Osteoporosis, the number game!

Osteoporosis has developed into epidemic proportions, affecting more women than men, and has its roots in childhood and early adult life.

Males generally have a fatter bank account as far as bone mass is concerned.

Bone growth reaches the maximum in strength and hardness by age 30. This is known as peak bone mass. Boys reach 90% of peak bone mass by age 20, whilst girls achieve it earlier around age 18, rendering the male species extended growth potential, answering in part the question why guys are taller.

The best time to invest in the bone account is during youth. Exercise, good nutrition, and adequate calcium intake pay long term dividends. Just like a financial account, the bone account is subject to deposits and withdrawals. In youth, deposits exceed withdrawal, until a period of steady exchange in the 30s.

Unfortunately, the gentler gender succumbs to far more withdrawal than deposits after age 40, leading to a net loss of bone mass. Multiple pregnancies herald premature onset of bone deficit. As the ovaries start to wrinkle and the eternal spring of oestrogen trickles, culminating to a dry spell, that phase of mood swings, hot flushes, dryness, and loss of libido collectively known as menopause stamps its sovereignty.

Loss of oestrogen accelerates the diminishing bone mass, leading to a greater tendency to pathological fracture. Simply put, brittle bones that break with trivial force.

To dent the glee in the aging male, there is no escape from the gloom of age-related osteoporosis after the age of 75, with a ratio of one male to two females afflicted.

The above information are partially extracted from the star online dated 23rd Feb 2011

提供细胞营养 USANA助延缓人体老化

人体是由数百万亿个细胞所组成。一般人对细胞，是知道它的存在，但不了解其作用及重要性，因此，经常不知觉的破坏它、摧残它，也直接的糟蹋自己的躯体。

我们的身体是个聪明的个体，有自行修补、新陈代谢的能力，只是必须要拥有良好的条件，即贯彻良好的生活方式及饮食习惯。

根据USANA Health Sciences创办人麦伦华斯博士在他的着作《隐藏的奇迹》（Invisible Miracles）里提到，人体细胞有很大的能力，是我们无法想像到的。

USANA新加坡及马来西亚区域董事经理黄敬贤接受《南洋商报》专访时说，营养是人体细胞的需要。

如果人类细胞吸取到所需要的营养，细胞可以健康生存，人体就不会那么快退化。

“然而，现代人的生活忙碌，无法从三餐中摄取所需的营养，因此，需要靠营养补充品的帮助，以吸取均衡的营养。

若营养补充的正确，对身体各个系统，如免疫系统、血液等都有好处。”

进军大马4年 销售营养补充品为主

USANA Health Sciences是一家研发及生产营养补充品、食品和个人护理产品的美国制造商。

其创办人麦伦华斯博士是国际上闻名的微生物学及免疫学专家，也是利用人体细胞培养技术以检测传染性病毒的先驱科学家。

他于1992年成立USANA Health Sciences ，在2007年进军马来西亚直销市场，4年来已取得稳健的发展。

USANA是希腊文和拉丁文的结合体，具有“真正健康”涵义。

该公司主要是销售营养补充品，佔了销售额的90%，种类也集中在9种，比较专门。所有产品是直接进口自美国工厂。

根据世界卫生组织在年报中指出，慢性健康状况每年夺去超过2400万人的性命，并将为千百万人带来痛苦和残障性疾病。

慢性病纠缠现代人

对于这点，黄敬贤说，现代人很少因为传染病而逝世，反而是多数人受到慢性退化性疾病缠身，而失去健康的身体，如骨骼疏松症、糖尿病、心脏病、高血压、癌症、中风等。

“现在最危险的疾病都是慢性退化疾病。这是因为我们没照顾好细胞，让细胞慢慢退化或被侵袭，致使未到老年已百病丛生了。”

他说，很多人误以为年龄的增长、人体老化，才会患上退化性疾病，其实“年老”并不等于“疾病”，反而是因为现代人运动少、压力大、睡眠不足、营养不均衡等，一再破坏细胞功能，才让退化性健康问题有机会找上门。

赋予细胞修补能力

“其实，若我们破坏了细胞，它会自行修补；杀了它，它会传第二代，甚至是再复制。

“然而细胞要进行修补，制造新细胞过程中，需要营养。营养是细胞制造和修补的基本养分，包括了蛋白质、碳水化合物、脂肪、多种维生素，多种矿物质如，钙、镁、锌等。”

