Let the sun shine on you
Sun-kissed is how tropical Sri Lanka is commonly described but hidden within this image is a strong myth. The myth is that men, women and children of Sri Lanka get ample amounts of the ‘Sunshine Vitamin’ or Vitamin D which is vital for our health. “The belief is that we Sri Lankans have enough sunshine [...]
A lot of bottle –Some myths and realities about alcohol
Nearly three decades ago,when starting my career in psychiatry, I asked my teacher and mentor Diyanath Samarasinghe why he has chosen to devote so much of his professional life to educating and campaigning against the use of alcohol and tobacco. I still remember his answer. He said, “A person has to choose what he would [...]
The queen of fruits that melts in the mouth
Mangosteens are in season! You see them heaped high in make-shift stalls in various places in the country. Who wouldn’t be tempted to try this tropical fruit with the deep purple outer shell and heavenly white inside? Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, in the family Guttiferae (Clusiaceae) often called the ‘queen of fruits’ takes centrestage of fruit [...]
Ginger – the natural wonder
The knobbly many fingered rhizome of ginger is considered a natural wonder as it has numerous time tested benefits.The rhizome which is actually the root of the ginger plant has been prized for centuries for its aromatic, culinary and medicinal properties. Ginger (Inguru in Sinhala and Ingi in Tamil), Zingiberofficinale in the family Zingiberaceae is the world’s [...]
‘Don’t take your lungs for granted’
They are an amazing organ, occupying the chest cavity like gossamer-winged butterflies, which many of us take for granted. Each and every breath we take, on which our very life depends, will hinge on the condition of our lungs. In the past, while we assumed that lungs were endangered by external air pollutants, now many [...]