Relaxation of Abdominal Muscles

A group of muscles located on the front side of the body which lie between the ribs and the pelvis region are known as abdominal muscles. These muscles support the movement of the trunk and hold the vital organs of the abdomen in place together.
Body muscles are responsible for the movement of the whole body or its parts. They are able to covert chemical energy to mechanical energy. Fundamental properties of muscles are flexibility, excitability, conductivity and summation.

Various Abdominal Muscles

The four major abdominal muscles are as follows:

• Transversus Abdominis - These are the deepest muscles which influence the body posture. These muscles are found wrapped around the torso.
• 
  The Internal Oblique Muscles - A pair of muscles which reside on either side of the torso are said to be internal oblique muscles. These muscles modulate the body posture to a large extent. Some vital functions like rotation of the spine and lateral flexion are performed by these muscles.
• 
  External Oblique muscles - This pair of muscles like internal oblique muscles are also present on either side of torso. These muscles are located superficially and have less effect on maintenance of body posture. These muscles help the Internal Oblique Muscles in rotation of the spine and lateral flexion.
• 
  Rectus Abdominus muscle -These muscles are the most superficial muscles of the abdomen which maintain the fitness of the abdomen.

Conditions of Stress 

Professional athletes are usually subjected to abdominal muscle strain when their muscles are subjected to high amount of stress. In fact a situation of abdominal strain can arise to any common man. Simple daily activities like repeated lifting of heavy weights may also lead to abdominal strain. Such adverse situation can be treated by proper medication. However as the common saying goes "prevention is better than cure", it is better to subject our muscles to proper relaxation than getting used to medication.
Abdominal muscles are naturally stressed out during pregnancy. It is good to keep the muscles in good condition for easy delivery. In addition to this proper relaxation and abdominal exercises help the mother to regain her strength after delivery.

How to relax abdominal muscles? 

According to Harvard professor of medicine, Herbert Benson, a relaxed state is just opposite to the state of stress. Our body has the capacity to achieve this relaxed state which is a deep state of rest. This state is associated with decrease in breathing rate, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, muscle tension, and active thinking. There are various methods by which we can relax our abdominal muscles.

Breathing exercises
These exercises include abdominal breathing which is quite different from shallow chest breathing. Abdominal breathing involves diaphragm which is the large muscle located between the chest and the abdomen. They increase the lung capacity and at the same time relax the abdominal muscles optimally.

Yoga 
Some basic yoga poses like Virabhadrasana, Bhujangasana, Marjarasana, Navasana etc help to strengthen our abdominal muscles and provide them with proper relaxation.

Advice to the modern man

Present day man is subjected to various kinds of stressful conditions. Due to his busy schedule he often feels that there is no time left for relaxation techniques. By setting aside 20-30 minutes and practicing the relaxation techniques daily he can improve his general health and longevity of life.

Regulatory Mechanism in Animals

Living organisms especially, mammals and birds (with few exceptions), tend to maintain a stable state by maintaining a constant internal environment. These animals are also known as endothermic animals. This phenomenon of regulation is known as homeostasis.

On the other hand ectothermic animals like reptiles, insects, amphibians, arachnids and fish show certain behavioral adaptations to regulate their internal conditions. For example, reptiles raise their body temperature in the morning by resting on sun-heated rocks.

Homeostatic Regulation

Mammals and birds can maintain a constant body temperature and hence are known as warm blooded creatures. During the cold season these animals convert food into energy. On the other hand, cold blooded animals become sluggish in cold conditions and often go into hibernation.

Homeostasis is responsible for regulation of many other factors like, constant blood pH, blood glucose, salt and water concentration etc. In many cases homeostatic regulation is controlled by the release of hormones into blood.

However processes like simple diffusion also help to maintain a proper balance.

Maintenance of constant water and glucose levels are done in the following ways-

• An increase in water concentration within the body is sensed by certain osmoreceptors situated on the hypothalamus. The chemical message is sent from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland which secretes ADH hormone. The anti-diuretic hormone acts on the kidneys affecting the permeability of the tubules. This in turn regulates the water levels within the body.