他说，当我们年轻时，细胞修补的不完全、不正常，是不会造成太大差别，可是，一旦如此累积二三十年，退化性疾病，如心脏病、癌症等就来袭了。

未曾病重不知健康重要 年轻人多不爱惜身体

从黄敬贤主持过多场健康讲座的经验所得，他认为，年轻人是最不会爱惜身体的一群，因为他们少有经历过病重的问题。

他提醒年轻人，要好好照顾身体，就要有足够的运动，三餐吃好一点，拥有足够的睡眠，不要承担太大的压力，要有充足的休息，足够的营养。

“人们要有健康的体魄，是很容易做到的，也是很容易不去做到，这完全取决于个人的态度和决定。”

借讲座打造健康家庭

USANA经营的手法有点与众不同，他们是通过教育的途径去教导直销商、家庭等有关健康的重要性，提供健康的资讯，而不是着重于强制购买产品。

传授正确营养学

黄敬贤说，该公司的文化是强调以科学化及专业性的教育，传授正确的营养学，进而吸引一群理念相同的直销商对公司忠心耿耿。

他打趣的说，公司的活动相当朴实，就只是举办健康教育讲座，指导大家如何改变生活方式、饮食习惯去换取健康，有时甚至是生活小细节，如从选择蔬菜水果做起。

“我们深信，父母的生活方式将影响下一代，因此希望通过直销商把健康讯息传达给每个家庭，再由这个家庭教育另一个家庭。”

他说，USANA与一般直销公司不同之处，是在于创办人是科学家，不是商人。因此，公司所售卖的产品是专注在营养补充品，希望大家获得健康，而不只是以赚钱为导向。

他说，麦伦华斯的理想是，“一个没有苦难的世界，一个没有疾病的世界。”公司的使命是，USANA这个大家庭将是世界上最健康的家庭。

“麦伦华斯采用直销的方式去推广产品，是看到直销业的潜力，借由使用产品有效果的人介绍给其他亲友，与此同时又可赚取一些收入，可以免费吃产品。这种方式正吻合了华斯博士的梦想，把健康带到全世界去。”

营养补充品均衡日常饮食

可能有人会问，如果我从日常食物中摄取营养，那应该是足够的，不需再服用营养补充品。

可是，按照现代人忙碌的生活步伐，越来越多的父母需要在外打工，没有时间为家人准备新鲜又营养均衡的三餐，因此，要从食物中补充营养成分，的确有点困难。

黄敬贤说，无论多注重健康的人，都很难从日常饮食中摄取重要的维生素、矿物质及植物营养素。这是因为，大家有偏食的习惯，只爱挑自己或家人喜爱及懂得烹煮的食物。

此外，他说，过度的烹煮，如煎、炸、烤、焗等方法也会破坏食物的营养。

“营养补充品并不能代替健康饮食，但是适当的服用，却可以补充我们日常饮食中所缺乏的营养，确保我们获得最均衡的营养。”

他说，特别是儿童及青少年，若在成长期没有摄取到足够的营养，将会妨碍他们发育，影响日后的健康。

挑选营养补充品5要素

营养补充品对我们不陌生，几乎每家每户，大人与小孩，都有所需的营养补充品。但是，在众多的品牌中，该如何挑选适合自己的营养补充品呢？

黄敬贤说，在挑选营养补充品时，要注意5个要素，即全面性、均衡、足量、生物利用率高及安全。

他说，所谓的全面性，是摄取少量的不同营养，总比大量摄取一两种营养好。均衡是营养素需互相配合，原料用量平衡，才能发挥效应。

足量意即原料用量足够，不过量也不少量，任何营养素，过量便会有害，分量过少，则发挥不到效能。

生物利用率高意思是营养素需容易被人体吸收，否则就是浪费。而安全则是不危害人体健康，而且生产过程也需符合优质标准。

公司发展稳健取胜

USANA成立至今已近20年，但是相比其他直销公司，其插旗潜质国家的速度相对的较缓慢。就好比“直销天堂”的大马，它也是迟至2007年才来敲这个市场的大门。

“我们开发国际市场的态度是，尽管速度慢，但比较实际，一年最多打开一个国家的市场，因为我们了解到，要真正教育一个直销商了解产品、掌握健康的教育资讯及培养领导层，并非简单的事。”

