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Nutrition and Health
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Proteins are made from amino acids and they are vital for living
beings to carry out a wide range of functions essential for life.
Almost half of the protein in our body is in the form of muscles. The
quality of protein depends upon the content of essential amino acid in
the food.
Functions:
- Protein in the form of enzymes and hormones are required for a wide
range of vital metabolic processes in the body.
- Proteins supply the body-building material and help body growth and
development in children and adolescents.
- In adults, it helps to maintain the losses that occur due to wear
and tear.
- During pregnancy and lactation, additional protein is required for
synthesis of foetal and maternal tissue.
Recommended Dietary Allowance of Proteins
- Animal proteins are of higher quality since they provide essential
amino acids in right proportion.
- Even vegetarians can get enough protein by eating combination of
cereals, millets, nuts and pulses.
- Milk and egg contain good quality protein.
- Some of the rich sources of protein are pulses, legumes, nuts and
oil seeds, milk and milk products, meat, fish and poultry.
- Among the plant foods soybean is the richest source of protein,
containing over 40% of protein.
- The amount of protein required for boys (16-18 years) weighing 57
kg weight is 78 gm per day, whereas same age group girls weighing 50kg
need 63 gm/day.
- Pregnant women need 65 gm of protein, while lactating women (upto 6
month) need 75gm/day.
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Foods
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Nutrient Content
Gm/100g edible portion
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Soyabean
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43.2
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Bengalgram, black gram, green gram, lentil and red gram
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22
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Groundnuts, cashew nuts and almond
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23
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Fish
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20
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Meat
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22
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Milk (Cow)
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3.2
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Buffalo
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4.3
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Egg (approx 44 gms)
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13.3 (Per egg)
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Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that are required for our
body in minute amounts to fight diseases, to support metabolic
activities and protect against infections. These are essential for
maintenance of health and longevity.
VITAMIN A Vitamin A is fat-soluble vitamin. It has important role in
vision, immune functions and integrity of skin and mucus membrane. In
India, 3% of school age children suffer from vitamin A deficiency signs
like bitot spots (a gray patch on the white portion of the eye.). One
of the earliest manifestations of vitamin A deficiency is night
blindness. |
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- Vitamin A is essential for normal vision. Its deficiency results in
night blindness and other complications.
- Studies suggest that preventing vitamin A deficiency in women
during and before pregnancy greatly reduce their risk of mortality and
morbidity.
- Dietary intake of vitamin A is advisable to prevent vitamin A
deficiency disorders.
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- Many green leafy vegetables, yellow and orange coloured fruits and
vegetables are rich sources of beta-carotene.
- Pro-vitamins like beta carotene are converted to vitamin A. Only
foods of animal origin contain performed Vitamin A.
- Milk and milk products, egg yolk, red palm oil, fish and fish liver
oil are also rich in vitamin A. Total beta-carotene content of some
foodstuffs.
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Name of the food stuff
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Β carotene μ/100 edible portion
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Coriander leaves
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4800
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Curry leaves
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7110
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Drumstick leaves
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19690
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Fenugreek leaves
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9100
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Carrot
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6460
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Mango ripe
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1990
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Papaya ripe
Pumpkin
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880
1160
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Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient and an antioxidant. It gives
protection against infection. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy
characterized by weakness, bleeding gums and defective bone growth.
Vitamin C helps in wound healing, amino acid and carbohydrate
metabolism and synthesis of some hormones. It also influences iron
absorption.
VITAMIN ‘C’ RICH FOODS
- It is present in all fresh citrus fruits such as orange, lemon and
amla.
- Commonly consumed fruits such as tomato and guava are good sources
of vitamin C. Sprouted grams are also rich sources of vitamin C.
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Iron is an essential element for the formation of hemoglobin in
blood red cells and plays an important role in transport of oxygen. In
our country, Anemia is major public health problem in young children,
adolescent girls and pregnant women. Approximately 50% of the
populations suffer from nutritional anemia. Nutritional anemia
adversely affects work output among adults and learning ability in
children.
EAT IRON-RICH FOOD
- Plant foods like green leafy vegetables, dried fruits and legumes
contain iron and millets such as bajra and ragi are good sources of
iron. Remember that only 3-5% of iron from plant sources is absorbed by
the body.
- Iron is also obtained through meat, fish and poultry
products..
