Dr K K Aggarwal
Antigua GAPIO: Today the developing world is facing an epidemic of potbelly obesity related diabetes and the same has been linked to insulin resistance as a result of eating refined carbohydrates.
Lord Ganesha, the child God, is depicted with big tummy and sweet (laddo) in his one of the hands and yet he never suffered from diabetes.
In terms of spiritual interpretation and mythological interpretation Lord Ganesha depicts principles of stress management with sweet laddo meaning control of desires.
But in terms of a medical interpretation the big tummy represents proneness of adolescents to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
Indians have both weakness for eating sweet and proneness for developing pot belly obesity.
This is shown as uncontrolled desires to eat sweet (Ladoo) in childhood and the prevention of the same as shown by all fruits or leaves offered to Ganesha as having anti diabetic and anti-insulin resistance properties.
One of the Ganesha’s Mantra is “Gajananam Bhoota Ganadi Sevitam; Kapittha Jambu phalasara bhakshitam; Umasutam Shoka Vinasha karanam; Namami Vighneswara pada pankajam”.
The Mantra means “Gajananam ( the big tummy, king of elephants, worshipped by all) Bhoota (Durva grass and Bilva patra offered during Ganesha worship) Ganadi ( in equal quantity) Sevitam (if consumed); Kapittha (Kaith ) Jambu ( Jamun) phalasara (fruits) bhakshitam (to be consumed); Umasutam ( son of Uma or sweet) Shoka ( diseases) Vinasha karanam (get rid of); Namami ( I bow to ) Vighneswara ( destroyer of grief) pada pankajam ( feet of lord)”
The mantra links to medicinal herbs: Durva grass and Bilva patra (Bel leaves) used for Ganesha worship; fruit of elephant apple (Kaith) and fruit of Jambolona (or Jamun). All have anti diabetic properties and can be mixed in equal quantity and prepared as a medicinal juice.
Medically Durva grass (Cynodon dactylon) has been shown to possess anti diabetic and cholesterol lowering properties. Similarly, Bilva Patra has anti diabetic properties.
Elephant apple (Limonia acidissima) also named as Wood Apple, Elephant Apple, Monkey Fruit, Curd Fruit, Koth Bel, Kaitha and Kath Bel, has strong anti-diabetic properties.
Jamun (Syzygium cumini) also has DNA protective, anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic properties and is an essential ingredient of most anti diabetic Ayurveda preparations.
Jambudvīpa (जम्बुद्वीप) is mentioned as dvīpa (“island” or “continent”) of the terrestrial world, as envisioned in the cosmologies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, which is the realm where ordinary human beings live. The word Jambudvīpa literally refers to “the land of Jambu trees” where jambu (also known as jamun) is the Indian Blackberry (Syzygium cumini) and dvīpa means “island” or “continent”. In mythology the very fact we live in Jambudvipa, it signifies our proneness to insulin resistance and the importance of Jamun consumption in every day’s life.
The answer to childhood transition obesity, therefore, is only prevention and regular intake of anti-insulin resistance herbs right in the childhood
