May 2024

May 10,2024 Arogya Bharati and the Innovative Thought Forum are advocating for changes to the Drugs and Magic Remedies (DMR) (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. They propose amendments that include imposing hefty penalties for non-conformity with the regulations. At a recently concluded roundtable of experts from allopathy, Ayush, consumer education and advocacy, regulatory agencies among other stakeholders, hosted by Arogya Bharati and the Innovative Thought Forum saw the DMR Act coming under severe criticism. S B Dangayach, national vice president, Arogya Bharati and founder trustee, Innovative Thought Forum who moderated the roundtable, said that while the Act needs to be revamped totally, advertising agencies should also be made responsible along with the non-complying parties. Advertisements should be across electronic channels, print and social media platforms. Vernacular newspapers must be scrutinized for objectionable advertisements as the readership mainly comprise the rural populace. There should be a provision for ‘corrective advertisement’ in case violation is established and the party is penalized. Advertising Standards Council of India should take serious cognisance of the rules. There needs to be a provision for pre- vetting of advertisements, he added. Providing a background of the Act, the roundtable experts said that manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs of all kinds came under radar of British government in India which led to the formation of drug enquiry committee (DEC) in 1930 and Col (Dr) R N Chopra was its chairman. Chopra committee report is considered as the starting point of several legislations in the field of pharmaceuticals such as the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. Before independence and after, there was widespread advertising of all types of allopathic and Indian systems of medicines with false, misleading and irrational claims luring people to consume them with several harmful side effects, they said. To this end, the DMR Act, 1954 was introduced to check self-medication for 54 diseases as specified in the schedule. Hence the law prohibited all types of public communication or advertisements for drugs meant for prevention, diagnostics, mitigation and treatment. This Act indirectly urged all the people to go through registered medical practitioners (RMPs) for treatment of specified diseases and conditions. Over time, the Act came under severe criticism compelling government to go in for its amendment in 2020. In this version, advertisement definition was expanded to include electronic and other media and expand the list of diseases from 54 to 78. But the draft remained on paper for reasons unknown, said Dangayach. According to Dr Ashok Varshney, organising secretary, Arogya Bharati, the DMR Act, should go in for a pragmatic restructuring. He insisted the complete overhaul and drafting of a fresh Act should be relevant in the current context. Even as Section 7 of the existing DMR Act is on penalties, yet it is not a deterrent in today’s context. Along with its poor implementation, CDSCO drug inspectors are not empowered to take any punitive actions, against the defaulters of the Act, said the roundtable panel. The way forward would be to bring in the flexibility of compulsory review and makes changes every 5 years to keep the Act relevant. Efforts on simplification of the contents with lucid and unambiguous language to reduce litigation needs to be looked into. Importance to practical implementation of the Act, keeping in mind the limited manpower needs to be addressed. Overall the changes to make Act simple, sensible, pragmatic and consumer-oriented is much-desired, said Dangayach. Source: Pharmabiz

May 05,2024 New Delhi: An ongoing lawsuit in the UK over Covid vaccination has caused a global furore, including in India. UK’s The Telegraph has reported that AstraZeneca admitted in court documents that its Covid vaccinecan cause blood clots in rare instances. The pharma major is facing a class action lawsuit over claimsthat its vaccine, developed with University of Oxford, caused death and injuries. In India, where themajority of people were administered Covishield, as the AstraZeneca vaccine was known here, thenews has caused concern. Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and research fellow at Green Templeton College,University of Oxford, tells Indulekha Aravind that there is no cause for worry as benefits far outweigh risks. But playing politics with this, he says, is both wrong and dangerous. This is not new. It has been coming up since 2021. Based on The Telegraph report that everyone seems to be referring to, what did AstraZeneca admit? It said there was a very rare chance of something called. TTS is thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome. Thrombosis means blood clots, thrombocytopenia means a reduction in the level of platelets. Platelets prevent bleeding so people who have low platelets bleed at the slightest provocation and this bleeding leads to internal clotting. A dengue virus infection can also cause thrombocytopenia. So they have admitted to a very rare event. Now, how rare is very rare? Different countries have computed their own risk. The UK computed a risk of four cases of TTS in 1 million vaccinated people. The EU has computed it to be one in 100,000 and Australia 2-3 per 100,000. So this is extremely rare. In India, we don’t know this because there have