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‘Antunde’ for menarche and pregnancy

Antunde
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Historical background

Antunde was inspired by Karadantu, a sweet delicacy of Karnataka, which has edible gum. The Karadantu was originally found in the Gulbarga district, in pre-independent India. It is believed by some researchers that the practice of giving such dry fruits during the special puja must have started from the second half of the 19th century, from the rural areas eventually journeying to big towns and cities. A study examining traditional prenatal and postnatal care practices established that the puja ritual for girls during their menarche is similar to the former. The main ceremony consisted of filling the lap of the pregnant woman on the ceremonious occasion with presents composed of varying amounts of wheat grain, generally a seer and half by measure, seven areca nuts, one coconut, several dry fruits such as almonds, cashews, raisins, walnuts and so on (Shah, 1958). If we go back in history, it is believed that laddoos were invented for medicinal purposes by the father of Indian surgery and medicine, Susruta. For instance, the ‘Til ka Ladoo’ that we all relish today. In the 4th century B.C, Susruta began using it as an antiseptic to treat his patients. The combination of sesame seeds, jaggery, and peanuts was known to have immense healing properties. The Gondh ka laddoo follows a similar legacy (Sengupta, S. 2018).

What is it?

Antunde or Antina unde is a traditional sweet dish popular in Karnataka, which translates to “Glue lump.” The name was given due to its tendency to be very sticky. It is essentially a dry fruit ball, where chopped almonds, cashew nuts, and walnuts are dry roasted with desi ghee (liquid butter) mixed well with seedless chopped dates, sesame seeds, chopped figs, and raisins with melted jaggery, and shaped into small bite-size balls. The culture in Karnataka, which is more prevalent in southern Karnataka, such as Shivamogga, Bengaluru, Udupi, and Mysuru than in the northern part of the State, is to feed such dry fruit balls to the girls during their first menstruation or menarche, and to pregnant mothers during their last trimester and post-delivery. This dish is also called Gondh ka laddoo in northern India, prepared in a similar fashion.

On the much-celebrated occasion, the girl with menarche is kept in a different room and fed extensively with special diets. In the custom Puja performed by a priest, which officially affirms the girl’s first step to womanhood, the women of the neighborhood and the female relatives sing folk melodies and gift traditional clothes, saris, jewelry, but most importantly, these delicious homemade Antunde. These are given to strengthen the healthy production of blood flow without much pain and strengthen the lower back and the waist. The iron in dates and jaggery, the greasy content in ghee, and the dried coconuts, which produce vital oils, keep the body warm and strong to endure blood loss. Hearty comfort snacks such as this produce psychological reassurance when mentally and physically, puberty is a period of massive changes, and the ability to comprehend this, constantly vary, with extensive mood swings and anxiety. It has been advised by doctors to pregnant and lactating mothers that dry fruits prove to be very useful and rich in calcium, iron, proteins, potassium, and other vitamins which improve the health of the mother and the baby.

A handful of nuts or 20-25 gm/day is the suggested amount. One can eat a mix of nuts to get nutritional benefits from each or eat one which she likes the most but a handful. Almonds, cashews, pine nuts, and pistachios are the lowest-calorie nuts at 160 calories per 28 gm (per serving). The tradition of feeding a maximum of three such bite-size dry fruit balls in a day with a glass of milk, which contains not just one benefit from a single type of nut, but all other nuts combined, tallies to the nutrient values that should be scientifically consumed (Chawla, V. 2018).

