Health Matters newsletter: Hey, what's in the samosa?

The Hindu

a day ago

On the government's attempt to promote moderation in food and curb obesity, latest developments in medical research, keeping the brain healthy, the dark secrets of a pharma major, and more
The biggest news this past week was one that appealed directly to our taste buds. To first, shock, and then, to question choices and portions. How much oil, sugar, and transfats are present in your regular evening samosa, pakora, chai biscuit, or jalebi? The hullabaloo started after the Health Ministry asked all government departments to display such information in their cafeterias, lobbies, and meeting rooms, in a bid to highlight the health risks of popular Indian snacks. Here, Bindu Shajan Perappadan reports on the announcement.
'We are proposing a display of Sugar and Oil Boards initiative to promote healthier dietary habits in various settings. These boards serve as visual behavioural nudges in schools, offices, public institutions etc. displaying key information about hidden fats and sugars in everyday foods,' Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said in the letter. The campaign is being rolled out first in Nagpur, where the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will serve as the pilot location for the initiative. The calorie count poster will be pasted beside popular food stalls with clear information about sugar, fat, and transfat content. It will outline long-term health risks from frequent consumption. These warnings are designed to be direct and create awareness. The goal is to promote moderation, not restriction.
Apart from the boards, the Health Ministry has also requested that all official stationery -- letterheads, envelopes, notepads, folders, etc -- and all publications print health messages as daily reminders to reinforce the fight against obesity. The move comes just weeks after CBSE instructed its over 24,000 affiliated schools across India to establish 'sugar boards', where information is displayed for educating students about the risks of excessive sugar intake. Further, for more details on what this means for all of us, read her explainer here: What is the directive on sugar, salt labelling?
On the same subject, The Hindu's edit says the move to curb unhealthy food intake, is More than symbolic.
Siddharth Kumar Singh followed this up with a story from Hyderabad, Samosa to get a reality check with government order on sugar and fat boards at offices. Do you know how much oil is required to make 400 samosas in two days? He quotes the vendor of a stall in Hyderabad: 'We use about five litres of oil to make 400 samosas in two days. Once all that oil is soaked up, we start with a fresh batch,' said the vendor. A back of the envelope calculation shows each samosa will have 11.3 gm oil.' However, at the shop there is no mention of nutritional content, sugar, or fat, only the irresistible aroma of deep-fried indulgence. Once you learn this, will you limit your consumption to one triangular fold of potato and masala? The government is hoping you will do so.
Staying on the nutrition plank, here. Are you one of those people that get their information on what to eat from social media? Then this story by Nabeela Khan will make essential reading. She tells us how to access accurate nutritional information. Social media thrives on black-and-white thinking. Nutrition science is all about context, dose, and individuality. Genetics, the gut microbiome, lifestyle, stress levels, and cultural background all determine what works for you, she says. Do read the story to learn how to filter nutrition advice on your social media, and pick what is best for you.
We, at the health desk, believe in celebrating innovation in health care. Every such innovation has the potential to bring massive change in society, to alleviate pain and suffering, and restore quality of life. In this context, last week provided a bonanza for us.
Firstly, let's begin with something very simple, but revolutionary in rethinking what's been happening to women for about 180 years. Researchers redesign vaginal speculum to ease fear and pain. Finally someone thought about replacing the cold, hard, metallic and commonly-used vaginal speculum for essential gynaecological examinations, and almost always associated with pain. Tamara Hoveling and Ariadna Izcara Gual of Delft University, The Netherlands came up with a prototype called the Lilium -- named after the lily flower. Like the more familiar tampon, it has soft plastic and an applicator. 'It's designed with the patient in mind rather than the doctor,' the duo said. Yay to that, from anyone who ever had to undergo a painful gynaec exam.
Anirban Mukhopadhyay writes about how Lab-grown cells help restore insulin in people with type 1 diabetes . A small clinical trial, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine in June, tested a therapy called zimislecel: stem cell-derived islet cells infused into the liver. In 12 people with severe, long-standing type 1 diabetes, these cells began producing insulin again, improving blood sugar control and preventing dangerous lows.
Excitingly enough, Eight healthy babies born from three people's DNA in Britain free of genetic disease. Researchers report that eight healthy babies were born with the help of an experimental technique that uses DNA from three people to help mothers avoid passing rare diseases to their children. And then, there was eugenics.
More understanding of a disease that continues to fox us: Alzheimer's. A recent Study identified four distinct clusters of symptoms that can possibly advance to Alzheimer's including psychiatric and cardiovascular.
In our own neck of the woods, IIT Madras last week, unveiled a new 8.5-kg wheelchair that enables independence. The device has a single frame made of aerospace-grade material. It can be fully customised and is available in sizes from 13 inches to 18 inches. So, what is so special about it? It is monoframe, minimalistic design, on which you can slap 120 kg. Imagine being able to assemble and pull apart a wheelchair you can then pack in several parts into your car. Do remember to watch the demo video built into the article.
