Abstract
BackgroundIt is well known that diet plays a vital role in the pathogenesis, prevention, and management of diseases. In indigenous medical systems of India, diet is an integral component of treatment, and such knowledge is poorly documented. This study quantified the consensus about the dietary recommendations prescribed by the noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu, India. MethodsAfter obtaining prior informed consent, 87 noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners were interviewed using the free-list method. The data were segregated into different groups and the consensus was analyzed using informant consensus factor (Fic). ResultsIn the case of recommended diets, blood ailments, fever, hemorrhoids, male infertility, kapha, and dermatological ailments had high Fic values. In this group, 500 use-reports were recorded for the treatment of 27 illness categories. The fruits of Vitis vinifera (blood ailments), Panicum sumatrense (fever), and Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (hemorrhoids) were the highly recommended foods. In the case of restricted diets, dermatological ailments, jaundice, gastrointestinal, vadha, and blood ailments had high Fic values and 26 illness categories were reported with 368 citations. In this category, Solanum melongena (dermatological ailments), Tamarindus indica (jaundice and anemia), and Gallus gallus domesticus (gastrointestinal ailments) were the important restricted foods. ConclusionThe results of this study indicated that a major portion of local knowledge, other than that of local uses of medicinal species, is still undocumented and underutilized. If the recommendations of dietary changes take the claims from local knowledge beyond scientific evidence, the rate of adherence may increase, since these recommendations have a traditional-brand identity. This study also warrants the need of scientific analyses in some cases.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.