CORDYCEPS SINENSIS ( CATERPILLAR FUNGUS) - HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS


THE CATERPILLAR FUNGUS, CORDYCEPS SINENSIS
The story of the caterpillar fungus is a lot like the one of how the Ethiopian goat herder discovered coffee, and how salajeet was discovered by the English. In the case of coffee a goat herder noticed that after eating the fruit from a bush, his goats became livelier, while an Englishman traveling in the Himalayas saw monkeys eating a black sticky substance, and thought that this may have been why older monkeys had more hair than the ones in the plains. In the case of the caterpillar fungus Tibetan yak herders watched as their yaks became very lively and scoured the grass they had been grazing on and found this fungus.(I can’t imagine what a yak does when it becomes lively!) The fruiting head of this fungus looks a little grass-like and I guess it would be hard to spot, if you weren’t looking carefully for it.
  The original find was soon a matter for the Chinese Emperors who discovered that the fungus had invigorating qualities, and so it was seen as an anti-ageing invigorating “herb” for centuries. Of course like cacao in Mayan culture and later in Spain, only the wealthy could afford this “magical mushroom” because it was so expensive due no doubt to its rarity. At one time it was worth four times its weight in silver.
  The West discovered it when a French Jesuit priest, Jean Baptiste du Halda was introduced to it by the Chinese Emperor, whose guest he was. It first appeared in Tibetan medical writings in the 15th century and in later European Materia Medica in the 18th century.
  As it is a parasite C. sinensis can grow on caterpillars, insects and other fungi among other things. The picture of it looking distinctly like a caterpillar is the fungus that grew on one of these creatures and devoured its flesh. One of the things with this fungus is that although there have been hundreds of studies done on it most are questionable for one reason or another. For example, we don’t know which host the fungus grew on in some studies, and the constituents of the fungus would depend on the nutrients taken from the host. Other studies have not been translated entirely from Chinese, so the quality of the research is in doubt. In still other studies the researchers have had a vested interest in promoting the fungus because they work for the health supplement companies.
  Now cultivated C. sinensis are used in the US but no comparative studies have been done on the properties of these compared to their wild relatives.
  What is certain is that it has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries to rejuvenate the aging and to boost energy levels. It has also been used to promote the health of the lungs, heart and immune system. It is said to improve male sexual functions too.
  It can increase oxygen capacity in the lungs, and boost energy levels, banishing fatigue and aching muscles in athletes. It is said to have helped athletes win many events, and sometimes set new world records. It has been proved to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, and it may have potent antioxidant qualities. It enhances blood circulation and lowers cholesterol levels, it is believed from some studies. C. sinensis also supports the functions of the lungs, kidneys and liver, as well as boosting the immune system. It may have anti-cancer properties.
  Some of the specimens of C. sinensis which have been analyzed contain all the essential amino acids and others, vitamins E, K, an assortment of minerals and the fatty acids, oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic.
  Before you are tempted to buy a supplement containing this herb, try to make sure that it is genuine. Alternatively find other herbs that are native to your area to do the work you want this one to do.

WHAT IS SAMOSA? HOW TO MAKE SAMOSA: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE


SAMOSA RECIPE
Samosas are very popular street food in Pakistan and you can buy them almost anywhere, in special samosa shops where you can sit and eat them, covered with a delicious imli (tamarind) sauce, or with a different sauce (called ‘chutney’ here) such as a mint sauce.. They are one of the foods served to break the fast during Ramadan and are frequently served with pakoras.
  What are samosas? They are stuffed savoury pastries and may be stuffed with potatoes, which is most common and the recipe given here, or they can be stuffed with minced (ground) beef and peas, or with chicken, or a mixture of vegetables.
Ingredients
Pastry
2 cups fine flour (maida), sifted
2 tsps oil
1 tsp ajwain or thyme
warm water to mix
salt to taste

1 egg, beaten to seal pastry

Filling
3-4 potatoes depending on size
3 green chillies, finely chopped
1 onion chopped into small pieces
½ tsp ginger root, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, shredded finely
1 tbsp mint leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp anar dana (dried pomegranate seeds), soaked for 15 mins before using
1 tsp cumin seeds
chilli powder and salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method
Mix flour with salt ajwain or thyme and the oil then add water slowly as needed to make a dough. Shape into 4 balls of equal size, cover in cling film and leave to chill for ½ an hour as this makes it easier to roll out the pastry.
Now roll them into rounds of 6 inches and cut in the middle.
Filling: -
Boil the potatoes peeled and whole then leave them to cool and mash them with all the other ingredients.
Beat the egg and use to seal two sides of each cone of pastry. Fill the cone with the filling and seal the end with the egg again.
Heat the oil for deep-frying and when hot enough to fry chips or French fries, lower the samosas into it a batch at a time so that they cook evenly.
Fry until the pastry is golden brown, remove from the oil and drain on absorbent paper.
Serve with chutney (sauce).
This has Taste and is a Treat.