• Blood glucose levels are maintained at constant levels within the body with the help of hormones like Insulin and Glucagon. Both of these hormones are secreted by the pancreas and these hormones target the liver. A higher levels of glucose in the blood stimulates a higher secretion of insulin and a lesser secretion of glucagon and when the levels of glucose is lesser in blood, the levels of secretion of both the hormones are reversed. The liver in turn either facilitates the conversion of glucose to glycogen or allows the breakdown of glycogen to glucose units.

Feed Back Mechanism in Animals

Feed back mechanism controls the regulation within the body and is made up of three interdependent components. The changes in the environment are sensed and recorded by the receptors. The stimulus is sent from the receptor to the control centre which is generally the brain. The control centre generates a response to the stimulus and sends the signal to the effectors which are organs like muscles. After the effector organs receive the stimulus from the control centre they can show an enhanced change in positive feedback mechanism or a depressed change in case of negative feedback mechanism.

Any disturbance to homeostasis disturbs the internal environment and leads to various diseases. Diseases like diabetes, hypoglycemia, dehydration, gout etc are the net result of homeostatic imbalance.

Biological Water Purification

Palatable clean drinking water is becoming scarce in the present day world. Water table is decreasing day by day and the river water, even after treatment on a community basis, contains many contaminants. The levels of many pollutants like selenium, chromium, cadmium and arsenic have increased in water to dangerous levels. A long-term consumption of these pollutants may damage kidneys, liver and our nervous system. These also could lead to deadly diseases like cancer.

Off late we have different kinds of purifiers available in the market which are available at a very wide range of prices. These purifiers are associated with their own disadvantages, like, some of them consume energy in the form of electricity, some are made up of non biodegradable materials, some are very costly etc.

Some plants have been proved to be excellent for water purification. Plants like the Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) or Moringa (Moringa oleifera) have the capacity to purify water. The Prickly pear cactus was used for water purification by Mexican communities long back during the 19th-century. As man marched ahead on the roads of civilization these facts were forgotten by him. He started his hunt for high technology methods of water purification.

A group of scientists from the University of South Florida in Tampa rediscovered the natural method of water purification using prickly pear cactus in 2010.

Norma Alcantar and her colleagues have used sophisticated microscopic analysis to prove the effects of cactus on dirty water.

Mucilage is glue like gummy substance secreted by plants which acts as a flocculant in water. It can precipitate substances into flakes and hence can remove substances like heavy metals (selenium, chromium, cadmium and arsenic) and even bacteria from water [1]. This thick gum is used by the plant to store water. When this magical mucilage is added to water, it sticks to the sediment particles and bacteria, which later drops down to the bottom of the water samples. According to Alcantar 98% of added bacteria, Bacillus cereus, was removed from the water sample. However, experiments are yet to be carried in natural water.

Many rural and underdeveloped countries have no access to the conventional water purification devices due to which people dwelling there are forced to drink contaminated water. Cactus plant can be grown at many places at a lower cost. This plant can serve as a natural and renewable material for water filtration and at the same time save the lives of many people. It is a cost-effective alternative and also saves a lot of energy.

Reference:

Buttice AL, Alcantar NA et al. Removal of sediment and bacteria from water using green chemistry. Environ Sci Technol. 2010 May 1;44(9):3514-9.

Healthy Fats

Can fats be healthy? The answer is “yes”. Fats are one of three vital nutrients which are used as an energy source by our body. Each gram of fat produces at least 9 calories of energy. Fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K can be absorbed by the body only in the presence of fats. Fats act as energy reserve and allow us to withstand long hours of starvation. It is also an important component of the cell membrane.

Removing fats totally from our diet is never advisable. The choice of fats has to be made wisely. The total fat intake consists of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats together. Research has proved that intake of mono and polyunsaturated fats helps to reduce the levels of blood cholesterol.

