The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine is concerned about NCDs patients and recommends tips for taking care of health with traditional Thai medicine to stay away from disease during the Vegetarian Festival.
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine is concerned about patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol. It recommends health care tips using Thai traditional medicine to stay away from diseases during the Vegetarian Festival.
Dr. Somruek Chungsaman, Director-General of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said that the Vegetarian Festival is one of the traditions of Thai-Chinese people. They will observe the precepts, follow the principles of Dhamma, and abstain from consuming meat and vegetables with strong smells. Most vegetarian food is mostly carbohydrates and fats. If consumed in excessive amounts, it may cause weight gain and directly affect health, especially for t
hose with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol. According to Thai traditional medicine, there is a principle for taking care of health during the Vegetarian Festival by recommending eating familiar herbs and vegetables for patients with the aforementioned symptoms, such as roselle, gotu kola, pandan leaves, lemongrass, bitter melon, chives, betel leaves, ivy gourd, and Triphala recipes.
For eating vegetarian food, there are precautions for patients or those who are recovering from their illnesses. It is not suitable to eat vegetarian food because the body needs complete nutrients to repair various parts of the body, including young children and pregnant women because it is a period that requires complete nutrients for growth. In addition to the principles of choosing to eat vegetarian food, you should exercise according to your physical condition to make your body strong during the vegetarian festival. Also, keep your mind calm and live according
to moral principles. This will help you have strong physical and mental health during the vegetarian festival.
Mr. Somsak Krichai, Director of the Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine, said that for high blood pressure, herbs that can help reduce blood pressure include roselle, Gotu Kola, pandan leaves, and lemongrass. For diabetes, herbs that can reduce blood sugar levels include bitter melon because bitter melon contains charantin, which can reduce blood sugar levels by stimulating the secretion of insulin from the pancreas and enhancing the metabolism of blood sugar. In addition to bitter melon, there are other local herbs that can also reduce blood sugar levels, such as chiang ka, betel leaf, and ivy gourd. For recommended menus, such as stir-fried bitter melon with mushrooms and bitter melon salad. As for precautions for bitter melon, ripe bitter melon should not be eaten because it can cause nausea and vomiting. When using herbs to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, blood sugar levels sh
ould be checked regularly. For high blood fat, Triphala is recommended as a medicine on the National List of Essential Medicines, consisting of 3 fruits: Chebulic myrobalan, Chebulic myrobalan, and Indian gooseberry. Its properties help reduce blood fat and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. From research studies in both laboratory animals and humans, the results are in the same direction: When people with high blood fat levels took 1,000 milligrams of Triphala herbal medicine per day for 1 month, it was found that the levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), and total cholesterol decreased significantly.
Source: Thai News Agency