Research evidences

A local blog about this delicacy stated that the dish was to be served to the girl during her first menstrual period, or menarche. Traditionally it is a practice that, during menarche, particularly from the 5th day onwards, the girl should consume a tiny amount of ghee, a small piece of copra (which is dried coconut), followed by one dry fruit laddoo and a cup of milk for continuous 48 days. It is believed that all the combined nutrition of dry fruits, edible gum, and milk will take care of her and retain the calcium, iron, and much-needed supplements through the natural form (U, S. 2017). For a lactating mother, the woman should consume 1 spoon of postpartum lehya (which is a mixture of so many Ayurvedic natural medicines) followed with little ghee, a piece of dry coconut, one dry fruit laddoo, and a glass of milk from the 11th day onwards until 3rd month, said Shrikripa in her blog. In the northern parts of India, the dry fruit ball, or gondh ka laddoo, is given to meet the extra calories required by the lactating mother. Sonia Narang, a Wellness Expert at Oriflame India, says, “Gondh is very nourishing and is rich in calcium and protein. It helps one develop strong bones and prevent back pain.” A single gondh ke ladoo will provide enough energy to last for hours. Since it is usually made with nutrient-dense ingredients like gondh, whole wheat flour, ghee, and dry nuts, it is a perfect energy food for a mid-meal. Gondh is said to increase the production of breast milk (Sengutpa, S. 2018). Children of mothers who ate 2 to 3 ounces of nuts a week during pregnancy tended to score higher on memory, attention, and I.Q tests. (Bakalar, N. 2019).

Science behind Antunde 

Antunde has all essential nuts and dried fruits that are combined in a small bite-size ball. Individually as well as collectively, these nuts and fruits provide various health benefits for pregnant and lactating mothers:

Fiber: In an article about parenthood, it was asserted that constipation is very likely for pregnant women because of the change in hormones that occurs. According to Sara, the author of the journal article, a low-fiber diet is another reason why one could be experiencing constipation, and adding dry fruits to one’s diet is one way to get the 25 to 30 grams of fiber recommended by the American Pregnancy Association.

Iron: A pregnant woman needs 27 milligrams of iron each day to nourish normal blood development and decrease the risk of preterm delivery. Dry fruits cater to small amounts of iron that helps in the long run.  A 1/4-cup serving of dried apricots contains about 0.6 grams of iron, which is 2 percent of what you need each day. The same amount of raisins supplies 0.78 milligrams (Ipatenco, S. 2019).

Vitamins and minerals: The nutrients most vital during pregnancy are folic acid, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Dates are rich in magnesium and help in the development of the baby’s nerves and bones. Potassium safeguards apt muscle control and prevents high blood pressure. A handful of raisins, dried apricots, dried prunes, and dried figs are more than enough to meet those potassium requirements. Dried banana chips and peanuts are a good source of folic acid, crucial in preventing neural tube defects among newborns, affirmed an article Support Your Pregnancy with Rich and Nutritional Dry Fruits.

Almonds, dates, and dried figs: Dr. Ashwini assures in her article, that almonds are rich in Calcium, which decreases the risk of hypertension in pregnant women. Almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts, and walnuts possess enormous manganese content, which helps in the development of healthy bones, regulation of metabolism, blood sugar as well as average skeletal growth. In contrast, walnuts producing omega 3 fats help develop the unborn baby’s brain and eye (Nabar, A. 2016). Dry fruits also supply a generous amount of folate, sourced from peanuts and hazelnuts. Folate is a vitamin B which is very important for the baby’s development during the first trimester of the pregnancy (Arora, D. 2016). Studies reveal that consuming dry fruits daily by the mother can reduce the risk of developing asthma and wheezing in the baby (Dsvarma, Y. 2020). When consumed in moderation, dry fruits and nuts are perfectly safe during pregnancy. However, if one eats them in excess, she may face various health complications like:

1.  Gastrointestinal problems such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

2. Weight gain as dry fruits and nuts are rich in calories, and excess consumption can certainly cause health issues (P, R. & Mukhija. M. 2019)

As aforementioned, this practice proves to be extremely important for nutritional causes both in pregnant and lactating mothers. The psychological effect in a life-span perspective is the cultural incorporation that elicits a long-term impact. Down south often includes a sense of maturity, warmth, and femininity as puberty elementally is a period of changes that can be very confusing, creating anxiety and incomprehension. The special treatment and the ritual puja the girls receive in Karnataka during menarche can include following many superstitious beliefs, but the diet, like the dry fruit ball, has always been on the scientific part of the court. As a localite of Bengaluru, one can’t help but notice certain traditional and cultural practices functioning as an integral part of a period in a human’s life span development. Many such culturally-rooted dishes have been in the diet of a particular population in demography that aims to enrich the nourishment of that special age group. Although it is hard to separate scientific findings from a midwife’s tales, this particular dish called Antunde down south, and Gondh ka laddoo in the northern part of India uniquely stands apart because of its uses and effects.

