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SUGAR AND ITS MEDICINAL USE Print E-mail

SUGAR AND ITS MEDICINAL USE

New Delhi, 30 September 2006

NEW DELHI, October 1 (INFA): Table sugar can be used to make oral rehydration solution (ORS), which can help prevent dehydration in children who have infantile diarrhea or vomiting in developing countries.

The effective use of ORS saves millions of lives around the world each year. Although recipies for ORS vary from country to country, one widely used recipe is made up of one litre of water, eight teaspoons sugar and half teaspoon of salt.

Fortification of foods with micronutrients is generally recognized as the most cost-effective long-term strategy for eliminating micronutrient malnutrition.  It is also socially acceptable, requires none or little change in food habits and characteristics, and provides a means for reaching the greatest percentage of the population requiring the micronutrients. 

Sugar is a safe and economical foodstuff that is accepted and consumed by populations at risk, including those who are very poor.  So fortified sugar can play a critical role in fighting nutrient deficiency. It is used as a vehicle for supplying vitamin A in a number of Central American countries (Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador), in Zambia and more recently in the Philippines. 

Pilot studies have also been conducted in other developing countries such as India and Vietnam.  The consumption of fortified sugar has resulted in significant increases in vitamin A intake and improvements in the vitamin A status of a surveyed population in Guatemala.  Vitamin A fortification can significantly reduce the risk of a permanent form of child blindness and mortality from severe infection in undernourished children.

Sugar is also an important source of food energy.  During digestion, all food carbohydrates (starches and sugars) break down into single molecule sugars. These sugars are absorbed from the intestine into the blood stream and travel to the cells, where they are used to provide energy for cellular functions. 

In parts of the world where people suffer from energy malnutrition and are undernourished, sugar is valued as an inexpensive source of energy to support human activities. ---INFA

 

SIMI ACTIVISTS IN ANDHRA

HYDERABAD, October 1 (INFA): When the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was banned in 2001, its AP chapter had only three members  But today, say the Police sources, the number is much more.  The three original members are also conducting a membership drive for SIMI in Hyderabad city. They and their new recruits were taken into custody recently.

According to local cops, the arrests may lead to the identification of the sinister organization in the State and their nefarious activities. ---INFA

 

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