Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
sleepless babies: Newborn dolphins and killer whales don't sleep for a whole month after birth, says a study by a team led by Jerome Siegel of the University of California at Los Angeles, US. The mothers also stay awake over the period to keep a close eye on their offspring. …
fishy plant: A team of Australian scientists has created a plant that yields the highly beneficial long-chain omega-3 fatty acids usually found in fish oil. Allan Green of CSIRO, an Australian research organisation in Canberra, and his team have developed a type of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) by inserting genes …
Over 90 per cent of Tanzania's population (over 30 million people) is threatened by an elephantiasis (lymphatic filaria) epidemic. On May 23, 2005, Tanzania's assistant minister for health Hussein Mwinyi said the danger was "great'; "the situation could get worse if the trend is left unchecked'. The National Institute for …
A further twist has occurred in the controversy surrounding the Bathini Goud family's famous fish medicine, which promises a cure for asthma. The Indian Medical Association (ima) has decided to issue legal notices to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, Andhra Pradesh chief secretary and the heads of …
Gastronomists revel in its pungent taste while most people are repelled by its odour, but no one perhaps can remain indifferent to garlic. Besides indulging the taste buds, the white cloves have been recommended as a cure for various ailments from common cold to cancer. A flavouring agent known for …
The Rhododendron tree is a poet's inspiration and a health freak's delight. It enjoys the status of being the state flower of Nepal, Sikkim, Uttaranchal, and the us states of Washington and West Virginia. Around 110 species of the evergreen tree are found in India. The flowers of most species …
there is no galloping hiv epidemic in India, the Union ministry of health and family welfare (mohfw) asserted recently . A sharp decrease in the number of new cases of hiv infection has been observed in 2004: 28,000 as against 2003's 520,000. But the ministry's claims have been met with …
us scientists who developed a microbial fuel cell (mfc) to simultaneously clean wastewater and produce electricity, have now altered the cell to produce almost four times as much hydrogen directly out of biomass than can be generated typically by fermentation alone. Hydrogen can be used as a clean fuel. In …
us researchers have designed a food pyramid to ensure not only a nutritious intake but also one that, they claim, has a healing effect. "The foods we choose to eat are essential to how we care for ourselves. In choosing the healing foods on this pyramid, each one of us …
cocoa harms: Cocoa-based chocolates have higher contents of harmful heavy metals (lead, cadmium and nickel) than milk-based chocolates and fruit flavour-based or sugar-based candies, according to a recent study at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai. The researchers led by Sudhir Dahiya looked at 69 brands of chocolates and …
In 1992, a viral epidemic spread through the Jheelo ki Basti of Udaipur district in Rajasthan. Healthcare facilities were limited and many children died. The scourge was finally contained only with the help of traditional healers in the area, whose kada (potion) quickly brought a frightening situation under control. The …
the much-hyped National Rural Health Mission (nrhm) was launched on April 12, 2005 by prime minister Manmohan Singh with the aim to "deliver healthcare to all'. The programme will be operational for seven years (2005-2012). Singh said the event marked the fulfilment of some of the most crucial promises made …
The United Nations Children's Fund's intervention in West Bengal's Purulia district has shown encouraging results in checking the incidence of maternal and child mortality. The agency has documented its initiative through photographs highlighting some aspects of the problem and measures taken to prevent them. THE United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) …
Living in remote villages or smaller towns can mean being cut off from good medical facilities. One could make an occasional trip to city hospitals for a planned surgery or a one-time diagnosis, but consultation on a regular basis is unfeasible. Not any more. Welcome to telemedicine, a medical concept …
the Delhi Development Authority (dda) has of late been forced to adopt a stern stance towards charitable and trust hospitals, hindering their so called "infrastructure development' activities. In the garb of such activities, these hospitals have been trying to bypass the dda's lease terms agreed to at the time of …
an apple a day: Consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a study by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The researchers estimate that 2.6 million people die per year due to inadequate fruit and vegetable intake. Consuming …