been no studies. Looking at this risk, I would say it’s no cause for worry. Now to put some perspective to what this risk means. The highest figure is 2-3 per 100,000 people. If you look at the risk of dying in a traffic accident, the global average is 17-18 per 100,000. So at its worst, the AstraZeneca vaccine has a TTS risk which is five to nine times lower than the risk of dying in a traffic accident. That doesn’t stop us from driving. But in election time in India, vaccines have suddenly become a political issue (again). It was made a political issue by the ruling dispensation and now the opposition is trying to play politics with it. That’s wrong. That’s dangerous. It shouldn’t be done. Essentially, this vaccine is based on a live adenovirus particle. It’s a chimpanzee adenovirus in which the Covid virus surface protein gene has been engineered. Why exactly clots happen is not clearly known. But going back to the dengue virus example, where that virus also causes a loss in platelets, it happens because the virus possibly actively kills platelets or it infects cells which release substances that kill platelets. So my suspicion is that the adenovirus also, in rare instances, causes something like that. But the whole point is the risk is so low and the benefits of taking the vaccine are so high that it makes sense to take the vaccine. Every vaccine carries a risk. Take the highly successful oral polio vaccine, which has been used not just in India but all over the world. That vaccine itself has a one in a million chance of causing polio in children. Now, if you see this from the perspective of that one child in the million, the risk is 100. But if you look at it from a population perspective, then the benefits far outweigh the risk. We have to realise that vaccines are tools for public health and if the benefit far outweighs the risk, then you use it. Now, the main difference between other vaccines and Covid vaccines was that these were developed during an ongoing pandemic. This is the first time that a vaccine was used to stop a pandemic. If you had the benefit of testing the vaccine for 10 years before you release it, you could possibly test some of these. But if the risk is 2 in 100,000 you would have to test it in at least a million plus to see that risk show up. Regulators look at clinical trial data. But the job of the regulator doesn’t stop only when the vaccine is approved. There’s what we call Phase IV studies, after the vaccine is deployed. It’s like with any product — after it is released, you conduct market surveys to find out they’ve been successful. The regulator should continuously look at data coming from the field after the vaccines have been deployed to understand if something really is going wrong, (and if it is) then they should stop. The decision initially to deploy Covishield and Covaxin was the right decision because those were available in plenty in the country. But later when it came to booster vaccinations, global data was clear that a third dose of Covishield or a third dose of Covaxin doesn’t do much good. And by that time, India had also developed and approved some protein vaccines. For example, Serum Institute of India (which also made Covishield) had made Covovax. My view is that for booster doses, we should have deployed protein vaccines. But by the time those were approved for boosters, it was too late. It is sheer stupidity. Look at global data. I will cite just one study from the US which looked at Covid-related mortality between Republicans and Democrats. The study looked at those counties that voted for Trump as president versus those that voted for Biden. When they looked at Covid-related mortality in 2020, before vaccines became available, there was no difference. That all the misinformation and rhetoric around vaccines that Donald Trump stated had an impact on his committed voters. Trump took the vaccine, he had the best drugs available, but many of the people who listened to him didn’t survive. What our politicians say and do when it comes to using public health tools is very

May 06,2024 New Delhi: Guidelines to combat heat waves have been released by the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on X. “Heatwaves are here, but we can be prepared!” it said. If you feel lightheaded or uneasy, prepare for a heatwave by following these first aid instructions: drink water to rehydrate, take off your clothes if you can, get to a cooler location right away, sponge with water, and do not force feed or provide water if you are unconscious. One of the most important points in these rules is that people who pass out shouldn’t be force-fed or given water. Why is it not a good idea to force feed someone who is unconscious? An unconscious person lacks the swallowing reflex, which might result in aspiration. This implies that food or liquids may reach the lungs rather than the stomach, leading to respiratory discomfort and pneumonia. Improper fluid administration can result in blood electrolyte abnormalities. Seizures, abnormal cardiac rhythms, and other issues may result from this. By emphasizing oral intake, one may postpone getting a proper medical evaluation to determine what is causing the coma. Exceptions to the guidelines The rules against giving water or forcibly feeding unconscious people are non-negotiable. This guideline’s fundamental focus on airway protection and safety makes it applicable in all medical situations. It is a fundamental principle that only