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Red rice vs black rice: Can south Indian varieties work for your heart, cholesterol, diabetes and haemoglobin?

Red rice vs black rice: Can south Indian varieties work for your heart, cholesterol, diabetes and haemoglobin?

Not all rice is bad if eaten in moderation and made a part of the total recommended daily calorie allowance. Also, rice should be combined with adequate protein and green leafy vegetables. Particularly South India’s heirloom rice varieties are a treasure house of nutritional and therapeutic properties. Of late, some research has also started validating the superfood value of indigenous rice varieties. These are rich in bioactive compounds that boost the nutritional value of foods.

KAVUNI: Red Kavuni is an aromatic, red-grained rice grown in Tamil Nadu that derives its rich colour from high levels of anthocyanins. It has been used traditionally as a cooling food during summer months and is valued for its anti-microbial properties that aid digestion.

KAIVARA SAMBA: This is a widely adaptable rice variety that can grow even in marginal soils. It is good for dehydration and having a low glycaemic index and high fibre, can be used to regulate blood sugar levels. The high fibre lends bulk to the dish and automatically helps in portion control. This rice contains selenium, which helps to make DNA and protects against cell damage, abnormal cancerous growth and infection.

POONGAR: This is a sweet-scented rice grown specifically for making rice flakes and fermenting. In parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it is customarily given to women after puberty and during pregnancy as it is believed to ease gynaecological problems. It has no cholesterol and is high on resistant starch, which is good for the growth of gut bacteria. The fibre content helps lower cholesterol levels in the body while flavonoids reduce the risk of heart disease. Poongar rice has a low glycemic index while a compound called gamma-oryzanol helps reduce insulin resistance in the body. It is high in iron, magnesium and zinc and helps in increasing haemoglobin levels. It works for those with Celiac disease as it is 100 per cent gluten-free.

KATTU YANAM: A high-fibre red rice, it helps bring down cholesterol levels in the body. Its nutty flavour and texture make it a good source of energy. Its low glycaemic index makes it a top choice for people with diabetes. Easy to digest. It is a good source of Vitamin B, zinc, manganese and folic acid.

KOLIYAL: This is a brown hulled rice from Kerala that is used to make Puttu, an iconic breakfast dish of the region. A study by Naresuan University, Thailand, and published in PubMed Central, has shown how this rice improves sperm health parameters. These contain insoluble fibres and are low on sodium, which is good for those suffering from hypertension.

BLACK KAVUNI: This is yet another heritage rice from Tamil Nadu that derives its blackish-purple hue from high anthocyanin content. It is known for properties that cool the body, promote heart health and treat liver ailments. Its antioxidants help in managing heart health, it has a low glycaemic index and is, therefore, good for people with diabetes. It is a powerhouse of micronutrients like iron, magnesium and zinc.

THUYAMALLI: This rice is known for its vitamin B complex, especially B12, content. This strengthens the nervous system.

KARUN KURUVAI: A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the antioxidant activity of this kind of red rice is higher than that of other rice varieties, which may help protect the heart against oxidative stress. It has a lower glycemic index compared to other rice varieties, which means it causes a slower rise in blood sugar levels after consumption.

MAPPILLAI SAMBA: It contains vitamin B1 that helps in healing stomach and mouth ulcers. It improves blood circulation, boosts immunity and stamina, strengthens muscles and nerves.

Given these health benefits, there is a growing awareness of how important it is to conserve this agricultural heritage and traditional knowledge. But at the risk of repetition, moderation is the key even if they are used as substitutes of the milled and processed variety.

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Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Joint pains bothering you? This sitting asana, done on a sofa or mat, can help

