Dr. Saju George

Unlike its tastier and tempting counterparts like cottage cheese and flavoured yoghurt, dahi or curd has always been a staple in a majority of Indian diets, but many people are not aware of the benefits proffered by this humble accompaniment. Curd has many health as well as nutritional benefits and having a bowlful of curd every day helps to regulate body temperature, improves digestion and saves you from recurrent stomach ailments.

There are various other advantages of consuming curd regularly.

Importance of having curd
Curd or dahi as Indians call it is in great demand all around the year, particularly during the summer months. It is a great tastemaker and incorporated in numerous Indian dishes that are important from both taste and health perspective. Besides curd improves complexion and in often cases, curd seems to be more beneficial than milk, the fermentation of which leads to the making of curd.

Nutritional facts about curd
In a cupful or 100 grams of curd, there are 4.3 grams of fat, 3.4 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of proteins, 17 mg of cholesterol, 36.4 grams of sodium and 10.4 grams of potassium. Curd is also rich in Vitamin A, D and B-12, magnesium and a good quantity of calcium as well.

Curd helps in digestion
This melange of nutrients present in curd gets easily absorbed by human alimentary canal and curd itself aids in digestion of other food nutrients. It also helps in maintaining the ideal pH balance and alleviates many stomach ailments and helps in relieving from dysentery.

Curd is good for teeth and bone health
Contrary to the popular belief, curd is much better for the maintenance of teeth and bone health due to its high calcium and phosphorus content. Both phosphorus and calcium are important for bones and teeth, and therefore, you must eat loads of curd or dahi regularly if you are dealing with arthritis and osteoporosis.

Curd triggers weight loss
Finally, the importance of curd in weight loss can never be overlooked. Curd is rich in calcium, which hinders the cortisol formation in the body. The lack of balance in cortisol content within the body may lead to various lifestyle-related troubles such as obesity, stress and hypertension. A recent research has informed that having 18 ounces of dahi daily aids in reducing stomach fat as more amount of calcium hinders the cortisol release by fat cells.

There is a lot more that dahi or curd can do for your health and beauty benefits, and a physician will be able to tell you more about this.

Ichthyosis is a family of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, scaling skin that may be thickened or very thin.  Ichthyosis affects people of all ages, races and gender. The disease usually presents at birth, or within the first year, and continues to affect the patient throughout their lifetime.

What are some of the problems associated with ichthyosis?
Besides the common scaling condition of the skin and depending on the severity, there may be associated psychological symptoms due to the abnormal appearance of the skin. Ichthyosis is disfiguring for most affected individuals. In addition to the numerous medical complications like dehydration, infections, chronic blistering, overheating, and rapid-calorie loss, patients with ichthyosis are subjected to psychological issues. Patients are often ostracized and concerns of isolation, low self-esteem, and depression are common due to the appearance of their visible, chronically shedding skin. Consult a dermatologist for treatment of the disease.