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The Health Department and Food Safety wings in collaboration are ready to launch an initiative to impose important dietary guidelines, including the reduction of trans-fatty acids (TFAs), salt and sugar in the commercially available foods in India. This initiative has the technical support from the World Bank, WHO and, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It is a well-known fact that an unhealthy diet increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and further leads to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The non-communicable diseases (NCDs) reduce life-quality, ultimately increasing the death rates. Before going into details about trans fat, let’s understand what...

Having rice for weight loss is a controversial topic. Is it actually fattening and what’s the deal with white or brown rice? This blog gets to the bottom of this question. Rice is a staple food for many countries and also among the most widely consumed grains in the world! Rice varieties vary in the amount of starch, amylose and amylopectin, which affects its texture and digestibility. Key Nutritional differences The nutrient content of rice varies depending on the variety of rice, soil, water and the weather condition. Processing difference The germ and bran contains high level of minerals and...

The thyroid gland is an important hormonal gland located at the front of the neck, below Adam's apple (larynx). It is important for growth, metabolism and regulating many bodily functions by releasing a steady amount of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) into the bloodstream. Classification of Thyroidism (Jayakumar,2011) Type Origin Description Primary hypothyroidism Thyroid Gland Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease ) gland fails to produce T3 and T4 Secondary Hypothyroidism (A) Pituitary gland Enough TSH hormone is not created to induce the thyroid gland to produce enough thyroxine and triiodothyronine. (B) Hypothalamus Hypothalamus fails to produce sufficient thyrotropin releasing hormone(TRH)....

Nowadays, we often use the term of superfood. Do you know what it actually means? According to scientific studies, it has been discovered that few foods from both a plant source or an animal source possess some properties which are not generally categorised in their properties. They help to increase immunity and protect our body from severe damages. Let's know more about some plant-based superfoods that can be incorporated in our regular diet to improve our health quality. Kale: Kale is a widely known vegetable that belongs to the cabbage family. There are many varieties of kale available in the...

Types of Sugar All types of sugar are made by juices extracted from plant sources like sugar beet or sugarcane, then processed by a mechanical process. Many types of sugar can be produced via minimal adjustments in the process of cleaning, crystallising or drying. Various crystal sizes and compositions provide unique functional characteristics to the sugar, which makes it suitable for different foods and beverages. Sugar colour is essentially determined by the amount of molasses present or added to the crystals, giving pleasurable flavours and also altering the moisture content. Heating sugar can also change its colour and flavour, this...