黄敬贤说，该公司去年的业绩已达到近1亿令吉，预料今年会更好。而全球的业绩则冲破5亿美元（约15亿6000万令吉）。

“我们希望是稳健的成长，不是过热的不寻常增长率，否则就属于投机性质了。”

积极开拓外州市场

他说，USANA在大马的发展潜力很大，过去数年，该公司着重在巴生谷的市场，今年将会往外州扩散，通过网络直播会议的方式，让外坡的会员也能同步获取资讯。

该公司也善用科技，以电脑方式处理产品订单，再邮寄予直销商及消费者，节省大量的开店成本。

“由于我们的产品比较集中，种类不繁多，因此暂没计划在各地开设更多销售店，目前只有一家，设在八打灵再也的Axis大厦。”

提到大马政府对直销业的协助，他说，大马的直销业环境已很成熟，政府方面也无需怎么样去推动。不过如果直销公会能和政府携手推动，相信可以创造一个更健康的直销业环境

他说，只是直销公司数量不断在增加，业者需以实际及正当的手法去经营，以改变普罗大众对这个行业的看法，产生正面印象多余负面印象。

黄敬贤来自太平，投身直销业已超过十多年。他认为，直销业在大马是个很好市场，而且人们对这个行业也有一定经验和了解，在选择直销公司或产品时，都有一定成熟度。

享受永续性收入

此外，他说，作为一名直销商，应看重的是永续性的收入，而不是赚取快钱。

“从事直销业的一个好处是，在打好基础后，制造永久收入，继而享受这种持续性丰收果实，直至退休后。

“USANA的概念是，把奖励金公平分配予每一位直销商，我们并不热衷于制造多个百万收入的高层，我们更希望见到每一位直销商都能赚取合理及持续性的收入。”

此文章摘之以南洋商报 22 Feb 2011

Food for thought

Healthy eating and living is not only good for the ageing body, but also, good for the mind.

TODAY, as we get used to the idea of people living longer lives, we have also learned to accept the changes in our bodies and minds as inevitable developments we have to deal with when we age.

The physical changes are usually obvious. We have more aches and pains. We need more time to recover after pulling all-nighters. We no longer have the strength to move heavy boxes around the house.
Changes in the way our minds function (cognition), however, are subtler. Over time, we may notice that we take more time to learn new skills.

We need written checklists as we forget easily. Simple calculations make us reach for our mobile phones.
While we may be familiar with the ways we can slow or delay physical decline, we often overlook that the same measures can also help us slow and delay cognitive decline.

“Cognitive decline may not be preventable, but there is much that can be done to delay or slow the decline,” said US Northeastern University Professor of Health Science Dr Katherine L. Tucker.

Keeping the mind active with Sudoku and mahjong is only a part of it. “Eat healthy foods, be physically and cognitively active, and avoid obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol,” Dr Tucker continued, as she wrapped up the presentation of her paper, Cognitive Decline with Aging: Can it be Prevented?, at the International Symposium of Health Sciences in Kuala Lumpur recently.

“Although we do not yet have enough data to confirm causal relationships between diet and cognitive decline, we are accumulating considerable evidence,” she said.

Eat well
Cognitive decline can be caused by infections and degenerative changes in the brain (when brain cells are diseased or damaged) or the lack of blood flow to the brain (which may cause brain cells to die).
But before science backed them up, factors that contribute to the acceleration of ageing have been largely observational. For instance, we notice that people who lead highly stressful lifestyles seem to age, physically and mentally, faster than those who lead simple, peaceful lives.

But why, and how? Researchers like Dr Tucker and her team at the Northeastern University, and formerly, at the Tufts University in Boston, are finally getting some clues. And Dr Tucker thinks it has a lot to do with good diet choices.

The strongest evidence for a dietary component supports a role for omega-3 fatty acids or fish consumption, wrote Dr Tucker in her abstract. There is a catch, though. As there is increasing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids interact with processes that are influenced by certain genes in the body, our genes may determine whether we will enjoy the protective benefits conferred by consuming it.

