What are antioxidants ?

 What are antioxidants ? 

Ans: Antioxidants are the compounds that neutralize the attack of free radicals and, therefore, reduce the risk of disorders

 Medicinal plants contain several valuable ingredients such as tocopherol, flavonoids, and polyphenols, some essential amino acids and all these constituents show a role in health care. Phenols especially bioflavonoids are a good source of antioxidant and shows valuable role as free radical scavengers

Question: What Diabetic mellitus ?

Ans:

Diabetic mellitus is a metabolic disease and also a major health problem worldwide. Drugs based on allopath used to treat the diabetes and its complications but these drugs show adverse complications. Most of plants have various constituents such as glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, carotenoids that are commonly implicated as anti-diabetic activity and has a role in diabetes control since ancient time.

Cassia Fistula (Rela chettu) Indian Laburnum: (Golden Shower Tree )

 

Cassia Fistula is one of the most beautiful of all tropical trees, when it sheds its leaves and burst into a mass of long, grape-bunches like yellow gold flowers.

A tropical ornamental tree with a trunk consisting of hard reddish wood, growing upto 40 feet tall. 

Its bright  yellow fragrant flowers in long pendulous clusters , 30 - 50 cm in length  are attractive to insects/ bees and butterflies. 

The fruits are dark, brown cylindrical ponds, also 2 feet long. The fruits also hold th flattish, brown seeds (Upto 100 in one pod ). 

The sweet blackish pulp of the seedpo is used as mild taxative.   But it can be used with medical advice. 

For healthy adults how much protein is required ?

 

Question: For healthy adults how much protein is required ?

Ans :  0.83 g per kg body weight per day

It is highlighted the role of protein in tissue repair, immunity, muscle maintenance and the production of enzymes and hormones.

Referring to the ICMR-NIN Nutrient Requirements for Indians, it is noted that the safe protein allowance for healthy adults is 0.83 g per kg body weight per day when the diet contains high-quality protein, and 1.0 g per kg per day for predominantly cereal-based diets with lower protein quality.

it is  also noted that protein requirements vary with age, body size, physiological state, physical activity and health status.

Emphasising dietary diversity, it is  encouraged for inclusion of pulses, dairy, soy, nuts and seeds along with cereals. 

It is  cited traditional food combinations such as dal-rice, roti-chana, idli-sambar, dosa-sambar and khichdi as practical examples of complementary protein sources. It is  also highlighted affordable protein-containing foods such as sattu, dal, roasted chana, peanuts and soy.

It is  noted that protein intake should be distributed across meals rather than concentrated in a single meal. 

Medicinal mushrooms occuring in South India : Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus rimosus, Pleurotus florida and Pleurotus pulmonaris

 

Among the large resources of fungi, higher Basidiomycetes especially mushrooms are unlimited sources of therapeutically useful biologically active agents. There are approximately 700 species of higher Basidiomycetes that have been found to possess significant pharmacological activities

Medicinal mushrooms occurring in South India namely:-

1) Ganoderma lucidum, 

2)Phellinus rimosus,

3)Pleurotus florida and

4) Pleurotus pulmonaris 

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species) are excellently edible and nutritious, rank among one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world.

They possessed profound antioxidant and antitumor activities.

 This indicated that these mushrooms would be valuable sources of antioxidant an antitumor compounds. 

Investigations also showed that they had significant antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activies. 

 Indian medicinal mushrooms are potential sources of antioxidant and anticancer compounds. 

Caution: However, intensive and extensive investigations are needed to exploit their valuable therapeutic use.

Foods that encourage good sleep :

 

Foods include:-

1)Green tea, white tea, and oolong tea naturally have high amounts of GABA. 

• 2)Whole grains
• 3)Fava beans, soy, lentils, and other beans
• 4)Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds
• 5)Sunflower seeds
• 6)Fish, especially shrimp and halibut
• 7)Fruits and vegetables such as citrus, tomatoes, berries, spinach, broccoli, and potatoes
• 8)Cocoa
• 
  
• Note:
• Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a naturally occurring amino acid. GABA is a neurotransmitter, which means it delivers a message through your nervous system from one neuron to another.

  GABA functions to calm the nervous system and help your nerves process sensory input in an organized way.

  GABA isn’t really found in a lot of foods unless they’re fermented foods (like kimchi or kefir). But there are foods that naturally boost the production of GABA in your body. 

Guggal species —Khara Guggal (Commiphora wightii) and Mitha Guggal (Commiphora stocksiana) :

 

 Guggal species —Khara Guggal (Commiphora wightii) and Mitha Guggal (Commiphora stocksiana)—across five villages of the Gujarat district in a step towards restoring native biodiversity and strengthening the ecological value of community grazing lands.

Guggal is a flowering plant which produces a fragrant resin called guggal. It grows as a shrub or small tree. 

The individual flowers are red to pink, with small petals. The small round fruit are red when ripened. 

It is a source of Guggul or Indeian Bdellium,  a gum-resin that exudes from the branches. It is largely used as an incense, in medicine and perfumery .

The extract of gum guggul called gugulipid, guggulipid or guglipid, has been used in Unani and Ayurvedic medicine for nearly 3000 years in India. 

Sandalwood (Santalum album)

 

Sandalwood (Santalum album):

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the tree was confined largely to the forests of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with the state strictly controlling its harvest, transport and sale. 

Sandalwood is a hemi-root parasitic plant, which means that it depends on other host plants for nutrients and water throughout its life cycle. Poor host selection can result in stunted growth, chlorosis or even mortality. For example, Malabar neem (Melia dubia), widely promoted in high-density systems, creates a heavy shade within two years of growth, suppressing sandalwood. Melia trees are often harvested for plywood, which further reduces the sandalwood’s vigour.