गुरुवार, 24 दिसंबर 2015

बाजरे के गुण

बाजरा खाइए, हड्डियों के रोग नहीं होंगे🌿
बाजरे की रोटी का स्वाद जितना अच्छा है, उससे अधिक उसमें गुण भी हैं।
1 --- बाजरे की रोटी खाने वाले को हड्डियों में कैल्शियम की कमी से पैदा होने वाला रोग आस्टियोपोरोसिस और खून की कमी यानी एनीमिया नहीं होता।
2 --- बाजरा लीवर से संबंधित रोगों को भी कम करता है।
3 --- गेहूं औरचावल के मुकाबले बाजरे में ऊर्जा कई गुना है।
4 --- बाजरे में भरपूर कैल्शियम होता है जो हड्डियों के लिए रामबाण औषधि है। उधर आयरन भी बाजरे में इतना अधिक होता है कि खून की कमी से होने वाले रोग नहीं हो सकते।
5 --- खासतौर पर गर्भवती महिलाओं ने कैल्शियम की गोलियां खाने के स्थान पर रोज बाजरे की दो रोटी खाना चाहिए।
6 --- वरिष्ठ चिकित्साधिकारी मेजर डा. बी.पी. सिंह के सेना में सिक्किम में तैनाती के दौरान जब गर्भवती महिलाओं को कैल्शियम और आयरन की जगह बाजरे की रोटी और खिचड़ी दी जाती थी। इससे उनके बच्चों को जन्म से लेकर पांच साल की उम्र तक कैल्शियम और आयरन की कमी से होने वाले रोग नहीं होते थे।
7 --- इतना ही नहीं बाजरे का सेवन करने वाली महिलाओं में प्रसव में असामान्य पीड़ा के मामले भी न के बराबर पाए गए।
8 --- डाक्टर तो बाजरे के गुणों से इतने प्रभावित है कि इसे अनाजों में वज्र की उपाधिदेने में जुट गए हैं।
9 --- बाजरे का किसी भी रूप में सेवन लाभकारी है।
10 --- लीवर की सुरक्षा के लिए भी बाजरा खाना लाभकारी है।
11 --- उच्च रक्तचाप, हृदय की कमजोरी, अस्थमा से ग्रस्त लोगों तथा दूध पिलाने वाली माताओं में दूध की कमी के लिये यह टॉनिक का कार्य करता है।
12 --- यदि बाजरे का नियमित रूप से सेवन किया जाय तो यह कुपोषण, क्षरण सम्बन्धी रोग और असमय वृद्धहोने की प्रक्रियाओं को दूर करता है।
13 --- रागी की खपत से शरीर प्राकृतिक रूप से शान्त होता है। यह एंग्जायटी, डिप्रेशन और नींद न आने की बीमारियों में फायदेमन्द होता है। यह माइग्रेन के लिये भी लाभदायक है।
14 --- इसमें लेसिथिन और मिथियोनिन नामक अमीनो अम्ल होते हैं जो अतिरिक्त वसा को हटा कर कोलेस्ट्रॉल की मात्रा को कम करते है।
15 --- बाजरे में उपस्थित रसायन पाचन की प्रक्रिया को धीमा करते हैं। डायबिटीज़ में यह रक्त में शकर की मात्रा को नियन्त्रित करने में सहायक होता है।

बुधवार, 11 नवंबर 2015

रुद्राक्ष व अथर्वशीर्ष

https://youtu.be/msjJ1sGgnnw -- अथर्वशीर्ष (लीमे)

आगळी-वेगळी माहिती ;-
सत्र ;- १०२

🌰  रुद्राक्ष कुठे सापडतो ? त्याचा अस्सलपणा कसा ओळखावा ?  🌰

   रुद्राक्ष हे " एपिलो कार्पस गॕनितट्रस " या झाडाचे फळ आहे. या झाडाच्या अत्तापर्यंत ३६ जाती आढळल्या आहेत. पिकलेल्या फळाचा वरचा गर काढून टाकला की आतमध्ये 'रुद्राक्ष मणी ' मिळतो. आज बरेच ठिकाणी रुद्राक्ष आधुनिक साधनांनी स्वच्छ केले जातात. याची सुरुवात नेपाळ ने केली.
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

❇ रुद्राक्षांची झाडे कुठे आढळतात ?

     ही झाडे ब्रम्हदेश , भूतान , इंडोनेशिया , नेपाळ , भारतातील ;- आसाम , बंगाल , हरिद्वार , रामेश्वरम , नाशिक  इत्यादी प्रदेशांत आढळतात. हे फळ  समुद्रसपाटीपासून जास्तीतजास्त  तीन हजार मीटर उंचीवर सापडते. रुद्राक्षाची झाडे कपारीत वाढतात , सपाटीत वाढत नाहीत. याच्या झाडाची पाने चिंचेच्या व गुंजेच्या पानासारखी पण अधिक लांब असतात. त्याला वर्षाला एक ते दोन सहस्त्र फळे लागतात. हिमालयातील यती केवळ रुद्राक्षफळ खातात. याला अमृतफळ असेही म्हणतात. ते खाल्ल्यास तहान लागत नाही.

➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰

☣ नेपाळमधील रुद्राक्ष सर्वोत्तम का मानला जातो. ?

     यांना हवे ते तापमान समुद्रसपाटीपासून २४६० मीटर उंचीवर म्हणजे नेपाळच्या पशुपतिनाथाच्या भुमीत आढळते. आकाराने समान , गुळगुळीत ,टणक , मोठे ,पूर्ण गोलाकार , निकोप, आणि नैसर्गिक छिद्र असलेले रुद्राक्ष उत्तम सांगितले आहे आणि असेच रुद्राक्ष नेपाळच्या भूमिवर उगवतात.
     हिमालय हा महादेवाचा प्रांत आहे . कैलास आणि त्यापलीकडे नेपाळच्या तराई वनामध्ये रुद्राक्षाची वने आहेत. आज ती अगदी दुर्गम भागात आहेत. तिथे पोहोचणे दुरापास्त आहे. आज नेपाळमध्ये बरेच नवीन ठिकाणी रुद्राक्षाची शेती केली जाते. इथले रुद्राक्ष टणक , मजबूत , अत्यंत मनोहारी आणि सुलक्षणी असतात. वेगवेगळ्या प्रदेशातील रुद्राक्ष मणी दिसायला वेगवेगळे असता, पण साम्य आढळले तरी प्रत्येक मण्याची शक्ती वेगळी असते.

➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰

✴ केदारनाथ परिसरातील रुद्राक्ष ;-

     येथे रुद्राक्षाचा वृक्ष मध्यम उंचीचा आढळून येतो. इथे उगवतात तशीच झाडे भूतान मध्येही उगवतात. यांचे कवच खेचून जोरात काढावे लागते कारण ते फार सहज निघत नाही. मग ते काढल्यावर रुद्राक्षाला अंगचे भोक असते ,पण ते अतीशय नीट साफ करून घ्यावे लागते. आत अडकलेल्या काड्या वगैरे काढाव्या लागतात. पारंपारिक पद्धतीने येशे शेकडो वर्षांपासून असेच रुद्राक्ष काढले जातात.

➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰

🕎🔆💢   रुद्राक्ष  परीक्षा   💢🔆🕎


🔅१) पूर्णपणे पिकलेले रुद्राक्ष कुठल्याही आकाराचे असले तरी पाण्यात टाकल्यावर बुडते. पाण्यामध्ये चटकन बुडणारे रुद्राक्ष हे अस्सल आहे याची खात्री बाळगायला हरकत नाही. जे पाण्यात डुंबत बुडेल ते जरा हलक्या दर्ज्याचे समजावे.

🔅२) रुद्राक्ष हे पाच- दहा मिनिटे तळहातात घट्ट दाबून धरले आणि नंतर हलवले तर त्यातून मंजुळ ध्वनी प्रतीत होतो.

🔅३) तांब्याच्या दोन भांड्यात वा तांब्याच्या पसरट ताटांत रुद्राक्ष ठेवले असता अस्सल रुद्राक्ष लगेच हालचाल दर्शवतो.

🔅४) खरा रुद्राक्ष जसा तरंगत नाही तसा उकळत्या पाण्यात जर ६-८ तास ठेवला तरी त्याचे विघटन होत नाही, तसेच रुद्राक्ष हे कुठल्याही बाजूने मोडत अथवा वाकत नाही.

🔅५) अस्सल रुद्राक्ष बराच वेळ दुधात ठेवल्यास दूध नासत नाही.

🔅६) रुद्राक्ष हा प्रामुख्याने गोल असतो. तो दिसायला काटेरी , पण ते काटे बोथट असतात, खडबडीत असतात , त्याचे काठिण्य भरपूर असते. रुद्राक्ष दबला जात नाही. संकलन- अभिजीत कुलकर्णी.

बुधवार, 28 अक्टूबर 2015

Disfunctionalising AGRI LAND

                                CONVERTING  AGRI LAND FOR  DEVELOPING  CITY  IN ANDHRA PRADESH
                                                                           - A QUESTIONABLE  DECISION
It is shocking that 30,000 acres of fertile agricultural land has been put to use for developing Amaravati as capital city of Andhra Pradesh. Obviously, this implies that Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh thinks that developing  a city is more important than cultivating rice or pulses. Converting agricultural land for building houses  or constructing factories are being repeatedly carried out during the last several years all over the country. Mr. Narendra Modi who launched Amaravati as capital city of Andhra Pradesh appears to have ignored this obnoxious act.
While industrial growth should be complimentary to agricultural growth , there is absolutely no justification to think that the industrial activity or construction of a city should be pursued at the cost of agricultural operations. This is a counter productive approach.  The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has grievously erred and has done great disservice by  using 30,000 acres of agricultural land to build a capital city.  The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh owes an explanation for this undesirable move.
Average growth of agriculture during the first four years of 12th Five Year Plan is likely to be only around 1.5%  against the target of 4%.  This inadequate growth is bound to have huge adverse impact on the economy of rural India and in the poverty alleviation programme.  
More than 50% of Indian population is employed in the agricultural sector and their economic status is unsatisfactory.  The government of India has argued in the recent past that so many people are not really needed to be employed in agricultural operations and considerable segment of the agricultural work force should be drawn to industrial and other activities to improve their social and economic conditions. There may be an element of logic in such view point.
However, the distinction must be made between weaning away agricultural workers to other areas of employment and taking away the agricultural land and putting it into use for non agricultural purposes.

It is high time that the government of India should recognise that the contribution of agricultural sector for India’s growth is as significant as industrial and services sector and perhaps, may be more significant. India has around 160 million hectare of arable  land , which is second largest in the world after USA. Gross irrigated area in India is around 83 million hectare, which is the largest in the world.  Agriculture operations has contributed around 75 billion US dollar net income  to the national exchequer by way of exports in the last five years. India ranks fifth largest exporter of agricultural products after US, Brazil. China and Canada. Further, the import component in agricultural operations is insignificant compared to the Import component in the services and industrial sector.
All said and done , Indian economy is agriculture oriented and it will continue to remain so for all time to come.  India should be proud of this ground reality. As a matter of fact, the agricultural sector represents the basic strength of Indian economy and highest importance have to be given for protecting the farming community as well as the agricultural economy at any cost.
The recent proposal of Modi government  to introduce land acquisition act justifiably  was met with huge opposition in the country and it is good that the Prime Minister has given up this proposal. The land acquisition bill certainly created an impression among the country men that the government would convert agricultural land for industrial use, which probably created a suspicion  that Modi government  would give more preference to industrial growth than agricultural growth. The spokesmen of Modi government or the ruling party were unable to convince the country men about the purpose of the land acquisition bill, since this bill was against the sentiments of the people.
Agriculture can do as good for India as industries and services sector. Certainly, there is no conflict of interest between agriculture and non agriculture sector. At the same time, taking away fertile agricultural land for constructing city, housing colony or factories is undesirable in principle and as economic growth strategy.
Today, there are thousands of acres of industrial land which are remaining unused. There are more than  two million hectares of waste land, marshy and  rocky land in the country, which cannot be used for agricultural operations but can certainly be put to use for non agricultural purposes. There is no indication that Modi government examined such possibilities while introducing the land acquisition bill.
Mr. Narendra Modi should listen to the voice of rural India and the saner voice in the country, which is of the firm view that agriculture needs strong government support to improve yield and productivity  and there should be no attempt to cut the area of agricultural land in the country. Mr.Modi would do well to announce a policy decision that all agricultural land in India would remain intact and it will be used only for agricultural purposes.
Converting agricultural land to other activities is similar to cutting  off the nose to spite the face.
N.S.Venkataraman
Trustee
Nandini Voice for The Deprived

मंगलवार, 29 सितंबर 2015

India's rice revolution Bihar

India's rice revolution

In a village in India's poorest state, Bihar, farmers are growing world record amounts of rice – with no GM, and no herbicide. Is this one solution to world food shortages? 

