Health and nutrition among the Birhors of Hazaribagh.
Bulu T.
Author Affiliation: Intach Human Ecology Center, Hazaaribagh 82530, Bihar, India.
Ethnobiology in human welfare: abstracts of the fourth international congress of ethnobiology, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, 17-21 November, 1994. :79
Abstract : The traditional agro-forest tribal communities of Chotanagpur including the Manjhi, Santal and Birhor have a healthy traditional diet, high in dietary fibre, unrefined carbohydrates and protein, with adequate vitamins and minerals, and low in total fat and saturated fat, sucrose, salt, and lacking alcohol. The food intake of the Birhors is almost totally collected from the jungle and except for rice, wild birds, hares, etc. are sold for cash. There are several wild figs and other fruits which are seasonally available to the Birhors; these include mohwa (Madhuca longifolia), amia (Phyllanthus emblica), mango (Mangifera indica), bair (Zizyphus jujuba [Ziziphus mauritiana]), jamun (Eugenia jambolana [Syzygium cumini]), etc. Wild oil seeds such as Azadirachta indica, are collected for the market.