Mr. Ron Verdonk, Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, Embassy of the United States launches the Generic Promotional Campaign in India for Cherries from Pacific Northwest USA
Attractive display may be found at India’s main retail stores and e-commerce platforms.
Bangaluru, July 2021, Summer means a cuisine fullof fresh fruits, and now is thetime to add the icing to the cake. The market has receivedlarge deep-mahogany red, ripe, juicy, sweet,and tasty cherries from the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
The Northwest Cherry Growers (NWCG), a trade association based in the state of Washington in the U.S.A. have launched their first-ever generic promotion campaign in India to introduce this delightful fruit to the discerning health-conscious Indian consumers.
To mark the launch, Mr. Ron Verdonk, Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America inaugurated a promotion campaign at Foodhall, Chanyakapuri. The retailer has set up an attractive and vibrant display of cherries from the American Northwest and is encouraged by the initial consumer response.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Verdonk, remarked “The U.S. is one of world’s largest producers and exporters of sweet cherries. These cherries from the U.S. Pacific Northwest are grown in the states of Washington, Oregon Idaho, Utah and Montana, and consumers worldwide relish their sweet flavor, bigger size and superior quality. I am delighted to see them here in India. Food is a very important part of India – U.S. trade, and I am glad that cherries from our Pacific Northwest are now added to the basket.”
Speaking on the India campaign for Cherries from Northwest, Mr. Sumit Saran, In-Country Marketing Representative of NWCG remarked, “We foresee immense potential for Northwest Cherries in India. These cherries are considered amongst the best in the world for their high quality, flavour, taste and also food safety. Cherries from the Pacific Northwest USA will be in the market in July and August, perfectly complementing the Indian cherry season. We have chalked out an extensive retail and communication strategy to take this delicious fruit to discerning Indian consumers across the country. These cherries will be available both with retail fruit sellers and e-commerce platforms,” Saran added.
Kalanikethan has a new address in Jayanagar and is offering a completely different experience. The experience recently became greater with 5000 Master Designers and 2 lakh variety spread over 10000 sft (3 storeys).
The biggest shopping mall in Jayanagar was inaugurated by Ms Priyanka Upendra, renowned actress and the Guests of Honor were Ms Roopamouli, Founder – Sahaya Hastha Trust & Pinkathon Ambassador and Ms Reena Suvarna, ACP, Bangalore North.
Great inaugural offers await the customers, including Ashadam Sale Upto 50% off on Kanjivarams, Designer Sarees, Fancy Sarees, Ghagras, Salwars, Dress Material, Western Wear, Men’s Wear, Kid’s Wear. Experience a never before shopping experience for the entire family at your favourite Kalanikethan Jayanagar Showroom.
The city gets a dedicated facility for the treatment and management of spinal and chronic pain with minimally invasive and target specific techniques that offer much less risk and trauma than conventional surgery Most procedures at IPSC can be done in a day-care setting at half the cost compared to large hospitals. Patients can go back home the same day Over 19% of Indian population suffers from chronic pain
BENGALURU / July 10, 2021: The Interventional Pain and Spine Centre (IPSC), a group of single speciality clinics that provide state-of-the-art spine care and chronic pain management using minimally invasive techniques, has opened its first location in Bengaluru, on Bellary Road in Shahkara Nagar.
The new facility, equipped with modular operating theaters, is staffed with pain specialists skilled in minimally invasive techniques for the management of chronic pain of all types, including joint pain (knee, shoulder, neck, etc.), low back pain, slipped disc, spondylitis / sciatica, neurology pain, migraine, facial pain, rheumatic pain, and cancer-related pain. It also offers capabilities in the prevention and management of sports-related injuries. The Centre’s regenerative department uses natural cells of the body to repair damaged tissues.
Said Dr. (Maj) Pankaj N Surange, Managing Director and CEO, IPSC: “IPSC offers minimally invasive and target specific techniques with much less risk and trauma than conventional surgery for the management of spinal and chronic pain. For most cases of chronic pain, less invasive interventions are better alternatives to open surgical methods. They are also much safer and don’t require hospital admission. Since most of the procedures can be done in a day care setting, we can reduce their cost to almost half compared to large hospitals. Patients can go back home the same day.”
Said Dr. Swati Bhat, Director (South) with IPSC and Head, IPSC Varsity: “A facility like IPSC is much needed in Bengaluru. A 2018 survey of 20,000 patients of back pain from Indian metro cities estimated that 46% of Bengaluru’s population in the younger age group suffers from spinal problems. This is among the highest incidence in the country. About 43% of patients neglect their pain for more than 7 weeks, leading to delayed treatment and increased risk of surgery. With better understanding of chronic pain and technological advancement, pain physicians can now control chronic pain adequately and cure it in most cases. However, it is the responsibility of the doctors to treat acute stages of pain promptly to prevent patients from sliding into chronic pain. Interventional pain management helps treat the exact cause of pain with minimally invasive and non-surgical techniques. Early interventions not only relieve pain, but also reduce morbidity and improve quality of life.”