Difference between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

Structurally, a saturated fat is fully saturated with hydrogen atoms and none of the carbon atoms are linked with double bonds. Saturated fats are solids at room temperature and are usually found in animal products. Some of the most prevalent sources of these chemically least active fats are dairy products, meats, pork etc. Processed foods like chips, pastries, ice-creams etc also show a very high concentration of saturated fats. These fats are not friendly to heart, as they increase the concentration of low density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol) in the blood leading to heart diseases.

Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, have one or more double bonds between their carbon atoms. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and hence are also known as oils. Fats which have single double bond between the carbon atoms are termed as monounsaturated fats, for example, 18-carbon oleic acid. Fats which have more than one double bond between their carbon atoms are known are polyunsaturated fats, for example, linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids. Prevalent sources of unsaturated fats are vegetable oils extracted from sunflower, safflower, soy bean, cotton seed, corn etc. Apart from these whole grain cereals, fish oil and oils extracted from nuts and olives are also rich in unsaturated fats. These fats are considered to be healthy and friendly to heart, as they increase the concentration of high density lipoproteins (good cholesterol) in the blood.

Why are unsaturated fats considered to be good for health?

Unsaturated fats increase the levels of high density lipoproteins which prevent the accumulation of bad cholesterol on the walls of the arteries. HDL carries LDL to the liver where it gets broken down and released.

Essential Fatty Acids

Fats which cannot be synthesized by the body and which have to be acquired through diet are termed as essential fatty acids. They are long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, categorized into two families: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are also known as n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. The counting of the carbon atoms begins from the methyl end of the fatty acids. In Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, the first double bond is positioned at third and sixth positions respectively.

Essential fatty acids perform some vital functions in our body like

• Manufacture and repair of cell membranes
• Production of prostaglandins, which in turn regulate heart rate, blood pressure, maintenance of fertility and conception etc.
• Encouraging the body to fight against infections
• Maintenance of proper growth in children

Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

There are three nutritionally significant omega-3 fatty acids which are extracted from different sources.

1. Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) obtained from plants
2. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
3. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Out of the three, the later two are found in animals. ALA later gets metabolized to EPA and DHA. Recommended dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids is suggested to be 1 - 2 g per day.

Plants sources of ALA:

• Flaxseeds – They are known as alsi in Hindi, Aviselu in Telugu, and Agasi in Kannada. The oil extracted from these seeds is the richest source of ALA.
• Canola – The name canola comes from Canadian oil and is extracted from the seeds of a genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed plant. The Rapeseed plant belongs to the mustard family. This is a cheaper alternative for ALA.
• Soy beans – The oil extracted from these seeds also contains ALA but in a lesser concentration when compared to omega-6 fatty acids.
• Perilla – This is an annual herb which belongs to the mint family.
• Chia – It is a flowering plant native to central and southern Mexico and belongs to the mint family. Its seeds are used for extraction of oils. These seeds can also be taken raw. The sprouts of these seeds are very nutritious and taken as salads along with sandwiches. Soaked chia seeds can be used in porridges and puddings.
• Hemp – Hemp is a common name used for Cannabis plant. These seeds can be consumed raw as sprouts or can be converted into milk similar to soy milk. This can be used to prepare hemp tofu or a non dairy ice-cream.
• Walnuts - They can be directly consumed as they are rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are high in calories too. So moderation in consumption is advised.

Animal sources of ALA:

• Few varieties of cold water fish have been found to be rich in ALA. They are Salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel etc. So the fish oils extracted from these sources can form an important component of our diet.
• The thylakoid membranes of green leaves of broad leafed plants also have a high proportion of ALA. Hence animals which consume these plants are also a good source of ALA.

Sources of Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Nutritionally significant omega-6 fatty acids are Linoleic acid and Arachidonic acid. They are also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs. The Linoleic acid gets converted to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) within our body. They act as precursors for prostaglandins and are vital for healthy brain functioning.