ASHOKA TREE ( SARACA INDICA) - ASSUAGES GRIEF: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF ASHOKA TREE


ASHOKA TREE, SARACA INDICA
The Ashoka tree is revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike, and is native to the Indian subcontinent. It has now spread farther afield and can be found in South-East Asia, including Thailand. It is a slow-growing evergreen tree with deep green leaves, although it is commonly mistaken for the Mast tree, which it doesn’t resemble, actually. It is also sometimes referred to as Jonesia asoka and Saraca asoka Roxb.but its proper botanical name is Saraca indica It is a member of the Fabaceae family or pea family, so is distantly related to the carob tree ( Ceratonia siliqua ), but it is in the sub family Caesalpaeniaceae as is senna. It has fragrant flowers with half white and half crimson stamens which give the flower clusters a hairy appearance, rather like the flowers on Grevillea robusta, although the Ashoka’s flowers are crimson and orange.
   Like the peepal tree it is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus, as Hindus believe it is sacred to Kama Devi, the god of love, who used the flower on the tip of one of his five arrows to incite passion and desire. (One of its names means the tree of love.) Buddhists believe that the Buddha was born under the Ashoka tree. This is why you can see the tree in many temple and monastery gardens. The tree is mentioned in the Ramayana the Sanskrit text of Hindu mythology.
  Ashoka means without grief or sorrow in Sanskrit, (so a visit to a restaurant called this should be a pleasant experience) and its essential oil is used to help those who have suffered bereavement, or who feel isolated and alone. It is thought that drinking the water in which the flowers from the tree have been washed will protect against grief caused by trauma and suffering. The pulped flowers are also used as a remedy for dysentery.
  The tree is mainly used in medicine for female problems, but it may have anti-depressant properties in its leaves according to one research study. It is said to keep women healthy and youthful and is mainly used for gynaecological problems, with the bark employed as well as the flowers and roots in medical preparations. It contains bioflavonoids and tannins as well as amino acids and a variety of other substance and compounds which have not all be isolated.
  Research that has been done on the tree’s properties suggests that the stem bark has antifungal and anti-bacterial properties, as well as pain-killing ones. It may also have an impact on the central nervous system, but there has only been one study of this, so it is early days yet.
 It is hoped that Ashoka can help with Type II diabetes, but again, it is too early to tell. Not as much research has been done on this tree as has been done on the Kadamb tree.

KADAMB ( MITRAGYNA PARVIFOLIA): HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF KADAMB TREE


KADAMB, KAIM, MITRAGYNA PARVIFOLIA
The Kadamb tree is native to the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is often confused with the Cadamba tree or Neolamarckia cadamba or Anthocephalus cadamba or indicus, which are both associated with Krishna, and mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana.
  This tree, Mitragyna parvifolia has been researched recently because in traditional folk medicine it is reputed to cure many diseases.  It is a deciduous tree so loses its leaves in autumn, and tends to grow in forests. It can grow to a height of 25 metres, and has yellow-green flowers which grow into oblong fruits which contain seeds. The parts used in medicine are the root bark and leaves, although sometimes the fruits are used.
  In Ayurvedic medicine the bark of the tree is used for blood-related diseases. In traditional medicine in the Indian subcontinent the bark and roots of the tree are used for fevers, colic, muscular pains, burning sensations in the stomach, poisoning, female problems, coughs, oedema and as an aphrodisiac.
  Wounds and ulcers may be dressed with bruised leaves to promote healing and to alleviate pain, while extracts of the fruit are used to kill pain and as anti-inflammatory agents. While these properties have been confirmed by scientist, they have not yet discovered which of the substances or combination of them are responsible for these actions.
  The stem and the bark of the tree contain flavonoids, glycosides and tannins as well as a number of alkaloids, and an extract has been shown in vitro, to  be effective in killing worms.  Like St. John’s wort and ginseng, extracts have been proved to relieve anxiety and seem to work as well as diazepam, without the side effects of that drug.
  One Indian scientist has finally, after 20 years of research, taken out a patent of a drug, made from two alkaloids found in Kadamb, to help those with Type II diabetes, after conducting trials on 1,300 patients with the disease. The patent has an international classification number from the World Trade Organization so this is perhaps good news for diabetes sufferers.
  In one area of India local healers treat rice (Oryza sativa) used for medicinal purposes with extracts from the tree at different stages, seeds, in the field and at different stages of growth so that the medicinal qualities from Kadamb will be imbued by the rice, making it more effective in treatments.
  More research needs to be done before scientists can discover in what other ways it can be beneficial to us. The research that has been conducted was published in 2009, so it is relatively recent, and a lot more needs to be done on this health-giving tree.