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The healthy kitchen: Use these 6 Indian ingredients to boost your health

Agencies
June 29, 2017

New Delhi, Jun 29: Most of us cringe at the thought of going on a diet. But who said healthy eating has to be boring and bland? Better health may be only a dash and sprinkle away as it turns out, you can add sizzle to your diet and still stay fit. It is interesting how spices such as ginger and turmeric were used as early as 4,000 years ago in the Indus Valley civilisation and now many studies point out their potential benefits.garlic

According to a Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study, herbs have higher antioxidant activity than fruits, vegetables and some spices, including garlic. Speaking about the same, Mahesh Jayaraman, co-founder of Sepalika, a content platform that supports those looking to reverse chronic health conditions through guidance on diet, lifestyle, dietary supplements and exercise, told ANI, “There is no doubt that spices and herbs make our food aromatic, tasty and flavourful. Be it the delicate smell of cinnamon, spicy and sweet taste of ginger or the deeply aromatic rosemary, herbs and spices do a lot more than satiating our taste buds.”

“They make food easier to digest and bring a unique taste to the every dish. Most of the herbs and spices found in the kitchen also have other unique properties, which if incorporated in the right manner, can promote good health,” he added. He lists herbs and spices with their health benefits, as per traditional wisdom:

1.Cinnamon:

This brown-coloured stick obtained from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree is a nutritional powerhouse with antioxidant properties. The distinctly sweet, warm taste of cinnamon not only enhances the flavour of a chocolate cake, but also helps to support people suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s. Regular use of the popular Indian spice for 8 weeks has improved fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic patients in a research study.

2. Rosemary:

This deeply fragrant perennial herb is commonly used to add flavour and aroma to food items, especially soups, stews, roasts and stuffing. Both the leaves and stem of the plant are used in cooking. The herb has abundant medicinal properties and can be used to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, boost memory, improve mood, stimulate circulation, protect the immune system, detoxify the body, protect the body from bacterial infections, prevent premature aging, and heal skin conditions.

3. Curry leaves:

While cooking in the Indian subcontinent, the process of tempering is usually incomplete unless a bunch of curry leaves are added to the dish. Be it in your dal fry or upma, curry leaves give a distinct flavour and aroma to a variety of preparations. Often, people throw away the curry leaves they find in dishes, but chewing these leaves helps to prevent stomach disorders, diabetes, premature greying of hair and eyesight problems. Curry leaves can help support diabetics by influencing carbohydrate metabolism and preventing liver and kidney damage.

4. Garlic:

The pearly white pods are one of the most popular ingredients used in cooking. The strong smell and delicious taste of garlic is comforting in hot chicken soup or spicy pickles. Consuming garlic on a regular basis has several health benefits. It helps to support people suffering from a variety of medical conditions such as high and low blood pressures, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, cancers, fibrosis, etc. It also helps to decrease serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, uric acid, creatinine, AST and ALT levels. Allicin is the sulphur-containing compound found in garlic that helps in immune enhancement and cancer prevention.

5. Ginger:

One of the most common spices found in every kitchen is ginger. A dash of ginger has the power to instantly liven up your tea. The spice has several therapeutic and medicinal properties that help to boost immunity, prevent cancer, heal ulcers, control weight gain and relieve digestive problems. Ginger can also be used to alleviate pain and inflammation, headaches and menstrual cramps. Making ginger a part of daily diet and avail the myriad health benefits.

6. Fenugreek:

Commonly known as methi in India, the brownish yellow seeds of fenugreek are slightly bitter in taste. They are roasted and ground, to be used in curries. Several studies have shown that fenugreek seeds aid lower blood sugar levels by slowing down the process of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine. These seeds can also help reduce menstrual discomfort and decrease cardiovascular disease risk.

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Agencies
July 7,2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) is reviewing a report that suggested its advice on the novel coronavirus needs updating after some scientists told the New York Times there was evidence the virus could be spread by tiny particles in the air.

The WHO says the Covid-19 disease spreads primarily through small droplets, which are expelled from the nose and mouth when an infected person breaths them out in coughs, sneezes, speech or laughter and quickly sink to the ground.

In an open letter to the Geneva-based agency, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined the evidence they say shows that smaller exhaled particles can infect people who inhale them, the newspaper said on Saturday.

Because those smaller particles can linger in the air longer, the scientists - who plan to publish their findings in a scientific journal this week - are urging WHO to update its guidance, the Times said.

"We are aware of the article and are reviewing its contents with our technical experts," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an email reply on Monday to a Reuters request for comment.

The extent to which the coronavirus can be spread by the so-called airborne or aerosol route - as opposed to by larger droplets in coughs and sneezes - remains disputed.

Any change in the WHO's assessment of the risk of transmission could affect its current advice on keeping one-metre physical distancing. Governments, which also rely on the agency for guidance policy, may also have to adjust public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

"Especially in the last couple of months, we have been stating several times that we consider airborne transmission as possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear evidence," Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO's technical lead for infection prevention and control, was quoted as saying in the New York Times.