Plant sources:

A large number of vegetable oils have been found to be rich in omega-6 fatty acids and few of them are:

• Sunflower oil
• Cotton seed oil
• Safflower oil
• Borage oil
• Corn oil
• Olive oil
• Evening primrose oil

Note: Although these oils are rich in essential fatty acids it is advised to avoid the consumption of refined and hydrogenated versions of these oils as they are injurious to health.

Some other plant sources which are rich in omega-6 fatty acids are

• Pumpkin seeds
• Pine Nuts
• Corn

Animal sources:

• Meat
• Eggs
• Other poultry products like chicken.

The Ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3

Clinical studies have shown that maintenance of n-6 / n-3 ratio within the range of 1:1 to 1:4 is very essential for healthy heart condition and prevents inflammation which leads to type-2 diabetes. A large variety of diseases like cancer, arthritis, obesity, asthma, depression, are also associated with the imbalance in the ratio of n-6 / n-3. Although both are essential fats and have to be obtained from our diet, a search for healthier source of omega-6 fatty acids having a considerable amount of omega-3 fatty acid is advisable.

An individual’s intake is expected to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids. This was possible in olden days when the availability of processed foods was less and people used to feed more on fresh vegetables and whole grains. Poultry animals and cattle used to graze on naturally available fresh grass and green leaves which are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. We used to get them naturally from animal products like meat, eggs, and milk. The modern man depends more on fast foods and almost every cereal, seed or grains of pulses are processed in many steps. At each step, food item becomes easier for consumption but at the cost of loss of certain vital nutrients. The food processing techniques increase the concentration of omega-6 fatty acids in the foods. The deep fried items like chips etc are prepared using vegetable oils. Hence it is advisable to take natural foods in the raw form.

Selection Criteria for Intake of Fats

• Avoid saturated fats as far as possible
• Choice of an apt polyunsaturated fat is a wise decision to be taken
• Try to take foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like whole-grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Non-vegetarians can supplement their diet with fish.
• Try to minimize the intake of processed and fast foods.

Nutritional facts of Rice Bran Oil

Bran is an integral part of the whole grain which is removed during processing in order to produce refined grains. Nutritionally rich bran is produced when cereal grains like rice, wheat, oats, millets etc are milled. The oil which is synthesized by pressing the hull or bran of rice grains is known as rice bran oil. It is popularly used as a cooking medium in several Asian countries. However with increasing awareness, the usage of this oil has increased across the world.

Why do people subject rice to milling? Rice bran has high oil content along with a natural enzyme called lipase. The lipase enzyme decomposes oil chemically, producing undesirable odors and flavors by the process of rancidification. Nature tries to protect the rice grains while they are growing and when they have an external covering of husk by isolating oil and lipase into separate types of cells. To make rice consumable, the rice grains are subjected to various processing techniques. As the first step of processing, the rice grains are hulled that is the outer husk is removed. Hulled rice containing only the outermost bran coating, has a very poor shelf life because during processing, lipase comes in contact with oil present in bran subjecting it to rancidification. In order to extend its shelf life, it is subjected further to the process of milling, during which bran is separated from the grains to get polished rice.

In many Asian countries including India, this bran was largely fed only to the cattle. Japan considered rice bran to be a valuable resource since ages and tried to extract oil out of it. Pickles and Takuan are few other ways of consuming rice bran in Japan.

Nutritional Benefits of Rice Bran Oil

 

Rice bran oil is a rich source of an antioxidant named gamma-oryzanol and a form of vitamin E, known as tocotrienols (TRF). According to studies conducted by Mohammad Minhajuddin, Ph.D and his colleagues, tocotrienols inhibit the cholesterol biosynthesis by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Hence the presence of antioxidants and vitamin E in this oil keep the heart healthy by lowering the levels of bad cholesterol and hence preventing heart attacks.

