Karuna Singh

Nutrient and Stress Management

Stress is a complex phenomenon and each individual has his/her own level of stress tolerance. Exposure to stressors results in a series of coordinated responses often referred to as ‘stress responses’ which are composed of series of reactions in the body including alterations in behaviour, autonomic function, secretion of multiple hormones and various physiological changes in the body. There are several ways to cope up with stress and one good solution is to eat stress fighting and reducing nutrient through food. A nutritious, well balanced diet has powerful stress reducing benefits that improve brain functioning, shore up immune function, lower blood pressure, improve the circulation, and reduce toxins from the body. Some specific nutrients play a very important role in reducing the levels of cortisol and adrenalin in the body and also the stress chemicals that activate fight and flight response. They are complex carbohydrates, proteins (tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine, theanine) Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Magnesium, and Selenium. These nutrients play a very specific and important role in stress management. This review paper aims at eliciting the role of various nutrients and food items in stress reduction and management.

Food Industry Waste: A Panacea or Pollution Hazard?

The food-processing industry produces large volumes of wastes, both solids and liquids, generated from the production, preparation, and consumption of food. These wastes pose increasing disposal and potentially severe pollution problems and represent a loss of valuable biomass and nutrients. Due consideration to proper utilization and disposal of solid waste is the need of the hour for sustainable industrial development. Industrial waste management techniques can be classified into three options: source reduction by processing plant modification, waste recovery, recycle or waste treatment for value-added products and eco-friendly detoxification or neutralization of the undesirable components. Efficient management of waste can bring down the cost of production of processed foods and minimize the pollution hazard.

CATASTROPHIC SHIFT OF OBESITY IN THREE ZONES OF SUB-HIMALAYAN REGION, INDIA, AND ITS CORELATION WITH THE DIETARY INTAKE

Objective: The objective is to study the prevalence of obesity and overweight in three zones of sub-Himalayan Region and its corelation with the dietary intake. Methods: A survey was conducted in three zones of Uttrakhand (Dehradun, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi), India, representing the urban, semi-urban, and rural village population (18–45 years) of the state. For the study, 100 adults were selected from each of the 3 zones, respectively, to make a total sample size of 300 adults using purposive random sampling. Results: The high prevalence obesity and overweight occur among urban zone (Dehradun), followed by semi-urban zone, Rudraprayag, district of Uttrakhand. In Dehradun, 6.1% of males and 29.4% of females were obese, whereas 62.1% males and 58.8% of females were overweight. In Rudraprayag, 13.6% of males and 14.6% of females were obese, whereas 35.6% of males and 39% of females were overweight. In rural zone (Uttarkashi), there were no cases of obesity among both males and females. Conclusion: A high prevalence rate of obesity was depicted in the urban zone of Uttrakhand region. Urbanization seems to have a positive significant impact on the prevalence of obesity with women being at greater risk.

'Nutrition Transition': A Paradigm Shift in Uttrakhand

Aim: The major aim of this review is to assess the nutrition transition in Uttrakhand toward, to its contribution to the emerging epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases. Subjects: The review examines the basic shift in eating preferences mainly attributable to shift in agriculture practices after the green revolution and urbanisation. Furthermore, the remarkable shift in the occupation structure in the state from farmers towards employment and services implies a reduction in energy expenditure. One consequence of nutrition transition has been decline in under nutrition accompanied by over nutrition leading to obesity and other NCD’s.It basically attempting to relate the diet and lifestyle changes accompanying NCDs. Methods: The review is based largely on various reliable documented data on population characteristics. The information is based on various review and documented report and data of the published literature. Results: The results shows that the demographic changes, rates of urbanization and changes in dietary patterns are contributing factors that are leading to nutrition transitions and NCDs in hills. The major consequence of nutrition transition has been the decline in the rate of under nutrition accompanied by over nutrition leading to obesity and other degenerative diseases. Conclusions: There are clear evidences of a demographic, epidemiological and nutrition transition in Uttrakhand. There is no single solution to the problem. A multidisciplinary approach is required to solve the present problem related to food and nutrition.