HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG THE CHRONIC AND OCCASIONAL RICE BEER DRINKERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Many indigenous communities like Santal, Munda, Bhumij, Lodha, Sabar, etc. more than 11 types of major Scheduled Tribe communities residing in the different districts in West Bengal. More than half of the total Scheduled Tribe population of the state is connected in Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur, Jalpaiguri, Purulia, and Bardhaman districts. Of the remaining districts, Bankura, Jhargram, Uttar Dinajpur, and Dakshin Dinajpur have a sizable Scheduled Tribe population and having their unique ethno-socio-cultural lifestyle with making rice beer brewing techniques using wild herbs and local rice varieties popularly known as Handia or Hariya. Fermented drinks are generally connected with the culture and existence of ethnic tribes throughout the world. Traditional rice beer of West Bengal in India is an indispensable part of tribal lifestyle attached cultural and religiously with them. The present study is focused on a comparative study of the health and nutritional status among the chronic and occasional rice beer drinkers population on the basis of calculating their different types of anthropometric measurements and blood pressure.

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