The Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a Half-Day session on “Lifestyle Diseases and Wellness Management” on 26th November 2019 in the Chamber Conference Hall, Willingdon Island.

Mr. V Venugopal, President of the Chamber delivered the Welcome Address.

Dr. Sujith S R, CEO, Haya Wellness; Wellness Consultant and Nutrition Medical Specialist was the Speaker at the session.

Dr. Sujith commenced the session by outlining the history of ‘bacteria,’ one of the earliest forms of life and a word that often brings about a sense of uneasiness in everyone. Dr. Sujith said that the number of bacterial cells in the body is commonly estimated at 10 times the number of human cells. Every coin has two sides, bacteria are essential for one to survive but there are some harmful forms of bacteria too. Humans and Bacteria need each other, he added.

The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. Dr. Sujith explained that a troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression since the brain and the gastrointestinal system are intimately connected. This is especially true in cases where a person experiences gastrointestinal upsets with no obvious physical cause. For such functional gastrointestinal disorders, it is difficult to heal a distressed gut without considering the role of stress and emotion, he said.

Dr. Sujith also explained the importance of the microbiome, and why it is the key to human health. A plethora of conditions, from obesity to anxiety, appear to be linked to the microbes inside every human.

The session covered the scientific hypothesis called the ‘thrifty gene’, which states that obesity in some human beings can be explained by the existence of a ‘thrifty gene’ that aids the storage of excess energy as fat. Zinc has a key role as a catalyst in a wide range of reactions and is, in fact, a catalyst for about 100 enzymes. It is important in the structure of the cell to transport proteins such as vitamins A and D. Dr. Sujith listed out the key roles Zinc performs in a human body viz. regulating gene expression; stabilizing cell membranes, helping to strengthen their defence against oxidative stress; participating in the synthesis, storage, and release of insulin; interacting with platelets in blood clotting; and influences thyroid hormone function.

The session also covered the importance of Vitamins C, D and K, signs of progesterone and estrogen deficiency, treatment of menopausal symptoms, etc. in detail.

On this occasion Medivision Scan & Diagnostic Research Centre conducted a free random Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure test for all the participants.

Mr. P S Menon, Executive Committee Member of the Chamber presented a Memento to Dr. Sujith and Mr. Bibu Punnooran, Executive Committee Member of the Chamber proposed the Vote of Thanks.

The session was attended by 35 participants from various member organizations.