- Fruits with vitamin C like amla, guava and citrus fruits
improve iron absorption from plant foods.
- Avoid tea/coffee after a meal.
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- Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones
(thyroxin) which in turn is responsible for normal physical and mental
growth.
- The daily requirement of iodine is 100-150 μgm/day and it varies
with age and certain physiological conditions.
- Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are important micronutrient
deficiency disorders of public health importance in India.
- Iodine deficiency in pregnancy affects the fetal growth and its
mental development.
- Iodine deficiency leads to hypothyroidism, goiter and growth
retardation.
- We get iodine from the food we eat especially sea foods and
water
- Substances called goitrogens that are present .in vegetables like
cabbage, cauliflower, tapioca etc. interfere with metabolic utilization
of iodine.
- One should use iodized salt daily in the diet to prevent IDD.
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Adolescents constitute more than one –fifth of India’s
population. The word Adolescent comes from Latin word ‘Adolescere’
meaning to grow, to mature signifying the special features of
adolescence.
According to WHO, the following are some of the characteristic
features of adolescence.
Growth, Development & Nutrition
Adequate nutrition is critical for growth spurt during adolescence.
Poor nutrition is often cited as one of the reasons for delay in the
onset of puberty, especially among Indian adolescent girls. Growth
spurt which signals the onset of puberty depends on the girl’s
attaining a critical weight of 30kgs and a critical body composition of
10% body fat.
There is an increased demand for energy, protein, minerals and
vitamins during adolescence.
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Age group
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Energy kcal/day
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Protein g/day
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Fat g/day
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Calcium mg/day
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Iron mg/day
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Vitamin A μg/day (Beta carotene )
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10-12 yrs Boys
10-12 yrs. Girls
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2190
1970
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54
57
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22
22
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600
600
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34
19
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2400
2400
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13-15 yrs Boys
13-15 yrs
Girls
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2450
2060
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70
65
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22
22
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600
600
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41
28
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2400
2400
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16-18 yrs. Boys
16-18 yrs. Girls
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2640
2060
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78
63
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22
22
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500
500
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50
30
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2400
2400
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Source: Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians,
NIN, ICMR, Year: 1989
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Human beings need adequate energy to carry out their daily
routine physical work, maintain body temperature,
metabolic activity and to support growth. The survey conducted by
National Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) revealed that in India nearly 50% of
men and women suffer from chronic energy deficiency.
- Energy requirement of an individual is based on daily energy
expenditure. It is also dependent on age, body weight, level of
physical activity, growth and physical status. In India, 70-80% of the
total dietary calories are obtained from food grains such as cereals,
millets, pulses and tubers.
- Children including adolescents obtain 55-60% of their daily
requirement of calories from carbohydrates.
- Adolescent require more of energy for healthy growth. For example,
girls and boys in the age group of 16-18 require 2060 kilocalories and
2640 kcal respectively.
- During pregnancy, additional energy is needed to support the growth
of foetus and the health of pregnant women.
- Energy inadequacy leads to under-nutrition and at the same time
excess intake results in obesity
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- Include cereals, millets, pulses, tubers, vegetable oils, ghee,
butter, oil seeds, nuts, sugar, jaggery, etc.
- Since we get most of our calories from cereals, consumption of
different varieties of cereals and millets should be encouraged.
- Coarse cereals like jowar, bajra, and millets like ragi are
inexpensive and good sources of energy
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Food items
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Energy(kcal/100g. edible portion)
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Rice
Wheat flour
Jowar
Bajra
Ragi
maize
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345
341
349
361
328
342
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Fat is an important component of diet and serves a number of
functions in our body. It is a concentrated source of energy providing
9 kcal per gram. Minimum fat is essential to absorb the fat-soluble
vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K, available in the diet.
- Dietary fats are derived from both plant and animal sources.
- Vegetable oils are major dietary sources of essential fatty acids
(EFA) and other unsaturated fatty acids called MUFA (mono unsaturated
fatty acids) and PUFA(poly unsaturated fatty acid).
- Dietary fats provide essential fatty acids, which are functional
components of membrane lipids and have other important metabolic
functions.
- Adults need to restrict intake of saturated fat (ghee, butter and
hydrogenated fat).
- Vegetable oils except coconut oil are rich in unsaturated fatty
acids.
