There is yet another reason why one should eat gourd or cucumber, especially when he or she is diabetic. Researchers in Kerala have found that the vegetable — an essential ingredient in fresh salads — is rich in pectin, a compound that helps to break down glucose into glycogen, leaving less sugar in the bloodstream. Besides, it lowers cholesterol too. As a result, cucumber could join its cousin, the bitter karela, as an ideal vegetable for those suffering from hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidemia, says S. Sudeesh, a lecturer at Kannur University in Kerala. The study was reported in a recent issue of the Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics. The researchers feel that pectin derived from cucumber can replace the synthetic pectin that is currently prescribed to diabetics as a nutritional supplement.

Rocks for arsenic

Want to remove arsenic from drinking water? Try rocks. At least that’s what say researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. The team, led by Shirshendu De — a professor at its chemical engineering department, who made water filter candles of powdered natural laterite found near the institute — was surprised to see that laterite removed the bulk of the poison from water. This way, arsenic levels were reduced to 10 to 25 microgramme per litre (µg/). According to the World Health Organisation, water with an arsenic content of up to 50 µg/ can be considered safe for drinking. “A single candle works for a month,” says De. Moreover, it comes virtually free as it is abundantly available in nature. The reason why laterite is able to absorb arsenic is that it is rich in iron compounds. The scientists, who report their study in a forthcoming issue of the journal, Separation and Purification Technology, say arsenic thus removed could be safely trapped in bricks used for making refractory kilns.