Food. Archives - Page 9 of 23

Like spicy food? If so, you might live longer

January 21, 2017 SrijitaFood., if, Like, Live, Longer?, Might, So, Spicy, You

A study, by the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, has found that consumption of hot red chili peppers is associated with a 13 percent reduction in total mortality, primarily in deaths due to heart disease or stroke. Going back for centuries, peppers and spices were thought to be beneficial in the treatment of diseases, but only one other study, conducted in China and published in 2015, has previously examined chili pepper consumption and its association with mortality. So, this new study, published recently in PLoS ONE,…

FSSAI sets nutritional benchmarks to fortify food items for PDS, midday meals

January 13, 2017 Srijitabenchmarks, Food., for, Fortify, FSSAI, items, meals, midday, nutritional, PDS, sets, to

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released benchmarks to fortify the nutritional quality of food items used in social sector programmes such as ICDS, PDS and midday meals, such as rice, wheat flour, milk, edible oil and salt.Food fortification helps combat malnutrition through staple food items. The government is trying to push such products through government schemes to counter problems like stunting, overweight and anaemia, which are the major causes of maternal and child deaths. The FSSAI standards detail specific measurements for fortification. For instance, any…

Can’t breathe after Chinese food? It might be the MSG

January 13, 2017 SrijitaAfter, be, Breathe, Can't, Chinese, Food., It, Might, MSG, The

Can’t breathe after Chinese food? It mightbe the MSG A very satisfying feast of kung pao chicken, sweet-sour pork or just about any Chinese dish could, at times, be accompanied with a bout of headache, giddiness or rashes. It’s aptly called the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, but a doctor from Mahad, a four-hour drive from Mumbai, recently found out that the presence of ajinomoto salt -better known as mono sodium glutamate or MSG -in Chinese food could even lead to life-threatening swelling of tissues. A 23-year-old who had eaten triple fried…

Zimbabwe Bans Street Food Over Typhoid, Cholera Fears

January 8, 2017 SrijitaBans, Cholera, Fears, Food., Over, Street, Typhoid, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has banned street food vendors in the capital Harare after a typhoid outbreak blamed on poor sanitation and erratic water supplies. Portia Managazira, director for epidemiology and disease control in the health ministry, told AFP there had been more than 2,300 suspected cases of typhoid nationally in the last year, and 12 deaths. “The cases were mostly from Harare… We are still in emergency response mode and we are doing everything possible to get the situation under control,” she said. Harare has been reeling under an acute shortage of…

Why is Healthy Food So Expensive? Maybe Because We Expect it to be

January 7, 2017 Srijitabe, because, expect, expensive, Food., Healthy, Is, It, Maybe, So, to, We, Why

Imagine you’re in the aisle of your favorite grocery store, bombarded with hundreds of the latest and greatest products on the market. After grabbing a box of your favorite pasta off the shelf, you notice a new organic version of the spaghetti sauce you usually buy. Strikingly, the price is at almost a 50 percent premium compared with what your usual sauce costs. Here we go again, you think: You have to empty your wallet to buy the “healthy” stuff. If this describes how you think about the relationship between…

Fast Food Options for People with Diabetes

January 5, 2017 SrijitaDiabetes, fast, Food., for, Options, People, With

It is important for people suffering from diabetes to be selective while picking up fast food items to munch on, says an expert. Amarjeet Singh Bhatia – Chief Medical Officer at Doctor Insta (a telehealth app), lists some fast food picks for diabetics: 1. Pizza- Pizza is one of the best choices for people suffering from diabetes. Just make sure that you order a tortilla and top it with vegetables rather than extra cheese and high fat toppings. 2. Burgers- Instead of burgers with double or triple patties, go for…