Imported food Stuff

t is very shocking to know about pests in foreign fruits which are imported in India. It takes four or five months for the cargo to reach here by sea from England, America and Australia so they adopt the techniques of freezing, radiation, nuclear radiation therapy for preserving the food products and applying beeswax for shining.

            This may cause asthma, constipation, infertility and many other problems among peoples.  If we take pickles, pappads (home made for our relatives in foreign lands, the airport authorities reject them and throw them in the dustbins, as the food products are supposed to be below their foods act standards).  They also go to extreme extent to kill the infected cattle in England.  But our government fails to act against contaminated food products imported from various countries which are injurious to health. Our government is interested only in earning foreign exchange.

            Indian goods that are exported are subjected to thorough scrutiny.  The consignment of goods that do not conform to the rigid standards of the West are simply sent back. Can we not apply the same yardstick for their goods?

            In the meantime, A-grade foods items are exported to the foreigners and C-grade foods are supplied to us by our government.  The foodgrains supplied through the fair price shops should be given to leaders and officials so that they know what kind of stuff is being supplied?

Jayashree M. Chari

November 3, 2023  The Hitavada

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‘Ayurvedic’ burqas a rage in Saudi Arabia

ge-old Hindu wisdom is now dressing up women in Islamic Saudi Arabia. Burqas made the Ayurvedic way are the latest export from Balaramapuram, a tiny village on the city outskirts made famous by its handloom weavers whose struggle for survival has led to rediscovery of the ancient art of weaving organic clothes.

            “In Ayurveda, these fabrics are called Ayurvastra.  Only natural cotton and colouring is used so that they are free of toxic irritants.  These are also treated with medicinal herbs as prescribed by Ayurvedic texts to improve the healing value,” says Rajan, whose family has been in the trade for 600 years. “In the past few months, we exported about 4,000 burquas to Saudi Arabia,” he says. “But the demand by Ayurvastra doesn’t stop there. Last year, our Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society exported clothes worth Rs. 2 crore to the US, UK, France, Mexico, Saudi Africa and Japan.”

            Does Ayurvastra really heal? Clinical trials at the Government Ayurveda College Hospital here showed that the fabric was quite effective, especially in cases of skin ailments and arthritis. As part of the test, patients were constantly exposed to Ayurvedic herbs through Ayurvastra for 30 days.

            Even the curtains in the room, linen and mattresses, says Rajan, were made as prescribed in the ancient Indian treaties, Charaka Samhita.

November 2007, Bharatiya pragna

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 Obesity and junk food

besity has become a global problem thanks to our fascination with packaged, processed and junk foods. Worldwide, around 17.6 million children younger than five are estimated to be overweight.

·    Obesity is the most prevalent disease among children and young adults in the US.

·    In the UK, obesity has risen by 400 per cent in the past 25 years.

·    In Australia, over the past 20 years, there has been a 2.5-fold rise in number of obese people identified in its major cities. And the country also has one of the highest rates of type-2 diabetes in children in the developed world.

            The World Health Organisation (WHO) declares that each additional can of soft drink that a child consumes increases her risk of becoming obese by 60 per cent.

            In India, an average family today spends less on cereals and more on packaged refreshments (chips, cookies and salties), and processed food. The average per capita fat consumption has risen sharply, both in rural and urban India. School surveys in various cities show that 30 per cent of adolescent from the middle class are overweight.

            The effect - “An increase in calorie intake, which disturbs our metabolic activity. This, along with a sedentary life style, lead to an increase in chances of obesity, which has become a rule, rather than an exception in the upcoming generation,” says Navjeet Talukdar, heart specialist at the Batra Hospital and Research Centre, Delhi. Type-2 diabetes and heart diseases, which come as ‘free gifts’ with obesity, are also on the rise.

October 31, 2007 Down to earth

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Spice up your health this new year

any of us will make the resolution to eat healthier this year, adding more fruits and vegetables, and less salt and fat, to our diet. But if you really want to spice up health – and those healthy foods – try adding a dash of basil and oregano, or a few cloves of garlic to your diet too.