 India's rice revolution – audio slideshow

Sumant Kumar was overjoyed when he harvested his rice last year. There had been good rains in his village of Darveshpura in north-east India and he knew he could improve on the four or five tonnes per hectare that he usually managed. But every stalk he cut on his paddy field near the bank of the Sakri river seemed to weigh heavier than usual, every grain of rice was bigger and when his crop was weighed on the old village scales, even Kumar was shocked.
Sumant Kumar
 Sumant Kumar photographed in Darveshpura, Bihar, India. Photograph: Chiara Goia for Observer Food Monthly Chiara Goia/for Observer Food Monthly
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/feb/16/india-rice-farmers-revolution
This was not six or even 10 or 20 tonnes. Kumar, a shy young farmer in Nalanda district of India's poorest state Bihar, had – using only farmyard manure and without any herbicides – grown an astonishing 22.4 tonnes of rice on one hectare of land. This was a world record and with rice the staple food of more than half the world's population of seven billion, big news.
It beat not just the 19.4 tonnes achieved by the "father of rice", the Chineseagricultural scientist Yuan Longping, but the World Bank-funded scientists at theInternational Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, and anything achieved by the biggest European and American seed and GM companies. And it was not just Sumant Kumar. Krishna, Nitish, Sanjay and Bijay, his friends and rivals in Darveshpura, all recorded over 17 tonnes, and many others in the villages around claimed to have more than doubled their usual yields.
The villagers, at the mercy of erratic weather and used to going without food in bad years, celebrated. But the Bihar state agricultural universities didn't believe them at first, while India's leading rice scientists muttered about freak results. The Nalanda farmers were accused of cheating. Only when the state's head of agriculture, a rice farmer himself, came to the village with his own men and personally verified Sumant's crop, was the record confirmed.
A tool used to harvest rice
 A tool used to harvest rice. Photograph: Chiara Goia
The rhythm of Nalanda village life was shattered. Here bullocks still pull ploughs as they have always done, their dung is still dried on the walls of houses and used to cook food. Electricity has still not reached most people. Sumant became a local hero, mentioned in the Indian parliament and asked to attend conferences. The state's chief minister came to Darveshpura to congratulate him, and the village was rewarded with electric power, a bank and a new concrete bridge.
That might have been the end of the story had Sumant's friend Nitish not smashed the world record for growing potatoes six months later. Shortly after Ravindra Kumar, a small farmer from a nearby Bihari village, broke the Indian record for growing wheat. Darveshpura became known as India's "miracle village", Nalanda became famous and teams of scientists, development groups, farmers, civil servants and politicians all descended to discover its secret.
When I meet the young farmers, all in their early 30s, they still seem slightly dazed by their fame. They've become unlikely heroes in a state where nearly half the families live below the Indian poverty line and 93% of the 100 million population depend on growing rice and potatoes. Nitish Kumar speaks quietly of his success and says he is determined to improve on the record. "In previous years, farming has not been very profitable," he says. "Now I realise that it can be. My whole life has changed. I can send my children to school and spend more on health. My income has increased a lot."
What happened in Darveshpura has divided scientists and is exciting governments and development experts. Tests on the soil show it is particularly rich in silicon but the reason for the "super yields" is entirely down to a method of growing crops called System of Rice (or root) Intensification (SRI). It has dramatically increased yields with wheat, potatoes, sugar cane, yams, tomatoes, garlic, aubergine and many other crops and is being hailed as one of the most significant developments of the past 50 years for the world's 500 million small-scale farmers and the two billion people who depend on them.
People work on a rice field in Bihar
 People work on a rice field in Bihar. Photograph: Chiara Goia Chiara Goia/for Observer Food Monthly
Instead of planting three-week-old rice seedlings in clumps of three or four in waterlogged fields, as rice farmers around the world traditionally do, the Darveshpura farmers carefully nurture only half as many seeds, and then transplant the young plants into fields, one by one, when much younger. Additionally, they space them at 25cm intervals in a grid pattern, keep the soil much drier and carefully weed around the plants to allow air to their roots. The premise that "less is more" was taught by Rajiv Kumar, a young Bihar state government extension worker who had been trained in turn by Anil Verma of a small Indian NGO called Pran (Preservation and
Proliferation of Rural Resources and Nature), which has introduced the SRI method to hundreds of villages in the past three years.
While the "green revolution" that averted Indian famine in the 1970s relied on improved crop varieties, expensive pesticides and chemical fertilisers, SRI appears to offer a long-term, sustainable future for no extra cost. With more than one in seven of the global population going hungry and demand for rice expected to outstrip supply within 20 years, it appears to offer real hope. Even a 30% increase in the yields of the world's small farmers would go a long way to alleviating poverty.
"Farmers use less seeds, less water and less chemicals but they get more without having to invest more. This is revolutionary," said Dr Surendra Chaurassa fromBihar's agriculture ministry. "I did not believe it to start with, but now I think it can potentially change the way everyone farms. I would want every state to promote it. If we get 30-40% increase in yields, that is more than enough to recommend it."
The results in Bihar have exceeded Chaurassa's hopes. Sudama Mahto, an agriculture officer in Nalanda, says a small investment in training a few hundred people to teach SRI methods has resulted in a 45% increase in the region's yields. Veerapandi Arumugam, the former agriculture minister of Tamil Nadu state, hailed the system as "revolutionising" farming.
SRI's origins go back to the 1980s in Madagascar where Henri de Laulanie, a French Jesuit priest and agronomist, observed how villagers grew rice in the uplands. He developed the method but it was an American, professor Norman Uphoff, director of the International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development at Cornell University, who was largely responsible for spreading the word about De Laulanie's work.
Given $15m by an anonymous billionaire to research sustainable development, Uphoff went to Madagascar in 1983 and saw the success of SRI for himself: farmers whose previous yields averaged two tonnes per hectare were harvesting eight tonnes. In 1997 he started to actively promote SRI in Asia, where more than 600 million people are malnourished.
"It is a set of ideas, the absolute opposite to the first green revolution [of the 60s] which said that you had to change the genes and the soil nutrients to improve yields. That came at a tremendous ecological cost," says Uphoff. "Agriculture in the 21st century must be practised differently. Land and water resources are becoming scarcer, of poorer quality, or less reliable. Climatic conditions are in many places more adverse. SRI offers millions of disadvantaged households far better opportunities. Nobody is benefiting from this except the farmers; there are no patents, royalties or licensing fees."
Rice seeds
 Rice seeds. Photograph: Chiara Goia
For 40 years now, says Uphoff, science has been obsessed with improving seeds and using artificial fertilisers: "It's been genes, genes, genes. There has never been talk of managing crops. Corporations say 'we will breed you a better plant' and breeders work hard to get 5-10% increase in yields. We have tried to make agriculture an industrial enterprise and have forgotten its biological roots."
Not everyone agrees. Some scientists complain there is not enough peer-reviewed evidence around SRI and that it is impossible to get such returns. "SRI is a set of management practices and nothing else, many of which have been known for a long time and are best recommended practice," says Achim Dobermann, deputy director for research at the International Rice Research Institute. "Scientifically speaking I don't believe there is any miracle. When people independently have evaluated SRI principles then the result has usually been quite different from what has been reported on farm evaluations conducted by NGOs and others who are promoting it. Most scientists have had difficulty replicating the observations."
Dominic Glover, a British researcher working with Wageningen University in the Netherlands, has spent years analysing the introduction of GM crops in developing countries. He is now following how SRI is being adopted in India and believes there has been a "turf war".
"There are experts in their fields defending their knowledge," he says. "But in many areas, growers have tried SRI methods and abandoned them. People are unwilling to investigate this. SRI is good for small farmers who rely on their own families for labour, but not necessarily for larger operations. Rather than any magical theory, it is good husbandry, skill and attention which results in the super yields. Clearly in certain circumstances, it is an efficient resource for farmers. But it is labour intensive and nobody has come up with the technology to transplant single seedlings yet."
But some larger farmers in Bihar say it is not labour intensive and can actually reduce time spent in fields. "When a farmer does SRI the first time, yes it is more labour intensive," says Santosh Kumar, who grows 15 hectares of rice and vegetables in Nalanda. "Then it gets easier and new innovations are taking place now."
In its early days, SRI was dismissed or vilified by donors and scientists but in the past few years it has gained credibility. Uphoff estimates there are now 4-5 million farmers using SRI worldwide, with governments in China, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam promoting it.
Sumant, Nitish and as many as 100,000 other SRI farmers in Bihar are now preparing their next rice crop. It's back-breaking work transplanting the young rice shoots from the nursery beds to the paddy fields but buoyed by recognition and results, their confidence and optimism in the future is sky high.
Last month Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz visited Nalanda district and recognised the potential of this kind of organic farming, telling the villagers they were "better than scientists". "It was amazing to see their success in organic farming," said Stiglitz, who called for more research. "Agriculture scientists from across the world should visit and learn and be inspired by them."
A man winnows rice in Satgharwa village
 A man winnows rice in Satgharwa village. Photograph: Chiara Goia Chiara Goia/for Observer Food Monthly
Bihar, from being India's poorest state, is now at the centre of what is being called a "new green grassroots revolution" with farming villages, research groups and NGOs all beginning to experiment with different crops using SRI. The state will invest $50m in SRI next year but western governments and foundations are holding back, preferring to invest in hi-tech research. The agronomist Anil Verma does not understand why: "The farmers know SRI works, but help is needed to train them. We know it works differently in different soils but the principles are solid," he says. "The biggest problem we have is that people want to do it but we do not have enough trainers.
"If any scientist or a company came up with a technology that almost guaranteed a 50% increase in yields at no extra cost they would get a Nobel prize. But when young Biharian farmers do that they get nothing. I only want to see the poor farmers have enough to eat."

