In one para : what's wrong with our modern diet.

[TinTinSnowy]

Bro, are you an Indian? Not asking sarcastically, its a serious question to you.

Yes.

The tweet you quoted talks about "turmeric suppliment" not turmeric the way we, Indians, consume.

No, it also discusses the turmeric we consume. 12g is more than what an average person typically consumes.

When it comes to food & medicine, please do not compare with the WEST please. We are definitely made different from the west.

Paracetamol works the same irrespective of ethnicity.

Turmeric is not approved for any treatment by regulatory bodies like the USFDA and is not in common use for medical purposes. Many clinical studies claim the benefits of various substances, but most of them have significant flaws. They are often published in low-quality journals, lack peer review, and have small sample sizes. It's challenging to conclusively identify the specific benefits of any particular substance until it undergoes rigorous scrutiny and review.

I follow the USFDA and the National Institutes of Health like a religion. If they haven't approved it, I won't touch it.

 

[TEUser2K1]

Copying my earlier comment again for visibility.
There are enough research links posted supportive and you bring some random guy's blog with nefarious tone. "These things are a pain in the ass, of course." - a sentance from your so much trusted article, such a class research.
Don't think turmeric as a spice or supplement need this much discussion neither anybody's support these days.
As said, whatever floats your boat. Bye.
----------------------------------
Sry, had to comment again, seeing the cognitive dissonance here.
Who is comparing Paracetamol vs turmeric here.
No one is arguing turmeric is medicine. Why same tone over again and again.
There are still research ongoing, there are patents on compounds from turmeric.
Turmeric is a daily item for Indians to use in their regular food from times of known history. Paracetamol vs turmeric, what kind of comparison is this ?

As of toxicity, here is an entire page from wikipedia itself listing metric tons of side effects:

Paracetamol poisoning - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Don't think anybody died because of every day turmeric culinary use in Indian kitchens, but Paracetamol might've caused some. lol. Now, what ?

 

[BullettuPaandi]

Anytime I try to look into diet, health, etc. it gets all so confusing real fast. It seems to me that there is a study/research for anything you could think of. When nutritionists were talking about avoiding sugar, there were some who pointed out studies that basically said "there's nothing wrong with your diet; it's the sedentary lifestyle". Later these turned out to be paid scientists from Coca Cola.

To add to the original post, these are a few advices that I've received from various Doctors, practicing both Western & Indian Medicine -

1. Eat after you get hungry.
2. Try to add as diverse vegetables/meat/spices etc. as possible to your diet.
3. For mild illnesses like cold, flu etc. refrain from tablets, tonics as much as possible (came from a Doctor, who practices English Medicine).

Personally, switch from sugar to jaggery powder was easy, better even. As I use it mostly for coffee and I happen to like the flavour with jaggery powder better. But oil - that's not happening. I don't know about Northern cuisine, but in South, oil is pretty much what carries the flavour. Especially, if you're into, for instance Chettinadu cuisine, there would virtually be nothing left if you take oil out.

 

[TEUser2K1]

@BullettuPaandi
What cooking oil is generally used in Chettinadu cuisine ?

 

[BullettuPaandi]

@BullettuPaandi
What cooking oil is generally used in Chettinadu cuisine ?

Traditionally, gingelly & groundnut oil. But in most restaurants refined oil has replaced groundnut.

Edit - Vast majority of commercially used oil is refined oil at best or palm oil at worst.

 

[TinTinSnowy]

jaggery powder

What are the benefits of switching to jaggery powder? It's sugar; consider a US FDA-approved sugar-free alternative instead.

 

[BullettuPaandi]

What are the benefits of switching to jaggery powder?

It's unprocessed. That's all I know & frankly can't be bothered to look any further into this. As I said,

it gets all so confusing real fast

consider a US FDA-approved sugar-free alternative instead.

Are you talking about the small tablet-looking things that come in a tic-tac-sized yellow box? - Because, I have tasted them once & didn't like it; tasted like sugar pills dipped in battery acid. Don't ask me how I knew what battery acid tastes like

 

[blackscorpio]

Either I am a fool or all others who still believe in FDA,WHO, etc.

For my well being & health, I believe myself is not a fool.

When a family or friend cheats you once, when ever you see him, you see him as a cheater & always careful with him but when it comes to things like FDA, WHO, etc people give many chances.

I beg you please go & talk to your elderly people at home, try to mimic their eating habits, what they ate in their time? how it was cooked? How they ate? Everything not just type of food they had, cooking is also important. Try to copy their lifestyle as much as possible like walk don't ride, take steps, clean your home/toilet yourself, dont hire a maid, the list goes on.

Unlike WEST, we are blessed, we have FDA in every home, we have WHO in every home.

Funny thing is you believe in FDA approval which might have studied a food item for may be 10yrs but you have problem believing in ayurveda/homeopathy which are based on clinical trials, yes those are compiled over many years based on usage & outcome. You need fancy graphs & numbers in a PPT; otherwise it never happened. Lol.

1. Eat after you get hungry.
2. Try to add as diverse vegetables/meat/spices etc. as possible to your diet.
3. For mild illnesses like cold, flu etc. refrain from tablets, tonics as much as possible (came from a Doctor, who practices English Medicine).

