People & Their
Problems
New
Delhi, 6 December 2017
Food Intake Vital
EAT HEALTH & SAY GOODBYE DISEASE
By Dr. Oishee Mukherjee
Food is essential for human survival. But the
nature, type and quantity of food intake needs to be ascertained for
maintaining a healthy body. Interestingly, observed a renowned management
institute’s Registrar, “the rich have to walk or visit gyms to digest their
food which is mostly excess than needed, while the poor are starved despite enormous
food wastage in the country.
Undeniably, dieting is intrinsically related
to nutrition which is a specialized profession wherein nutritionists give
advice on the type of food needed for patients who are ill and those who might fall
ill if they do not adhere to their prescribed food chart. Also, there are
different types of diseases that affect us for which a diet chart needs to be
followed to keep the body fit.
Certainly, this should include primarily
plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
and replace butter with healthy fats such as olive oil. There is a need to
limit red meat intake to not more than twice- thrice a month while fish or
poultry might be taken twice a week. However, for children such restrictions
are not valid.
Some common vegetables helpful for the body
include, red cabbage which is a boon for cancer and diabetes patients; red
finger, packed with dietary fibre, helps in stabilizing blood sugar levels and
aids in enhancing production of insulin along-with increasing secretion;
bittergourd (karela) has the capacity
to stimulate the pancreas and curcumin (turmeric)
extracts are known to act directly on pancreatic beta cells to help produce
insulin normally by inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity.
But, in India toxicity in vegetables and food
is rampant. Shockingly, reports underscore contamination of milk and milk
products specially ghee, colouring of vegetables whereby such use of chemicals
has steadily affected human health by intake of toxic elements. This has
aggravated not only incidence of cancer whose detection is mostly at a later
stage resulting in death.
Many countries including India face a common
problem of obesity which is a strong factor for many chronic diseases including
those relating to cardiac issues which is growing alarmingly everywhere.
Studies at London’s Imperial College and Cambridge University found that being overweight
increases a person’s risk of coronary heart disease by up to 28% compared to
those with a healthy body weight, even if they have healthy blood pressure,
blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Moreover, scientific research has shown how
being physical active could help lessen CVD risk, leading to people going to
gyms or practising yoga. Further, a high carbohydrate intake, another factor
leading to obesity, is associated with a higher risk of mortality than high fat
intake with a lower risk.
A finding of an international team of
scientists who studied diet and mortality in around 135,000 persons between 35-70
years old in 18 countries, following them for an average of more than 7 years. Likewise
food like potato chips, junk food and aerated drinks while watching TV or
sitting idle leads to obesity.
Certainly, consumption of oils needs to be
restricted as healthy diets globally are based on locally available edible
oils. People in the Mediterranean use olive, Nordic people rapeseed, South
Indians coconut and Hunzas apricot.
Pertinently, Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig
Willcox and Makoto Suzuki in their book ‘The Okinawa Program: How The World’s
Longest Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health – And Now You Can Too’ observed
that sticking to a low-fat-low-calorie diet packed with fibre and complex
carbohydrates via plants and whole
grains is ideal for healthy living.
Pertinently, a mere 2% increase in calories
from transfats can raise the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 29%.
Substituting a healthy fat for those transfats could prevent 20,000-30,000
premature deaths, concluded the American Medical Association way back in 2013.
Importantly, some of the transfat in Indian
food include pakoras, kachoris or any food cooked in vanaspati oil, margarine alongside
cakes, cookies and pies.
A common habit among most sections, specially
those who work is to skip breakfast or just have tea or coffee with biscuits.
Skipping breakfast has been found to risk silent coronary artery blockages and
cardiovascular diseases, according to researchers in Spain and USA.
Recent findings in the Journal of American College
of Cardiology which analyzed food habits and health of more than 4000 healthy
men and women, found more frequent arthrosclerosis and, at higher levels, among
volunteers who skipped or ate frugal breakfasts compared to those who had
hearty breakfasts.
The problem of skipping breakfast is indeed severe
as Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that those who had
regularly skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of heart attack or death from
coronary heart diseases than men who ate breakfast.
Diabetes is another severe problem in India
which is reportedly the world’s Diabetes Capital. Alarmingly, diabetes is one
of the fastest growing diseases today with close to 300 million people affected
world-wide and 450 million people forecast to be affected by 2050. According to
experts, the combination of obesity and diabetes (type 2) looms as the biggest
epidemic and public health issue in human history.
Clearly, not just medicines but food habits
have to be regulated in controlling diabetes. Doctors always give a food chart for
those suffering from this disease. Sweets have to be controlled while high carb
and high fat diet need to be regulated. Alongside, physical activity needs to
be increased like walking, dusting, cleaning, dancing and gardening for around
20-25 minutes per day so as to burn unnecessary calories.
Another vital aspect is children’s poor nutrition
specially in rural areas. A National Institute of Nutrition’s recent survey
documented 39% stunting (impaired growth with possible long-term impacts) among
boys below five years from dalit households and 34% from tribal families.
Additionally, nutrition specialists stated
that the prevalence of poor nutrition among socially disadvantaged groups could
amplify their disadvantages, including being infected with diseases easily and
advocated strategies to tackle this problem with low-cost nutrition.
Sadly, increase in malnutrition and under-nutrition
among children has further accentuated the intrinsic link between diet and
diseases and a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study March
last showed a large percentage of deaths due to cardiovascular disease and
diabetes are linked to poor or heavy diet.
In India’s case inadequate diets in rural
areas coupled with intake of junk food in urban areas has led to reduced
immunity power among all sections, specially children and pregnant mothers. Remember,
healthy eating, healthy living! ---- INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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