‘Healthy citizens are the true wealth of a nation’

Central University of Karnataka Registrar R.R. Biradar has emphasised that the real assets of any nation are its healthy citizens and not material possessions.

He was delivering a special lecture on “Instant beverages for a healthy lifestyle” organised by the Department of Commerce of the Central University of Karnataka here on Tuesday.

Prof. Biradar said that growing lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and cardiac ailments are posing serious challenges to India.

“India is the second most affected country after China in terms of diabetes prevalence. Nearly 17% of our adult population is diabetic, compared to the world average of 11%. One in every six Indians suffers from diabetes,” he said and expressed concern over the rising lifetime risk of cancer, estimated at 11%, and the increasing incidence of heart attacks among young adults.

“These diseases are largely a result of lifestyle changes – consumption of junk food, processed fast food and lack of physical exercise and stress management. We must prioritise our health by choosing a balanced diet, fruits and vegetables and by adopting regular physical activities such as yoga, meditation and walking. If we do not treat food as medicine today, we may be forced to take medicine as food in the future,” he cautioned.

Delivering the special lecture, founder and director of Buyu Food Private Limited, Kalaburagi, Anilkumar Kadadi said that most commercially available soft drinks and beverages contained high amounts of sugar, preservatives and very little fruit content.

“Many consumers cannot distinguish between real fruit juices, carbonated drinks and ready-to-drink products. To address this, we have developed a range of healthy beverages and powders made from natural fruits, vegetables and leaves,” he said and added that the company produces 41 items, including baobab powder, rosella powder, moringa powder, curry leaf powder, papaya leaf powder and various natural juices, all through safe processes and backed by ISO and FSSAI certifications.

Panduranga V. Patti, Komal, Mallikarjun, M.S. Pasodi, G.R. Angadi, Devarajappa, Ranganath, Zoahir, P.S. Kattimani and other faculty members and students were present.