conscious persons who are able to defend their airway and swallow deliberately should take food or water, regardless of the particular medical circumstances. This broad application emphasizes how vital consciousness and airway integrity are in deciding when it is appropriate to give nourishment. How to handle an unconscious person In order to ensure the well-being of an unconscious person in need of medical assistance, laypersons should do certain actions. First and foremost, they need to put the unconscious person in a coma as soon as possible and place them in a lateral or recovery posture. This position lowers the risk of airway obstruction by making it easier to maintain an open airway and by assisting in the drainage of oral secretions. Seek for emergency medical assistance right away. Raise the chin and slightly tilt the head to one side to maintain an unobstructed airway. Make sure the person who is unconscious is breathing at all times. If trained, start CPR if the person is not breathing. In the recovery position, turn the unconscious person over on his or her side. If they throw up, this keeps their airway open and keeps them from choking. Source: Healthworld

May 07,2024 London: A team of scientists from the world’s leading universities have developed a new all-in-one vaccine that they hope can protect humans against a broad range of coronaviruses, including ones that are yet to emerge. The research published in ‘Nature Nanotechnology’ on Monday is based on a new approach to vaccine development called “proactive vaccinology”, where scientists build a vaccine before the disease-causing pathogen even emerges, which has shown promising results in mice. The study by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK and Caltech in the US says the vaccine works by training the body’s immune system to recognise specific regions of eight different coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 which caused the COVID-19 outbreak, and several that are currently circulating in bats and have potential to jump to humans and cause a pandemic. “Our focus is to create a vaccine that will protect us against the next coronavirus pandemic, and have it ready before the pandemic has even started,” said Rory Hills, a graduate researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Pharmacology and first author of the report. For example, the new vaccine does not include the SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus, which caused the 2003 SARS outbreak, yet it still induces an immune response to that virus. “We’ve created a vaccine that provides protection against a broad range of different coronaviruses – including ones we don’t even know about yet,” said Hills. Key to its effectiveness is that the specific virus regions the vaccine targets also appear in many related coronaviruses. By training the immune system to attack these regions, it gives protection against other coronaviruses not represented in the vaccine, including ones that haven’t even been identified yet. “We don’t have to wait for new coronaviruses to emerge. We know enough about coronaviruses, and different immune responses to them, that we can get going with building protective vaccines against unknown coronaviruses now,” said Professor Mark Howarth in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Pharmacology, senior author of the report. “Scientists did a great job in quickly producing an extremely effective COVID vaccine during the last pandemic, but the world still had a massive crisis with a huge number of deaths. We need to work out how we can do even better than that in the future, and a powerful component of that is starting to build the vaccines in advance,” he said. The new ‘Quartet Nanocage’ vaccine is based on a structure called a nanoparticle – a ball of proteins held together by incredibly strong interactions. Chains of different viral antigens are attached to this nanoparticle using a novel “protein superglue”. Multiple antigens are included in these chains, which trains the immune system to target specific regions shared across a broad range of coronaviruses. The latest study demonstrated that the new vaccine raises a broad immune response, even in mice that were pre-immunised with SARS-CoV-2. The new vaccine is much simpler in design than other broadly protective vaccines currently in development, which the researchers believe should accelerate its route into clinical trials. The underlying technology that the scientific collaboration has developed also has potential for use in vaccine development to protect against many other health challenges. It is said to improve on previous work, by the Oxford and Caltech groups, to develop a novel all-in-one vaccine against coronavirus threats. According to experts, conventional vaccines include a single antigen to train the immune system to target a single specific virus, which may not protect against a diverse range of existing coronaviruses or against pathogens that are newly emerging. The latest research was funded by the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Source: Pharma

