Medicinal Properties Of Jackfruit

Many know the good flavor and the nutrients of jackfruit, but few know that many of its parts can be used to treat certain illnesses

The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is native to the tropical lowlands of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh. Jackfruit, called mít in Vietnamese, is widely grown in all the three regions of the country.

There are many kinds of jackfruit, but based on the characteristics of the fruits’ flesh, there are two varieties: the “hard” variety, which has firm flesh and the largest fruits, and the “soft” variety, which bears smaller fruits but softer and sweeter flesh. Mít t n, which belongs to the latter variety, is a specialty of the southern region.
Almost all parts of the jackfruit can be used as herbal medicine. Its leaves are used to boost the production of breast milk for nursing mothers, and to treat indigestion, diarrhea and high blood pressure. Jackfruit wood is used as a sedative, whereas its roots can be used to stop diarrhea.

Jackfruit flesh is starchy and fibrous and is a source of dietary fiber. Ripe jackfruit flesh is fragrant, tasty and nutritious. It has 0.6-1.5% of protein, 11-14% of fructose and glucose, vitamins A, B1, B2 and C, and essential minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorus. Dried jackfruit chips are now a tasty and favorite snack, which has been exported to many countries around the world.

Young, unripe fruits can be used as an ingredient for various soups and salads, especially for fish dishes. This young flesh fried with lean pork or shrimp with some aromatic herbs is a dish recommended by herbalists to boost the functioning of the spleen and liver, and the production of breast milk.

Jackfruit seeds can be boiled, steamed or baked, and eaten as a bean. The seed is nutritious, containing up to 70% of starch, 5.2% of protein, 0.62% of lipid and 1.4% of minerals. Jackfruit seeds are thus good for digestion and urination.

Remedies

To boost the production of breast milk for needy nursing mothers, boil fresh jackfruit leaves, or very young fruits, and drink the broth during the day.

Boil a solution of the same amounts of jackfruit leaves, sugarcane leaves and bamboo charcoal. Drink the solution three times a day to relieve asthma.

To cure boils or ulcers, squeeze fresh jackfruit leaves and apply the squeezed leaves onto the affected areas to relieve pain and speed up the healing process.

Simmer a few small pieces of jackfruit wood and drink the solution thrice a day for a few consecutive days as a sedative as well as to lower high blood pressure.

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Illegal Motorbike Racing: A Comprehensive Approach

Tackling the issue of illegal motorbike racing requires comprehensive efforts of authorities, families and communities

Minh Nhat has yet to turn 18 years of age. But this teenager who performs poorly in school and whose family is poor has recently been fined by traffic police for driving high-capacity motorcycles, and encouraging and engaging in illegal racing.

Hoang Phuc, one of Minh Nhat’s peers, received a police ticket for running his motorbike on one wheel. Also, at the time of his violation, like Minh Nhat, Phuc couldn’t produce his driver’s license, ID, or the insurance policy.
The above stories, featured in Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, are just two of many others covered by the local press, which has captivated public attention during this past week. The public’s growing concern: illegal motorbike racing.
Roughly a month ago, HCM City Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Tai, also vice head of the city’s traffic safety board, presided over a meeting which promoted September as “Traffic Safety Month.”

Entitled “Traffic Culture for the Sake of the Community’s Safety and Urban Order and Civilization,” the campaign aimed to scale down the number of deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents in Vietnam’s most populous city.

As part of the enforcement to be tightened during the month, HCM City traffic cops would strictly punish traffic violators, in particular, illegal motorbike racing.

During a meeting held last Friday to discuss the issue of illegal motorbike racing, statistics released by Vo Van Van, deputy head of HCM City traffic police, were alarming. In the first nine month, traffic police officers intercepted almost 240 illegal motorbike races in which they temporarily detained close to 2,500 vehicles. On average, almost one illegal race occurred every day (often at night)! Yet this figure is way below the real ones which actually occurred, according to estimates by the well-informed.

In the same meeting, Dr. Ton That Quynh Ai, head of the emergency ward of Cho Ray Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in town, told delegates that every day, the hospital received about 50 cases of traffic accidents. As the majority of the accidents happened while the drivers were doing at high speed, injuries were extremely serious. Those who escape death are often disabled for life and have to cover high treatment costs.

Despite all the bad consequences, illegal motorbike racing in Saigon has been on the rise recently. Illegal racers come from not only rich families that can afford them expensive vehicles but also from poor ones that can hardly make both ends meet.

Needless to say, traffic police remain the driving force in fighting illegal motorbike racing. However, police forces alone cannot solve the problem, many have argued. This task requires the participation of all social strata, in which families and communities play a crucial role.

