Meat soup is not taboo in Ayurveda

Once, Manilal Gandhi, son of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an ardent follower of vegan diet, fell ill and the doctor prescribed chicken soup for him in order to recover fast and obviously Gandhiji did not want his son to take non-vegetarian food. So, as soon as the doctor prescribed the soup, Gandhi ji advised his son not to take it. But after continuous pressure from every corner and the condition of his son was getting worse, Gandhiji allowed him to take the meat soup and consequently he recovered fast from the illness.

From thereon, this personal  anecdote has been narrated  as an example to show that meat soup has the capacity to cure some ailments and Ayurveda, commonly considered as a vegan therapy, is not so unacceptable as  all  possible curative agents should be used to get the patients recover from ailments.

Being called ‘YUSHAM’ in Ayurveda, there are almost 75 verities of soups which use green gram as the main ingredient and moreover, it has been used since ages for different ailments.

In Ayurveda, meat soups are called Mamsa Rasam. There have been different types of meat soups in which mutton soup is considered the best as it provides better therapeutic effect.  Chicken soup is also used as a medicine in Ayurveda.  In ancient times, it was woodcock which was used to prepare the soup, but nowadays it is common chicken that has been cooked to prepare this item.

In Ayurveda, Mamasa Rasas are being commonly used to enrich the body. But it is proved that regular intake of meat soups would be beneficial in treating tuberculosis and infertility in men. It is highly recommended for those who are lean and want to have some extra calories in their bodies.

Consuming meat soup regularly strengthens the body so those who engage in tiresome jobs and strenuous exercise should eat meat products as part of   their diet to maintain the agility.

In Ayurveda, Mamsa rasa is used to prepare adding some unique mix of herbs; therefore it could be prepared in accordance with the nature of the ailment.

Moreover, meat soups will, apart from enhancing   body strength, boost immunity and intelligence. Therefore, it is a commonly consumed nutriment all over the world. There have been verities of chicken soups in Italy and China.  India is not any different in this regard as it has got many items like clear chicken soup, sour chicken soup and hot and spicy chicken soup etc.

When you prepare chicken soup, it must be noticed that the chicken which is used to prepare should be coarse chicken as it is less in fat and very beneficial for the body.

Chicken and mutton soups were part of the folk medicines for ages and these are rich in calcium, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Therefore, in some part of the world it has been aliased as Jewish Penicillin.

Meat soups are also beneficial in treating cold and chest infections.

Dr. Shabu Pattambi ([email protected])