- Excess intake of saturated fat items like butter, ghee, and
hydrogenated fat could lead to high blood cholesterol which is not good
for health and also it may lead to obesity, cardiovascular
disease.
- Fats that are used for cooking (vegetable oils, vanaspati, butter
and ghee) are termed as visible fats. Fats that are present in the food
item are called invisible fat.
- Animal foods provide high amount of saturated fat.
RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE:
- Diet for young children and adolescent contain above 25 grams
visible fat.
- Adults with sedentary habits require 20 grams per day.
- Pregnant and lactating women need 30 grams per day of visible fat
to meet their physiological needs.
Linoleic (LIN) linoleinic (LEN) acid content of edible oils
(g/100g.)
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Oil
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Lin
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Len
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Total EFA
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Ghee
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1.6
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0.5
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2.1
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Coconut
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2.2
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2.2
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Vanaspati
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3.4
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3.4
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Palmolein
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12.0
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0.3
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12.3
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Rape/mustard
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13.0
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9.0
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22.0
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Groundnut
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28.0
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0.3
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28.3
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Rice bran
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33.0
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1.6
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34.6
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Sesame
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40.0
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0.5
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40.5
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Sunflower oil
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52.0
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Trace
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52.0
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Soya bean
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52.0
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5.0
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57.0
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Safflower
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74.0
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0.5
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74.5
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Obesity is a state in which there is a generalized accumulation of
excess fat in adipose tissue in the body leading to more than 20% of
desirable weight. Obesity has several adverse health effects and can
even lead to premature death. Obesity leads to high blood cholesterol,
high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, gall bladder stone and
certain types of cancer.
Causes
- Over-eating and reduced physical activity together lead to
obesity.
- Obesity and over-weight are caused by a chronic imbalance between
energy intake and energy expenditure.
- High intake of dietary fat also causes obesity.
- Complex behavior and psychological factors also cause over-eating
and thus lead to obesity.
Metabolic errors in energy utilization may favour fat accumulation.
Obesity in childhood and adolescence can lead to adult obesity. Among
women, obesity develops just around pregnancy and after menopause.
How to reduce weight?
- Eat less fried foods.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Eat more fiber rich food items like whole grains, grams and
sprouts.
- Do regular exercise to keep the body weight within normal
limits.
- Slow and steady reduction in body weight is advised.
- Severe fasting may lead to health hazards. Enjoy a variety of foods
needed to balance your physical activity.
- Eat small meals regularly at frequent intervals.
- Cut down sugar, fatty foods and alcohol.
- Use low-fat milk.
- Weight reducing diet must be rich in protein and low in
carbohydrate and fat.
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Demand for nutritious diet is high during pregnancy. Extra food is
required to meet the needs of the foetus and the pregnant women. In
India, it is observed that diets of women belonging to the poorer
groups are similar to non-pregnant and non-lactating women even during
pregnancy and lactation.
- Maternal malnutrition leads to high prevalence of low birth weight
infants and high maternal and infant mortality.
- Additional foods are required to improve the birth weight and to
increase mother’s body fat deposits.
- Lactating women need more nutritious food for optimum milk out
put.
Dietary requirements of pregnant women
- Diet of a pregnant woman has a direct influence on the weight of
the baby at birth.
- Diet during pregnancy should contain larger amounts of protective
foods.
- Pregnant women need an additional 300 kcal of energy, extra 15 gm
of protein and 10 gm fat from mid pregnancy onwards.
- During pregnancy and lactation additional amount of calcium is
required for proper formation of bone and teeth and also for secretion
of breast milk.
- Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy increases maternal
mortality and the incidence of low birth weight. Hence, consuming iron
rich food is essential.
Dos and don’ts during pregnancy
- Eat more food during pregnancy and lactation.
- An additional meal is preferable.
- Eat more whole grain, sprouted grams and fermented food.
- Take milk/meat/egg.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- Do not use alcohol and tobacco.
- Take medicine only when prescribed.
- Take iron, folate and calcium supplements regularly after 14-16
weeks of pregnancy and continue the same during lactation.
- Beverages like tea and coffee bind dietary iron and make it
unavailable; hence they should be restricted before and soon after a
meal.
- Pregnant women need walking and other physical activity and should
avoid heavy physical work, particularly during the last month of
pregnancy.
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Source : National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
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