Other nutrients with compelling evidence include vitamins B6, B12 and folate from diet, although clinical trials with these as supplements have been disappointing, she continued.

“We know from history that the deficiency of several B vitamins can cause neurological deficits and dementia,” explained Dr Tucker. The chronic deficiency of vitamin B12, for instance, can cause peripheral neuropathy – damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

Also, as the B vitamins and folate play a role in breaking down homocysteine, its deficiency can result in higher levels of the protein, which is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and lower cognitive function.

Studies of nutrients with antioxidant properties like vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene show conflicting results, but there has been increasing support for the role of an overall healthy dietary pattern.
Participation in physical and social activities, and the avoidance of tobacco use, too, has been shown to be protective.

“Other risk factors include diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, and depression, so it is likely that nutritional factors associated with these conditions contribute indirectly to cognitive decline,” Dr Tucker wrote in the report.

Live well, with less stress
A systematic review of research that looked into the link of health behaviours and cognitive decline by Korean researcher Lee Yunhwan and his team have found the following:
·Leisure-time physical activity, even of moderate levels, showed protective effects against dementia, whereas smoking elevated the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia).

·Moderate alcohol consumption tended to be protective against cognitive decline and dementia, but non-drinkers and frequent drinkers exhibited a higher risk for dementia and cognitive impairment.

·Midlife obesity had an adverse effect on cognitive function in later life.

·Analysis showed vegetable and fish consumption to be of benefit, whereas, persons consuming a diet high in saturated fat had an increased dementia risk.

However, besides these dietary factors, there are also other lifestyle factors that researchers have found important to maintain cognitive health as we age, said Dr Tucker.

“Things like keeping your mind active, continuing to work, and keeping a positive attitude can also help delay cognitive decline. So, being under stress and having a lot of concerns can take a toll on you as well,” she noted.

In a 2009 study that assessed the association between food insecurity and lower cognitive performance in 1,300 Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts, Dr Tucker and a team of researchers also studied the interaction between stress and nutrition.

“When you have more stress in your life, your requirements for vitamins are even higher. And so it is even more important for people under high stress to have a good diet – because the processes in the body that are activated (under stress) need to be controlled with vitamins and antioxidants,” she explained.

Unfortunately, most of the time, the last thing on these people’s minds is eating well.

“That’s another reason why stress is harmful,” said Dr Tucker. “It has an effect directly on the body in terms of its utilisation of nutrients, and it also affects people because they tend not to eat as well,” she elaborated.

Education appears to count, too. “We don’t know completely why, but individuals with higher education tend to retain their cognitive function better when they age,” said Tucker. “It may be because people with higher education continue to be actively learning, and tend to have better diets as well,” she reasoned.

It’s a combination
With a reported 63,000 patients with dementia living in the country, and the Health Ministry’s expectation that this number is to double in 10 years, prevention is one of the important things we should look into.

The good news is, we don’t have to be nutritionists, PhD holders, or Zen masters to improve our chances at retaining our mental capabilities as we age, as any effort in the right direction counts.

This is because when researchers take into account all the promising results of separate studies done on diet, exercises and activities that build mental muscles, the evidence remains largely non-conclusive for any single factor.

They do, however, suggest what we have observed so far: that like any chronic condition, following a healthy lifestyle with a good quality diet, physical activity and social engagement can delay cognitive decline, Dr Tucker concluded.

The next step, then, is to find out how these measures can be tailored to fit current society needs. “More research is needed to develop effective interventions,” she said.

SOURCES FOOD sources of nutrients that may help cognitive decline:
Omega-3 fatty acids
Fatty fish (like salmon, mackarel, anchovies and sardines)
Vitamin B6
Organ meats, fortified cereals, fortified soy products
Vitamin B12
Fish, poultry, meat, fortified cereals
Folate (Folic acid)
Dark, leafy vegetables; enriched and whole grain breads; fortified cereals
Vitamin C
Raw guava, red pepper, kiwi fruit, orange, green pepper, brussels sprouts, strawberries, papaya
Vitamin E
Fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, vegetable oils
Beta-carotene
Carrot juice, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach
Reference:
1. Food sources for Vitamins and Minerals, WebMD.com
2. Food sources of Selected Nutrients, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, USDA.gov.
3. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 Nutrient Lists, US Department of Agriculture Food and Information center.