May 05,2024 New Delhi: A day after several media reports allegedly claimed that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has allowed 10 times more pesticide residue in herbs and spices, the regulatory body in its first public response called those reports as false and malicious. Clarifying that India has one of the most stringent standards of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) the regulator cited that MRLs of pesticides are fixed differently for different food commodities based on their risk assessments. Pesticides are regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA & FW) through the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB & RC) constituted under the Insecticide Act,1968. The CIB & RC regulate the manufacturing, import, transport, storage of pesticides and accordingly the Pesticides are registered/banned/restricted by CIB and RC. “The scientific panel on pesticides residues of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) examines the data received through CIB & RC and recommends the MRLs after performing risk assessment considering the dietary consumption of Indian population and health concerns in respect of all age groups,” the statement said. Total pesticides registered by CIB & RC in India are more than 295 out of which 139 pesticides are registered for use in spices. Codex has adopted 243 pesticides out of which 75 pesticides are applicable for spices. Comparing the quality standards the regulatory body said, “One pesticide/insecticide is used in more than 10 crops with different MRLs. For example, Flubendiamide is used in brinjal with an MRL of 0.1 whereas for bengal gram the MRL is 1.0 mg/kg, for cabbage 4 mg/kg, for tomato 2 mg/kg and for tea it is 50 mg/kg. Similarly, monocrotophos used for food grains with MRLs at 0.03 mg/kg, for citrus fruits 0.2 mg/kg, for dried chilli it is 2 mg/kg and for cardamom 0.5 mg/kg.” “The MRLs fixed by CODEX for Myclobutanil used for chilli is 20 mg/kg whereas the limit set by FSSAI is 2 mg/kg. For Spiromesifen, used for chilli, codex limit is 5 mg/kg whereas FSSAI limit is 1 mg/kg. Similarly, codex standards for Metalaxyl and Metalaxyl-M used for black pepper is 2 mg/kg whereas the limit set by FSSAI is 0.5 mg/kg/,” FSSAI added in the statement. The MRLs are dynamic in nature and regularly revised based on the scientific data. This practice is aligned with global standards and ensures that MRL revisions are made on a scientifically valid basis, reflecting the latest findings and international norms and FSSAI aligns with the updated standards of MRLs set by Codex Alimentarius Commission and (International Food Safety and Quality Standard setting body created by WHO and FAO of UN) and the European Union. Source: Healthworld

May 10,2024 New Delhi: In a recent study conducted in the US, it has been found that 90 per cent of the adults over the age of 20 are at a high risk of developing a heart disease. This does not mean that 90 per cent of the US Population has full blown heart disease but it only means that they are susceptible to developing conditions which quicken the onset of heart diseases, as per a report on NBC News. Researchers used a model which identified high risk population using the strong links between the heart and those who had obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular issues and Kidney diseases. While it is well known in the medical circles that those who suffer from any of the above mentioned conditions, do develop a susceptibility towards a heart disease, research has only confirmed this. Last year, the American Heart Association had warned Doctors about the Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome that affected the heart. In the research, over 10,000 individuals were studied for over a decade and their risk propensity was categorized into different stages ranging from Zero which indicated no risk to 4 which indicated high risk. The findings of the research are that over 50 per cent of the participants were at Stage 2 of CKM which indicated moderate risk. Close to 25 per cent of the people were at Stage 1 indicating an increased risk and 15 per cent had advanced risk. One of the major factors is the prevalence of obesity, according to the study. Over 40 per cent of the American population is considered to be obese and another 32 per cent are over weight, measured according to the BMI index. The excess fat, especially around the stomach and other organs is found to be the culprit behind developing metabolic disorders such as Diabetes, Kidney and Liver related inflammation and other issues and finally Heart related issues. Dr Rahul Aggarwal who is a Cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School is a co-author of this study. Source: Healthworld

May 11,2024 New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday urged doctors to pay attention towards prompt, sensitive and inexpensive healthcare, saying they can make an invaluable contribution to the society by giving their time free of cost to poor patients. Addressing the 22nd convocation of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) here, she also said doctors should be sensitive towards emergency patients and never ask an emergency patient to go somewhere else for treatment. She stressed that in the healthcare sector, time is very important because treatment delayed may be life denied. Murmu said sometimes we hear that had timely treatment been given, the life of a person could have been saved. Even if a life is saved, in many situations, treatment delayed is health denied, she added. Such examples are often seen in paralysis patients. Due to lack of timely treatment, patients lose the ability to move their limbs and become dependent on others, she said. Murmu appreciated the past and present members of NBEMS for their contribution to medical