Abhinay Deshpande writes about Gujarat launching India's first tribal genome project to tackle inherited diseases. The Tribal Genome Sequencing Project is an initiative by the government to sequence the genomes of 2,000 people belonging to tribal communities across 17 districts in the State is probably a prototype for other States to follow.
V. Geetanath writes of the AIC-CCMB planning trials for Chikungunya vaccine with indigenously developed mRNA technology while C. Maya reports on the Cy-TB test introduced by Kerala government to detect and treat latent tuberculosis infections. Both indicate India's growing prowess in healthcare research and also the need to innovate with local solutions for local issues.
The importance of vaccination cannot be understated, and here is a study that establishes that Global vaccine reserves helped avert 5.8 million infections, over 300,000 deaths since 2000. With routine vaccination declining and also impacted by cuts to the US' foreign aid, the study also highlights the ongoing need for an insurance policy against major outbreaks of diseases like cholera, Ebola and measles.
The WHO-UNICEF said South Asia had achieved record immunization coverage; with India, Nepal leading progress. However, the situation is still desperate, as despite this progress, the UN says 14 million children did not receive a single vaccine in 2024.
It is so important to receive the protection conferred by vaccines, particularly because infectious diseases are still amidst us. Even diseases long believed to be dormant are raising their heads again. For instance, Afshan Yasmeen reported on a study that showed Scrub typhus has now become the most common infectious cause of acute encephalitis syndrome in southern India.
Is the mind unique from the brain? The truth is that while these are distinct entities, one a physical processing organ, and the other influenced by subjective experience; there are areas that are distinctly in the intersection between the two. With World Brain Day being observed on July 22, there were quite a few articles pegged at that intersection.
Dr. N. Diwakar Goutham writes on Empowering India's youth by supporting their mental health while S. Sabu brought to our attention The mental health of pilots following the Air India crash in Ahmedabad recently.
Meanwhile Dr. Boopesh Pugazhendi piece examines how Brain health requires lifelong attention and preventive care, and Sheetal Potdar looks at how Mental fatigue can trick the brain into taking the easy way out. Dr. Karthik Kulanthaivelu looks at How interventional radiology offers scar-free precision treatment for strokes and beyond.
Can we ever afford to ignore the country's non communicable diseases burden and the kind of impact it will have on individual and the national health? There's just one answer to that: No. Athira Elssa Johnson reports on this study that is likely to delight many of us: a simple two-minute walk can help both prevent hypertension and detect it early. Eminently more doable than hours at the gym, and we are none the worse for trying. She also quotes experts to say Disabilities arising from diabetes are under-recognised in India , making it a huge area of concern, given the large number of people living with diabetes in the country. Peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy are the most common diabetes-related complications, alongside cardiovascular dysfunction and autonomic nerve damage, and are areas that need to be addressed.
Dr. S. Sadhanandham focuses on explaining why dyslipidemia is the next big public health challenge in India, while Latha A. Kumaraswami writes on an expected meeting she had with the Pope and how that became a strike for kidney health.
In our explainers series, this past week, we had a bunch across a variety of disciplines.
Early diagnosis, simple lifestyle changes can prevent GERD complications: experts
Dr. Karthik Madesh Ratnavelu focusses on snoring. He says, it isn't always harmless: sleep apnoea is the epidemic we're not talking about.
Following this news: Trump diagnosed with vein condition causing leg swelling , our All You Need to Know About series explains chronic venous insufficiency.
Dr. E. Prabhu and Dr. M.S. Senthil Kumar provide a primer on the story of nuclear medicine and its role in treating thyroid diseases.
The next in a fine series of explainers on anaesthesia that we have carried in recent weeks, Dr. Subramanyam Mahankali talks about Anaesthesia in the digital age: from mysterious sleep to intelligent, personalised care.
Gayatri Saberwal on how Rare diseases have a lot to gain from greater awareness
For our tailpiece of the week, we pick this Interview with Gardiner Harris, author of The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson, simply because of the sheer audacity of what Harris does in the book. Page by page and chapter by chapter, he uncovers the dark, and shocking secrets behind how pharma major J&J works. Having grown up in a J&J town, Harris moves on, as a pharma correspondent, to question every known value that the company provided, and thereon, spurred by a personal experience, takes on the burden of unmasking. He provides evidence for willful neglect of side effects, influencing regulatory agencies, and unethical promotion of products. There is also a video embedded, in case you want to listen to the author himself, but you could also pick up the book for yourself.
If you have a few extra moments, do take time out to read further:
Dr. Dinesh Arab At Tour de France, non-fictional 'supermen' test the limits of human endurance
Zubeda Hamid Science Quiz: On zoonotic diseases
Ashna Butani Thalassemia patients call for standardised tests to reduce transfusion-transmitted infections
ICMR seeks collaboration for malaria vaccine production through tech transfer
US may revise hormone replacement therapy warnings
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