Eat carrots, food items rich in antioxidants: Health Minister amid Delhi air pollution
New Delhi, Nov 4: As the national capital continues to grapple with severe levels of air pollution, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan took to Twitter to impart some advice on how to counter pollution-related problems.
Vardhan, who is a doctor by profession, suggested eating carrots and food items with high level of antioxidants to combat pollution-related health issues.
In a tweet on Monday, Vardhan said oxidative stress triggered by various pollutants has serious negative effects on human health.
"One positive action is to include food items with high level of antioxidants that can neutralise this. Of course, the solution lies in exposure prevention and control," he said.
On Sunday, he had tweeted, "Eating carrots helps the body get Vitamin A, potassium and antioxidants which protect against night blindness common in India. Carrots also help against other pollution-related harm to health."
Pollution level in Delhi peaked to a three-year high on Sunday notwithstanding claims of heightened checks and curbs by authorities.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 494 at 4 pm on Sunday, the highest since November 6, 2016 when it was 497.
All schools up to Class 12 have been closed in the National Capital Region till Tuesday due to the spike in pollution level.
The Delhi government also issued a health advisory and asked people to avoid outdoor activities as much as possible, especially during the morning and late evening hours and keep activity levels low.
The advisory said the air pollution might cause respiratory problems in healthy people on a prolonged exposure and pronounced respiratory or other serious illnesses for the vulnerable population even on a short exposure.
"The general public is, therefore, advised to avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening hours," it stated.
The dos and don'ts asked people to remain indoors and reschedule their outdoor activities, consult doctors in case of breathlessness, giddiness, cough, chest discomfort or pain and irritation in the eyes.
Using N95 masks, avoiding heavy traffic and polluted areas, keeping doors and windows closed in the morning and late evening were also advised by the government.
It also asked people to use public transport, avoid driving two-wheelers and other vehicles, and stop smoking.
#EatRightIndia_35
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) November 4, 2019
Oxidative stress triggered by various pollutants has serious negative effects on human health.
One positive action is to include food items with high level of Antioxidants that can neutralise this.
Of course, the solution lies in exposure prevention & control. pic.twitter.com/Uu3FvAwtX3
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'Still have freedom of speech': HC says no to plea against wife's cancer cure claim of Navjot Sidhu
New Delhi (PTI): Observing there still was freedom of speech in the country, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's claims that certain remedies helped his wife in her battle against stage 4 cancer.
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the former cricketer had only voiced his opinion and the petitioner was also free to counter the claims.
"He is just voicing his opinion. Counter his claims by holding a press conference. Counter free speech by free speech and not by curtailing his free speech under the fear of legal action or contempt. We still have freedom of speech in this country," the bench said.
The bench went on to underline, "You can't say freedom of speech be curtailed. You counter his claim. This is not our domain. If you don't agree with this gentleman's views, don't listen to him. There are a lot of books which you may feel are bad, don't read them. Who is asking you to read them? Free speech is not meant to be curtailed by bringing them to court and putting them under the fear of contempt withdrawn."
As the court made it clear that a writ petition couldn't be entertained, the petitioner sought to withdraw it.
"We can't entertain a writ petition on this. Thousands of people claim they have a cure for something but that does not mean you will seek action against them."
At a press conference in Amritsar on November 21, Sidhu stated that his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had been declared cancer-free, emphasising the role of dietary and lifestyle changes in her recovery.
He then said his wife's diet included things like lemon water, raw turmeric, apple cider vinegar, neem leaves, basil, pumpkin, pomegranate, amla, beetroot and walnuts which made her healthy.
After oncologists questioned his claim that a strict diet helped his wife defeat stage 4 cancer, Sidhu clarified on November 25 that the diet plan was implemented in consultation with doctors and should be considered "facilitation in the treatment".
During the hearing, the petitioner said he was against Sidhu's claim on 100 per cent cure of cancer questioning if tulsi and ashwagandha fully could defeat stage 4 cancer.
Sidhu's video circulated on various social media platforms and news channels, and as a celebrity he had influence over many, it was claimed.
The petitioner therefore urged the court to restrain circulation of the videos saying misinformation was being peddled.
The court, however, said if Sidhu's wife, who was a doctor herself, felt better by following a particular diet, it was good.
Justice Gedela remarked if the petitioner was really concerned about public interest, he should go and file a petition against the manufacture of cigarettes and alcohol.
On November 23, Dr C S Pramesh, director of Tata Memorial Hospital, which specialises in cancer treatment, posted a video of Sidhu's press conference on X and said, "Parts of the video imply that starving cancer by avoiding dairy products and sugar, and consuming haldi (turmeric) and neem, helped cure her 'incurable' cancer".
He added, "Please don’t believe or be fooled by these statements, regardless of who they come from. These are unscientific and baseless recommendations. It was surgery and chemotherapy, which are evidence-based treatments, that made her cancer-free, not haldi, neem, or other such remedies".