            Using more herbs and spices and fewer traditional seasonings like sugar, salt and fat, can help to improve the overall health benefits – and flavor – of the foods we eat every day, says Suzanna Zick, a naturopathic physician at the University of Michigan Health System.

            “Adding herbs and spices can help you maintain a healthy weight. Plus, they can help prevent certain cancers, and even lower blood pressure, control blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health.”

            To help add a dash of “spice” to your life, Zick offers these tips for picking the best spices for your overall health. Zick’s tips for spicing up your health.

• Instead of salt, use herbs. like oregano, thyme, rosemary & parsley can really bring out the natural flavors in a meal. Zick recommends replacing salt with a tasty combination of basil and oregano on food.

• Use fresh garlic. Garlic appears to help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. “For maximum benefit, you need to have about three medium cloves of garlic per day.

• Basil, oregano and rosemary can help fight colds. Since these three herbs contain strong essential oils. “All three are powerful antioxidants as well”.

• Treat chronic coughs with thyme. “The health benefits of thyme are unique. It has been traditionally used to treat coughs, even whooping cough. Thyme is often drunk as a tea.

• Fight cancer: Eat more curry. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, research on curcumin has also shown it to shrink pre-cancerous lesions known as colon polyps. Zick says the amount needed for its health benefits is unclear, she suggests including a generous helping of curry or turmeric in a meal.

• Lower your blood pressure with “warming spices.” These include ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cayenne pepper and others. These can make a person feel warm because they bring blood from the center of the body to the skin. This disperses blood throughout the body more evenly, which may decrease blood pressure.

• Soothe your aching tummy with ginger. Ginger contains gingerols, which decrease oxidative products in the digestive tract that cause nausea.

• Reduce the sugar, add the spice. If you need to cut back on sugar, Zick suggests adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to your sweet snacks instead of sugar. For instance, if you buy unsweetened applesauce, add cinnamon to give it an extra kick.

www.newswise.com

 

 

 

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Fast foods

ost of the food we buy, of course other than fruits and vegetables, contain food additives, which are used as food preservatives and colouring agents. Investigations have revealed that these additives have many ill effects on our body. The instant food has brought a new consumer culture. The fast, frozen food, soft drinks, squashes, syrups and shervet have become essential part of our daily intake.  Our diet is never complete without gravies, jellies, ketchup, and sauces. More and more people are now a days using canned, bottled and frozen food stuffs. These food articles are heavy for digestion and cause flatulence, acidity, constipation and number of stomach ailments.  There are many chances of these canned or bottled food being spoiled. According to food technologists, three factors are responsible for spoiling packed edible items: air, moisture and quality of preservatives used. Frozen foods can also turn dangerous if these are refreezed again and again. Soft drinks containing sweetening agents and citric acid affect enamel of the teeth and excessive acidity in stomach which diminishes appetite by interfering with digestive process.

November 14, 2007  The Hitavada

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 200 million to shift to processed food by 2010

ndia has over 1.10 billion consumers and there is a largely untapped domestic market of 1,000 million consumers in the food processing sector and 200 million more consumers are expected to shift to processed by 2010, according  to Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Subodh Kant Sahai.

            The minister said there were many areas for investment in this sector. These include Mega Food Parks, Agri-Infrastructure, Supply Chain Aggregation, Logistics & Cold Chain Infrastructure, Fruit and Vegetable Products, Animal Products, Meat and Dairy, Fisheries & Seafood, Cereals, Consumer Food/Ready to Eat Foods, Wine and Beer and Machinery/Packaging. He said the Indian government was giving priority to this sector.

www.dare.co.in

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Aspartame is cancerous

cientists from the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy showed that aspartame causes cancer in rats. A new study shows that aspartame is harmful even in small doses permitted by regulatory bodies. The chemical can affect newborn babies exposed through their mothers. Infants run a higher risk of cancer.

