July 12, 2012 Clippings

Could Indian ‘Swarna’ rice variety hold the key to beating diabetes?

Swarna, an Indian rice variety is one of the healthiest staples out there and carries a very low diabetes risk, says a leading rice research organisation. “Rice varieties such as India’s most widely grown rice variety Swarna have a low glycemic index (GI) and varities such as Doongara from Australia and Basmati have medium GI,” Melissa Fitzgerald of Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said in a statement.

Low GI rice could prove instrumental in staving off diabetes by slow release of sugar in the blood. The researchers have identified a gene that would determine GI of rice. The IRRI termed it as an important achievement as the gene would help rice breeders to develop varieties with different GI levels to meet the demand of diabetic and non-diabetic consumers.

”The finding of the research which analysed 235 types of rice around the world is good news because it not only means rice can be part of a healthy diet for the average consumer, but it also means people with diabetes or at risk of diabetes can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy low GI diet,” the IRRI said. Food with high GI gets easily digested and absorbed by the body, resulting in fluctuations of blood sugar levels which can lead to diabetes. Low GI food takes longer to absorb, resulting in a sustained sugar release in the blood and decreases the chance of developing diabetes.

“Low-GI diets can reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, and are also useful for helping diabetics better manage their condition,” CSIRO Food Futures Flagship Researcher Tony Bird said. This is help diabetics and people at risk of diabetes who are trying to control their condition through diet, as it means they can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet, he added. The researchers analysed 235 varieties of rice from around the world, found that the GI of rice ranges from a low of 48 to a high of 92, with an average of 64.

Source: http://health.india.com

12.07.2012

                              

Study Says Contraception Saves 250,000 Lives Each Year

Contraception saves more than a quarter of million lives each year, show results. 

In 2008, 355,000 women died while giving birth or from illegal or dangerous abortions, a study published by The Lancet said. 

But more than 250,000 deaths were averted that year because contraception reduced unwanted pregnancies, it said. 

"If all women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy use an effective contraceptive method, the number of maternal deaths would fall by a further 30 percent," according to the research. 

The paper, led by John Cleland, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, appears in The Lancet on the eve of a "London Summit on Family Planning," promoted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

It is campaigning for the rights of 120 million women and girls to have access to family planning. 

"Increasing contraceptive use in developing countries has cut the number of maternal deaths by 40 percent over the past 20 years," said the paper. 

It also pointed to the benefits for child health and pregnancies that are planned and spaced out.

"In developing countries, the risk of prematurity and low birthweight doubles when conception occurs within six months of a previous birth, and children born within two years of an elder sibling are 60-percent more likely to die in infancy than are those born more than two years after their sibling." 

The world's population reached seven billion last year and is likely to climb to around 9.3 billion by 2050, and more than 10 billion by 2100, according to UN estimates. 

Demographic growth will be overwhelmingly concentrated in the poorest countries, especially Africa.

Source: www.medindia.net

12.07.2012

Without vision the people will perish and without courage and inspiration dreams will die,

Rosa Parks