Rice bran oil consists of 33% polyunsaturated fats (containing essential fatty acids), 20% saturated fats and 47% monounsaturated fats. This composition is very close to the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for edible oils. It is a rich source of Linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids) and contains a considerable amount of Linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acids). Essential fatty acids act as vital internal regulators of the body.

It is trans-fat free. It boosts up the immune system and as it is a rich source of antioxidants, it can also clear free radicals.

Cooking Benefits Associated with Rice Bran Oil

Rice bran oil does not smoke at even very high temperatures due to its high smoke point of 490 °F (254 °C). This oil is optimum for high temperature cooking methods like grilling, deep frying etc, as it can take a large amount of heat. Oils which generate smoke spoil the aroma of food by imparting negative flavors.

This oil is light and absorbed by the food to a lesser extent. It lends a mild flavor to the food items which are processed in it.

It is being largely used in the restaurants and bakeries. The food prepared in this oil ultimately turns out to be crispy and crunchy in texture with nice flavor being added to it. Such nature of food is appealing for many people and hence this oil has become a choice for many cooks.

Consumption of Rice Bran Oil

Although rice bran oil imbibes many nutritional benefits and can be conveniently stored at room temperature for a span of one year without getting spoilt, moderate use of this oil is recommended. It can be a good substitute for many commercially available oils but in terms of quantity even this oil should be consumed moderately. As it is a general advice given by doctors across the world, “consume fats in moderate quantities”.

This oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids needed by our body but it does not provide the optimum n-6 / n-3 ratio. A combination of this oil with oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids like flax seed oil is suggested. Such a combination provides all the nutritional benefits related to rice bran and also maintains the optimum n-6 / n-3 ratio.

Touch Me Not – An Amazing Plant

Touch Me Not – An Amazing Plant

I saw my son playing with a plant which was folding its leaves on mere touch. It appeared as though this plant was feeling shy of human touch. The small creeper made me curious to know about it. This sensitive shy plant is scientifically known as Mimosa pudica. This humble plant is known with variety of names like Chhui-Mui, Lajwanti, Lajjawati, Lajalu, Lajak, Makahiya, Memege etc in various parts of the world.

One of the very strange characteristic of this plant is that its leaves close even with a mild stimulus like touch. It is a favorite plant for children as they like to blow, shake, touch this plant and notice the changes within the leaves. These types of movements, shown by this plant are known as seismonastic or thigmonastic movements and are commonly seen with the plants belonging to Mimosoideae subfamily of the legume family, Fabaceae. Apart from this the leaves bend and fold in the absence of light. These movements are termed as nyctonastic movements.

Morphologically it has bipinnately compound leaf and petioles are prickly. The base of the plant leaf is swollen and is known as Pulvinus. The flexibility of the base of the leaf is due to the core vascular tissue surrounded by thin walled parenchyma cells.

A rigid cell wall of a typical plant cell is maintained by the cell vacuoles. Water and cell contents within these vacuoles exert turgor pressure on the cell walls. Upon slight disturbance of these leaflets, chemicals containing potassium ions are released by certain regions of the stem. These chemicals force water out of the vacuoles of the cells present in leaves. As a result water is diffused out of the cells decreasing the turgor pressure. The turgidity levels vary between different regions of the cell. This makes the small leaflets close and the pulvinus bend leading to the collapse of leaf petiole. The stimulus gets transmitted to the neighboring leaves slowly.

Why should a plant behave in such a way? Living beings try to defend themselves from predators. For example we have receptors in our skin which responds to touch. Plants are consumed by herbivorous animals which are scared of fast moving plants. A touch-me-not plant shrinks on mere touch hence animals avoid this plant and consume a less active one. This plant prevents harmful insects like grasshopper or locust from sitting on it in two ways. The first method is folding of its small leaflets suddenly upwards. Due to this the leaflets appear like small twigs which are unappetizing for the insects. If this mechanism fails to flee away insects, the leaves start drooping down. This exposes the thorny petioles to the insects and the plant gets rid of them.

