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| Chenopodium Plant |
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The Chenopodium album Linn or Vastuk popularly known in Bengal as the ' Beto saag ' is the king of the leafy vegetables. It is found throughout India and moreover grown on farm lands where mustard barley and wheat is cultivated. This leafy vegetable grows in the form of shrubs with wavy leaves. There is another variety where the leaves are red in colour and the botanical name is Chenopodium purpurascens. In addition to this there is yet another type Chenopodium ambrosioides Linn. According to some botanists this particular type perhaps originated in America belonging to the family chenopodiaceae. The vastuk plant is ideal for enhancing the liver function. It helps in rejuvinating a weak liver. The Vedic commentator ' Shayak ' has said that this leafy vegetable in particular reinvigorates the whole body and acts as a medicine for various ailments like piles and worms to name a few. During the month of April - May the seeds fall off and lies dormant till the advent of winter when it grows once again. Since the seeds lies embedded in the soil for several months till it regrows from there hence its coloquially termed ' Vastuk '. This leafy vegetable also finds mention in the Vaishnava text during the sixteenth century in ' Chaitanya Charitamrita '. The stalwarts have expressed their views with respect to the consumption of vastuk. It is said that if a person takes butter - milk with a pinch of salt along with a little of this leafy vegetable followed by myrobalan (Haritaki) a little later shall remain ever free from diseases. In Bengal vastuk or beto is mixed with dry jujube (kul) in the form of a paste for consumption and is accepted as a part of ritual during the Maha Sivaratri . The Charaka samhita states that every leafy vegetable should be boiled and the water thrown away before consumption but vastuk or ' beto ' is an exception as because it destroys the tri dosha or the three humours of the body viz. air - bile - phlegm. Chakradutt during the thirteenth century went a step further by describing the usefulness of this plant more vividly by stating its specific power to increase the intelligence, appetite and destroy worms. The juice from this vegetable kills louse when it is put on our hair. In Susruta samhita we find when a teaspoon full of vastuk extract or juice mixed with a little of butter milk completely reduces frequent hiccups. (1) This leafy vegetable is both alkaline and the oil prepared from it is volatile by nature. This property is highly useful in cleaning the large intestine or free from constipation, helps the prostrate gland to mentain its normal activity as well as keeps the liver hale and harty. (2) Three to four tea spoonful of vastuk juice when taken with little bit of warm milk helps in eliminating bleeding piles. (3) The vastuk powder mixed with little curd and pomegranate juice acts as a good cure for decentry.(4) Those who are suffering from dry cough this leafy vegetable helps reduce it to a certain extent when taken for a considerable period in the form of cooked vegetable. (5) Those who suffer from improper urination as well as swelling of hands and feet consumption of vastuk boiled water helps in keeping normal urine flow. (6) People who suffer from loss of appetite this leafy vegetable helps in reducing the same. (7) Imporper liver function often gives rise to various diseases viz. acidity, burning, sensation all over, rheumatism, constipation etc. Vastuk taken in the form of vegetable on a regular basis rejuvinates the liver indirectly. (8) The extract from this vegetable taken two to three teaspoonful early in the morning helps in controlling the small worms. (9) For spleen and bile related diseases vastuk is very helpful. Chemical Composition :- (a) Saponin (b) Vitamins viz. carotene and Vitamin - C (c) Sterol viz. ascaridol 40 - 45% (d) Inorganic salt viz. magnesium phosphate (e) essential oil 0.03 - 0.04%.
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