बुधवार, 12 अगस्त 2015

The girlie problems of non-vegeterianism

Today in the U.S., about 16% of girls enter puberty by the age of 7, and about 30% by the age of 8. A recent study determined that the number of girls entering puberty (defined by breast development) at these early ages has increased markedly between 1997 and 2010.1
Trends in Age at Menarche
The average age at menarche in Western countries began declining during the early part of the 20th century due to increased consumption of animal products and increasing calorie intake; the decline slowed in the 1960s, and now in the U.S. there has been a more recent surge in early puberty starting in the mid-1990s.2 In Europe, in 1830, the average age at menarche was 17. Similarly in the 1980s in rural China, the average age at menarche was 17.3 In the U.S. in 1900, the average was 14.2. By the 1920s, average age at menarche in the U.S. had fallen to 13.3 and by 2002, it had reached 12.34.4 Similar trends are occurring in other Western nations.5,6 For example, age at menarche in Ireland has declined from 13.52 in 1986 to 12.53 in 2006.7 In Italy, a recent study showed that girls’ age at menarche was on average 3 months earlier than their mothers’.8
Taking all this data together, we can estimate that the normal, healthy age at menarche under conditions of excellent nutrition without caloric excess, would probably fall somewhere between 15 and 18. But today in the U.S., about half of girls begin developing breasts before age 10, and the average age at menarche is less than 12 ½ and still declining.
Why is this happening?
The neurological and hormonal systems that regulate pubertal timing are complex, but research has identified a number of environmental factors that may be contributing to the decline in age at puberty:
  • Increasing rates of childhood overweight and obesity
Several studies have found associations between higher childhood BMI and earlier puberty in girls.4,9-11
Excess body fat alters the levels of the hormones insulin, leptin, and estrogen, and these factors are believed to be responsible for the acceleration of pubertal timing by obesity. Also, physical inactivity may decrease melatonin levels, which can also affect signals in the brain that trigger pubertal development.4,12
  • Increased animal protein intake
Higher total protein, animal protein, and meat intake in children age 3-7 have been associated with earlier menarche in multiple studies.13-15 In contrast, higher vegetable protein intake at age 5-6 is associated with later menarche.15 High protein intake elevates IGF-1 levels and promotes growth, which could accelerate the onset of puberty – IGF-1 contributes to pubertal development on its own and in part by its involvement in estradiol signaling.4,16 Meat and dairy consumption in children may also reflect ingestion of environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that have accumulated in animal tissues (see EDCs below).
  • Other dietary factors:
High dairy consumption is associated with earlier than average menarche.17 Soft drink consumption is associated with early menarche.18
Children with lower nutrient diets (based on analysis of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and certain whole foods) tend to enter puberty earlier.19 Overall our modern diet rich in processed foods, dairy, processed meats and fast food is disruptive to normal development and aging. Early puberty is an early sign of premature aging.
  • Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
EDCs are hormonally active synthetic chemicals that either mimic, inhibit, or alter the action of natural hormones. These chemicals are ubiquitous in our environment, and are considered by scientists to be a significant public health concern. Although EDCs are thought to pose a threat to adults as well, children’s bodies are more sensitive to exposure to exogenous hormones.20 Chemicals are not currently tested for their endocrine disruption potential before they are approved for use and enter our environment, and there are endocrine disruptors in a vast array of products we come into contact with every day, including organochlorine pesticides, plastics, fuels, and other industrial chemicals.21
The substances of most concern currently are BPA and phthalates. BPA is one of the highest volume chemicals produced in the world. It is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, such as rigid cups, water bottles and food storage containers; BPA is also found in the linings of food cans and dental sealants. BPA can leach from containers into food and beverages, especially during heating and washing.4 BPA exposure is associated with early puberty in girls.22
Phthalates are chemicals used to make PVC plastics more flexible, and are found in a variety of products including toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, lubricants, adhesives, detergents, nail polish, hair spray, and shampoo. Phthalates are associated with early breast development in girls.22,23 They are considered chemicals of concern to the EPA and may be phased out – some phthalates have already been removed from children’s toys and cosmetics.24
Additional EDCs that have been associated with dysregulation of pubertal timing include industrial chemicals such as PCBs, pesticides such as DDT and endosulfan, the flame retardant PBB, anddioxins and furans, which are formed during incineration of waste, chlorine bleaching of paper, and chemical manufacturing.22,23,25,26
It is important to note that EDCs break down very slowly and accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals, so animal foods contain higher levels of these chemicals than plant foods.
Why is this troublesome?
The most significant and alarming consequence of early maturation is an increased risk for breast cancer in adulthood. Early menarche is an established risk factor for breast cancer, and this is believed to be due to the extended lifetime exposure to ovarian hormones.10,27,28 Similarly, exposure to EDCs during childhood is associated with hormonal cancers, such as breast and testicular cancers.29-31
Seven, eight and nine year old girls are not emotionally or psychologically equipped to handle puberty. As such, earlier puberty is also associated with a higher risk of psychological problems during adolescence such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Girls who mature earlier are also more likely to take part in risky behaviors like smoking and alcohol use.4,12
What can parents do to protect their children?
  • Children’s diets should focus on whole plant foods rather than animal foods – this will keep protein intake in a safe range and reduce their consumption of EDCs.
  • Minimize dairy products in children’s diets – use almond and hemp milks instead of cows’ milk
  • Encourage children to exercise and exercise with them.
  • Minimize processed foods – these are calorie-dense and nutrient-poor, and they promote obesity and other diseases.
  • Children’s diets should include as wide a variety of natural plant foods as possible including, green vegetables, squashes, corn, carrots, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, avocados, beans, fruits and whole grains. This means that healthy eating is a lifetime event.
  • Buy organic produce when possible to avoid synthetic pesticides.
  • Minimize children’s exposure to BPA:
    • Avoid use of rigid polycarbonate plastics (recycling label #7) whenever possible.
    • Do not use plastic water bottles.
    • Do not microwave in plastic containers.
    • Minimize the use of canned foods and avoid canned infant formulas.32
  • Minimize children’s exposure to phthalates
To conclude, the earlier occurrence of puberty is an ominous event that we can stop. We can even win the war on breast cancer in America and prevent millions of young females from developing it. The answer however, must begin in the way we feed ourselves and our children. The most effective type of health care is vigilant and excellent self care.


