: Epidemiological studies have provided evidence of an inverse association between plants based diets and degenerative diseases. The content and concentration of antioxidantsin nuts suggest the beneficial role they play in health promotion and disease prevention. These benefits though evident to scientists and the other handful of people, the knowledge among the customer population might not be sufficient in order to modify their dietary habits and patterns. Thus, there was a felt need of assessing the consumption practices of consumers regarding the utilization of nuts. The present study was therefore conducted in the Udaipur city of Rajasthan (India). The sample comprised of 100 respondents who were homemakers, actively involved in household cooking, who could provide crisp and authentic information. A questionnaire was prepared and the respondents were contacted personally. In conclusion, results revealed that though consumption of nuts was noteworthy among the population, the use was largely attributed to taste and flavor and the therapeutic or medicinal value (antioxidants) of nuts was not recognized by majority of respondents, which is of concern. Hence, it was understood that new strategiesare required to make aware the consumers about the therapeutic benefits of nuts and thus popularize the use. Future public health initiatives should be mindful of these consumption patterns.

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is increasing worldwide among all age groups including pregnant females. In our manuscript, we aim to review the existing literature to assess the prevalence of VDD among pregnant females in Indian population and to identify risk factors associated with it. We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed upto October 2018 for relevant articles. We found that prevalence ranged from 56 per cent to 96 per cent. Most of the studies found positive correlation between sun exposure and serum vitamin D level. Four studies found higher prevalence of VDD during winters while one study found higher prevalence during summers. Prevalence was similar among various religions. One study reported lower prevalence among non-vegetarians. Two studies showed no association of daily calcium intake and maternal serum vitamin D level while one study found low intake is associated with low vitamin D level. We conclude that even after adequate sunlight availability in India the prevalence of VDD is very high but further studies are required on vitamin D supplementation to understand its effect on prevention of VDD.