 Above article is extracted from the star online dated 20th Feb 2011

Probiotics good for gut !!

The good bacteria in our digestive system help our body to resist invasion by other foreign, potentially harmful microorganisms, regulate the immune system, and perform metabolic activities, among others.
 
BACTERIA generally get bad press. After all, aren’t they the cause of many diseases? But like most things in life, bacteria can be divided into the good and the bad. As a matter of fact, did you know that the number of bacterial cells in our body outnumber our cells by about 10 to one?

Most of these bacteria are obviously not harmful to us, and indeed, some actually help our body to function better. Dr Lahtinen said " probiotics help to maintain the balance in our immune system."

One example of this would be the bacteria in our digestive system, which forms the largest bacterial community within our body.

These microorganisms help our body to resist invasion by other foreign, potentially harmful microorganisms, regulate the immune system, and perform metabolic activities, among others. And it is these functions that are the basis behind probiotics.

Probiotics, as defined by the World Health Organisation, are “live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”.

After all, if some bacteria are good for our body, wouldn’t more of the same be better?

“When we think of the immune system, one of the major systems is the gut. Many immune defences are in the gut. And they are doing this together with the bacteria in the gut,” he told reporters at a group interview. Probiotics, he said, have different effects on the immune system.

“In some cases when the immune system is low, probiotics can help boost it. In some cases, the immune system is too high and overreacting.

“In these cases, we can use probiotics to suppress the immune system – for example, in the case of allergies.
“So, in this way, we can use probiotics to maintain the balance of the immune system,” he said.

According to Dr Lahtinen, our gut bacteria (and also the bacteria in probiotics) does this through a combination of various mechanisms that are still being researched.

“The bacteria can stop pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) from attaching to the gut wall because they are already attached there.

“They also trigger production of anti-bacterial defence cells from the body’s immune system,” he said, explaining that the presence of these non-harmful bacteria puts the immune system on “alert”, but does not trigger the full-on defence system of the body.

Above article is partially extracted from the star online dated 21 Nov 2010

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Keep our digestive system healthy

The stomach is a very tolerant organ when compared to other organs in our body. It is a strong grinder, and can hold up to one gallon of food and liquid when fully stretched. (This is the upper limit of comfort.)


“It can tolerate a lot of abuse, so people are generally not sensitive to it. So, when they get indigestion, bloatedness or angin, as they like to call it, they generally ignore it until they experience pain or develop constant irritation.

“By that time, the problem has already become serious.”

Certainly, our stomach is not the only organ in our digestive system. It also includes other organs in the digestive tract (our mouth, esophagus, small and large intestines, rectum and anus), and supporting organs such as the liver and pancreas.

It may be a complex system, but the things we can do to take care of it are rather simple.

This figure may have improved over the last decade, but Easaw-John doubts Malaysians are getting enough fibre today. “When I look at my patients over the years, at least about 60 to 70% had not achieved their fibre intake, and many of them had not even achieved their five to six servings of fruits and vegetables daily,” she notes.

Of course, fruits and veggies are not the only sources of fibre. Grains, beans and oats are also good sources we can choose from.

Various studies have shown that fibre, either in supplements or in its natural form, can relieve chronic constipation, reduce blood cholesterol, and maintain the stability of the digestive tract. On top of that, fibres can provide “food” for the good bacteria in our intestines and make us feel full after our meal (hence stopping us from eating more), says Easaw-John.

Supplements are not the alternative, but it can ‘do the trick’ for the moment. But supplements are just that – supplements, says Easaw-John. “They are add ons and they are supposed to enhance your diet, not to replace a meal,” she notes.

Above article is partially extracted from the star online dated 13 Feb 2011

Mind Your Health

A Rolls Royce needs maintenance, but does one have a service programme for the body? Are you living your life by accident (waiting for incidents to happen), or by design (having a health strategy)?

When a baby is born, so very often, the cute little miracle is deprived of the caress of the mother’s bosom and given a hard plastic bottle to nurse on. When the child grows older, the milk is exchanged with a bottle of coke. With the dawn of adulthood, the beer bottle takes over, and as the wheels of misfortune continue to turn, one may have to find sustenance through a bottle of intravenous fluid, reflecting on regrets of the past.
If exercise can give an additional five years of health, would one not be interested? If exercise, lifestyle, dietary modifications and taking the right supplements can offer 10 or more years of enhanced living, would one not embrace it?