References:
1. Biro FM, Galvez MP, Greenspan LC, et al: Pubertal Assessment Method and Baseline Characteristics in a Mixed Longitudinal Study of Girls. Pediatrics 2010.
2. Biro FM, Khoury P, Morrison JA: Influence of obesity on timing of puberty. Int J Androl 2006;29:272-277; discussion 286-290.
3. Gates JR, Parpia B, Campbell TC, et al: Association of dietary factors and selected plasma variables with sex hormone-binding globulin in rural Chinese women. Am J Clin Nutr 1996;63:22-31.
4. Steingraber S: Tha Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know, What We Need To Know. In Breast Cancer Fund; 2007.
5. McDowell MA, Brody DJ, Hughes JP: Has age at menarche changed? Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004. J Adolesc Health 2007;40:227-231.
6. Anderson SE, Must A: Interpreting the continued decline in the average age at menarche: results from two nationally representative surveys of U.S. girls studied 10 years apart. J Pediatr 2005;147:753-760.
7. O'Connell A, Gavin A, Kelly C, et al: The mean age at menarche of Irish girls in 2006. Ir Med J 2009;102:76-79.
8. Rigon F, Bianchin L, Bernasconi S, et al: Update on age at menarche in Italy: toward the leveling off of the secular trend. J Adolesc Health 2010;46:238-244.
9. Aksglaede L, Juul A, Olsen LW, et al: Age at puberty and the emerging obesity epidemic. PloS one 2009;4:e8450.
10. Vandeloo MJ, Bruckers LM, Janssens JP: Effects of lifestyle on the onset of puberty as determinant for breast cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev 2007;16:17-25.
11. Kaplowitz PB: Link between body fat and the timing of puberty. Pediatrics 2008;121 Suppl 3:S208-217.
12. Burt Solorzano CM, McCartney CR: Obesity and the pubertal transition in girls and boys. Reproduction 2010;140:399-410.
13. Berkey CS, Gardner JD, Frazier AL, et al: Relation of childhood diet and body size to menarche and adolescent growth in girls. Am J Epidemiol 2000;152:446-452.
14. Rogers IS, Northstone K, Dunger DB, et al: Diet throughout childhood and age at menarche in a contemporary cohort of British girls. Public Health Nutr 2010:1-12.
15. Gunther AL, Karaolis-Danckert N, Kroke A, et al: Dietary protein intake throughout childhood is associated with the timing of puberty. J Nutr 2010;140:565-571.
16. Veldhuis JD, Roemmich JN, Richmond EJ, et al: Endocrine control of body composition in infancy, childhood, and puberty. Endocr Rev 2005;26:114-146.
17. Wiley AS: Milk intake and total dairy consumption: associations with early menarche in NHANES 1999-2004. PloS one2011;6:e14685.
18. Vandeloo MJ, Bruckers LM, Janssens JP: Effects of lifestyle on the onset of puberty as determinant for breast cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev 2007;16:17-25.
19. Cheng G, Gerlach S, Libuda L, et al: Diet quality in childhood is prospectively associated with the timing of puberty but not with body composition at puberty onset. J Nutr 2010;140:95-102.
20. Aksglaede L, Juul A, Leffers H, et al: The sensitivity of the child to sex steroids: possible impact of exogenous estrogens. Hum Reprod Update 2006;12:341-349.
21. Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Bourguignon JP, Giudice LC, et al: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocr Rev 2009;30:293-342.
22. Roy JR, Chakraborty S, Chakraborty TR: Estrogen-like endocrine disrupting chemicals affecting puberty in humans--a review. Med Sci Monit 2009;15:RA137-145.
23. Den Hond E, Schoeters G: Endocrine disrupters and human puberty. Int J Androl 2006;29:264-271; discussion 286-290.
24. Chemical Families: Phthalates. In Environmental Working Group.
25. Schell LM, Gallo MV: Relationships of putative endocrine disruptors to human sexual maturation and thyroid activity in youth. Physiol Behav 2010;99:246-253.
26. Massart F, Parrino R, Seppia P, et al: How do environmental estrogen disruptors induce precocious puberty? Minerva Pediatr 2006;58:247-254.
27. Leung AW, Mak J, Cheung PS, et al: Evidence for a programming effect of early menarche on the rise of breast cancer incidence in Hong Kong. Cancer Detect Prev 2008;32:156-161.
28. Pike MC, Pearce CL, Wu AH: Prevention of cancers of the breast, endometrium and ovary. Oncogene 2004;23:6379-6391.
29. Cohn BA, Cirillo PM, Christianson RE: Prenatal DDT exposure and testicular cancer: a nested case-control study. Arch Environ Occup Health 2010;65:127-134.
30. Cohn BA, Wolff MS, Cirillo PM, et al: DDT and breast cancer in young women: new data on the significance of age at exposure. Environ Health Perspect 2007;115:1406-1414.
31. Maffini MV, Rubin BS, Sonnenschein C, et al: Endocrine disruptors and reproductive health: the case of bisphenol-A.Mol Cell Endocrinol 2006;254-255:179-186.
32. Consumer tips to avoid BPA exposure. In Environmental Working Group.