In line with the above consensus, Minh Nhat and Hoang Phuc, the two violators mentioned in the beginning of this article, had to review their violations in the presence of their family members and neighbors. Both Nhat and Phuc promised not to repeat the violation again.

Some of such reviews by illegal racers would be aired on local television channels as a way to warn against future motorbike racing.

Illegal motorbike racing poses yet another youth problem that needs to be tackled. Just like video-game addiction, solving the issue of illegal racing requires a comprehensive approach, not only from authorities but also from families and communities.

Much has been talked about creating appropriate playgrounds for the youth. But not much has actually materialized.

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HCM City Hosts International Travel Expo

Saigontourists is among the key exhibitors at ITE HCMC 2010

The sixth International Travel Expo HCM City 2010, or ITE HCMC 2010, will take place in HCM City by the end of this month

Co-organized by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company (Vinexad) and IIR Exhibitions Singapore, this year’s event bears the topic “Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia, three countries one destination” and runs at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7’s Phu My Hung New Urban Area from September 30 to October 2.

The ITE HCMC was held the first time in 2005. To date, it has been confirmed to be a national tourism event of Vietnam by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The main activities at ITE HCMC 2010 are expected to include a program on surveying tourism products for buyers and the media, a seminar on introducing the inter-regional tour – three countries one destination; and a seminar on investing in tourism in Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia.

Featured at the ITE HCMC 2010 is the opening ceremony at 9 a.m. on September 30, which will be broadcast live on HTV channel. Coming next are transactions between sellers and buyers, including exchanging information, introducing products and signing contracts on sending and receiving guests between local and foreign tourism companies.

Saigontourist Holding Company will be among the key exhibitors at the event. The 16 of its subsidiaries to join the ITE HCMC 2010 include Saigontourist Travel Service Co., Rex Hotel and Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort. These businesses will display and sell products and services through leaflets, brochures, CD-ROMs, VCDs/DVDs, and so forth.

Aside from the part of an exhibitor, Saigontourist is also one of the main sponsors for the expo. It will provide and sponsor tours, accommodation, conferences, among others.

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Persimmon Is Precious Medicine

Many parts of the persimmon can be used to treat certain illnesses

Persimmon is any of various tropical trees of the genus Diospyros. The fruit is edible when it is ripe, with a yellow-orange or red-orange color. The word Diospyros means “the fruit of God” in ancient Greek. The fruit has a high content of glucose, balanced protein profile and various medicinal properties.

In Vietnam, persimmon is grown in many regions. Apart from a fruit tree, many parts of the persimmon have long been used to cure some illnesses. The fruit contains catechin and gallocatechin tannins, and the anti-tumor compounds betulinic acid and shibuol.

In traditional Vietnamese medicine, persimmon pollen is used to relieve fever, constipation, phlegm and coughing. It can also relieve mouth, tongue and pharynx inflammations. Persimmon calyxes is used to treat nausea and flatulence. Persimmon leaves are used to lower high blood pressure, relieve inflammation and prevent arteriosclerosis and sleeplessness.

Remedies

To lower high blood pressure and prevent stroke, squeeze ripe, fresh persimmon fruit and mix the juice with milk. Drink the solution three times a day, half a cup each time.

Make a drink with dried persimmon fruit, lotus stems and the flowers of kinh gii (Schizonepeta tennifolia). Drink it with a little honey within 15 days, stop the therapy for a few days and repeat another 15-day therapy until hemophilia (a blood-coagulation disorder) disappears.

To treat hemorrhoids, simmer dried persimmon fruit and drink the broth twice a day. Or, prepare a porridge with dried persimmon fruit and eat it twice a day. Or, roast dried persimmon fruit and grind them; mix the persimmon powder with water and drink it thrice a day.

To treat dysentery, slice dried persimmon fruit, roast it and grind it into powder. Eat a teaspoonful of this powder with a little water, three times a day. This can also cure bleeding after coughing.

Simmer persimmon calyxes with a few slices of ginger. Drink the solution during the day to treat hiccups.
Mix persimmon pollen with a little eucalyptus powder, which is available at any herbal medicine shop, and apply onto the infected areas to treat lip or tongue ulcers.

It is recommended to eat persimmon fruit when it is completely ripe. Do not eat the fruit on an empty stomach.

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Multiplier Effects Of Services

Processing cashew nuts at dan On Foods in Tan Binh Dist., HCM City: Agro-product processing has toppled heavy industry to exert the greatest multiplier effect on the city's economy.

