Tackling IRON DEFICIENCY in Bharat
Iron deficiency is epidemic in our country. Ever since we gave warm hug to chemical farming and started killing livestock, under the illusion of Green, white and pink revolution, nutritional value of food is drastically reducing.
Same iron rich food, same quantity, nearly gives 30% less iron compare to food in 1940s. 30% is severe deficit. Soil degradation due to soil exploitation is primary cause of reducing nutritional value of the food.
Result?
The prevalence of any type of anemia is very high (more than 95 percent) among children, adolescents, and pregnant women in the country. Nearly 30% of adolescent girls are severely anemic.[0]
It is also observe 5-10% of developed Nations. Majority of them are meat-eaters and so they get iron from meat too. In India, majority are vegetarians.
Consequence?
The high prevalence as well as the severity of anemia during pregnancy and lactation carry grave connotations. This is the period when a baby’s brain cells grow, neurotransmitters develop, and iron is essential for this process. Normally ‘Placental Iron transfer’ to fetus becomes 3 to 4 times during 20-37 wk of gestation.[1]
Retarded generation. Low intelligence. Lethargic generation. Severe impact of National productive output.
Solution tried?
• Iron Fortified food
• Supplements
Solution worked?
Not so effective.
Why?
Faulty or half-baked knowledge of Iron.
Ferrous Fumarate or Ferrous Sulphate are commone iron salt used in supplements. As study suggest that, electrolytic iron at the level currently used in South Africa is not effective in improving iron or Hb status. Neither do NaFeEDTA or ferrous fumarate appear to be suitable alternatives for the fortification of wheat flour when included at levels that do not cause color changes. [3]
So what is solution?
Incineration. लोह भष्म . Iron ash as per prescribed method.
Process? Refer Rasa section of any Ayurvedic book. For example: रसरत्नसमुच्चय
Benefits?
आयुष्प्रदाता बलवीर्यकर्ता रोगप्रहर्ता मदनस्य कर्ता ।
अयःसमानं न हि किंचिद् अन्यद्रसायनं श्रेष्ठतमं हि जन्तोः ।। रसरत्नसमुच्चय-५.१४९ ।।
• The reduced/compounded iron is useful in oedema, colic, piles, worm infection, anaemia and wasting. Stabilises the life.
• Useful in eye diseases relieves all sorts of fat deposition (all reasons/factors for fat deposition).
• Acts as vata-nashak, promotes life span, improves resistance power and vigour.
• There is no other best rejuvenator equivalent to the iron which is beneficial to human beings.
How लोह भष्म is different from Ferrous Fumarate available in the market?
Process of heating differs. Modern method lacks panch-mitra (मित्र-पञ्चक ) i.e. Honey, Ghee, borax,lac and jaggery in incineration process. Modern iron supplements, are mostly less efficient or having side effects.
I wonder, what stops pharmacists to do research in this field? May be because they cannot fully develop medicines in lab and has to rely on mother nature :). Btw, this example too prove that, without Gau, it is difficult to imagine healthy medicines :). Oh yes, Ferrous Fumarate is the iron(II) salt of fumaric acid. Gau-dung is rich in fumaric acid base. It can help too in processing.
Someone from pharma field should take up this as research as we have large number of anemic children. Any success in this area will give ample head start in resolving global malnutrition. But remember, copyright-free research :).
Until we find solution for best method to prepare iron supplements, we must find a way to produce more honey, ghee and jaggery, needless to mention by organic and gau-based farming. Without milk, ghee, honey and jaggery in diet is very essential for absorption of minerals.
[0] Prevalence of Iron-Deficiency Anaemia in India: Results from a Large Nationwide Survey
http://www2.ipsr.mahidol.ac.th/journal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114:journal-vol19-no1-content07&catid=131:volume-19-number-1&Itemid=88
[1] TACKLING IRON DEFICIENCY IN INDIA: A DIFFICULT JOURNEY http://nutritionfoundationofindia.res.in/FetchSchriptpdf/festschrift%20%20for%20%20Dr%20Gopalan/Section%201-scientific%20papers/Agarwal%20KN.pdf
[3] Fortifying brown bread with sodium iron EDTA, ferrous fumarate, or electrolytic iron does not affect iron status in South African schoolchildren.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18356335
