Misconceptions are always harmful irrespective of which field they may be related to. There are many beliefs and opinions that have become very well entrenched in our thinking, but based on factual analysis, turn out to be meaningless. Because they have been accepted to be right for a long time, they have become an essential part of our nature and Thinking. Some misbeliefs are related to eating habits, which also have a direct impact on our health. For centuries it has been believed that salt is essential in food to maintain good health. It is considered as a useful and essential ingredient of food just as the other nutrients. However, this is far from the truth. New scientific researches have confirmed that salt is not only inessential but also harmful to the body. It is termed as a slow poison and even an impediment in maintaining good health.
Sometime back, a conference of medical experts was organized at Monte Carlo in Monaco. The meeting had focused on finding a lasting solution to the problem of declining human health and on identifying all the factors that are harmful to it. The conclusions that experts arrived at are very significant. Everyone agreed that artificially cultivated salt is dangerous for health in every way. Only the salt that is naturally present in food items is the most suitable for the human body. The amount of salt that body needs is provided for by nature in ample quantity in foods like green leafy vegetables, and fruits. Other than satiating the craving for taste, there is no other justification for adding any more salt in the diet. The published report of the conference establishes a direct connection between salt and blood pressure (BP). Salt plays a significant role in aggravating blood pressure (BP). Among natural food items as well, the ones with low salt content were found to be more nutritious for the human body. Forest areas and other unapproachable regions stillhouse many human tribes that are entirely unconnected with modern civilization. Their food does not include salt, and so, they are in a better state of health as well. There are many Afghan and Pakhtoon tribes whose lifestyles are still like that of primitive societies. They also do not add salt to the natural food they eat.
The next misconception regarding food is the nutritional value of various foods we eat. It is believed that the more we eat food, which is rich in protein and fat, the better protected and healthy our body would be. New facts have emerged through research, which shows that the quality of food that promotes good health is not in its calories or quantity of proteins but in how digestible is the food and how well it suits the constitution of the person consuming it. Dr. R. N. Chakravarty researched on monkeys in the Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi, to study the factors that cause high blood pressure and other heart-related diseases. In this study, monkeys were fed with food with excessive proteins and fats, which was against the natural constitution of their digestive system. In a short time, it was found that fats began to deposit in their coronary artery, and they got affected by heart disease. When the food was reverted to what suited them and with low calories, it played a significant role in improving the condition of their arteries. In his supervision, similar research studies were conducted in Chandigarh as well. One hundred twenty-four monkeys were the subjects. The research team fed some of the monkeys with a fat-rich diet for a year. Some monkeys suffered heart attacks. Many developed high BP and many others also suffered from thrombosis (blood clots).
One of the arguments given in support of the non-vegetarian diet is that its protein content and calories are higher. But the study mentioned above proves that proteins and high calories have nothing to do with good health. Only food grains that suit the human body help in furthering good health. The human digestive system is not designed for non-vegetarian food. Carnivorous animals have a different kind of structure of teeth and intestines, which do not have any resemblance to that of humans. Our digestive system is incapable of digesting the proteins and fats found in meat, fish, and eggs. The fast-rising number of heart diseases is due to the factor that humans have moved away from consuming simple, natural, easily digestible food items and have adopted nonvegetarian diets. People there have begun to understand the ill effects of eating non-vegetarian food. In fact, a ‘Vegetarian Society’ has been formed in England, which aggressively campaigns in favor of eating easily digestible food grains, vegetables, and fruits and exposes the harms caused by non-vegetarian food. Their good efforts have earned much more success than was expected. Thousands of people have forsaken meat and adopted vegetarian food. Their efforts have earned the reputation of causing a health revolution.
David Tilman, Chair of Ecology at the University of Minnesota, and his colleagues studied the relative healthiness of 15 types of foods for humans. They looked at how each food group affected overall death risk, as well as the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and stroke. The investigators then calculated the environmental impact of each of those foods, taking into account: (i) the amount of land and water required, (ii) the greenhouse gas emissions involved in the production, (iii) the amount of acidic pollution produced, and (iv) the nutrient runoff from each food. Red meat scored the worst in environmental impact, followed by chicken, eggs, fish, and dairy products. Tilman also said, ‘Livestock and chickens also create a lot of manure, which can run off into nearby waters and cause toxic algae Blooms’. Therefore, people who wish to maintain good health must first get rid of these common misconceptions about their food and start eating right.
Source: Akhand Jyoti Magazine July-Aug 2020