It is estimated that over a quarter of India’s adolescent girls are anaemic, the study looked at multiple interventions to tackle the problem
A cocktail of Siddha drugs can help tackle anaemia in adolescent girls, a recent study has claimed. The ministry of AYUSH has issued a statement about this study.
The research was done by experts from eminent Siddha institutions of the country, including the National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Ministry of Ayush; Xavier Research Foundation, Tamilnadu; and Velumailu Siddha Medical College & Hospital, Tamilnadu. The research was published in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK).
The researchers found that ABMN (Aṉṉapēticentūram, Bāvaṉa kaṭukkāy, Mātuḷai maṇappāku and Nellikkāy lēkiyam), a combination of Siddha drug treatment can improve the level of Haemoglobin as well as PCV-Packed cell volume, MCV-Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin and MCH-Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin in the anaemic adolescent girls.
The study observed 2,648 girls, of which 2,300 completed the standard 45-day programme. Reportedly, before the start of the programme, researchers dewormed the participants with Cuṇṭaivaṟṟal cūraṇam, and then a 45-day treatment of Aṉṉapēti centūram, Bāvaṉa kaṭukkāy, Mātuḷai maṇappāku and Nellikkāy lēkiyam (ABMN) was given to all participants under observation.
An estimated 28.5% of adolescent girls in the country are anaemic. Dr. R. Meenakumari, Director, National Institute of Siddha, also among the senior authors of the study, said, “Siddha medicine plays a notable role in Public Health Initiatives of the Ministry of Ayush. The awareness created among adolescent girls, dietary advice and preventive care provided to them and the treatment through Siddha drugs provided therapeutic benefits to the anaemic patients. Hence Siddha drugs for anaemia can contribute to public health by providing cost-effective and accessible treatment in various settings”.
