Salt in milk
Kaviraj Partap Chauhan.
In Astang Sangrah (Sutra sthanam), chapter 9, deals
with foods that are opposing to each other. The opposing foods are poisonous
(harmful) and can cause either an immediate reaction in the body or will react
in long time. The second type of reactions or disease (delayed reactions)
caused by opposing foods are more common as we can not understand what's going
on inside as a result of our improper eating. And then finally one day we have
some serious disease, and we might be wondering from where it came Actually it
may have come from the "milk and salty preparation" (or any other
opposing combinations) which we had been enjoying for so many years.
According to Ayurvedic principle "Salt in
milk" (Ksheeren lavanam) do not go toghether. But it is applicable to milk
in salty preparations as well. As it has been mentioned in "Astanga
Sangraha" that the reaction may not be immediate, so it will be wrong to
say that such combination have been used by people without any ill effects. The
ill effect or harmful effect is always there but it may not manifest into a
disease immediately. It's like we see so many people drinking alcohol everyday
but not all of them get diseases. This does not means that alcohol is harmless
for the body. On the other hand we see many people who don't drink alcohol or
don't smoke etc. but they get serious diseases. Maybe they take "milk with
salt or milk in salty preparations" everyday or three times a day.
It's also explained in Ayurveda that by regular
practice, even some wrong combinations become less harmful. This is because the
body adapts to or gets used to that kind of food. Usually people with strong
immunity, strong digestion and those who cleanse the system regularly are less
effected. Please note the words "less harmful" and "less
effected" I have used above. This means that there is definitely an
harmful effect on the body when we take "milk and salt or salty
preparations" together. The effect can vary in each individual depending
on certain factors like immunity, age, state of ojas, strength of Jatharagni
etc
Since Ayurveda only mentions milk and salt and not
milk products such as curdled cheese, yoghurt, butter etc. and salt to be
incompatible we have to analyze the difference between milk and e.g. yoghurt to
find out the possible factors which make this substances compatible or
incompatible.
The difference of yoghurt and milk in regards to
metabolism is, that milk has to be curdled by the body and the milk fat which
tends to coagulate has to become emulsified** by the bile*** liquid. Yoghurt is
already curdled by the lactic acid produced by the yoghurt bacteria and the fat
of yoghurt doesn't tend to coagulate because of the specific structure of
processed milk products.
Milk contains a specific protein-calcium compound
called calcium caseinat which is responsible for the curdling effect of milk as
soon as the calcium bond is broken by the interaction of acids** **.
If salt which is a sodium salt is added to milk it
could interfere with the calcium ions of the calcium-caseinat and thus impede
with the curdling, emulsification and / or albumin metabolism of the milk.
If salt is added to any other milk product that
would be no problem since the milk doesn't have to be curdled and is already
pre emulsified.
Another possible reason is the sweet taste of milk.
Generally sweet things are not mixed with salt, which again would not be a
problem for yoghurt which does not possess the sweet characteristics of milk.
**That is also the reason why milk is recommended to
be served hot. The colder the milk is, the more difficult it is for the bile
liquid to emulsify the milk. Drinking cold milk is like trying to wash greasy
hands with soap (bile) and cold water. Only with hot water will the fat
emulsify and the hands become nicely clean.
***bile: A bitter, alkaline, brownish-yellow or
greenish-yellow fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored in the gallbladder,
and discharged into the duodenum and aids in the emulsification, digestion, and
absorption of fats. Also called gall.
** **That is why the milk curdles if you add lemon
juice, citric acid oryoghurt to hot milk.
Brown rice
Quote from Srila Prabhupada:
> > > Brown rice generally is doubly
boiled, therefore it
> > > cannot be used for Krishna prasadam.
Ugresa das wrote:
> > This was true for a certain time and place
but is not applicable to all
> > countries. Today brown rice is mainly sold
in health food stores and is
> > of a better quality than the white rice
which caused the death of
> > millions by causing beriberi**. I don't
know of any parboiled brown rice
> > in the west, apart of one "Uncle
Bence" variety, wheres parboil white
> > rice can be found from any company and is
very popular.
Kusha Mataji wrote:
> I remember that Srila Prabhupada told Govinda
dasi, while he was a
> householder he had a servant. He used to give his servant first class
> long grain basmati rice. One day his servant complained that while he
was
> grateful to Mr. De for feeding him the
expensive long grain rice, he would
> much prefer the inexpensive short grain brown
rice. So Srila Prabhupada
> gave him the rice he wanted.
>
> In 1974, we ate brown rice at the temple
everyday even the month (January)
> that Srila Prabhupada visited. Sudhama Maharaj was GBC in charge and
> Vamana was temple president.
> yhs, Kusa devi dasi
Thank you very much for your testimony. I hope this
will once and for ever disproof the "only white rice is bona fide"
imagination.