Topic started by Sampath Parthasarathy (@ adsl-81-46-64.asm.bellsouth.net) on Sat Oct 27 19:16:35 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I am a diabetic vegetarian and am interested in the caloric value of Indian food. Is there a source?
Thanks
sampath Parthasarathy

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: interestedreader (@ 112.a.006.syd.iprimus.net.au) on: Sat Jun 5 03:30:15
  
  Dear Dr Parthasarathy
  The points you raised in your article and the many hypotheses are all very interesting, logical and well constructed if not impressionistic. we all borrow ideas from the environment we live in or were born into which is well used in the article. BUT diabetes existed in India even in the past and in people not exposed to the type of diet or the lifestyle you have very wisely advised against. Hence, the way forward is scientifically testing the hypothesis.
  The very many issues with looking at diet as the principle cause of diabetes may be misleading.
  I am copying someoneelse's conclusions which conveys my thoghts much better than i can do.
  
  "This chapter has demonstrated that the more we learn about the potential influences of dietary factors on health, the more we must realize the need for maintaining an open mind. There are numerous examples where medical consensus--even when it represents the honest opinions of the most knowledgeable, leading scientists in the field--has clearly been wrong. For example, not long ago, the medical community strongly advised pregnant women to avoid taking vitamin supplements. Today pregnant women are advised to do exactly the opposite, especially with regard to taking folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. Another widespread erroneous consensus medical recommendation was the use of margarine rather than butter to reduce risk of coronary heart disease. It now seems, that at least some margarines, which are made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, are no better, if not worse, than butter in reducing the risk of heart disease.
  
  
  Each of these cases was based on limited or no direct evidence. Further, many of the most promising research topics of today, such as the role of dietary antioxidants or alternative dietary lifestyles in preventing coronary heart disease and specific cancers, were topics dismissed by most nutritionists only a few years ago as practices of misguided vitamin and food faddists. Given the extreme complexities of the interrelationships between diet and human health and the relatively meager directly relevant data, an element of humility is appropriate in evaluating "alternative" dietary practices. Lack of data, such as from randomized trials, should not be confused with evidence of no benefit.
  
  However, a willingness to consider possible benefits of alternative diets does not imply blind acceptance of them, but rather should foster a rigorous scientific evaluation of potentially beneficial practices.
  
  
  Unfortunately, nutritional therapies or dietary practices that do not readily fit into the "norm" previously have too often been routinely dismissed without such a rigorous examination. An ample investigation of a diet or nutritional intervention should test it in an appropriate model, under the appropriate conditions, and using appropriate research methodologies. In particular, potential study subjects must be selected with extreme care; that is, they should be individuals in which the dietary or nutritional modification, if truly beneficial, is likely to produce an effect. Moreover, if a study involves a micronutrient or vitamin or mineral supplementation, the dosage must be optimized to ensure that the intervention will have the opportunity to display an effect. Also, any evaluation of an alternative diet or nutrition research experiment will have to include a recognition that initially negative results do not prove any therapy is valueless; rather, the therapy may merely have been incorrectly tested. Thus, going the extra step is an imperative in conducting this type of research.
  
  
  Finally, more efforts are needed in translating findings related to specific micro-and macronutrients to whole foods and practical, attractive diets. Only by doing this can physicians and public health officials adequately disseminate important diet and nutrition information to all sectors of the public.'
  
  thank you
  
  
  
  
• From: Andal Balu (@ adsl-158-19-127.asm.bellsouth.net) on: Mon Jun 7 23:58:54 EDT 2004
  
  Mallika Badrianth has written a cookbook - 300 recipes for Diabetics (Sakkarai Noikketra Unavuk Kurippugal) in Tamil. It is available at InnoConcepts.com for $10 including s&H. The book lists the calorie count and other nutritional details for each recipe, so you can keep track of your calorie intake.
  
  

Want to post a response?