Good points.

 

[TEUser2K1]

@TinTinSnowy @BullettuPaandi

> It's sugar; consider a US FDA-approved sugar-free alternative instead.

Haha...

Exclusive: WHO's cancer research agency to say aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen

Exclusive: WHO's cancer research agency to say aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen

One of the world's most common artificial sweeteners is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a leading global health body, according to two sources with knowledge of the process, pitting it against the food industry and regulators.

www.reuters.com

WHO defends aspartame panel allegedly linked to Coca Cola-affiliated group

WHO defends aspartame panel allegedly linked to Coca Cola-affiliated group

WHO has defended aspartame panel amid claims experts used to assess the artificial sweetener's safety for consumption last month were biased.

www.just-food.com

 

[BullettuPaandi]

It's sugar

Just noticed that @TinTinSnowy said that.

Jaggery is not sugar (I'm assuming you didn't mean 'sugar' as in a sweetener. By that definition all sweeteners are sugars). What I mean is, jaggery is not sucrose; these two have vastly different production process. Jaggery is basically boiled and concentrated cane juice, whereas sugar undergoes separation and refinement process -both artificial often involving chemicals, bones and what not.

 

[TEUser2K1]

Calorie value of refined sugar and jaggery is almost is the same. Jaggery have few mgs of additional minerals, that is the only difference.
Seems tintinsnowy advised (or joked) use of zero calorie / low calorie products which themselves comes with litany of issues as mentioned in links I posted (allegedly including endocrine cycle).

 

[gourav]

Looking at the responses here, one would think the question of this thread was either about turmeric or about WHO/FDA. The question of diet has long been forgotten it seems.

100 gram of turmeric lasts like a month at my home. Pretty sure I'm not going to OD on turmeric. Or dhaniya and garam masala for that matter. Not sure how much other people are using that they're scared or organ failures.

---

To answer the original topic, I need to ask a question first. What exactly are you referring to when you say "modern diet"?

Most traditional Indian homes still have home cooked food 89 out of 90 times a month probably. My parents don't eat out unless there's an occasion to celebrate or someone invites them. Most home cooked food is decent enough. As long as it's a varied diet, it is fine. My family's traditional eating habits had both wheat and rice, pulses, and loads of veggies. We also had milk and curd for protein and minerals. Over time we have incorporated nuts and salads in our diets as well. My father always ensured that we ate some fruits at least once a day.

I myself have been unable to follow the same. We eat out twice a week. But what I ensure is that our diet is varied. I still eat both rice and wheat. We consume veggies at least with 8-9 meals every week. We have fruits at least on 4 days every week. We avoid foods laden with added sugar, absolutely zero sugary drinks. We also avoid fried food. We occasionally make salads and have incorporated eggs in our diet to ensure sufficient protein (since I don't eat meat).

The problem people face is that fat and sugar are far too abundant and it's just too difficult to always keep a tab on what you're eating. If you eat a lot of packaged/processed food, you're most likely consuming more sugar and fat than is good for you. Eating out also means that you get less green/fresh veggies. There's more paneer/potato for vegetarians than anything else. Nobody goes to a restaurant and orders parwal or patta gobhi (cabbage).

The easy solution for diet problems is to just eat home cooked food. It will never be as bad as outside food as restaurants always focus on taste, which is mainly enhanced by fat and sugars.

 

[TinTinSnowy]

It's unprocessed. That's all I know & frankly can't be bothered to look any further into this. As I said,

It ranks higher than table sugar (sucrose) on the glycemic index - 84.4 vs. 65. Please avoid using it. There is no rule stating that unprocessed foods are always better for health. Sometimes, processed foods can be preferable due to impurities being removed.

Are you talking about the small tablet-looking things that come in a tic-tac-sized yellow box? - Because, I have tasted them once & didn't like it; tasted like sugar pills dipped in battery acid. Don't ask me how I knew what battery acid tastes like

Yes, that is one of the options. Go through this at once. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food

Exclusive: WHO's cancer research agency to say aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen

Exclusive: WHO's cancer research agency to say aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen

One of the world's most common artificial sweeteners is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a leading global health body, according to two sources with knowledge of the process, pitting it against the food industry and regulators.

www.reuters.com

The US FDA disagrees with this report. Please review the provided link. I have also included the quoted comment below.

"Aspartame being labeled by IARC as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” does not mean that aspartame is actually linked to cancer.

The FDA disagrees with IARC’s conclusion that these studies support classifying aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans. FDA scientists reviewed the scientific information included in IARC’s review in 2021 when it was first made available and identified significant shortcomings in the studies on which IARC relied. We note that JECFA did not raise safety concerns for aspartame under the current levels of use and did not change the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).

Aspartame is one of the most studied food additives in the human food supply. FDA scientists do not have safety concerns when aspartame is used under the approved conditions. The sweetener is approved in many countries. Regulatory and scientific authorities, such as Health Canada and the European Food Safety Authority have evaluated aspartame and also consider it safe at current permitted use levels."

