Daily Heritage November 16

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Health benefits of Avacado
Healthy for the heart
Avocados contain 25 milligrams
per ounce of a natural
plant sterol called beta-sitosterol.
Regular consumption of betasitosterol
and other plant sterols
has been found to help maintain
healthy cholesterol levels.
Great for vision
Avocados contain lutein and
zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals
that are especially concentrated in
the tissues in the eyes, where they
provide antioxidant protection to
help minimize damage, including
that from ultraviolet light.
Osteoporosis prevention
Half of an avocado provides
approximately 25% of the dailyrecommended
intake for vitamin
K, a nutrient that is often overlooked,
but which is essential for
bone health.
Healthy babies
Folate is also extremely important
for a healthy pregnancy, with
adequate intake reducing the risk
of miscarriage and neural tube
defects.
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World Diabetes Day
Women are
at higher risk
WORLD DIA-
BETES experts
have said Asians
and Africans, especially
women,
and further those in the reproductive
age group fall in the high risk category.
Every year, November 14 is observed
as World Diabetes Day, a campaign
focused on spreading awareness
about a condition which affects an estimated
371 million people globally.
What makes women even more
vulnerable are gender roles and power
dynamics which impact how they access
healthcare services and their attitudes
towards the condition.
According to the International Diabetes
Federation, there are over 199
million women with diabetes at present
around the world, a statistic
which is expected to rise to 313
million by 2040.
Additionally, for
women, diabetes is the
ninth leading cause of
death around the world,
causing 2.1 million deaths
annually.
The campaign this year
seeks to "promote the importance
of affordable and equitable
access for all women at
risk or living with diabetes, to
the essential diabetes medicines
and technologies, self-management
education and information
they require, to achieve optimal diabetes
outcomes and strengthen
their capacity to prevent type 2
diabetes.”
What makes
women even
more vulnerable
are gender
roles and
power dynamics
which impact
how they
access healthcare
services
and their attitudes
towards
the condition.
•Patient checking
for sugar level
Who can get diabetes
Anyone with a family history of
the condition or leading a sedentary
lifestyle is at risk.
Why women are at
a higher risk
A diabetologist with Fortis Hospitals
in Bengaluru, Dr Sanjay
Reddy, explains women go through
several phases during their lifetimes,
from puberty to childbirth to
menopause. Combined with other
factors, women tend to gain weight
after each of these phases.
Dr Reddy said this weight gain
keeps on adding over the years, simultaneously
increasing their Body
Mass Index (BMI).
“This is unlike in the case of
men where the weight gain is constant
and this gain contributes to an
increased risk of diabetes.
He added that women suffering
from Polycystic Ovary
Syndrome (PCOS) and pregnant
women are also more
prone to getting diabetes.
What is gestational
diabetes
This condition affects
women, without diabetes,
and causes them to develop
high blood sugar levels during
their pregnancy.
A Consultant of Diabetes
and Endocrinology at Manipal
Hospitals, Dr Karthik Prabhakar,
said more
women today are delaying their
pregnancies late into their 20s and
30s, a time when a high risk of diabetes
already exists. And due to hormonal
changes during pregnancy,
plus other factors such as obesity,
PCOS, Pre-diabetes or a history of
diabetes, they get gestational diabetes."
Though a temporary condition
which goes away after childbirth, it
can affect both the mother and child
if not controlled properly.
"Gestational diabetes is an even
bigger problem than diabetes. In
80% of cases, it goes away after delivery,
and then people tend to look
away. This could later turn into
proper diabetes in the next 10 years
(if they follow an unhealthy
lifestyle)," he adds.
Treatment
“If you have diabetes, you can
live well with diabetes. It is not a disease;
it is a disorder. The idea is not
to become a patient,” Dr Reddy
said.
Diabetics need to be careful not
to get complications related to the
condition.
“As the condition affects several
body parts, including eyes, kidneys,
heart and nerves, we don't want any
of these to be affected. You need to
keep your blood glucose level very
much under control, HbA1c level
less than 7, blood pressure around
138, cholesterol under control, not
gain weight and be physically active.
Take medicines and monitor your
diabetes regularly, and check
that you don't have complications,"
he adds.
Prevention
While family history and genetics
cannot be changed, Dr
Karthik stressed that changes in
lifestyle can go a long way in diabetes
prevention.
Some steps include eating a balanced
diet, exercising, getting adequate
sleep, avoiding stress,
maintaining a healthy BMI and regular
blood tests for those with a family
history of diabetes.
Eating healthy
“What is important is the
right food in the right quantity.
Quantity can be decided based
on BMI, age, physical activity
etc,” Dr Karthik stated.
He advises people to consume
carbohydrates with fibres
instead of refined carbs.
"Eat unpolished rice over
polished rice, brown over white,
wheat also has more fibre. So
does ragi and millets. Our bodies
need around 50% carbohydrates
and it should come from
carbs that have fibres," he says.
Proteins (20-30%) can be
got from animal sources such as
eggs, milk meat, or vegetarian
options like sprouts and pulses.
The remaining consists of
'healthy' fats that are high in
monounsaturated fatty acids
(MUFA) and polyunsaturated
fatty acids (PUFA).
“The remaining can be fibre,
fruits and vegetables. Ensure
you drink at least 3 litres of
water every day. A balanced diet
should be a mixture of different
elements; one doesn't have to
eat the same food every day.
There are options. And one can
always take advice from a nutritionist,”
he said. — BBC