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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