            Aspartame is an artificial sweetner widely used in food products.  The sweetener industry which has faced several incriminating studies, often retaliated by deriding laboratory inferences as inappropriate for ‘real-life’ situations.

            Since a variety of products contain aspartame, it is easy for a person to consume more than the recommended amount, even while following an average  diet. Children and pregnant and breast-feeding women are at the greatest danger.

            The researchers studied Aspartame which was made by food major Ajinomoto. The findings are contradictory to a study sponsored by it. A panel had recently given clean chit to aspartame.

            Researchers tested two dose levels in a group. The higher dose level, 2,000 ppm is equivalent to administering 100mg per kg of body weight. The lower level, 400 ppm is equivalent to 20 mg/kg of body weight. In the US, the acceptable daily intake for aspartame is 50 mg/kg while in the European Union it is 40 mg/kg of body weight.

            The experiment began on the 12^th day of pregnancy – the stage at which organs form and they are susceptible to cancer-causing substances. The rodents were observed till they died. They were then autopsied for cancer. The rats fed 2,000 ppm had lymphoma, leukaemia and mammary tumour. But even more significantly, the ones fed 400 ppm of aspartame showed malignancies resistant to treatment. It was also found that the rats exposed to the chemical before birth had a high chance of being affected by leukaemia.

            October 31, 2023 Down to earth

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Homeopathy for healthy farm produce

omeopathy works wonders on the human body. But apparently, it has the same effect on plants too, as an ascetic in Allahabad has proven.  Over 400 farmers have shifted from chemical fertilizers and insecticides to this homeopathic drugs and claim their crops have never been healthier.

        For the last five years, Swami Paramananda has been using his mixtures on farm produce with great success. He has formulated six mixtures – Homoeo Amrit, Sanjeevani, Rakshak, Sudha, Jeevan and Vardaan. While the first two eliminate the need for DAP and urea, two widely used fertilizers, the others protect against a variety of plant disease and pests. “Potatoes grown using my mixtures don’t shrivel up even months after harvesting. They don’t require cold storage too,” he says. “Farmers find these (mixtures) economical, effective and healthy. One little snag is that spraying can be laborious.”

            What’s more, they are good for the environment too, Paramananda says. “Chemicals are damaging our soil. These medicines protect and conserve the soil, and increases yield.”

August 2007, Bharatiya pragna

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Fry at your own risk

ried food compound may lead to heart disease. Gorging on those French fries and hamburgers may not be good idea anymore. A new study has shown that fatty foods cooked at high temperatures may cause significant dysfunction in blood vessel dilation that can lead to heart disease. Dr. Jaime Uribarri, who led the study, has revealed that cooking food rich in protein and fat by employing methods involving high and dry heat – such as broiling, grilling, frying or roasting – produces high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which causes dysfunction in blood vessel dilation. “Although the effects was temporary, it suggests that AGEs could, over time, pose a significant risk to the vascular integrity of both diabetic and healthy persons.”

            The researchers said that stewed or steamed-cooked food tends to have lower concentration of AGE. Several previous studies have linked AGEs to a number of diabetes associated chronic conditions, such as heart disease.

            The present study has shown that consuming an AGE-rich beverage causes significant endothelial dysfunction in diabetes and even those who do not have diabetes. The study’s authors says that endothelial dysfunction is an early indicator of hardening of the arteries (antheroscerosis), which leads to heart disease.

October 2007, Nisargopachar Varta

 

 

 

 

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Extracts From Pumpkin Boost Insulin in Blood

ccording to researchers compounds found in pumpkin could potentially replace or at least drastically reduce the daily insulin injections that so many diabetics currently have to endure. Recent research reveals that pumpkin extract promotes regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood.

            A group, led by Tao Xia of the East China Normal University, found that diabetic rats fed the extract had only 5% less plasma insulin and 8% fewer insulin-positive (beta) cells compared to normal healthy rats.

            Xia says: 'pumpkin extract is potentially a very good product for pre-diabetic persons, as well as those who have already developed diabetes.' He adds that although insulin injections will probably always be necessary for these patients, pumpkin extract could drastically reduce the amount of insulin they need to take.