Seems tintinsnowy advised (or joked) use of zero calorie / low calorie products which themselves comes with litany of issues as mentioned in links I posted (allegedly including endocrine cycle).

I did not joke. I stand by what I said. I'm not interested in any rat/mice studies attempting to establish a link to humans. Any US FDA-approved sugar-free substitute will be better than any form of table sugar or jaggery, etc. Table Sugar is addictive and the most dangerous drug of this era.

ayurveda/homeopathy

I don't support any form of pseudoscience. It will be better if we can keep them away from this platform.

The easy solution for diet problems is to just eat home cooked food.

Apart from that, people need to ensure that they don't consume excess calories even when it's home-cooked food.

 

[TEUser2K1]

@TinTinSnowy WHO report came after FDA findings it seems.
As posted in link above, rebuttal for WHO report which also happened was allegedly sponsored by Cola companies from USA.
Some kind of conflict of interest cannot be ignored. Now, don't want to go by that rabbit hole...
Now, should one trust WHO or FDA may be up on personal interest. I will refrain from using artificial sweetners as other than cancer there are more allegations against such products.
Personally prefer jaggery or normal sugar in very very low quantity to avoid distaste if any, or not using at all.

 

[TinTinSnowy]

WHO report came after FDA findings it seems.

FDA says soda sweetener aspartame is safe, disagreeing with WHO finding on possible cancer link

The FDA said the studies that World Health Organization experts relied on to make this conclusion had "significant shortcomings."

www.cnbc.com

Personally prefer jaggery or normal sugar in very very low quantity to avoid distaste if any, or not using at all.

That is good to know. I try to avoid regular sugar whenever possible, like when drinking milk as is. However, there is hardly any availability of products like biscuits with artificial sweeteners in India. Baking your own is time-consuming. So, I have to consume sugar in some form.

 

[ibose]

We don't lose much by omitting it, but if there's potential harm in the long run or weak daily use evidence, better to steer clear.

"Aspartame being labeled by IARC as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” does not mean that aspartame is actually linked to cancer.

Uh .. huh..
On the topic - more than the modern diet, what is wrong with us ?

 

[TEUser2K1]

@TinTinSnowy The more I read, more get suspicious about FDA , anyways...

My usage of sugar is very low, biscuits I rarely use. Ask children the same, but they won't listen, have to be more careful on that part.
As for biscuits, they may be more concerns than sugar itself, like preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, color, anti bacterial, whatnot.

 

[BullettuPaandi]

It ranks higher than table sugar (sucrose) on the glycemic index - 84.4 vs. 65.

Ok, I just googled what Glycemic index is. I didn't have to look hard for issues -

1. A rating on how much blood sugar is increased, 2 hours after consumption of an edible item, is bound to differ between different people, food/meal the item was consumed with, etc.
2. If a food takes longer to digest, it would result in a low Glycemic index; but is it necessarily better?
3. Found older studies that say GI help reduce weight; newer ones that say they don't/ need more studies for proof.

I'm not arguing that this index is a poor measure. I don't really know what it is; I only read 2 paras & 2 abstracts about it in < 5mins and this is the complication. I'm just saying it's not as simple as you're probably thinking.

There is no rule stating that unprocessed foods are always better for health. Sometimes, processed foods can be preferable due to impurities being removed.

None otherwise as well. Since we were talking about sugars, the "impurities" you mention here would be molasses that are fully present in jaggery, moderately in brown sugar and not at all in white sugar. You can search "molasses good" and find some credible results, just as well you can for "molasses bad".

The way I see it, these diabetics, obesity, cancer and such has correlated with mass production of food, processed food, introduction of artificial and chemical methods. Academia on this doesn't seem to have conclusive evidence or consensus on most things. So personally, I find less processed to be a better bet.

You can of course stick with the sugar pills, which might as well be in truth the better bet. But till we know, we don't.

 

[powervgx]

writing

 

[TEUser2K1]

Understanding glycemic load is just as important as the glycemic index of foods

The lowdown on glycemic index and glycemic load - Harvard Health

Understanding glycemic load is just as important as the glycemic index of foods What are the facts about the glycemic load of foods? If you have diabetes, you probably know you need to monitor your...

www.health.harvard.edu

Carbohydrates and the glycaemic index

The glycaemic index (GI) can be a useful tool to control blood sugar levels.

www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

@BullettuPaandi

> The way I see it, these diabetics, obesity, cancer and such has correlated with mass production of food, processed food, introduction of artificial and chemical methods. Academia on this doesn't seem to have conclusive evidence or consensus on most things. So personally, I find less processed to be a better bet.

You are very right here. Mass food processing and keeping products preserved requires lots of chemicals of which we have no unbiased, conclusive, safety information. Whoever are saying it is safe to consume, almost all of them have vested interests. (The much touted FDA is rife with allegations against them since their officials and heads were influenced or even employees of commercial / business interests earlier).

As for calorie based studies, many of Indian food products does not have proper detailed study / information, etc.

Above all, the serious influence of stress in human hormonal balance, endocrine system, etc. which may be behind insulin resistance, high /low blood pressure, lifestyle deceases, etc. is very less studied.