Sitting asanas done on sofa or mat can help
This exercises every joint, starting from the toes to the neck area. This frees up the joints and removes blockages, says yoga expert Kamini Bobde Winter is around the corner which is a bane for people suffering from all kinds of joint problems. Osteoarthritis, which is caused mainly by the degeneration of the cartilage between the joints, is also impacted by cold weather as it aggravates inflammation and stiffness in the joints. Sitting asanas done on sofa or mat can help One of the main reasons for osteoarthritis is excess body weight, stress, a poor lifestyle and a diet rich in meat, fat and sugar. Any excess or imbalance in daily living impacts the complex systems of our body right down to the cellular level, thus disrupting the auto-immune system and the central nervous system. The simplest but most effective practice to start with for osteoarthritis is Sushma Vyvyan. This exercises every joint of the body, starting from the toes to the neck area. This helps free up the joints, releases excess wind from the joints, removes blockages in the flow of pyranic energy and blood in the whole body. Synchronised with breath awareness, it helps better exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, resulting in better oxygenation. All this helps in preserving and reversing the cartilage degeneration. SUKSHMA VYAYAM OR PAWANMUKTASANA SERIES 1: This whole practice can be done in a sitting posture either on the yoga mat, a reasonably stiff sofa or bed. Sit comfortably with legs stretched out in front and palms behind your body with fingers pointing outwards, so that you can rest your back. Toe movement
  • Focus on your toes. With every inhalation, pull the toes of both legs up and with exhalation, bend them towards the floor. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds.
Ankle joint movement
  •  Bringing attention to the ankle joints, inhale and pull them towards yourself and with exhalation, stretch and bend them away from yourself. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds.
Knee joint movement Inhale, then squeeze and tighten your knee joint with the kneecap automatically moving upwards. Exhale and relax the knee joint. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds. Hip joint movement
  • Fold your right leg and place your right foot on your left thigh. Place your right hand on the right knee and left hand on your right toes. Rotate the hip joint by moving the leg in circular motion, drawing an invisible circle with your right knee. Inhale as the knee moves down and exhale as you pull your knee up. A clockwise rotation makes one round. Do five rounds in clockwise and five rounds in anti-clockwise direction.
  • Do the same with the left hip joint.
Finger joints movement
  • Sitting with legs stretched out, stretch your arms out in front of you along your shoulder with palms facing each other. Inhale, stretch all your fingers out maximum. Exhale and relax all finger joints. This is one round. Do at least 10 rounds.
  • Wrist joint movement
  • Then make a fist with your arms still stretched out and rotate the wrist joint for five rounds in the clockwise direction and five rounds in an anti-clockwise direction.
Elbow joint movement
  • Cup your right elbow joint in your left palm. Then rotate the forearm in clockwise then anticlockwise direction for five to 10 times.
  • Do the same for the left elbow joint.
Shoulder joint movement
  • Fold both arms and place the tip of your right hand fingers on the right shoulder and the left hand fingers on the left shoulder. Join the elbows in front of the chest. Breathe in, pull both arms behind, then bring them back together in the front, thus completing one full rotation of both arms in the clockwise direction. Do five to 10 rounds.
Neck movement
  • Inhale, throw your head at the back and look up. Exhale and lower your chin to the chest in slow, smooth movements. This is one round. Do five rounds.
  • Sideways bending movement of the neck is done by inhaling when your head is straight. As you exhale, bend your head towards the right shoulder. Then inhale as you look straight and with exhalation bend the head to the left. Do five rounds.
  •  Keep your head straight and inhale. As you exhale, turn and twist your neck to the right looking as far back as possible. Repeat on the left side and do five rounds each.
  • Sitting upright, rotate your neck area first in a clockwise and then in an anti-clockwise direction. Inhale as your head goes back and exhale as your chin moves towards your chest. Do five clockwise and five anticlockwise rotations.
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Medicine & Health

Anti-pollution diet: Top foods to include in your diet for fighting air pollution

Top foods to include in your diet for fighting air pollution
  • What are you doing today to safeguard your heart and lungs from ill effects of pollution? Eat these foods to protect yourself from toxic air and stay healthy .
  • Air pollution is on rise in Delhi NCR and surrounding regions as the air quality deteriorates with each passing day. While one can avoid exposure by limiting outdoor time during peak pollution hours, it is not always possible to avoid ill effects of air pollution all the time. The toxic air can wreak havoc on your lungs, brain, heart and overall health and it’s important to adopt measures that can combat harmful effects of pollutants and particulate matter than can damage health. Air pollution has been identified by WHO as one of the largest environmental health risks, responsible for millions of deaths from lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory infections. With the right dietary choices and balanced diet with antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, it’s possible to reverse pollution-induced damage to some extent.
  • “Oxidative stress is known to contribute to the development of age-related diseases. Increasing evidence indicates that a poor diet, including clinical malnutrition, may increase the risk of oxidative stress and chronic diseases. Oxidative stress occurs due to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants, which can lead to tissue damage, inflammation, worsened disease severity, and abnormal immune responses,” says Dr Charu  Dua, Chief Clinical Nutritionist, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad in an interview with HT Digital.

  • FOODS TO FIGHT POLLUTION

    Dr Dua shares food groups that must be included to combat harmful effects of air pollution:

    1. Vitamin A: Milk, eggs, carrots, pumpkins

    To counteract pollution’s effects, it is recommended to include dietary sources of retinol (vitamin A), primarily found in animal sources like milk, liver, eggs, and fortified foods, as well as orange and yellow fruits such as carrots, mangoes, and pumpkins to introduce carotenoids into your diet.