References

Arora, D. (2016, February 24). Healthy Pregnancy Recipe – Dry fruit ladoos. Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://www.thehealthsite.com/pregnancy/healthy-pregnancy-recipe-dry-fruit-ladoos-d0216-371790/

Bakalar, N. (2019, May 07). Eating Nuts During Pregnancy Tied to Brain Benefits in Baby. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/well/eat/eating-nuts-during-pregnancy-tied-to-brain-benefits-in-baby.html

Benno, V., G. Arya, S., V. Teronpi, H., AU. Muzaddadi, R., S. Sarma, R., JM. Jasrotia, A.,. MS. Harsoliya, J. (1970, January 01). Folk beliefs of food avoidance and prescription among menstruating and pregnant Karbi women of Kamrup district, Assam. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42779-019-0013-7

Bites, P. (2015, March 31). Dry Fruit Balls ~ Snack for Pregnant women and Lactating moms. Retrieved October 24, 2020, from https://purevegetarianbites.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/dry-fruit-balls-snack-for-pregnant-women-and-lactating-moms/

Carughi, A., Feeney, M. J., Kris-Etherton, P., Fulgoni, V., 3rd, Kendall, C. W., Bulló, M., & Webb, D. (2016). Pairing nuts and dried fruit for cardiometabolic health. Nutrition journal, 15, 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-016-0142-4

Chawla, V. (2018, December 06). How Much & Which Dry Fruits to Consume During Pregnancy? How Safe Dry Fruits While Pregnant? Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.parentune.com/parent-blog/how-much-dry-fruits-to-eat-in-pregnancy/4689

Dsvarma, Y. (2020, August 15). 9 Health Benefits of Eating Dry Fruits During Pregnancy. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://stylesatlife.com/articles/dry-fruits-during-pregnancy/

Higuera, V. (2019, November 27). Dates During Pregnancy: For Labor, Other Benefits, More. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/dates-during-pregnancy

Ipatenco, S. (2019, December 09). Are Dried Apricots Safe for Toddlers? Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://www.hellomotherhood.com/dried-apricots-safe-toddlers-2835.html

(2019). 7 superfoods to eat when you’re pregnant. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://babymori.com/blogs/pregnancy/7-superfoods-to-eat-when-you-re-pregnant

Nabar, A. (2016). What are the benefits of eating dried fruits and nuts during pregnancy? Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.babycenter.in/x25008027/what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-dried-fruits-and-nuts-during-pregnancy

P, R., & Mukhija, M. (2019, June 08). Consuming Dry Fruits While Pregnant – Is It Safe, Benefits & More. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/eating-dry-fruits-in-pregnancy-benefits-risks-how-ho-eat/

Sengupta, S. (2018, May 28). Gondh Ka Laddoo (Laddu): Why Indian Mothers Are Served This High-Calorie Ladoo Post-Pregnancy. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/gondh-ka-laddoo-why-indian-mothers-are-served-this-high-calorie-ladoo-post-pregnancy-1731813

U, S. (2017, November 29). Kripa’s Food Diary. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://shrikripa.in/2017/11/29/antinunde-dry-fruit-laddu-with-edible-gum/

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Siri Shekar

The author is a student reporter who is also pursuing Psychology and English Literature. A wanderer searching for faces that inspire an optimistic place about the world, she hunts for different human experiences, not just leads for a story.

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