गुरुवार, 16 जुलाई 2015

मधुमेह का करोड़पति आयात-व्यापार

मधुमेह का करोड़पति आयात-व्यापार

16, MAR, 2015, MONDAY DESHBANDHU, DELHI

लीना मेहेंदले
भारत विश्वगुरु बने- नंबर-1 बने। ऐसा सपना देखने वालों की कमी नहीं है और वाकई एक मुद्दा ऐसा है जिस पर भारत नंबर वन बना हुआ है। वह है- डायबिटीज अर्थात् मधुमेह।आज संसार में सबसे अधिक मधुमेही मरीजों की संख्या हमारे ही देश में है। माना जाता है कि शहरी इलाकों में हर पांच में से एक व्यक्ति मधुमेह का शिकार है और गांव वाले भी कोई खास पीछे नहीं। पहले यह बीमारी प्रौढ़ावस्था की बीमारी मानी जाती थी पर अब छोटी आयु में भी यह बीमारी ग्रस रही है। लेकिन प्रश्न है कि मधुमेह हो जाये तो दिक्कत क्या है?
 मेरे परिचित एक परिवार में पति-पत्नी दोनों को मधुमेह की बीमारी थी। पत्नी पेशे से डॉक्टर भी थीं। दोनों पहले गोलियां और फिर इन्जेक्शन लेने लगे थे। मैं कभी  चिन्ता व्यक्त करती तो पत्नी कहती- क्या चिन्ता है? बस सुबह-शाम दवाई का ध्यान रखना पड़ता है। और तो कुछ नहीं। हां, ब्लड शुगर लेवल और बीपी लेवल जांचनी पड़ती है, पर उसमें क्या दिक्कत है? मैं तो दिन में सौ मरीजों की जांच करती हूं- एक अपनी भी सही। 
कुल मिलाकर यही लगता था कि मधुमेह उनके लिए कोई बीमारी, परेशानी या चिन्ता का कारण थी ही नहीं। दोनों का ऑफिस आना-जाना, घूमना-टहलना, विदेश भ्रमण आदि आराम से होता था। लेकिन मधुमेही होने और न होने का अंतर कुछ महीने पहले समझ में आ गया जब पत्नी का देहांत हुआ- जो कि आयु में मुझसे छोटी थी।
एक-दूसरा उदाहरण भी है। करीब बीस वर्ष पूर्व मैं केंद्र सरकार के राष्ट्रीय प्राकृतिक चिकित्सा संस्थान पुणे में डायरेक्टर के पद पर नियुक्त थी। तब हमने एक मधुमेह इलाज का कार्यक्रम चलाया था। इसमें तीस से चालीस तक मधुमेहग्रस्त व्यक्ति या मरीज बुधवार को दोपहर से तीन घंटे का समय संस्थान में व्यतीत करते थे। मधुमेह के कण्ट्रोल पर आपसी चर्चा, फिर हर प्रकार की स्वास्थ्य रक्षा प्रणाली के डॉक्टरों द्वारा व्याख्यान, उपाय, दिनचर्या, आहार व्यवस्थापन, नए जांच मशीनों की जानकारी, काम्प्लीकेशन आदि हर प्रकार की चर्चा होती थी। हमारा नारा था-अपना स्वास्थ्य अपने हाथ अर्थात् सेल्फ कण्ट्रोल।
और उसके सूत्र थे- आहार-विहार, आचार और विचार। रक्त शर्करा को प्राकृतिक उपायों से अपनी नियत मर्यादा में रखना- यही इस कार्यक्रम का लक्ष्य था जिसके लिए हमने 26 सप्ताह अर्थात् छ: महीने का कालावधि निश्चित किया था। इस कार्यक्रम में आने वाले प्राय: सभी व्याख्याताओं ने तथा खुद इलाज करवाने वालों ने भी एक मुद्दा बार-बार उठाया था। वह था कि हमारे देश में बढ़ते हुए मधुमेह के कारणों में तीन मुद्दों का बड़ा महत्व है। पहला है हमारा खानपान। रासायनिक खाद पर पुष्ट होने वाला धान्य और गोबर जैसे प्राकृतिक संसाधनों पर उपजाया धान्य- दोनों हमारे शरीर पर, खास कर स्वास्थ्य पर अलग-अलग प्रभाव डालते हैं। यह सारा ज्ञान बीस वर्ष पूर्व मैंने पुस्तकों से पढ़कर नहीं, बल्कि मरीजों के प्रत्यक्ष अनुभवों से लिया था। यहां तक कि सूती कपड़े और पॉलिएस्टर या कृत्रिम धागों के कपड़ों से भी अंतर पड़ता था। सूती कपड़े में भी खादी के अर्थात् हाथ से बुने गए कपड़े अधिक उपयोगी थे, यह भी हमारे मरीजों ने चर्चा के बाद पाया था। तो मैं फिर से सोचने लगती कि वाकई मधुमेह कोई दिक्कत वाली बीमारी तो है नहीं। बस यह ध्यान रखो कि क्या खाया, क्या पिया, क्या पहना-ओढ़ा और दिनचर्या कैसी रही। विचार कैसे रहे? सबसे बड़ी बात की मन शांति टिकाई या नहीं। यदि यह हो तो मधुमेह कुछ नहीं। विचारों के प्रभावपर भी हमने चर्चा की। और पाया कि चिन्ता, ईष्र्या, स्पर्धा, क्रोध आदि विचार ऐसे  थे जो मधुमेह को बढ़ाते थे। इसके विपरीत मन को शांत रखना, शांत म्युजि़क सुनना,  सादगीयुक्त  संतोषभरा जीवन आदि मधुमेह को रोकने के लिए उपयुक्त थे। बस इतनी सी बात।