  • Top foods to include in your diet for fighting air pollution
  • 2 Vitamins C and E: Oranges, guavas, soybean, nuts Observational and preclinical studies have shown that low Vitamin C and Vitamin E intake is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma. Therefore, it’s important to include foods rich in these vitamins in your diet. Citrus fruits like oranges and guavas are excellent sources of vitamin C, while oils, such as soybean and mustard oils, along with green leafy vegetables and nuts, provide vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids.

  • 3. Vitamin D: Sunlight, eggs, fatty fish

    Vitamin D plays a key role in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and maintaining normal vitamin D levels is correlated with improved asthma control in adults with asthma. However, many people have low indoor vitamin D levels nowadays, so supplementation is necessary to keep vitamin D levels within the normal range to control asthma effectively.

  • 4. Turmeric

    Curcumin, a phytochemical found in turmeric, has potent anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. Including curcumin in your diet may help protect against pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. However, it’s important not to overdose; a teaspoon of turmeric is sufficient.

    5. Black pepper

    Also, ensure you consume it with black pepper to enhance its bioavailability, as curcumin is not effectively absorbed by the body without black pepper.

    6. Omega-3 fatty acids

    Incorporating omega-3 rich oils into your diet is not only heart-protective but also helps protect your body against pollution. Finally, it’s worth noting that the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets. It emphasizes whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, balanced meals, and limits processed and instant foods.

  • Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial in managing asthma and reducing your susceptibility to pollution-related health issues.
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Medical Updates Medicine & Health

World Polio Day highlights global efforts to end poliomyelitis worldwide

World Polio Day highlights global efforts to end poliomyelitis worldwide

Polio, a life-threatening disease, is caused by the poliovirus, which the World Health Assembly committed to eradicate in 1988.

The poliovirus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis.

The World Polio Day highlights the global efforts to end poliomyelitis (polio) worldwide.

The day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease and to honor those people whose efforts led to eradication of polio in many parts of the world.

World Polio Day highlights global efforts to end poliomyelitis worldwide

To ensure a polio-free world, efforts must continue to maintain high immunization coverage, implement high-quality surveillance to detect any presence of the virus, and prepare to respond in the event of an outbreak.

In 1988, poliovirus was present in 125 countries, paralyzing an estimated 1,000 children per day. That year, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched with a goal to eradicate polio worldwide.

In last 35 years, due to GPEI cases of wild poliovirus have fallen by more than 99% – from 350,000 cases per year to fewer than 10 annual cases of wild polio.

Polio remains consistently present in just two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan. As long as wild poliovirus continues to circulate in these 2 nations, all other countries are at risk of wild poliovirus being imported.

Polio vaccine is one of the most important vaccines to be administered to all children.

Polio, being a highly infectious viral disease mostly affects kids under the age of five.

According to the World Health Organization, the virus gets transmitted by person-to-person spread. It majorly happens through the faecal-oral route or contaminated water or food and then the virus multiplies in the intestine. From there, it can reach the nervous system and lead to paralysis.

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Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Trying to lose weight? These mini meals can help in portion control

Trying to lose weight? These mini meals can help in portion control

When trying to lose weight, many people tend to skip meal(s) thinking that will help them in their journey. However, this is not what helps in weight loss. As per Anjali Mukerjee, a nutritionist, eating frequent and small meals throughout the day help achieve the goal.

While people follow different diets and hacks like intermittent fasting and calorie counting, experts believe that portion control is one of the most popular and effective ways to keep your weight in check.Trying to lose weight? These mini meals can help in portion control

Defined as “the process of making sure that the amount of food you eat for each meal is not too large, especially when you are trying to lose weight,” portion control can help you with your weight loss journey.

As per Anjali, studies have shown that eating frequent mini-meals spread throughout the day prevents the metabolism from slowing down, reduces hunger pangs, optimally fuels your body, and has a positive impact on cholesterol and insulin levels.

Stressing the importance of portion control, Anjali wrote, “In the world of nutrition, it is a known fact that you should burn more calories than you consume to lose weight and fat. And how can one achieve this? By portion control and optimal meal frequency.”

Portion size is a key driver of energy intake and also impacts the weight of a person. Therefore, measuring and controlling the portion size has become very crucial to control (and not gain) weight,” Dr Garima Goyal, a nutritionist, told indianexpress.com previously.

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