CRAFT CORNER

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Current Affairs

Questions

1. World Health day was observed on ......
2. Which team won the T- 20 World Cup title ?
3. Who won Miss India World 2014 tittle ?
4. Which Indian Cricketer won the United Kingdom's 2014 Asian  award for outstanding acheivment in sports ?
5. The Central Government has recently issued notification to include which community in the other Backward Classes (OBC) list for seven North Indian states ?
6. Which Indian shooter  has clinched the World No. 1 spot in the 10 meters air pistol event?
7. International Day of Sports for Development and peace was observed on......

Answers
1.April 7
2. Sri Lanka
3. Koyal Rana
4. M.S. Dhoni

5. Jat community
6. Heena Sidhu
7. April 6

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Nutrients corner

Health Benefit of Watermelons

Watermelons belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes cantaloupe, squash, pumpkin, and cucumber.A fully-ripened watermelon is typically 6 percent sugar and 91 percent water by weight, so it is not surprising why a number of people may wonder about its potential health benefits - apart from being a sweet thirst quencher of course.

Over recent years there have been a number of studies carried out to try and determine whether watermelon might have health benefits, and there have been some very promising results.This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods. It includes a nutritional breakdown of the watermelon, tips on how to store the fruit, and sections describing the fruit's therapeutic properties, including its ability to improve male potency, prevent cardiovascular disease, and relieve muscle soreness.

Watermelon's nutritional profile

Nutrition experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center claim that watermelons are a "nutritional award winner".Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said:  "Watermelons are a great fruit to help you hydrate and cool down in the summer heat. Also, since it's mostly made up of water, pureed watermelon makes a refreshing drink." Despite being mainly water and sugar, watermelons are actually a very good source of vitamin C, (which provides protection against immune system deficiencies) and vitamin A (which promotes good eyesight).The red flesh of a watermelon is also a significant source of phytochemicals, in particular one known as lycopene. Lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes, is a nutrient with proven cancer-protection qualities

Watermelons can help prevent cardiovascular disease

Researchers at Florida State University found that watermelon is effective at preventing prehypertension (which can lead to cardiovascular disease). The study included nine participants who all benefited from the amino acid L-citrulline/L-arginine from watermelon extract - their aortic blood pressure lowered.The lead author of the study, Professor Arturo Figueroa, said: "Watermelon is the richest edible natural source of L-citrulline, which is closely related to L-arginine, the amino acid required for the formation of nitric oxide essential to the regulation of vascular tone and healthy blood pressure."

Watermelons may relieve muscle soreness

Eating watermelon could be an effective means of alleviating the pain associated with muscle soreness. A study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, revealed that eating watermelon can help treat post-exercise muscle soreness because of its high levels of L-citrulline.

Watermelons may improve male erectile function

A study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M found that phytonutrients in watermelon can relax blood vessels in the same way Viagra does. "Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, having the same basic effect as Viagra, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," according to Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center in College Station.

The authors of the study said: "We've always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important healthful benefits grows longer with each study."

Diet Corner

HEALTH BENEFIT OF PAPAYA

Papaya enjoys a rich history, and has been used since very long for medicinal uses in day to day life. The Mayans used to worship papaya trees and called it the “Tree of Life”. It is said to be one of the favourite fruits of Christopher Columbus. The story goes that when his crew landed in America after a long sea voyage on meager meal, the native people welcomed them with extravagant feast, which caused digestive problems. The natives took the voyagers to the forest and offered them papaya and they got cured. The leaves, seeds and the milk of the papaya tree are used to cure intestinal problems and kill intestinal worms and parasites. Women from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh use them to prevent pregnancy and for abortion. Above all, papaya is a very delicious food that has been enjoyed lavishly by people as a part of cuisines and salads. 