education over the past nearly four decades. She noted that the efforts of NBEMS have significantly increased the availability of specialist doctors in the country. The president urged doctors to pay attention towards prompt healthcare, sensitive healthcare and inexpensive healthcare. She said they can make an invaluable contribution to the country and society by giving their time free of cost to poor patients. She told the students that if they have chosen medical as a profession, then they definitely have the desire to serve humanity. She called upon them to protect, enhance and spread the spirit of service. Murmu said that in view of the vast population of our country, there is a need to continuously increase the availability of doctors. She said it should be the endeavour of all to give priority to quality along with quantity. The president said Indian doctors have made their mark globally and due to affordable medicare, India has become a major centre of medical tourism. She described doctors as the most important part of the country’s healthcare system. Complimenting the female doctors at the convocation for outshining their male counterparts, Murmu said their achievement in higher medical education is a great achievement of our society and country. She said that in the context of most of the families, it can be said that girls are made to feel the limitations and restrictions. Even in society and public places, girls have to be extra conscious about their safety and society’s acceptance. In such an environment our daughters are presenting a new picture of the new India by proving their excellence, she said. Source: Healthworld

May 12,2024 Panaji: Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said patients will soon have access to Artificial Intelligence-powered lung cancer screening tools across all the district hospitals and primary health centres (PHCs) in the state. The state has two district hospitals – one each at Mapusa in North Goa and Margao in South Goa. In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Rane said, “Embracing innovation, AI-powered lung cancer screening tools will soon be accessible across all District Hospitals and PHCs, underscoring Goa’s commitment to holistic cancer care.” Goa has emerged as a leader in cancer care with a comprehensive approach aimed at early detection, accessible treatment and advanced methodologies, he said. Spearheading the initiative, the state-run PHCs offer free breast cancer screening, ensuring timely intervention, the minister said. Additionally, the Goa Medical College provides the Pertuzumab-Trastuzumab combo therapy free of cost for the patients of HER2+ breast cancer (that tests positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), he said. Rane also said that a “groundbreaking multi-super-specialty cancer hospital, in collaboration with the Tata Memorial, is on the horizon, promising top-tier care.” Source: Healthworld

May 13,2024 A groundbreaking study soon to be published in a reputed journal reveals that global vaccination efforts have saved a staggering 154 million lives over the past 50 years—an equivalent of 6 lives every minute, every year. Among these, a remarkable 101 million were infants, showcasing the profound impact of immunization on the youngest lives. Over the past half-century, vaccination against 14 diseases, including Measles, Polio, and Tuberculosis, has played a pivotal role in reducing infant mortality rates by 40 per cent worldwide, and by over 50 per cent in the African Region alone. The world recently commemorated the 225th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s groundbreaking smallpox vaccination in 1796, the world’s first vaccine developed against contagious smallpox. Vaccines stand as one of the most remarkable innovations in human health history, transforming dreaded diseases into preventable diseases. It’s worth mentioning that just six years after the discovery of the Smallpox vaccine, India received its first shipment of the vaccine in May 1802. The inaugural vaccination took place on June 14, 1802, in Bombay, administered to three-year-old Anna Dusthall. During those days, India’s vaccine reserves leaned heavily on imports from Great Britain for its vaccine supply, However, growing demand for Smallpox vaccine resulted in a shortage of vaccine and concerns over British personnel deaths, forced the British-Indian Government to establish research efforts that dated back to 1832 in Bombay and involved animal testing for lymph in Madras in 1879. In 1892, India passed the Compulsory Vaccination Act to ensure broader coverage against Smallpox to seek alternative methods to enhance sustained vaccine supply. In the 1890s, India grappled with a double calamity: a rampant Cholera epidemic sweeping through Bengal and neighbouring regions, compounded by a Smallpox outbreak. In a bold move, the Government of India authorized Dr. Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine to conduct Cholera vaccination trials in 1893. Dr. Haffkine’s groundbreaking tests in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, not only demonstrated the efficacy of his vaccine but also heralded a new chapter in India’s fight against infectious diseases. Followed by Cholera, a devastating Plague outbreak in 1896, triggered the urgent implementation of the Epidemic Act of 1896—a pivotal legislation that still stands firm today. The following year, in 1897, Dr. Haffkine shattered barriers by crafting India’s first Plague vaccine, marking a monumental breakthrough. This triumph paved the way for the inception of the Plague Laboratory in Bombay, later renamed 1925 as Haffkine Institute. The first Pasteur Institute of India emerged in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, in 1900, later the institute merged with the Central Research Institute in 1939. Meanwhile, the Pasteur Institute of Southern India (PISI) was established in Coonoor in 1907. PISI played a pivotal role, producing a neural tissue Anti-Rabies vaccine in 1907 and hosting the WHO Influenza Laboratory in 1957. However, despite these strides, colonial practices hindered Indian scientists from fully contributing to their intellectual legacy. Upon India’s independence in 1947, vaccine research and development lagged behind global standards. Nevertheless, fuelled by unwavering determination, India embarked on a transformative journey, striving for self-reliance. A pivotal moment emerged in 1948 when the King Institute in Madras (Chennai) established the BCG Vaccine Laboratory, igniting a new era in Indian healthcare. Source: Healthworld

May 12,2024 New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has released the dietary guidelines for Indians in which it has shed light on the intake of protein supplements which is commonly in practice especially among youngsters. In the 148 page guidelines, the ICMR has warned against the consumption of protein supplements to build body mass, a common fitness trend set by youngsters. Protein supplements have become increasingly popular among individuals looking to enhance their athletic performance, support muscle growth, or meet their daily protein needs. ICMR guidelines on protein powder It lays emphasis on whey protein, which is rich in branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs. These BCAAs are linked to higher risk of non-communicable diseases. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, play vital roles in protein synthesis, muscle repair, and energy production. Supplementation with BCAAs is popular among athletes and bodybuilders to enhance muscle growth, improve exercise performance, and reduce fatigue. Research suggests BCAAs may also benefit individuals with liver disease, improve insulin sensitivity, and aid in weight loss. However, excessive intake may lead to adverse effects such as insulin resistance and disruption of neurotransmitter balance. Though protein supplements or protein powders are obtained from plant-based sources such as soybeans, ICMR warns against the additives used in them for marketing purposes. Added sugars, artificial sweeteners and flavorings reduce the health benefits given by the protein powders. “Appropriate combination of cereals: pulses in a ratio of 3:1 or by substituting 30g of recommended level of pulses with 80g meat per day would improve the quality of protein to fulfill the needs of a normal person,” ICMR has said. Potential health risks to know if consuming protein supplements Apart from this let’s understand what are the other potential health risks associated with the consumption of protein supplements: While protein supplements can be beneficial for some people, they also carry potential health risks that should be considered before incorporating them into one’s diet. Here are some of the potential health risks associated with using protein supplements: Consuming high amounts of protein, especially from protein supplements, can put excess strain on the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from the blood, including the by-products of protein metabolism such as urea and ammonia. High protein intake increases the workload on the kidneys, which can lead to kidney damage or dysfunction over time, particularly in individuals with pre-existing kidney conditions. Protein metabolism produces urea, which is excreted by the kidneys in the urine. Excreting excess urea requires additional water, leading to increased urinary output. If adequate hydration is not maintained, excessive protein intake can contribute to dehydration, which can have negative effects on overall health and athletic performance. Some protein supplements, particularly those containing whey or casein protein, may cause digestive discomfort such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation in some individuals. These symptoms may be due to lactose intolerance, sensitivity to certain protein sources, or the presence of added ingredients such as artificial sweeteners or thickeners. Relying heavily on protein supplements to meet daily protein needs may lead to nutrient imbalances in the diet. Whole foods sources of protein, such as lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, and seeds, provide not only protein but also essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are important for overall health. Overconsumption of protein supplements at the expense of whole foods may result in inadequate intake of other essential nutrients, leading to nutritional deficiencies over time. While protein supplements are often marketed as aids for weight loss or muscle gain, consuming excessive amounts of protein can contribute to weight gain if calorie intake exceeds energy expenditure. Protein supplements, particularly those that are high in calories or contain added sugars, can contribute to an imbalance in calorie intake and expenditure, leading to unwanted weight gain if not consumed as part of a balanced diet. Source: Healthworld