Talking about the various treatments available at IPSC, Dr. Renu Dadiala, Consultant, Sports Medicine, and Centre In-Charge, IPSC Bengaluru, said: “Patients suffering from back pain, slipped disc, disc bulge, sciatica etc. are treated with less invasive techniques like ozone discectomy, percutaneous disc decompression and endoscopic discectomy where a small scope is inserted to remove the herniated portion of the disc. Patients suffering from arthritis of the joints are managed with regenerative interventions in their early stages to prevent progression. Pain in advanced arthritis of knee, shoulder, hip and spinal joints is managed with radiofrequency procedures. Nerve pain, including neuralgia and neuropathic pain, is managed with medication and neurolytic procedures. All these procedures are done under local anaesthesia and patients are discharged the same day.”
Said Dr. Namrata Dabas, Consultant, Pain and Regenerative medicine, IPSC: “A study about the incidence of chronic pain in India estimated a population prevalence of 19.3%, with 33% of responders reporting inability to do routine work. Pooled data from multiple developing countries has shown a prevalence of 18%. There is a higher prevalence of chronic pain in females (25.2%). Pain prevalence increases steeply beyond the age of 65 years. A study from eight cities across India showed that the mean intensity of pain on Numerical Rating Scale was 6.93, which means higher than moderate to severe intensity of chronic pain. Respondents with chronic moderate and chronic severe pain were 37% and 63%, respectively. Pain in knees (32%), legs (28%) and joints (22%) was the most prevalent. People with chronic pain were no longer able to exercise, sleep, maintain relationships with friends and family, or lead an independent lifestyle.”
Said Dr. Om Prakash Gupta, Head – Spine Surgeries, IPSC: “Chronic pain is emerging as a significant public health problem. It will exert an increasing social and economic toll in the next two decades in the country with significant spending on surgical treatment and hospitalization. Chronic pain has a serious impact on work and daily life function, with increasing loss of work-days associated with chronic pain conditions, especially low back pain. Chronic pain usually does not occur in isolation. There are often multi-morbid mental and physical health problems.”
He added: “The global prevalence of chronic pain is increasing. In 2018, the Lancet Low Back Pain Series Working Group identified a global problem of mismanagement of back pain and called on the WHO to increase its attention on the burden of low back pain. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2016, about one-third to half of the population in the UK suffers from chronic pain. The commonest cause of chronic pain worldwide is spinal pain and joint pain. Arthritis, degenerative conditions of the spine, and cancer pain are the most common contributors. Obesity and diabetes are inherent in Indian genes, putting the Indian population at a higher risk of complications, such as peripheral neuropathy, stroke, ischemic vascular disease and deep vein and pulmonary thrombosis, due to patients’ inactive lifestyle because of chronic pain.”
For more information about IPSC, please visit https://ipscindia.com/ For booking appointment at IPSC Bengaluru,
Researchers find that almond snacking may help improve HbA1c and blood lipids in young adults and adolescents with prediabetes
Bangalore, India (7 July 2021) – Over the last 40 years, the number of people living with diabetes globally has quadrupled[i] and this upward trajectory is especially steep in India. In fact, Indians have the highest annual progression to type 2 diabetes from pre-diabetes (about 14-18%), which calls for lifestyle interventions to help reverse this trend.
When it comes to snack choices, almonds may be one easy – and tasty – dietary strategy. A new study[ii] showed that almond snacking helped improve glucose metabolism in adolescents and young adults in India with prediabetes.
This randomized controlled clinical trial aimed to determine the effect of almond consumption on factors of metabolic dysfunction including blood glucose, lipids, insulin, and selected inflammatory markers in adolescents and young adults (aged 16-25 years old) with prediabetes, who resided in Mumbai, India. The study was a randomized, parallel trial of 275 participants (59 male, 216 female) with impaired glucose metabolism (prediabetes). At the start of the study, participants’ weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured and fasting blood samples were taken. Participants also underwent a glucose tolerance test and their lipid profiles were assessed.
The almond group (n=107) ate 56 grams (about 2 one-ounce servings, or ~340 calories) of unroasted almonds every day for three months and the control group (n=112) consumed a savory snack with the same number of calories. The consumption of almonds as snacks was tested in the almond group, while the control group consumed a savory snack that is commonly consumed by this age group in India. Both the almond and savory snacks accounted for ~20% of participants’ total calorie intake.