The fact the plants also feel pain and understand affection was proved by an Indian scientist, Jagadish Chandra Bose. This plant was declared as the plant of the week during October 12-22, 2001.

Tomatoes for Healthy Life

Tomato is a deep red pulpy fruit which comes from the Lycopersicon esculentum plant. According to botanical classification, it belongs to the Solanaceae family. Botanically, tomato is considered to be an edible fruit but when it comes to the cooking practices it is largely considered a vegetable. This fruit has originated in South America and has spread all over the world. At present there are at least 7500 different varieties of tomatoes known to us. This fruit is liked because of its tangy taste and is used to prepare a wide range of dishes like jam, sauce, pickles, juice, curries etc.

Nutritional Analysis Tables

100 grams of an edible portion of a ripe tomato has been shown to contain the nutrients in the following proportion.

Nutritional Value of Ripe Tomato
Protein	0.9 g
Fat	0.2 g
Minerals	0.5 g
Fiber	0.8 g
Carbohydrates	3.6 g
Energy	20 Kcal
Calcium	48 mg
Phosphorous	20 mg
Iron	0.64 mg

                                                                     

Vitamins Concentration in Ripe Tomato
Carotene	351 μg
Thiamine	0.12 mg
Riboflavin	0.06 mg
Niacin	0.4 mg
Vitamin C	27 mg

                                                                        

Quantity of Phyto-nutrients in ripe Tomato
Carotene-ß	449 mcg
Carotene-α	101 mcg
Lutein-zeaxanthin	123 mcg
Lycopene	2573 mcg

Nutritional Benefits of Tomatoes

• Tomatoes provide a lower amount of calories and fats and at the same time they are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. An intake of this fruit is recommended to people who are obese and those suffering from higher levels of cholesterol.
• It is a rich source of phyto-nutrients named lycopene and beta-carotene. Lycopene exists in the cell walls of tomato and acts as an antioxidant protecting the cells and its structures from oxygen free radicals. According to the studies performed by Dr. Edward Giovannucci, Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts, this nutrient lycopene, protects us from many kinds of cancers like the prostate cancer.
• Lycopene prevents heart diseases.
• Lycopene is associated with the prevention of age-related macular degeneration
• Cooking practices like heating or frying it in a little bit oil, does not spoil the nutritional value of tomato. Lycopene is fat soluble hence cooking in a little bit of oil, releases this nutrient from the cell walls of tomatoes to a greater extent.
• Intake of tomatoes helps to maintain the Sodium/potassium balance as they provide a lower concentration of sodium and at the same time are richer in potassium. This in turn regulates the blood pressure and allows the cell to function normally.
• Tomatoes are richer in two vital vitamins which are Vitamin A and C. Hence they are good for eyes and maintenance of mucus membrane of the skin. They help in developing resistance against infectious agents.
• It helps in curing the blisters and ulcers of mouth.

These are some of the innumerable health benefits associated with intake of tomatoes. Many nutritional facts are still being researched. It is good to include this vegetable in our daily diet. As cooking practices do not spoil the nutritional value of this fruit it can be preserved in many ways to get the taste of tomatoes all the year round. Some preservation methods have been described below -

Preservation of Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be preserved in various ways so that the flavor, taste and nutritional value are retained. The preservation techniques help us to get the tangy taste of tomatoes even when the price of tomatoes reaches the sky. Various home based methods which increase the shelf life of tomatoes have been discussed below.

The techniques discussed below depend on the kind of tomatoes chosen. Red tomatoes which have a very high content of vitamins have to be plucked from the garden during sunrise. During this time the fruits are still cool as the temperatures are low during the past night. Care should be taken to discard those tomatoes which have any kind of black spots. The tomatoes should be properly cleaned with water and should be kept away from prolonged exposure to sunlight before the preparation as this would spoil the tomatoes.

