Feature
Ever wondered about different health benefits of Coconut Oil
New Delhi: Ever wondered about the different ways in which coconut oil can be used? This marvel oil has been used in India for generations for a variety of reasons because of its different health benefits.
Doctor Priyanka Sampat, Ayurveda expert at Birla Ayurveda lists down some benefits.
* Natural moisturiser: Coconut oil is used to treat dead skin, while also enhancing complexion. Since it has no side effects, it is used to treat an array of skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and skin burns. Coconut oil also helps in removing stretch marks and enhancing epidermis to prevent cellulite. Apply a few drops of coconut oils on your lips regularly to prevent chapped lips!
* Hair care: Coconut oil is extremely beneficial for hair growth and helps in adding shine to the strands. A five-minute scalp massage with coconut oil not only increases the blow circulation in the body, but also helps in the replenishment of lost nutrients. By regularly massaging with coconut oil, you can also ensure that your hair is dandruff free!
* Oral health: Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual where you swish oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes and then spit it out. Removing oral bacteria helps in prevention of various diseases in and around the gums. Oil pulling with coconut oil should be done thrice a week for healthier gums!
* Joint pain: In Ayurveda, due to Pitta Vruddhi, coconut oil is used to ease the pain in arthritis. It improves the ability to absorb calcium and magnesium in the bones.
Indrayani Pawar, Team leader dietician at Hinduja Healthcare Surgical lists down some health benefits.
Ever wonder Coconut Oil has different marvel health benefits:
* Weight loss: The oil extracted from fresh coconut meat contains more medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) (70-85%) than other coconut oils. MCFAs are easily oxidized lipids and are not stored in adipose tissue unlike long chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Thus, coconut oil containing mainly MCFAs may provide an ideal source for weight reduction.
* Strengthens immunity: Coconut oil is a rich source of antimicrobial lipids like lauric acid and capric acid which possess antifungal and antibacterial properties. The micro flora in the saliva and gut help to break down the triglycerides in coconut oil into free fatty acids and glycerol, which have these immune strengthening effects.
* Ideal for cooking: Amongst dietary oils, coconut oil is least vulnerable to oxidation, which makes it the safest for cooking. With a melting point of 76 Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius), it is a white solid fat below that temperature and is clear liquid oil above this temperature.
Serving as an essential ingredient for many of herbal medicines, Coconut oil is used internally as well as externally. So, next time you go oil shopping, you know which oil to choose!
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.