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Camel Products

Camel Hump, the treasure of food

Camel Hump

It is a myth that the hump is full of water. In many places, the hump is the most prized part of the animal, as it is considered fattier and more tender than the rest of the beast. Camel hump is made of fats. When camels turn fats into ATP during the scarcity of feed, water is produced as a byproduct. Metabolism produces about 110 grams of water per 100 grams of fat combustion. A hump of a healthy camel with medium size having a weight of almost 40 kg.

In some traditions, the camel herders’ communities cook their food in the camel hump’s fats (CHF). Some people eat the CHF raw as a food, energy booster, and dewormer. Some communities including the traditional healers use the CHF for some medicinal purposes by extracting the oil. In recent history, the CHF has been used for cosmetic purposes in many regions of the world.

The Camel Hump Fat

In the ensuing lines, I shall be very happy to share some very important information related to CHF and its uses in traditional healing techniques.

CHF (oil) benefits and uses

Since ancient times, and throughout history, we found in most folk medicine books that CHF has many important uses. For ages, the traditional healers used CHF as an efficient dewormer.

camel fat oil

Also, CHF is being used for the relief of cold pain (pain without fever), arthritis, and also to treat cold cough, asthma, whitening of the skin (dermatitis), hair care, and fattening (treatment of skiny disease) as well.

There are many benefits of fat extracted from camel hump on the human body, as can be summarized in the following points

  • Eating a spoonful of camel’s hump twice a day will clean the human gut from the worms.
  • CHF oil is the best moisturizer for human skin, especially in dry and cold weather
  • Traditionally, the CHF is crushed and tied to the abdomen of the woman after childbirth. It helps in strengthening the abdominal muscles and prevents the sagging of the abdomen
  • If massaged with the CHF oil, the pain in the hands, neck, legs, and vertebral area will evaporate
  • Treatment of joint pain and rheumatism, in addition to muscle tension, because it works to relax and get rid of spasms in general
  • Application of CHF oil on the skin prevents sunburn and darkening of the skin from the sunshine
  • Increasing libido in men, as it increases erection and sexual desire both by eating CHF/oil and application on the organs directly
  • Treating respiratory infections, specifically asthma, by eating it on an empty stomach few days (one spoonful of CHF oil)
  • Treating cracking and dryness problems in the feet, especially the heels and ankle area
  • CHF oil is one of the natural remedies for different hair problems because it nourishes the hair from the roots to the ends, and increases hair density and softness, in addition to treating the problems of baldness, specifically in men. Massaging the hair with CHF oil twice during the week, half an hour before showering will give magic results
  • Traditionally it has been used for childbirth difficulties in women among the nomadic people and others

How to prepare and prepare camel hump fat

2 kg of CHF is cut into small pieces. Put the small slices in the pot over low heat and leave it until the grease dissolves in whole or in part. Remove the pot from the fire when the oil has been released from the fats.

Filter the oil with a piece of Muslin cloth, it is preferred to collect and store the oil in a glass bowl. The oil is kept and used accordingly whenever needed.

Application of CHF Oil in different situations

For the treatment of asthma

Mix an amount of dissolved hump fat with a little honey, and eat it on an empty stomach, and before going to bed on a daily basis, it is possible to replace honey with a quantity of Rashad love.

For hair

Dissolving a quantity of camel hump fat on a quiet fire until it becomes like oil, and then mix it with a little olive oil or coconut oil, and it can also be mixed with any hair cream to treat hair, as it is applied to the hair twice in one week until you get the desired result.

For the Skinny disease

by mixing equal amounts of dissolved hump fat and flax seeds with sesame and peanuts, and twice the amount of almonds, with an appropriate amount of melted chocolate.

A specialized CHF product is prepared in the United Arab Emirates

Jamal Bakhit Mohammad Abdulla Al Falasi, 50, in the back kitchen of his home in Dubai’s Al Mizhar community, opens a small tub and scoops out some of its yellow wax-like filling with a small spoon, encouraging the journalist to rub it into my hand. “This cream tightens the skin, it has no chemicals. It really works like magic, and” stresses the owner of The Wadak Cream company, “you can use it anywhere on the body. It is very popular with women, especially if they’ve had children.” The details of Jamal’s story are provided in the link.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/emirati-man-uses-camel-fat-to-create-natural-skincare-products-1.890218

Acknowledgment

Muhammad, a dear friend, camel lover, and activist shared such valuable information about camel hump fats and their uses.

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Camel Products Camel Products are Safe and Healthy General about camel

Blaming Camels for the MERS Transmission

What is the MERS?

MERS was first detected in 2012. But since then, it has been regularly reported from multiple countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is an illness that can cause respiratory infection. It is caused by a common type of virus called coronavirus. These viruses cause mild to moderate respiratory illness. But in some cases the symptoms are severe. 

