Healthy eating - a modifiable contributor to optimize healthy living in the COVID-19 pandemic: a review.

The outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in 2019 has posed major risks to global health and the economy. This coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has changed many of our everyday habits, including how we function and socialize, how we eat, and food preferences and selection. The average intake and status of certain vitamins and minerals can result in reduced immunity, which makes people more susceptible to illnesses and exacerbates malnutrition. The most critical factors in this scenario are individual risk evaluation and management techniques. Until general therapies are administered, the nutritional status of each infected patient should be assessed. The differing clinical severity of COVID-19 - from asymptomatic, to mild, to severe, to death - depends on the different metabolic status of the hosts who have contracted the virus, which is determined by their diet, age, gender, health, lifestyle, and environmental factors. A broad systematic exploration on studies of this disease was steered by means of electronic databases and was limited to articles published in English (or with an English abstract) in publications using words like 'health', 'diet', 'food', 'nutritional status', 'COVID-19', 'pandemic', 'modifiable contributor', 'immune system', 'micronutrients', 'vitamin', and so on. Careful individual consideration of the potential dietary, nutritional, medical, lifestyle, and environmental hazards, along with any supplementation with micronutrients wherever required to help to boost the body's natural defence system, with the intention to improve all levels of immunity and the use of effective risk management techniques are appropriate ways to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract: Beneficial Effects on Cadmium Induced Toxicities - A Review.

Environment has been contaminated by heavy metals ever since the original magma of earth has solidified. One such toxin is cadmium. Cadmium that has been around since the industrial age, is considered hazardous both to us and to the environment. From time immemorial man is dependent on plants available in nature for several health benefits. Moringa oleifera, has nutritional, pharmacological and antioxidant properties, thus having several medicinal applications. In the present article, we discuss the dose and time dependent damage due to exposure to cadmium on kidneys, liver, testis, lipid profile and haematological parameters in adult Wistar rats and the protective effects of Moringa oleifera (pre-treatment) on cadmium induced damage.

Immunization practices of pediatricians for children younger than five years in coastal South India.

CONTEXT: Immunization helps in controlling infectious diseases. Child immunization is an important component of child survival programs in India, which mainly follows the National Immunization Schedule. Also, many of the injection practices followed are not safe. AIMS: To study the practices of pediatricians toward the immunization of children younger than 5 years and injection-related waste management. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional study carried out in the city of Mangalore, a rapidly developing city in southern India. METHODS AND MATERIAL: All the practicing pediatricians were included in the study and an interview was done on prior appointment using pretested interview schedule in March 2012, after obtaining clearance from the institutional ethics committee. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 11.5. RESULTS: Among the 54 practicing pediatricians in Mangalore, 42 were included in this study after exclusion criteria were applied. Among them, 71.4% were following the National Immunization Schedule, 5% did not prefer to give combination vaccines, 17% reported vaccine failure at least once in their practice, and 85.7% motivated the parents for future doses. Distance to the clinic and affordability were the major reasons for loss of follow-up. Only 38.1% used auto-disabled syringes, 11.9% did not observe the children following the immunization, and 45.2% did not use color coding for disposal of injection-related wastes. Mechanical hub cutters were preferred by 41% of the respondents. CONCLUSION: The study showed the diversity in immunization practices. The National Immunization Schedule is the most commonly followed schedule. However, the safety of the injection practices was limited.