लेकिन पिछले बीस वर्षों में मधुमेही बीमारों की संख्या बढ़ती गई और इसकी रोकथामको सरकार में  चिन्ता का विषय माना जाने लगा तो मैंने इसके दूसरे आयाम पर विचार किया। वैयक्तिक आयाम अलग होता है और राष्ट्रीय आयाम अलग होता है। वैयक्तिक रोकथाम व्यक्ति के हाथ में होती है परन्तु राष्ट्रीय आयाम पर राष्ट्रीय नीतियों का प्रभाव रहता है। राष्ट्रीय नीति पर अंतरराष्ट्रीय घटनाओं का विशेषकर अंतरराष्ट्रीय सत्ता स्पर्धा, बाजार व्यवस्थापन, आर्थिक शक्तियां आदि का प्रभाव रहता है। कई बार हमारे लिए उन्हें रोकना कठिन होता है। कई बार हमारे लिए उन्हें समझना और भी कठिन होता है। पर सबसे बुरा तब होता है जब हम उन्हें समझकर, पहचानकर उनसे हाथ मिलाएँ और अपने व्यक्तिगत लाभ की बात सोचें। हमारे राष्ट्रीय नीति निर्धारण में ऐसे लोग नहीं हैं ऐसा हम डंके की चोट पर नहीं कह सकते। वह भी हमारे राष्ट्रीय चरित्र में एक खोट है। लेकिन हाँ, जो अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्पर्धा को नहीं समझते, उन्हें समझाने का उपाय हमारे हाथ में बचा रहता है। यहीं से ग्राहक शक्ति का आरंभ होता है। 
इसीलिये ग्राहक को समझाना पड़ेगा कि हमारे देश में मधुमेह आयात का कारोबार कितना बड़ा है और इसे कौन चलाता है। फिर ग्राहक अर्थात् देश की जनता स्वयं निर्णय करे कि यह व्यापार चलने दिया जाय या इस पर रोक लगाया जाये।
देश में मधुमेह का आयात दो अलग रास्तों से होता है। उन पर व्यापार करने वाली कंपनियां एक-दूसरे से नितांत भिन्न व्यवसायों में हैं, लेकिन जाने-अनजाने एक-दूसरे की पूरक हैं। दोनों ही आयात अधिकतर अमेरिकी कंपनियां चलाती हैं। पहला व्यापार है दवाइयों का। मधुमेह पर उपाय के लिए इन्सुलिन या दूसरी गोलियां यहां तक कि रक्त शर्करा की जांच में प्रयुक्त होने वाली दवाइयां और तरह-तरह के उपकरण 
भी हम अमेरिकी कंपनियों से आयात करते हैं। मधुमेह के कारण जो अन्य प्रक्षोभ निर्माण होते हैं, जैसे हृदय की बीमारी, किडनी की बीमारी, आंखों की या लीवर की बीमारी, इन सब की दवाइयों का भी एक अन्य सुसंगठित आयात व्यापार है। इन व्यापारों में सालों साल किस प्रकार बढ़ोतरी हुई यह एक अच्छी खासी पीएचडी का विषय है। 
मधुमेह के आयात-व्यापार का दूसरा रास्ता है रासायनिक खाद के आयात का। शीघ्रगामी लाभ के लिए कृषि में रासायनिक खादों का प्रचलन हुआ। एनपीके का नाम एक वेदमंत्र की तरह लिया जाने लगा। महाराष्ट्र में तो सरकारी बैंक का क्षेत्र पूरी तरह से रासायनिक खाद के व्यापार पर ही निर्भर था। देश में राष्ट्रीय केमिकल एंड फर्टिलाइजर नामक बड़ी कंपनी खुली। उससे अलग भी कई सरकारी कंपनियां रासायनिक खाद बनाने में जुट गईं। इनके लिए बड़े पैमाने पर पी और के अर्थात् फॉस्फोरस एवं पोटाश का आयात होने लगा। इसके अलावा विदेशी कंपनियों से सीधी तौर पर खाद भी आने लगा। आज पूरे देश में सर्वाधिक आयात की तीन वस्तुएं हैं- पेट्रोलियम क्रूड, सोना और रासायनिक खाद। इसी से अंदाज लगाया जा सकता है कि खाद का व्यापार करने वाली अमेरिकी कंपनियां हमारे देश से कितना पैसा बटोरती हैं।
अब यदि देश को मधुमेहमुक्त करना है तो ये दोनों व्यापार खतरे में पड़ेंगे। इन्हें हमारे देश में पहुंचाने वाले और अपने देश में स्वागतपूर्वक लाने वाले, दोनों का व्यवसाय ठप्प हो जायगा। अरबों खरबों के अंतरराष्ट्रीय व्यापार में भूकंप आयेगा। क्या एक राष्ट्र की हैसियत से हम अमेरिका में ऐसा भूचाल लाने की क्षमता रखते हैं?

