A GLANCE at Mahatma Gandhi's letters to his near and dear ones Aduring his later years (1920s-40s) reveals his obsession with food and health. Besides sharing his philosophy and advice on healthy eating, he also emphasises on good bowel movement. Indeed, as his biographers have chronicled, Gandhi was fascinated by clues that faecal matter provides on the state of one's health.
Researchers find merit in the motion even today. In 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, scientists found RNA fragments of the SARS-COV-2 virus in Ahmedabad's Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant. Months later, in May 2021, researchers from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Indian Institute of Chemical Technology found the virus in samples from sewage treatment plants in Hyderabad. Both papers were published in Science of The Total Environment.
Researchers opine that the study of human faces can not just help trace the spread of a disease like COVID-19 but also revolutionise healthcare diagnosis.
About 75 per cent of faeces is water, and the remaining is made up of proteins, undigested fibres and fats, salts, cells from the intestinal lining, mucus and organic matter. Some 25-50 per cent of the organic matter comprises microbes. “These give a snapshot of the gut microbiome and its metabolic activities, Vineet Sharma, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, tells Down To Earth (DTE).
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 01, 2022-Ausgabe von Down To Earth.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 01, 2022-Ausgabe von Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
