Nutritionally Yours

THIS 71-year-young is the best advertisement for all the ‘‘nutrient medicines’’ his London-based company makes. He works...

THIS 71-year-young is the best advertisement for all the ‘‘nutrient medicines’’ his London-based company makes. He works 12 hours a day, criss-crosses the globe at the drop of a hat and says, ‘‘I dream vitamins, eat vitamins, sleep vitamins and, of course, make them.’’

Now Dr Kartar Singh Lalvani has been bestowed with the ‘Asian Achiever’s Award’, ‘Asian of The Year’ and also the ‘Queen’s Award for Enterprise’.

All this comes as no surprise. His London-based company, Vitabiotics, is the first in the world to make Immunace, which has a broad spectrum of immune-boosting nutrients. The 100-year-old Institute of Tropical Medicine in London conducted trials of this product on AIDS patients and found that mortality was reduced by 48 per cent. Menopace is another first, with a perfect balance of vitamins and minerals offering a non-HRT alternative for menopause.

Story continues below this ad

Having graduated in commerce in Gujarat, Dr Lalvani went on to study pharmacy and did his doctorate in Germany. ‘‘Right through my research days I had a keen interest in studying nutrients and conducted several experiments on liver extracts,’’ says Dr Lalvani.

Vitamins have been identified as the most essential nutrients in the last 100 years and their efficacy in building and maintaining health cannot be overemphasised. ‘‘You must know about the sailors and vitamin C,’’ he asks and, without pausing, continues, ‘‘In the past, sailors used to spend long periods at sea without having any fresh fruits and veggies, eating only salted and preserved meats. Many used to end up with scurvy which was due to lack of vitamin C.’’

	You Ask, They Answer

			• FOOD FACTS Rakesh Chauhan, a 26-year-old engineer from Chandigarh, is very thin and wants to put on weight. Please advise. A high calorie, well-balanced diet with adequate protein intake is recommended. This can be achieved by increasing the total calorific intake per day by about 500 calories. Have foods rich in calories and proteins such as milk, soya foods, paneer, cheese, nuts, egg, lean meats such as fish and chicken (without skin). Protein rich foods are recommended to ensure an increase in lean body mass rather than fat. Also, join a gym. Sonal Modi, Chief Nutritionist, Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre, Mumbai • GYANEC GLITCHES Jyoti, 28, wants to know about leucorrhoea. She gets a watery discharge and wants to know what medicines she should take. The condition is due to poor local hygiene, weak general health and a poor diet. She should keep her private parts clean and wear cotton underwear, not synthetic. She should have a high-fibre diet and drink liquids. Fungal infection can also occur if a patient is diabetic or is on antibiotics. Often, if the woman is sexually active, she can develop cervical infection. Medicines cannot be prescribed without examination. Please see your gynaecologist. Dr Rustom Soonawala (MD, FRCS, FRCOG) Consultant at Breach Candy and Jaslok Hospitals.

It is equally important to balance the vitamins and minerals. ‘‘Ours was the first product in the world (Calcimax) which provided calcium with magnesium and zinc,’’ Dr Lalvani explains. ‘‘It is a well-known fact that if you have a magnesium deficiency then calcium cannot be absorbed.’’

Story continues below this ad

And it is a lifetime of research which has led to the conceptualising of Pregnacare, which provides all the essential nutrients needed by a mother and her foetus. It has zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, copper, folic acid, vitamin B12 and more. ‘‘Isn’t it a fact,’’ I ask the doctor, ‘‘that an overdose of fat-soluble vitamins can lead to toxicity?

And so one cannot just blithely pop vitamins?’’ Dr Lalvani counters by explaining that great care is taken to ensure that the quantities are well-modulated so that there is no chance of over-dosage.

Interestingly, his son, Dr Ajit Lalvani, has recently invented the most reliable TB diagnostic. Quite clearly, India is well on its way to keeping the world in good health.

Do keep calling and writing. And do keep smiling. For all your health queries, call 022-22161313 or log onto http://www.rashmiudaysingh.com. Write to P. O. Box No 19946, Colaba, Mumbai-5 or e-mail hol@rashmiudaysingh.com

Trump accepts tariffs caused ‘rift with India,’ says it wasn’t an easy thing to do

World20 min ago

Trump acknowledges that steep tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil have strained relations between the two countries. Talks to reduce tariffs have stalled as India resists opening its agricultural and dairy sectors. Despite the rift, Trump signals a potential reset and his nominee for ambassador to India says progress is likely.

View all shorts

Live Blog