Govt exploring to add Ayush component in take-home ration, pilot projects carried out in Guj, K'taka: Official

The government is exploring adding an Ayush component in the take-home ratio of children, pregnant women, and lactating women that they get from Anganwadi centers to improve their nutrition level, a senior official said.

The project is being tried out on a pilot basis in Gujarat and Karnataka and both states have given good results, the official added.

The Women and Child Development ministry official said that the findings of this particular project will be then shared with ICMR to see if there can be a third-party validation medically for this initiative.

''We are in active talks with secretary Ayush to ensure this happens,'' the official told reporters at the sub-zonal meeting of the ministry here.

In Gujarat, the addition of several Ayurvedic components like Trikatu and Vidang in Balshakti for children and Jeera and Musta Churn in Matrushakti in take-home ration for pregnant and lactating women, said Avantika Darji, Joint Director in ICDS.

The pilot project in Gujarat is being carried out in Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Dang, Narmada, Bhavnagar, and Dahod. ''To improve the Health and Nutritional status of ICDS beneficiaries, the government of Gujarat is providing micronutrient-rich 'take-home ration' with the support of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF-AMUL) and respective Dairy Unions,'' Darji said. She said it has been seen that the appetite of children, absorption of nutrients, weight gain, control of intestinal worms, and indigestion.

In pregnant and lactating women, research has shown that Jeera or cumin improves ''hypoxic conditions in the placenta'', she said.

Hypoxic conditions in the placenta occur when a fetus gets deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen.

The therapeutic effects of cumin seeds extend to experiencing anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive results as well whereas Musta helps in abdominal pain relief, and indigestion, controls worms and reduces fever in pregnant and lactating women, Darji said.

The country is battling alarming levels of malnutrition.

According to the NFHS-5, 35.5 percent of children below five years were stunted and 32.1 percent were underweight in 2019-21.

To combat malnutrition and keep a check on nutrition, the government has been providing take-home rations to households having children 6 months to 6 years of age and pregnant and lactating mothers.

Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person's intake of energy or nutrients.