Red Ants Chutney to Treat Covid-19?

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 coronavirus.

The Orissa high court on Thursday told the directors general of Ayush ministry and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to decide within three months on a proposal to use red ant chutney to treat Covid-19, Times of India reported.

Tribal belts in several states, including Odisha and Chhattisgarh, consume red ant chutney or use it in soup to get rid of flu, cough, common cold, breathing difficulties, fatigue and other diseases. The chutney is primarily a mixture of red ants and green chillies.

The high court issued the directive on a PIL 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 petition was filed by a Baripada-based engineer, Nayadhar Padhial.

The use of chutney to fight virus was first proposed by Baripada-based engineer and researcher Nayadhar Padhial in June. He later filed a petition in court regarding the same. The high court issued the directive on the PIL that sought its intervention against alleged inaction on Padhial’s proposal

 “Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court disposes of the writ petition and directs the director general of the ministry of Ayush and the director-general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to take a decision on the representation filed by the petitioner and pass appropriate order within three months,” the bench said.

According to Padhial, the chutney contains formic acid, protein, calcium, Vitamin B12, Zinc and iron that boost the immune system. “Tribals in Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya consume red ant and 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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