WHO guidance to health workers, dated June 29, says that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and on surfaces.

But airborne transmission via smaller particles is possible in some circumstances, such as when performing intubation and aerosol-generating procedures, it says.

Medical workers performing such procedures should wear heavy-duty N95 respiratory masks and other protective equipment in an adequately ventilated room, the WHO says.

Officials at South Korea's Centers for Disease Control said on Monday they were continuing to discuss various issues about Covid-19, including the possible airborne transmission. They said more investigations and evidence were needed.

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Agencies
June 27,2020

After admitting that the world may have a COVID-19 vaccine within one year or even a few months earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday said that UK-based AstraZeneca is leading the vaccine race while US-based pharmaceutical major Moderna is not far behind.

WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan stated that the AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine candidate is the most advanced vaccine currently in terms of development.

"I think AstraZeneca certainly has a more global scope at the moment in terms of where they are doing and planning their vaccine trials," she told the media.

AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by researchers from the Oxford University will likely provide protection against the disease for one year, the British drug maker's CEO told Belgian radio station Bel RTL this month.

The Oxford University last month announced the start of a Phase II/III UK trial of the vaccine, named AZD1222 (formerly known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19), in about 10,000 adult volunteers. Other late-stage trials are due to begin in a number of countries.

Last week, Swaminathan had said that nearly 2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine would be ready by the end of next year.

Addressing the media from Geneva, she said that "at the moment, we do not have a proven vaccine but if we are lucky, there will be one or two successful candidates before the end of this year" and 2 billion doses by the end of next year.

Scientists predict that the world may have a COVID-19 vaccine within one year or even a few months earlier, said the Director-General of the World Health Organization even as he underlined the importance of global cooperation to develop, manufacture and distribute the vaccines.

However, making the vaccine available and distributing it to all will be a challenge and will require political will, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday during a meeting with the European Parliament's Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

One option would be to give the vaccine only to those who are most vulnerable to the virus.

There are currently over 100 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in various stages of development.

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Agencies
May 20,2020

Washington D.C., May 20: While a dairy-rich diet is helpful in meeting the body's calcium requirement, outcomes of a large international study links eating at least two daily servings of dairy with lower risks of diabetes and high blood pressure.

The dairy-rich diet also proved to lower the cluster of factors that heighten cardiovascular disease risk (metabolic syndrome). The study was published online in journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

The observed associations were strongest for full-fat dairy products, the findings indicated.

Previously published research has suggested that higher dairy intake is associated with a lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. But these studies have tended to focus on North America and Europe to the exclusion of other regions of the world.

To see whether these associations might also be found in a broader range of countries, the researchers drew on people taking part in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study.

Participants were all aged between 35 and 70 and came from 21 countries: Argentina; Bangladesh; Brazil; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; India; Iran; Malaysia; Palestine; Pakistan; Philippines, Poland; South Africa; Saudi Arabia; Sweden; Tanzania; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; and Zimbabwe.

Usual dietary intake over the previous 12 months was assessed by means of Food Frequency Questionnaires. Dairy products included milk, yogurt, yogurt drinks, cheese and dishes prepared with dairy products, and were classified as full or low fat (1-2 percent).

Butter and cream were assessed separately as these are not commonly eaten in some of the countries studied.

Information on personal medical history, use of prescription medicines, educational attainment, smoking and measurements of weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose were also collected.

Data on all five components of the metabolic syndrome were available for nearly 113,000 people: blood pressure above 130/85 mm Hg; waist circumference above 80 cm; low levels of (beneficial) high-density cholesterol (less than 1-1.3 mmol/l); blood fats (triglycerides) of more than 1.7 mmol/dl; and fasting blood glucose of 5.5 mmol/l or more.

Average daily total dairy consumption was 179 g, with full-fat accounting for around double the amount of low fat: 124.5+ vs 65 g.

Some 46, 667 people had metabolic syndrome--defined as having at least 3 of the 5 components.

Total dairy and full-fat dairy, but not low-fat dairy, was associated with a lower prevalence of most components of metabolic syndrome, with the size of the association greatest in those countries with normally low dairy intakes.

At least 2 servings a day of total dairy were associated with a 24 percent lower risk of metabolic syndrome, rising to 28 percent for full-fat dairy alone, compared with no daily dairy intake.

The health of nearly 190,000 participants was tracked for an average of nine years, during which time 13,640 people developed high blood pressure and 5351 developed diabetes.

At least 2 servings a day of total dairy was associated with a 11-12 percent lower risk of both conditions, rising to a 13-14 percent lower risk for 3 daily servings. The associations were stronger for full fat than they were for low-fat dairy.

This is an observational study, and as such can't establish the cause. Food frequency questionnaires are also subject to recall, and changes in metabolic syndrome weren't measured over time, all of which may have influenced the findings.

Nevertheless, the researchers suggest: "If our findings are confirmed in sufficiently large and long term trials, then increasing dairy consumption may represent a feasible and low-cost approach to reducing [metabolic syndrome], hypertension, diabetes, and ultimately cardiovascular disease events worldwide."

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