            David Bender, sub-dean at the Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, says: 'this research is very exciting… the main finding is that feeding pumpkin extract prevents the progressive destruction of pancreatic beta-cells… but it is impossible to say whether pumpkin extract would promote regeneration in humans.' He added: 'I think the exciting thing is that this may be a source of a medication that could be taken by mouth.

            The protective effect of pumpkin is thought to be due to both antioxidants and D-chiro-inositol, a molecule that mediates insulin activity. Boosting insulin levels has the effect of lowering blood sugar levels, which reduces levels of oxidative oxygen species that damage beta-cell membranes, preventing further damage and allowing for some regeneration. Beta cells levels in the diabetic rats are, however, unlikely ever to reach that of controls, because some of the cells will have been damaged beyond repair.

            Diabetes affects more than 230m people, almost 6% of the world's adult population, according to the World Diabetes Foundation. The rats used in this study represent type I diabetes, but the researchers believe the pumpkin extract may also play a role in type II diabetes.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

Is Spinach eye candy?

utein and Zeaxanthin may protect the eye from macular degeneration, which causes blindness in the center of one’s vision.

            Researchers studied more than 4,500 people aged 60 to 80 who had enrolled in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. After six years, those who consumed the most lutein and zeaxanthin from their food had a 35 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who consumed the least. The researchers found no links with vitamins C or E or beta-carotene.

            Eat more spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, corn, peas, and Brussels sprouts. Eggs are also a good source of lutein, but stick to no more than four yolks a week to keep a lid on your blood cholesterol.

November 2007, Nutrition action healthletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Koankro” capable of curing HIV/AIDS ?

t has been confirmed that an herbal medicine “Koankro” is capable of curing HIV/AIDS. This was revealed during a clinical analysis conducted by the Biochemistry and Biotechnology department of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

            “Koankro” is an herbal mixture prepared by Mr. Kamara Agyapong, the Director of Peace Herbal Clinic at Ejisu in Ashanthi. Trial tests were conducted on HIV positive patients, who were put on the herbal preparations for two years. The tests that were conducted on completion of two years revealed these patients to be HIV negative for both HIV1 and 2 viruses.

            The results that were released, revealed that both male & female patients aged 39 and 35, now have no HIV virus in their blood cells. This negative status of the patients was further confirmed by tests results from KATH (Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital) and Medilab, which is a private laboratory at Kumasi.

            The team of researchers at KNUST had earlier confirmed the efficacy of the preparation in management of AIDS, and were conducting trials on the potency of “Koankro”, since then.  After three weeks of treatment, the team found considerable improvement in the blood counts, haemoglobin content and the weight of the victims.

            These results prompted Agyapong to undertake further research, and he came out with sixteen additional preparations, which were administered to these patients at various levels of treatment.

            Already, about twenty patients are currently undergoing various stages of treatment with Agyapong, who agreed that the good indication of the test results has prompted him to carry on with further research on the treatment of this disease.

www.ayurvedictalk.com

 

Heart at risk from calcium supplements

lder women in New Zealand have been advised to stop taking calcium supplements – acknowledged to protect their bones – after a study found it could raise the risk of heart attacks. 

            A trial run by Auckland University’s bone research group found the supplements caused a 40 per cent increase in heart attacks.

            Ian Reid, the professor who directed the study, said women over 70 who had been on the trial were recommended to stop taking extra calcium, especially if they had a history of heart or kidney disease, pending further investigations.  About 1,500 women took part in the trial, which was funded by New

Zealand’s Health Research Council.

            Reid told the paper that three other international studies on calcium supplements had since been reviewed, and all showed varying degrees of elevated risk of heart attacks ranging from 10 to 20 percent.

            “When you put four studies together you need to take it more seriously”, he said. “This is potentially very important because there are so many people around the world who take calcium supplements”.  Reid said the study found calcium supplements dramatically reduced older women’s risk of bone fractures and bone density loss.  “But heart disease kills you. Whereas bone disease can, but it isn’t quite so lethal”.