Skin & Papaya- It is great for the skin and can be used as a face pack to get its benefits. It helps to get rid of acne and skin infections as it helps to open clogged pores. The fermented flesh of papaya also called as papain helps to dissolve the dead cells, giving fresh and glowing skin as a result. It is good to cure the skin infections and wounds that don’t heal quickly.

Cholesterol & Papaya- As it is a fruit that is rich in fiber it lowers blood cholesterol levels. It contains enzymes that help prevent oxidization of cholesterol, which in return helps to prevent heart-attacks. 

Anti-ageing & Papaya- The antioxidants in papaya help in controlling premature ageing. This quality of the papaya helps you to get a younger look.

Intestinal Worms & Papaya- The seeds of papaya too possess medicinal properties. They are very good in treating intestinal worms in the body.

Constipation & Papaya- Papaya helps in preventing constipation and aids in digestion. The enzyme papain is a digestive enzyme that helps in natural digestion.

Colon & Papaya- Its juice helps in curing infections of the colon by clearing the pus and mucus from it. You need to take it regularly to heal quickly

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Weight Loss & Papaya- It is low in calories and high in nutritional values. Hence, it is a good food for those who want to lose some weight.

Morning Sickness & Papaya- In pregnant ladies, regular consumption of a small slice of papaya helps to cure nausea and morning sickness.

Osteoporosis & Papaya- It contains anti-inflammatory enzymes that help in relieving pain for those who are suffering from arthritis, edema and osteoporosis, and it also possesses anti-cancerous properties that can help prevent cancer.

Pineapples

Pineapple, Ananas comosus, belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, from which one of its most important health-promoting compounds, the enzyme bromelain, was named. The Spanish name for pineapple, pina, and the root of its English name, reflects the fruit's visual similarity to the pinecone.

Pineapples are actually not just one fruit but a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface.

Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves. The fibrous flesh of pineapple is yellow in color and has a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.

Pineapples have exceptional juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. They are second only to bananas as America's favorite tropical fruit. Although the season for pineapple runs from March through June, they are available year-round in local markets.

Pineapples are a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface. Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves and fibrous yellow flesh. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture. 

Health Benefits

Potential Anti-Inflammatory and Digestive Benefits

Bromelain is a complex mixture of substances that can be extracted from the stem and core fruit of the pineapple. Among dozens of components known to exist in this crude extract, the best studied components are a group of protein-digesting enzymes (called cysteine proteinases). Originally, researchers believed that these enzymes provided the key health benefits found in bromelain, a popular dietary supplement containing these pineapple extracts. In addition, researchers believed that these benefits were primarily limited to help with digestion in the intestinal tract. However, further studies have shown that bromelain has a wide variety of health benefits, and that many of these benefits may not be related to the different enzymes found in this extract. Excessive inflammation, excessive coagulation of the blood, and certain types of tumor growth may all be reduced by therapeutic doses of bromelain when taken as a dietary supplement. Studies are not available, however, to show these same potential benefits in relationship to normal intake of pineapple within a normal meal plan.

Bromelain extracts can be obtained from both the fruit core and stems of pineapple. Potentially important chemical differences appear to exist between extracts obtained from the stem versus the core fruit. However, the practical relevance of these differences is not presently understood. Most of the laboratory research on bromelain has been conducted using stem-based extracts, however.

Although healthcare practitioners have reported improved digestion in their patients with an increase in pineapple as their "fruit of choice" within a meal plan, we haven't seen published studies that document specific changes in digestion following consumption of the fruit (versus supplementation with the purified extract. However, we suspect that the core fruit will eventually turn out to show some unique health-supportive properties, including possible digestion-related and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Include in diet

The mango

                       The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to South Asia, from where it has been distributed worldwide to become one of the most cultivated fruits in the tropics. While other Mangifera species (e.g. horse mango, M. foetida) are also grown on a more localized basis, Mangifera indica – the 'common mango' or 'Indian mango' – is the only mango tree commonly cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. It is the national fruit of India Pakistan and the Philippines, and the national tree of Bangladesh.