The Latest News (July 2023) of MERS 

A 28-year-old man has tested positive for (MERS-CoV) in Alain, Abu Dhabi on the border with Oman, the World Health Organization said on Monday. The affectee had no contact with the camels.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/man-tests-positive-mers-abu-dhabi-near-oman-border-who-2023-07-24/

Not a matter of concern

There is no immediate cause for worry or concern, a public health analyst and epidemiologist have told Down To Earth (DTE) a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a man had been infected with the deadly Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Dr. Abdul Raziq Kakar, international camel dairying consultant, founder of World Camel Day, and Camel4Life International, who resides in Al Ain, however, told DTE that the case should not be used to villainize camels.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/no-immediate-cause-for-concern-epidemiologist-tells-dte-as-mers-case-detected-in-uae-90818

A MERS Case Reported was from UAE in February 2021

The case is a 39-year-old male national, owner of a camel farm. He developed a fever and cough on 18 January and visited a private hospital several times with no improvement.  The condition of the case worsened, and on 24 January, a chest X-ray confirmed the diagnosis of pneumonia. On 26 January, he was admitted to a private hospital and was transferred to a governmental hospital on 28 January. A nasopharyngeal swab was collected on 31 January and tested positive for MERS-CoV by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on 1 February at the Shiekh Khalifa Medical Center laboratory in Abu Dhabi. He has no underlying conditions. SARS-CoV-2 testing was performed more than once, and it was negative. No history of previous infection or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was reported. The case reported a history of close contact with dromedary camels at his farm in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. No travel history was reported during the same period. Currently, the patient is in stable condition. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2021-DON314

Is MERS Really Transmitting from Camel?

It is the burning question of the day. An article was published in a local newspaper regarding the presence of MERS-CoV in camel nasal discharge. As per the ‘The National’ newspaper report, the MERS-CoV is present in almost the majority of the camels in Africa and the Middle East.

Bats and Camels are the Natural Reservoirs of MERS CoV

MERS-CoV is found in Bats and camels both. Both animals are the reservoirs for it. One Chinese study revealed that it is found in the Bat only.

Conclusive Remarks of Famous Camelogists

According to Bernard Faye (the famous camelogist and veterinarian), in his camel farm in KSA, all the camels were MERS-CoV positive but there was no sign of Virus transmission among the workers. Also, no camel showed signs of infection in the 3 years period of time. (Pers. Comm.)

Dr. Bernard Faye, Camelogist
FAYE, Bernard, famous camelogist. He is a French Veterinarian and global camel researcher.

The author (Camelogist Dr. Abdul Raziq Kakar) has been working closely with camels for the last 9 years and has contact with at least 400 camels daily. Also, many members of my team have close contact with camels on a daily basis.  We have not noticed any camel or human has shown any sign of sickness. But if we check the nasal and fecal samples, we will find the viruses and other microorganisms including MERS CoV. 

Many other colleagues (camel owners, farmers, workers, and more) said that they had not noticed any such infection. According to a very reputable research study conducted by Dr. Wernery and his team (Wernery is the scientific director of the central veterinary lab of Dubai), the virus is rarely transmitted from camel to human.

Some very important and conclusive remarks/findings
  • Only there is very little chance of transmission for those who are already very weak and sick and facing immuno-depression.
  • It does not affect the camel’s health either.
  • Only nasal discharge can be noticed in newborn calves infected with MERS
  • The virus is found in nasal discharge and transmitted via nasal way, therefore studies conducted used nasal swabs as the source of the virus
  • The camel products, especially the milk and meat are 100% safe as this virus has no viability below 4C and above 20C
  • Also, the virus is not discharged in milk and meat. There is no reason to consider that camel milk or meat could be a way of contamination as the virus is excreted only by the respiratory way

The deep reality

When I read much more about MERS and camels, I reached the conclusion that blaming camels for MERS is a political/business motive to terrify the people and sell vaccines in the future. In business, there is no rule at all.

The take-home message

So there are no worries, do not avoid camel products. Please use camel milk as before. Camel milk is a natural pharmacy, that boosts immunity and keeps infections at bay.

Further reading

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Camel Products

Camel Saved Human in Challenging Condition

An Arab friend of mine told me that the camel saved generations of people in the world’s driest ecosystems for centuries. The camel pastoralists were used to walk with their camels, drinking their milk with the dried dates.

What Ibne Khaldun Says?

Ibne Khaldun says “before Islam, the tribe of Mudar used to eat a portion of food made from the grounded wool (crushed with stone) of camels cooked in the blood named as IHLIZ اهلز”

In times of extreme drought or famine, it’s possible rules that religion may normally ban may be relaxed to ensure survival. In parts of east Africa in drought time people used to have to cut up, grind up and boil the camel and cattle skins they used as sleeping mats in order to survive.

Dr. Piers Simpkin, the honorable member of the camel4life advocacy group

Camel Skin and Hair are Sometimes Edible

A colleague of our camel advocacy group “Tumal from Oronto of Gabbara Pastoralists” told that; Around the year 1936, there was a serious drought in Northern Kenya, locally known as “Olla Qolaji” Olla- is drought Qolaji- dry poor cowhide. Hence Pastoralists Herders roasted cowhides from collapsed animals due to severe drought. My dad moved from Maikona in Marsabit County to Magado currently (350Kms) in Isiolo County- those days called Northern Frontier Districts by the Colonial government. Camels’ hides are roasted during food shortages in those days because it retains oil layers.

In some cultures, the camel pastoralists eat raw hump. Some communities even open the hump of the living camel, cut the hump, and sew the skin again. They eat the hump fats as raw food to subside their hunger. Drinking the camel’s blood from a living camel is still quite common in some camel pastoralists’ communities, especially in Africa.