Throughout the duration of the study, participants were monitored to ensure they were compliant in eating their snacks. At the end of the study, participants completed dietary intake assessments and the same measurements and blood tests were performed again.
In the almond group, HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar control that also serves as a diagnostic criteria for prediabetes and diabetes) decreased significantly compared to the control group. Improving blood sugar levels at the pre-diabetes stage may help prevent or delay the development of diabetes. Additionally, almond consumption reduced total cholesterol and “bad” LDL-cholesterol significantly compared to the control group, while maintaining “good” HDL-cholesterol levels.
There were no changes in measures of weight, height, waist or hip circumferencesor biochemical markers nor macronutrient intake between the almond group and the control from the start to post-intervention. Inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-6) decreased in the almond group and increased in the control group, but this was not a statistically significant result. Fasting blood glucose levels were significantly reduced in the control group compared to the almond group post-intervention. In the almond group, FG:FI ratio (fasting glucose: fasting insulin) decreased while it increased in the control group but was not statistically significant.
“Lifestyle changes including improved nutrition and exercise targeted at teens and young adults have the potential to halt the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. Results from this study show that the change does not have to be a major one – simply including a twice-daily snack of almonds can make a difference. The study results are very promising in showing how almonds improved total and LDL-cholesterol levels and reduced HbA1c levels in just 12 weeks of consumption,” said principal investigator, Dr. Jagmeet Madan PhD, Professor and Principal, Sir Vithaldis Thackersey College of Home Science (Autonomous), SNDT Women’s University (Mumbai).
Limitations of the study include that participants could not be blinded. Further, nutritional intervention studies can also trigger behavioral changes in both groups as the participants are made aware of their risk during the recruitment process. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of almond consumption on the same measures in other age groups and of different ethnicities.
This research joins another study[iii] investigating the potential role of almond consumption in younger people. Researchers at the University of California Merced, in a study funded by the Almond Board of California, demonstrated that for those college students who skip breakfast, a morning snack of almonds can be a smart option. Among predominantly breakfast-skipping college freshmen (73 males and females, 18 to 19 years old), including a morning snack – either of almonds or graham crackers – reduced total cholesterol and improved fasting blood sugar levels, but the benefits were greater with almonds. Those who snacked on almonds better preserved “good” HDL-cholesterol levels and improved measures of blood sugar regulation over the 8-week study.
Results showed that those in the almond group had better measures of several glucoregulatory and cardiometabolic health indicators, including:
• 13% lower 2-hour glucose area under the curve (AUC)
• 34% lower insulin resistance index (IRI)
• 82% higher Matsuda index during oral glucose tolerance testing, which represents a gross estimation of insulin sensitivity. This index almost doubled among the almond snackers.
• Better protection of HDL-cholesterol levels. Both groups saw reductions in HDL cholesterol, but the almond snackers’ levels fell by 13.5% compared to a 24.5% reduction in graham cracker snackers.
Almonds provide fiber (12.5 / 3.5 g per 100g / 30g serving) and 15 essential nutrients including (per 100g / 30g serving): magnesium (270 / 81 mg), potassium (733 / 220 mg), and vitamin E (25.6 / 7.7 mg) , making them a perfect nutrient-rich snack for those with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes.
Study at a Glance:
The Study
• The study was a randomized, parallel trial of 275 participants (59 male, 216 female) with impaired glucose metabolism (prediabetes). The study participants had elevated fasting/stimulated blood glucose [fasting glucose (100-125 mg/dl),2h post-glucose (140-199 mg/dl)] and /or insulin [fasting insulin (=15mIU/ml) / stimulated insulin (=80mIU/ml)].
• At the start of the study, participants’ weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured and fasting blood samples were taken. Participants underwent a glucose tolerance test and their lipid profiles were assessed.
• Whole blood was analyzed for complete blood count including hemoglobin, White Blood Cells (WBC), Red Blood Cells (RBC), platelets, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC).
• The almond group (n=107) ate 56 grams (about 2 servings, or ~340 calories) of almonds every day for 3 months and the control group (n=112) consumed a savory snack typical in India with the same number of calories. The control savory snack was prepared in two varieties to prevent taste fatigue using whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, salt, and Indian spices. Throughout the 90-day study, participants were monitored to make sure they were compliant in eating the almonds or savory snacks.
• At the end of the study (3 months), participants completed dietary intake assessments and the same measurements and blood tests were performed again.
Results
• HbA1c levels showed a statistically significant reduction in the almond group compared to the control group (Table 1).
• There was a decrease in the fasting blood glucose to fasting insulin ratio (FG:FI) in the almond group in comparison to the control group but was not statistically significant. The fasting blood glucose levels were significantly reduced in the control as compared to the almond group.
• There was no significant difference in HOMA-IR at the end of the study compared to the baseline between the two groups and within each group.