Preparation of Peeled Tomato Preserves

These peeled tomatoes can be used to prepare sauce all the year round. To prepare this, the tomatoes are gently dipped into hot boiling water for 30 seconds. Soon after this the tomatoes are removed from the cooking pot with the help of a sieve and plunged immediately into cold water for few minutes. This helps to loosen the skin of tomatoes. After this the skin of tomatoes is completely peeled. Clean and dried jars are used to store the peeled tomatoes. Tomatoes are allowed to fit snugly against each other by tapping the bottom of the jar. Lemon juice without the pips is extracted and added to the jars. The amount of lemon juice to be added comes to one coffee/tea-spoonful per half-liter of the jar. The jar is filled up with some amount of hot tomato pulp. The jars are then tightly screwed and allowed for sterilization in hot boiling water for a span of 45 minutes. These jars are allowed to cool and then cleaned and dried. These jars can be stored in a cool dry place and should be consumed within a span of one year.

Preparation of Tomato Pulp

Good tomatoes are chosen and cut into two halves to check for rotten tomatoes. An extractor is used to separate pulp from the seeds and the skin of the tomatoes. As an alternative to an extractor the tomatoes can also be cut into very small pieces and squashed. The seeds and the skin can also be separated with the help of a sieve. These steps can be repeated several times to maximize the yield. The extracted pulp is subjected to pre-heating at low temperature. This pulp is then filled into the jars along with a spoonful of lemon juice. These jars have to be sterilized for a span of 45 minutes.

Preparation of Dried Tomatoes

The tomatoes are cut lengthwise into two halves. The seeds are to be carefully removed using hands or spoons. These pips or seeds can be later sundried and used to grow the next crop of tomato plants. After this the tomatoes are further cut into small and uniform sizes measuring approximately one centimeter in thickness. These tomato pieces are sundried. This technique preserves the tomatoes for a span of three months.

To preserve the tomatoes for more than three months further processing is involved. Water containing a spoonful of salt and preservatives like citric acid powder is boiled. Addition of salt and preservatives prevents the tomatoes from getting blackened during the drying process.

The small pieces of tomatoes and their slices are subjected to the process of blanching. In order to blanch tomatoes, they are put into a clean cloth or a basket and plunged into the above mentioned boiling water for three minutes. Blanching is a preservation technique wherein vegetables are boiled before drying to kill the enzymes which spoil the food. After blanching tomato pieces are drained and then sundried with the help of dryers for at least two and a half days. The dried tomatoes are later gathered and cooled for half an hour in a shady place so that they do not release moisture while packing. These tomatoes are then packed into a polythene bags which are later kept into cardboard boxes containing straw. This protects the tomatoes from dampness and preserves them for one year.

Some other ways by which tomatoes can be preserved are by making a puree, sauce, jam or pickle.

This deep red fruit not only titillates your taste buds but it also encompasses some very wonderful nutritional and medicinal properties. It is a boon for those who want to reduce weight as it can be taken as salad during any time of the day. This fruit has the power to fight against many diseases and at the same time does not lose its nutritional significance upon cooking. With so many advantages associated with this fruit should we not make this a part of our daily diet?

References:

1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Information Network on Post-Harvest Operations (INPhO) 1998. (2010, Aug 30). Methods for tomato preservation, Retrieved April13, 2011, from http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/ct/216/farmPlanningAndMarketing.

2. Gopalan, C. Rama Sastri, B.V. & Balasubramaniam, S.C. (2000). Nutritive value of Indian Foods (Revised by Narasinga, B.S. Pant, K.C. Deosthale, Y.G.). Hyderabad: National Institute of Nutrition.

3. Tomato nutrition facts. (2010). Retrieved April 13, 2011, from

      http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/tomato.html

4. Khachik, F. Carvalho, L et al. (2002). Chemistry, distribution, and metabolism of tomato carotenoids and their impact on human health. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 227, 845-851.

This article has been inspired from a question asked by Odunlami O Sunday.