Services boast increasing multiplier effects in HCM City

Research on HCM City’s economic restructuring over the past decade shows that the multiplier effects which several basic sectors of the city leave on this city and on other localities of Vietnam have both changed.

It is complicated to estimate and set up a model which straddles across sectors and regions. Therefore, this study focuses on 12 sectors: (1) agro-forestry-fishery, (2) mining, (3) agro-product processing, (4) light industry, (5) heavy industry, (6) power, water and gas supplies, (7) construction, (8) commerce, (9) transport, post and telecommunications, (10) finance and realty, (11) public services and (12) other services.

In general, the multiplier effect which final demand exerts on supply has increased (1.708 compared with 1.613) and is higher than Vietnam’s average (1.64). Given HCM City’s development, the increase in the multiplier effect matters even more than GDP growth.

Sector-wise, agro-product processing has toppled heavy industry, as well as power, water and gas supplies, to become the sector which the greatest multiplier effect on the city’s economy. This is appropriate in view of Vietnam’s economic development path. Thus, when agro-product processing takes off, it will benefit HCM City in particular and the country in general. Notably, HCM City’s services exert greater effects than they used to and surpass the national average, which indicates that the shift toward services is justified.

This study shows that HCM City’s internal strength has surged thanks to its sizzling development. This city is thus less dependent on other localities than it used to be.

Above is merely an overview of the research results, based on a model fleshed out over a year ago. Judging by the outcomes, HCM City should continue to focus more on services. Among processing industries, sectors with higher multiplier effects such as agro-product processing should be given priority. Agriculture has steady multiplier coefficients and should have its share of the city’s economy maintained.

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Test reveals Thanh Den’s rice grains not ancient

Rice plants sprout from grains previously thought to be 3,000 years old and discovered at Thanh Den citadel in Hanoi

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Rice grains at the Thanh Den citadel site in Hanoi's Me Linh District were tested in Japan using an age-validating Tantedron AMS machine using C14 technology and were found to not be 3,000 years old as previously believed.

The Carbon isotopic testing results were announced by Dr Lam Thi My Dung, Associate Professor and head of the Archaeology Division at Hanoi National University's History Department, who was in charge of the excavation at Thanh Den Site.

Last May the grains had generated widespread sensationalism when, thought to be 3,000 years old, they sprouted after being soaked in water for two days.

Nguyen Tri Ngoc, director of the Cultivation Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's (MARD) announced his department would stop supporting research related to the grains.

“There is nothing miraculous about these grains as they seem to have accidentally fallen into the Thanh Den site,” he said.

MARD initially questioned the findings though they committed to further scientific research to validate or dispute the archaeologists’ discovery with Ngoc recognizing that “no such case exists anywhere in the world.”

Dr Le Huy Ham, head of MARD's Agricultural Genetics Institute – directly involved in caring for and cultivating the “ancient rice grains” – confirmed the results of the carbon isotopic testing deeming the previous assumption a result of archaeological error and announced a halt of all research.

Scientists have explained that even the most modern technology can only preserve seeds that can sprout after a maximum of 50-100 years.

Thanh Den is a well-known Vietnamese archaeological site. Seven excavations have taken place at the site since 2001.

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Bodhi leaves heal more than just the soul

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Ten exceptional works of art made with authentic Bodhi leaves from India are awarded today on Vietnam Entrepreneurs Day, to 10 outstanding philanthropists who pledged to each fund 100 eye operations through Anh Sang Tri Tue (Light of Mind) charitable organization to sponsor eye surgery for disadvantaged Vietnamese children.

The art pieces were the first 10 out of 52 combining the holy leaves from Bodhgaya, India with Vietnamese lacquer commissioned by the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the Vietnam Buddhist Church.

They were on display at the “Bo de Hoa Tam” traveling exhibit September 22-24 at Bat Nha Pagoda in Danang, September 30 to October 2 at Tao Sach Pagoda in Hanoi and from October 8-10 at Xa Loi Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City to coincide with 1,000th Thang Long-Hanoi’s anniversary.

"The 52 pieces represent the weeks in a year," said Nguyen Doan Anh Khoa, exhibit co-organizer and marketing director of BODE Code Business Communications JSC.

“With the hope that through Bo De Hoa Tam, Buddha’s spirit will reach Vietnamese families, especially businessmen – who are under constant personal and professional pressure - and promote their inner peace and mindfulness,” he added.

In 2008 the artists made a pilgrimage to Mahabodhi Pagoda in India's northern Bihar State, where the Buddha is thought to have attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree and a direct descendant of that tree is still worshipped by visitors from all corners of the earth.

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