एक छोटे से विनोद, एक कौतुक को देखते हैं। केजरीवाल की खाँसी से चिंतित होकर प्रधानमंत्री ने उन्हें नागेंन्द्र गुरुजी के पास जाने का सुझाव दिया है। यही नागेन्द्र गुरुजी बंगलुरु में विवेकानन्द केन्द्र चलाते हैं और हाल ही में इन्होंने योग प्राणायम के माध्यम से देश को अगले बीस वर्षो में मधुमेहमुक्त करने का संकल्प लिया है। लेकिन उन्हीं के केन्द्र में यह भी पढ़ाया जाता है कि मनुष्य शरीर का सबसे बाहरी आवरण अन्नमय कोष कहलाता है, अर्थात् जैसा अन्न वैसा शरीर और वैसा ही मन भी। अन्नसे प्राण, प्राणसे मन, मनसे विज्ञान और विज्ञानसे 
आनन्द। इस प्रकार उपनिषदोंमें में अन्नमय कोष, प्राणमय कोष, मनोमय कोष,  विज्ञानमय कोष और आनन्दमय कोष की संकल्पना की गई है। तो जब तक रासायनिक खादयुक्त, कीटनाशकयुक्त, अन्न खाते रहेंगे तब तक योग और प्राणायाम से अधिक फायदा नहीं होने वाला। लेकिन ऐसे अन्न को नकारने का अर्थ है अमेरिकी रासायनिक खाद कंपनियों से पंगा लेना। उधर इन्सुलिन और दवाईयाँ बनाने वाली कंपनियां मनोयोग से गुरुजी को मनाने में जुटी हैं कि आप योग प्राणायाम के साथ थोड़ी सी हमारी दवाइयों की भी तारीफ कर दो, थोड़ी सी इनकी भी उपयोगिता बतलाते रहो। मधुमेहमुक्त भारत का सपना देखो पर मुधमेह का दवाइयों से मुक्त भारत का सपना मत देखो। 
तो कुल मिलाकर चित्र यह है कि एक ओर तो सरकार अपने देश की विदेशी-मुद्राएं इन आयातित वस्तुओं पर खर्च कर रही है- रासायनिक खाद और इन्सुलिन व अन्य दवाइयां। दूसरी ओर, इस आयात-खरचेकी भरपाई करने के लिए जिस-जिस निर्यात का सहारा लेना चाहती है, उसमें पहले नंबर पर गोमांस है। अर्थात् देश का अलभ्य पशुधन काटा जा रहा है। मशीनीकरण के युग में खेती के लिए भी बैलों को अनावश्यक एवं अनुपयोगी ठहराया जा चुका है। लेकिन गोबर के खाद की तुलना किसी भी अन्य खाद से करने पर गोबर ही सर्वश्रेष्ठ पाया जाता है। तो क्या हम गोबर के लिए पशुधन पालें (पोसें) या गोमांस के लिए? उत्तर यदि गोबर है तो उससे रासायनिक खाद का आयात और उसके साथ मधुमेह का आयात रोका जा सकता है। यदि उत्तर गोमांस है तो देश से गोमांस का निर्यात बढ़ सकता है, देश में पैसा आ सकता है। फिर देश में किसी को मिट्टी में काम करने की जरूरत नहीं रहेगी। सबको व्हाइट कॉलर जॉब मिलेंगे। " शहर में घर हो अपना " वाला कांग्रेसी चुनावी विज्ञापन भी सच हो जायगा।
हां, संसद के भाषण में प्रधानमंत्री मोदीजीने अवश्य कहा है कि सिक्किम की अर्थव्यवस्था सुधारना बहुत सरल है। चूँकि वहां अभी तक रासायनिक खाद नहीं पहुंची है अत: उनकी कृषि उपज हर प्रकार के रासायनिक खाद व कीटनाशकों से मुक्त है। अत: उन्हें अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाजार में निर्यात करने पर सिक्किम के किसानों की अच्छी कमाई हो सकती है, देश के निर्यात व्यापार में भी बढ़ोतरी हो सकती है। तो अब प्रश्न उठता है कि क्या ऑर्गेनिक खेती का मंत्र केवल सिक्किम के किसानों के लिए हो या देशभर के किसानों के लिए? ऑर्गेनिक खाद के लिए देश के पशुओं को बचाया जाय या फिर उन्हें गोमांस निर्यात के लिए कटवाकर हम दुबारा कारगिल जैसी विदेशी कंपनी को उनके देश से हमारे देशों में काऊडंग बेचने का ठेका दें -- जैसा एक बार डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह का प्रयास था जब वे नरसिंह राव सरकार के वितमंत्री थे?
ये और ऐसे कई प्रश्न मधुमेह के साथ जुड़े हैं। 
--------------------------------------------------------------