• The other biomarkers for glucose metabolism showed no significant difference between the almond and the control groups at the end of the study in comparison to the start of the intervention.
• There was a statistically significant reduction in the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in the almond group in comparison to the control group. There was an increase in the HDL-cholesterol levels, a decrease in the triglyceride levels as well as a decrease in the VLDL-c levels in the almond group in comparison to the control group but it was not statistically significant.
Conclusion
Almonds were shown to have an effect on glucose metabolism by reducing HbA1c levels in adolescents and young adults in India at risk for developing diabetes in just 12 weeks. When included as a snack, almonds also helped manage dyslipidemia by reducing total cholesterol and “bad” LDL-cholesterol, while maintaining “good” HDL-cholesterol levels. Almonds can be a nutritious snack that can replace regular snack choices and can be part of a food-based strategy to help prevent or delay the development of diabetes, particularly in a younger population.
~ Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) is an immune system mediated hyper inflammation targeting children, adolescents & young adults; more than 50% develop heart problems ~
July 6, 2021: Doctors at Amrita Hospital are warning of an impending wave of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome or MIS-C across South India which may hit children in a big way. They have already begun to see increasing numbers of children coming to the Hospital with MIS-C symptoms and they believe that this is only the beginning. The disease, which mainly affects children who are exposed to Covid positive individuals in their household or themselves have been infected with Covid, begins to manifest symptoms 3-6 weeks after a wave of Covid has already swept through the adult population.
With the second wave of Covid now coming to an end, doctors at Amrita Hospital feel that it is only a matter of time before MIS-C wave will begin to take over the young population. The disease is an immune system mediated hyper inflammation that seems to target children, adolescents, and young adults; more than 50% of those suffering from MIS-C develop heart problems. The severity of heart damage in patients is what determines the outcome of the illness.
Commenting on the rising incidence of cases, Dr. Suma Balan, Rheumatology AIMS Kochi, said, “MIS-C has been observed to have a correlation with the Covid wave in adults – the larger the Covid wave, the bigger is the MIS-C wave. Since the current Covid wave in South India has been the largest so far, we are anticipating a huge MIS-C wave in Kerala and South India in the months to come. Symptoms of MIS-C include rapidly progressing state of high-grade fever with poor function of several organ systems especially the heart and gastrointestinal organs and are found mostly in Covid negative cases. A child with MIS-C may have been completely asymptomatic if they had COVID-19 infection previously and may not have been tested simply because of lack of symptoms. MIS-C starts to manifest within a period of 4 to 6 weeks of having survived COVID.”
MIS-C needs to be treated by administration of steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin along with supportive management which requires intensive care in most cases. Some children need breathing support and medications to support the failing heart. Because of the high costs of intravenous immunoglobulin, the treatment for MIS-C incurs a high cost.
Elaborating on how MIS-C can affect the heart, Dr Mahesh Kappanayil, Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric CMR Services, said, “It is critical to identify the extent to which the heart is affected by way of ECGs, blood tests and intensive monitoring. In some cases, children may require pacemaker implantation to support heartbeat. The heart shows excellent recovery if supported well during the critical phase of the illness. If the heart is significantly affected, such children need to be given specific medicines to improve heart pumping and to maintain blood pressure, in addition to the overall treatment of MIS-C.”
Explaining the treatment protocols to be followed, Dr Sajith Kesavan, Senior Consultant and Head, Department of Pediatric Pulmonary and Critical Care added, “When MIS-C affected children become sick enough to need intensive care, they also usually need IVIg treatment. Though expensive, this treatment can save a lot of lives. Because of its multisystem presentation, a wide range of medical professionals may need to be consulted by those suffering from it. If a child is suspected to be suffering from MIS-C, it is imperative that a history of a possible Covid link be explored and an appropriate treatment suggested accordingly.”
Dr C. Jayakumar, Head and Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine added “In MISC different systems are involved. But in Kawasaki disease cardiac involvement is the dangerous problem. MIS-C, there is involvement of gastrointestinal tract, lung, kidney, skin in addition. This condition can be fatal if not recognized early and should be managed adequately with not usually used drugs like steroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, immunomodulators and in some cases Extracorporeal membrane support. During this Covid pandemic, irrespective of the fact that one has had Covid or not, if there is fever or other symptoms, medical care must be sought at the earliest. Please do not ignore symptoms of any disease in this season of the pandemic.”
The best ways to tackle MIS-C are through prevention i.e., by ensuring vaccination of all adults in contact with children and management i.e., through timely identification and treatment of the infection. Unless these measures are observed strictly, children will continue to be affected by this deadly disease which may even prove to be fatal if not treated at the earliest.
You must be logged in to post a comment.