Friends, unknown to us, we Indians are consuming, what is called the “WHITE POISONS”. If you are wondering what these are, just think about all that you consume daily, and you may be surprised to know that these are part of that. We all know that diet along with lifestyle is one of the many trigger points for common diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, osteoporosis, heart problems, etc. Hence, it is important to understand what it is that we are eating that can cause us more problems.
Here are the details of these five white poisons:
1 MILK
It sounds rather difficult to believe, but, yes, milk is one of the five white poisons that all of us consume daily. Why is it so? Milk is supposed to be good for our health, and we literally force our kids to drink it, isn’t it? Yes, milk is good; however, pasteurized milk that we get is the problem. (Milk is what we get in plastic pouches or tetrapaks). The milk that we get is pasteurized because they want to increase the shelf life of milk so that it remains fresh for a longer time. However, the process of pasteurization kills all the good bacteria in the milk. And not just, it also removes the beneficial nutrients like Vitamin A, B12 and C from it. Also, natural enzymes and phosphates, which is essential for calcium absorption are also removed and hence the calcium benefit that we derive out of drinking milk is also taken away. It is also said that antibiotics and hormones are transferred into milk as part of this process, and hence , it is better to avoid pasteurized milk if we can. If you want to drink milk, then buy straight from vendor who is milking cow or buffalo.
2 SUGAR
Well, at least on this, there is enough public awareness. Sugar is not good for health, and it has been proved in many studies across the world by now. It contains almost no nutrients and lots of calories, so, the weight conscious people anyway keep away from it. It is also said to impact the metabolism in the body and hence, it is not good for diabetics, even the pre diabetics. Many research studies suggest that sugar actually contributes to cancer, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and even liver diseases. Sugar is advisable to be taken in limited quantities, and it is better to use substitutes, especially natural ones like honey, if possible.
3 White Rice
Rice happens to be the staple food of the Indians, almost across length and breadth of the country. The problem with the rice that we consume is that it is the refined rice that is stripped of its entire natural germ. What we get to eat only the endosperm* of the rice that is so rich in starch, that has many harmful effects. Hence, it is better for people to cut down on white rice, especially as they age. Starch can lead to many diseases.
4 SALT
Here again, it is the refined salt that most households use that is the cause of the problem. Earlier days, we used to use rock salts only. Humans need minimum amount of salt to sustain good health; however, when we eat more, it causes blood pressure. Iodized salt is good for health when taken in low quantities. While refining, iodine is removed and fluoride gets added and this in excess, can be bad for health.
5 REFINED FLOUR
Refined flour or Maida as we know it, is not very good for health. This awareness is also slowly spreading in the Indian society. As such, we eat a lot of it, for snacks and savories, sweets, etc. apart from that, most of western foods like the bread, burgers, buns, noodles, pasta, etc. are also made of Maida. Here again, during the wheat refining process, the germ is removed from the wheat bran, and hence the remaining endosperm* is not good for our health. It loses all nutrients, and also does not digest well. It also limits the absorption of other nutrients and hence, it is better to avoid.
(Endosperm*– it is the germ’s food supply which provides essential energy to the young plant so it can send root down for water and nutrients and sprouts up for sunlight’s photosynthesizing power. The endosperm is by far the largest portion of the kernel.)
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
30th January 2025