveda, asafoetida is considered to be one of the best spices for balancing the vata dosha. It mitigates vata and kapha, relieves flatulence and colic pain. It is pungent in taste and at the end of digestion. It aggravates pitta, enhances appetite, taste and digestion. It is easy to digest.

*Antidote for opium. Asafoetida has only been speculated to be an antidote for opium.

*Acifidity Bag. Asafoetida was approved by the US Pharmacopedia to stave off the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 that killed millions worldwide. It was placed into pouches called “acifidity bags” that were provided by drug stores to be hung around the neck to try to prevent catching the disease.
Other uses

Other Uses:
*Bait: John C Duval reported in 1936 that the odour of asafoetida is attractive to the wolf, a matter of common knowledge, he says, along the Texas–Mexico border. It is also used as one of several possible scent baits, most notably for catfish and pike.

*May also be used as a moth (Lepidoptera) light trap attractant by collectors—when mixed by approximately 1 part to 3 parts with a sweet, fruit jelly.

*Repelling spirits: In Jamaica, asafoetida is traditionally applied to a baby’s anterior fontanel (Jamaican patois mole) to prevent spirits (Jamaican patois duppies) from entering the baby through the fontanel. In the African-American Hoodoo tradition, asafoetida is used in magic spells, as it is believed to have the power both to protect and to curse.

*In ceremonial magick, especially from The Key of Solomon the King, it is used to protect the magus from daemonic forces and to evoke the same and bind them

Side Effects:
The uncooked herb can cause nausea and vomiting. Using asafoetida over long periods may cause throat irritation, gas, diarrhea, and burning urination. This herb should be avoided during pregnancy. It may affect the menstrual cycle, and it is known to induce miscarriage.

Known Hazards :  Do not use orally. Avoid during pregnancy as possible increased bleeding. Topical use may cause skin irritation

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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.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

Encylopedia of spices,

http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail415.php

http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm

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