 September 26, 2007 Daily news & analysis

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Cancer patients improve with homeopathy

merican doctors, who are conducting research on paediatric oncology, were pleasantly surprised to learn that patients suffering from cancer had shown positive results after being administered solely homeopathic medicines.  The doctors came to Prasanta Banerjee Homoeopathic Research Foundation (PBHRF) to interact with the doctors there and meet the patients, especially children.  Ms Elena Ladas, director of Integrative Therapy Program, Columbia University, US and Dr Kara Kelly, medical director from the same university came and spent a day with the patients of PBHRF. They met nearly 30 cancer patients (Paediatric) and observed individual cases Ms Ladas said: “it’s my interest and response to patients, especially children, that has brought me here”.  Dr. Kelly expressed concern for children suffering from leukaemia, lymphoma, brain tumour and histolytic disorders.  They were surprised to learn that some of the patients suffering from cancer were being solely treated with homoeopathic medicine and had shown positive results. PBHRF was started by Dr. Prasanta Banerjee and Dr. Pratip Banerjee a decade ago with a view to provide treatment using homoeopathic medicines as a scientific mode of treatment.

                      November 4, 2023 The Statesman

Sing your way to good health, say scientists

ccording to a study by scientists at the Western Ontario University in Canada, singing tones muscles at the back of the throat and this helps long-suffering partners of snorers get a silent night.

            "Surgical interventions to treat snoring include removing tissue from the upper throat or toughening it by creating scar tissue. Singing offers a harmless, healthy, non-invasive, inexpensive and enjoyable way to restore the throat's tone," study author Alise Ojay said.

            Humming tunes can also help lift depression while singing in a choir can provide a cure for people with asthma and other serious breathing problems, reported the online edition of the British tabloid The Sun.

            Citing the finding of a study by researchers at the University of Western Sydney, the tabloid said singing could also soothe desperately ill infants. The scientists found that songs help babies in intensive care cope with their life-saving treatment.

            Another study by Canadian scientists found that patients with severe Alzheimer's, a degenerative memory disorder, were able to recognise songs from their youth and join in.

            The Sun report said researchers at Frankfurt University in Germany have found that singing lowers stress levels while American health campaigners have been using songs to help smokers stub out.

            Neighbourhood choirs have been formed to promote the benefits of quitting and to encourage a support system where choir members help each other beat their nicotine addiction.

            A two-year pilot project cut smoking rates from 34 to 27 percent across three mainly African American neighbourhoods, while smoking rates in comparable areas fell by just one percent over the same period.

www.newkerala.com

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What is “junk” DNA, and what is it worth?

ll animals have a large excess of junk DNA - genetic material that does not code for the proteins used to build bodies and catalyze chemical reactions within cells. In out genetic blueprint, for instance, only about 2 percent of DNA actually codes for proteins.

          In 1972 the late geneticist Susumu Ohno coined the term “junk DNA” to describe all noncoding DNA sections, most of which consist of repeated segments scattered randomly throughout the genome. Typically sections of junk DNA come about through transposition, or movement of sections of genetic material to different positions in the genome.  As a result, most of these regions contain multiple copies of so-called transposons – sequences that literally copy or cut themselves out of one part of the genome and reinsert themselves somewhere else.

            In the early 1990s interest in junk DNA, and especially in repetitive elements, began to grow; many biologists now regard

such repetitions as genomic treasures.  It appears that these transposable sequences increase the ability of a species to evolve by serving as hot spots  for genetic recombination and by providing important signals for regulating gene expression. As such, repetitive elements are hardly “junk” but rather are integral components of our genomes.

May 2007, Scientific American

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Do away with your sprays?

f you spend a lot of time in the house, you might want to cut back on your us of aerosols.  The University of Bristol’s wide-ranging Children of the 90s study has found that mothers who use air fresheners are more likely to experience headaches and depression while their babies are more likely to suffer from earache, diarrhoea and vomiting.  The culprits, chemicals called volatile organic compounds, are also found in deodorants, hairsprays, furniture polishes and clothes that have been dry-cleaned.