If the picture is still hazy, it is because the “why” zone is rusted and clouded by cobwebs. With a little clean up, there should be better connectivity with the live wire.

Cigarette packaging carries pictures of lung damage so grotesque that it makes the seasoned pathologist squirm. Visual image at best is carried up to the occipital lobe where it dissipates with no impact. The “why” zone is not activated because the desire to smoke overwhelms the perceived danger.

Unless something significantly dramatic occurs, like being a survivor of a nasty heart attack or severe bronchitis, there is no trigger for change. A smoker will continue to smoke, a drinker will continue to drink, a heart will continue to be attacked.

We hear of the typical sponsored radio message that goes like “Heart disease is the No.1 killer in Malaysia. Exercise, eat healthily, reduce stress, and do not smoke and drink. Act now!”

That lyric has been sung for the last two decades, but heart disease is still the chart-topper. The song never touched the “why” zone. I should know as I, too, serenaded that ballad for the greater part of my career to impervious minds. Unless the “why” zone gets connected, there is no U-turn.

Despite herculean efforts to take action, change is usually inconsistent. Have we not heard of the diet plan that failed? Or someone who tried to stop smoking but quit trying to quit?

The final link to success in better health, wealth, or happiness is sustained commitment, not just for a day or a month, but daily.

If we do the right things today and everyday, we need not spend all of tomorrow rectifying yesterday’s mistakes. A health plan that works will add another decade of good years to life, but one has to work on the plan. A parting caution of D.I.Y. is that, if the wrong plan is chosen, a short circuit can electrocute the “why” zone, resulting in permanent damage.

Above article is partially extracted from the star online dated 9th Feb 2011 by Dr C.S.Foo

Main cereal foods of Malaysians

Rice is the staple food of this country. Almost the whole population consumes rice twice daily, sometimes as porridge. White rice is invariably the choice of the population.
Greater efforts should be made by the community to consume under-milled rice or brown rice as they are of much higher nutritional value.

A variety of rice products are also consumed. These include a variety of products made from rice flour, and include several noodle-type products, such as mee-hoon, mee-sua, kueh-teow, lo-see-fun and mee-laksa. These are useful ingredients to prepare rather complete meals, after adding some meat or fish products plus plenty of vegetables.

You should prepare these meals with less oil and coconut milk. There are also several local “kuih” made from rice flour, e.g. bidaran, kuih kasui, kuih bom, kuih buah Melaka, kuih karas, kuih koci, and kuih talam. These foods should be consumed only in moderate amounts as many of these are high in sugar and contain coconut milk.

A variety of wheat flour products are consumed by wide segments of the community. Bread is certainly the most common one. The preference should be for the healthier alternatives of whole grain or wholemeal bread, as well as those with other grains added.

A number of products made from wheat flour is also commonly consumed, the most popular being noodle (mee). Cake is also made from wheat flour, but we should take note that it could be high in fat and sugar. Several local “kuih” are also made from wheat flour, e.g. dumpling, kuih apam, apam balik, and kuih ketayap.

As for rice flour products, we should opt for varieties of these that contain less sugar, coconut milk and fat.

Tubers are also good sources of energy

Tubers are the fleshy underground swelling of stem or root strands that normally contain varying amounts of starch. Root and tuber crops are consumed as food in many countries in the world.
However, their contribution to the energy supply of the population varies within a large range, depending on the country.

Many species and varieties are consumed but three species such as cassava, potato, and sweet potato provide more than 90% of the root and tuber crops used for direct human consumption.

Tubers are also sometimes consumed in this country. The common tubers include cassava, potato, sweet potato and yam. Tubers are also rich in carbohydrates, with similar protein levels compared to cereals. But their fat content is very low, resulting in slightly lower energy levels than that of cereals.

The MDG 2010 has grouped tubers together with cereals and cereal products, placed at the base of the food pyramid.

I would like to promote the consumption of red varieties of sweet potato and yam, in view of their interesting flavours and the carotenoids they contain.

Above article are partialy extracted from the star online dated Jan 30 2011