Unraveling the mystery of Fermented rice Uses in Autism children 

As you all are aware that Children with autism are more likely to develop gut issues resulting in diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion, bloating, sensitivity to foods. This generally happens due to imbalanced Pitta dosha in children with autism. In Ayurveda with Panchakarma or other herbs, the doctor tries to balance the dosha so that the child can live a happy life. As you can see we have already mentioned and shared various treatment modalities in our blog.

At Amritha Ayurvedam, I employ various ayurvedic therapies to balance the dosha, but I also recommend diet modifications in a child. Scientifically probiotics are quite essential to maintain the child’s gut health. Diet and lifestyle elements of Ayurveda are significant, and, as is well recognized. Ayurveda declares that even the administration of the right medicine to cure an illness may not be of constant value unless the diet and lifestyle of the patient are managed. Knowledge of good dietary habits was strongly rooted in India’s traditional culture. Earlier generations often observed age-old procedures for doing particular things for reasons they did not fully understand but did out of habit from the examples of their elders. Skeptical younger generations did not always continue to conform to tradition, and so the knowledge has slowly been lost. So today I Dr.Santhisree Bheesetti will be making us all recollect the valuable resource of our childhood,  “Chaddi Annam ”, (Fermented Rice) which is prepared with overnight soaked rice. I always thought this “Chaddi Annam ” or “Genji Annam” is only a poor man’s diet. I used to have it in my childhood only at my grandmother’s place and loved it very much. Sitting In the green fields, used to have Chaddi Annam(Fermented Rice) with green chili was a wonderful memory of my childhood. But only after taking up my practice in Ayurveda, I understood the value of  Chaddi Annam adds to our diet and especially the way it resolved gut issues in autism children.

“This is a secret recipe to prepare probiotics at home”

Probiotics are living, active microorganisms that can be consumed through fermented foods or supplements. Some of the studies have concluded that balance or imbalance of bacteria in our digestive system is associated with overall health and diseases.

In Ayurvedic medicine, the presence of ama, which is a toxic byproduct of digestion, is responsible for most of the disease conditions. Ama impairs nutrient absorption and tends to accumulate in tissues that are anatomically and physiologically weak causing congestion, inflammation, and degenerative changes. Intestinal permeability is thought to be caused by a substance or combination of substances, such as allergens or toxins, which initiate inflammation in the digestive tract.

This inflammation allows for large molecules to pass across the intestinal barrier, including molecules from proteins, fats, parasites, bacteria, fungi. Intestinal permeability or Leaky gut syndrome are terms used to describe an inability of the stomach lining to absorb protein molecules. Instead of being absorbed and digested, these protein molecules circulate throughout the bloodstream. Here, they stimulate the immune system, and, in turn, immune system cells react to their presence as they would to any foreign protein by initiating an inflammatory reaction that leads to autoantibody production and autoimmune disease development.

What Ayurveda says about Fermented Rice:

Food is an integral part of Ayurvedic treatment. The purity of food is the framework for the pureness of mind. Thus food is the key aspect of ASD, and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the right food should be given to their children. If the food is given in the right form, with the right amount, then it will support the digestion of children.

Foodstuff, which is complicated to digest, should be shunned. An important thing here is that every parent needs to be a keen observer while selecting the food. Because you cannot decide according to the craving of children. There are a variety of protein-rich foods that are not tolerated by the digestive system of a child, the same goes for fermented foods, they inhibit proper digestion and hence should not be a member of the daily menu. They impair the digestive fire and thus encourage the germination of harmful gut flora, so it’s better to obsolete that kind of food from the menu.

How fermented rice help to resolve the gut issues:

Indeed diet is the key in autism, and it is very important to balance the Pitta dosha of a child. The method of preparation is quite simple and straightforward. All you need to do is to cook rice water with excess water in it.  Nutritionists state that fermented rice is perfect for health. The water augments most of the nutritional components of rice and ultimately transforms it into a “cold drink” overnight. The next morning you are rewarded with a delightful beverage to make for a hot day.

Let’s check Fermented Rice quick recipe 

Cook rice with an excess of water

Drain the excess water from it (it also eliminates the extra starch)’

Don’t think about throwing this valuable starch-rich water; rather you can use this water constructively.

Take the drained water (Genji)  and mix it with leftover rice overnight, it’d be good if you keep the mixture in an earthen pot.

Cover the clay pot and let it stay overnight. The probiotic is ready for consumption the next morning. You should serve this probiotic first thing in the morning for better gut health. Avoid reheating the mixture as it will kill the valuable elements.

Resistant starch in white rice reaches the colon and feeds good bacteria, thereby increasing their production in the gut. This process produces butyric acid which can reduce inflammation.

Apparently, fermented foods are not allowed in children with autism, but this Fermented rice (Genji Annam or Chaddi Annam) has long term effects. It has tremendous post digestion effects, and it helps to balance the pitta fire. The food’s combined microbial content from the lactobacillus and yeast considerably improves its nutritional value.

The important thing about this procedure is that it usually removes the carbohydrates or lowers down the level of sugar. Additionally decrease in Kapha content improves elimination and decreases constipation.  Reduced Kapha or improved constipation eventually produces long-term colon health. These fermented rice also help to release constipation thus will be helpful for your child to maintain the gut issues.

On the other hand; lactic acid bacteria split down the anti-nutritional constituents in rice that improve the bioavailability of micronutrients and minerals such as iron, potassium, and calcium by various thousand percentage points. For instance; if you have 100grams of rice after 12hours of fermentation, the availability of iron increased from 3.4 mg to 73.91mg; it Means a 2073% increase which is fascinating.

That’s why I recommend this Fermented rice in children with Autism to improve their gut health and balance the Pitta dosha.

“I really like saying it” if you met with one child diagnosed with Autism then you actually met with one child”. You must wander, but yes every child is unique. Working with autistic children and their families is quite a rewarding experience for me. Every day my heart ponders to find something that could help a child with autism. Every child has unique needs and imbalances by keeping the symptoms in mind at Autism Ayurvedam I customize the treatment. If your child is having serious gut issues then don’t panic, pick your phone and book your consultation call us so that I can look forward to offering you an effective treatment plan.