            “Ironically people think these products make their homes cleaner and healthier”, says Dr. Alexandra Farrow from the study. “We advise limiting the use of air fresheners.  To freshen the air, try squeezing a lemon instead”.

July 2007, Health action

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Combination of herbal extracts found effective in treating Hepatitis B

n a research undertaken by the Chennai Hospital, dialysis performed with a combination of herbs had proven effective in treating a condition of acute Hepatitis B viral infection.

            The extracts from a combination of herbs, such as ‘tulsi’, ‘neem’ and ‘phyllantus’ were infused into the patients through the routine procedure of dialysis, and the patients recorded significant drop in viral load. On completion of the dialysis sessions, which lasted for a period of six months, it was found that the Hepatitis B virus was completely eliminated from the body.

            The research was conducted through a combination of Ayurvedic healing principles with dialysis procedures of modern medicine in an immunologic setting. However, the dosage of herbal medicine for each session of dialysis was determined by an Ayurvedic physician at the hospital.

            Dt. Ravichandran, Chief Nephrologist Consultant, St. Thomas Hospital, Chennai, says that, the end result of the three years of research is the successful adoption of reverse osmosis technology which facilitates herbal extracts to pass through the skin barrier and reach bloodstream. The infusion was successful in stimulating T cells to produce natural interferon so that the viral load got reduced.

            In another pivot case study, a 27-year old patient who suffered from Hepatitis B, with the blood count being as low as 30,000 (instead of 2-4 lakhs), was initially subjected to a Radiation Oncologist for low dose splenic radiation. After his platelet count increased to one lakh, he was subjected to herbal dialysis.

            After completion of a series of dialysis his viral load dropped from 21 lakhs to 1250 copies, and the haemoglobin level picked up to 13. After two such schedules of herbal dialysis, his blood test turned negative for hepatitis virus.

            Inspired by the success, few other patients too were treated in a similar manner, and the entire procedure proved to be ten times cheaper than the routine dialysis and medication.

www.ayurvedictalk.com

Effective cervical cancer vaccine from plants

Vaccines against human papilloma viruses (HPV), which promise to help reduce the risk of cervical cancer, have been developed recently. However, this type of vaccine will only prevent new HPV infections, because the target of the vaccine is ' a protein on the surface of the virus, which is only accessible for the immune system before infection. This means that the vaccine cannot help women who already have an HPV infection.

Efforts are now under way to produce vaccines to viral proteins that are visible to the immune system once HPV has already infected a cell. These proteins, called E5, E6 and E7, are also responsible for reprogramming the host cells in such a way that they turn cancerous. This type of therapeutic vaccine would enable the immune system to eliminate an existing HPV infection and even fight cells that have turned cancerous. Vac­cines based on the E7 protein have been tested successfully in animal models and are now in an advanced stage of clinical trials.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Centre for Molecular Biotechnology, the United States, and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment (ENEA) have tested plant­-produced E7 as a vaccine in an animal model. Previous experiments had demonstrated that a plant-produced E7-vaccine could trigger immune responses in mice, and pre-treatment with the vaccine protected most of the mice from tumour formation after injection of tumour cells that pro­duce the E7 target protein.

The researchers have also found a more efficient way to produce the E7 protein in plants by incor­porating the E7 protein into a bacterial protein called LicKM. LicKM-E7 fusion protein provoked a stronger immune response in mice compared to E7 alone. The use of this patented, carrier­protein ensures that the E7 protein can be pro­duced in high amounts and increases its stability. In the cancer model, tumour protection was also enhanced in mice vaccinated with the LicKM-E7 vaccine.

Jul-Aug 2007, VATIS UPDATE: Biotechnology

 

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Edited by Dr. A. M. Mehendale

 

Sex Education at school level is an invasion on the conscience

of an innocent individual