HYDERABAD: Khesari dal consumed as gravy in small quantities
is safe. Consuming large quantities, however, may result in lathyrism.
Lathyrism is a neurological condition in which victims suffer paralysis in the lower limbs.
With a demand being raised to lift the ban on cultivation of Khesari dal in the country, the Planning Commission got an epidemiological study done. The study sponsored by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was carried out by the National Institute of Nutrition-Indian Council of Medical Research (NIN-ICMR) based in Hyderabad.
A pilot study to assess the impact of consumption of Khesari dal on human health was conducted in Gondia district of Maharashtra. The principal investigator of the study, Dr Arjun L Khandare, scientist 'E', Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre (FDRTC), NIN told The Times of India that the consumption of Khesari dal was found to be minimal and it was primarily in the form of gravy which showed minimal exposure of ODAP/day.
"The nutrition status of the people residing in the area was good without any major health problems. There were no recent cases of lathyrism except two old cases in the area which were correlated with consumption of Khesari dal as a staple food," Dr Arjun Khandare said.
It may be mentioned here that due to the presence of a neuro-excitatory amino acid referred to as ODAP, a crippling disease called Neurolathyrism occurs when the legume is consumed. This was the reason why Khesari dal was banned in the country in 1955. However, there is no ban on sale of Khesari dal in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Despite a ban, the legume is being cultivated in small quantities in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Since Khesari dal (Lathyrus sativus) is a high-yielding and drought resistant legume, there has been a demand to lift the ban on its sale. International studies have shown that Khesari dal contains 31 per cent protein, 41 per cent carbohydrate, 17 per cent total dietary fibre, two per cent fat and two per cent ash, on a dry matter basis.
It may be mentioned here that NIN had earlier done a study on animals feeding goats with Khesari dal. The findings of the study only confirmed that consumption of Khesari dal does result in lathyrism.
However, following the Planning Commission's recommendation, a study was taken up to assess the status of Khesari dal production, its consumption and to identify cases of lathyrism in two blocks of Gondia district (Tiroda and Gondia) in Maharashtra. In the two cases of lathyrism that were detected, they were found to be old cases in which the victims had consumed considerably large quantities of Khesari dal during critical situations.
It was found in the study that 61 per cent of the population was consuming Khesari dal and the average consumption was 12-20 gm in the form of gravy and no health effects were observed.
Lathyrism is a neurological condition in which victims suffer paralysis in the lower limbs.
With a demand being raised to lift the ban on cultivation of Khesari dal in the country, the Planning Commission got an epidemiological study done. The study sponsored by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was carried out by the National Institute of Nutrition-Indian Council of Medical Research (NIN-ICMR) based in Hyderabad.
A pilot study to assess the impact of consumption of Khesari dal on human health was conducted in Gondia district of Maharashtra. The principal investigator of the study, Dr Arjun L Khandare, scientist 'E', Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre (FDRTC), NIN told The Times of India that the consumption of Khesari dal was found to be minimal and it was primarily in the form of gravy which showed minimal exposure of ODAP/day.
"The nutrition status of the people residing in the area was good without any major health problems. There were no recent cases of lathyrism except two old cases in the area which were correlated with consumption of Khesari dal as a staple food," Dr Arjun Khandare said.
It may be mentioned here that due to the presence of a neuro-excitatory amino acid referred to as ODAP, a crippling disease called Neurolathyrism occurs when the legume is consumed. This was the reason why Khesari dal was banned in the country in 1955. However, there is no ban on sale of Khesari dal in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Despite a ban, the legume is being cultivated in small quantities in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Since Khesari dal (Lathyrus sativus) is a high-yielding and drought resistant legume, there has been a demand to lift the ban on its sale. International studies have shown that Khesari dal contains 31 per cent protein, 41 per cent carbohydrate, 17 per cent total dietary fibre, two per cent fat and two per cent ash, on a dry matter basis.
It may be mentioned here that NIN had earlier done a study on animals feeding goats with Khesari dal. The findings of the study only confirmed that consumption of Khesari dal does result in lathyrism.
However, following the Planning Commission's recommendation, a study was taken up to assess the status of Khesari dal production, its consumption and to identify cases of lathyrism in two blocks of Gondia district (Tiroda and Gondia) in Maharashtra. In the two cases of lathyrism that were detected, they were found to be old cases in which the victims had consumed considerably large quantities of Khesari dal during critical situations.
It was found in the study that 61 per cent of the population was consuming Khesari dal and the average consumption was 12-20 gm in the form of gravy and no health effects were observed.
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