The chutney of red ants, which once made it to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s menu, may soon be adopted by the Ayush Ministry as a possible remedy to fight COVID-19.
On Thursday, the High Court of Orissa told the directors general of Ayush ministry & Council of Scientific & Industrial Research to decide within three months on a proposal to use red ant chutney to treat Covid-19, the news agency reported.
Tribal belts in several states, including Odisha & Chhattisgarh, consume red ant chutney or use it in soup to get rid of flu, cough, common cold, breathing difficulties, fatigue & other diseases. The chutney is primarily a mixture of red ants & green chilies.
The HC issued the directive on a Public Interest Litigation that sought its intervention against alleged inaction on a proposal for research on the efficacy of red ant chutney in the treatment of Covid. The plea was filed by a Baripada-based engineer, Nayadhar Padhial.
The use of chutney to fight virus was first proposed by Baripada-based engineer & researcher Nayadhar Padhial in June. He later filed a plea in court regarding the same. The HC issued the directive on the PIL that sought its intervention against alleged inaction on Padhial’s proposal
The Bench said that “Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court disposes of the writ petition & directs the director general of the ministry of Ayush & the director-general of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research to take a decision on the representation filed by the petitioner & pass appropriate order within three months".
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According to Padhial, the chutney contains formic acid, protein, calcium, Vitamin B12, Zinc & iron that boost the immune system. “Tribals in Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura & Meghalaya consume red ant & get cured from various diseases. This could be the reason for less prevalence of Covid-19 in tribal areas. A thorough research to prepare formulations from could prove beneficial,” he was quoted as saying.
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