Wonder why at least one in each of our family members of the entire population is affected by one or a combination of metabolic disorders like Diabetes , Hypertension, Obesity , Fatty liver , Cholesterol, Heart disease , PCOS and Infertility , collectively called " the Plagues of Prosperity ". It has been widely rampant several times in the last 50 years after the introduction of the Green revolution, Industrial farming and globalization of foods.
Fast foods are literally defined as easy and ready to make in minutes.
Fast foods can be cooked Fast , raise blood sugar very Fast and we end up living Fast to meet the maker in heaven soon !!!!
" Most of the foods are inherently healthy but what we have done to the food has made it toxic "
Ultra Processing of foods - removal of fibers and addition of excessive sugars made them ultra palatable and addictive. Our system is not designed to sense and assimilate the UFP ( High sugar & Low fiber ) properly because the liver is flooded with a lot of glucose within a short span of time that the pancreas makes a lot of Insulin to keep the blood glucose within normal limits in such situations. High insulin levels & Insulin resistance are the primary drivers of Metabolic disorders.
Almost all of us believe " all home cooked foods are healthy " ; an absolute myth that needs to be debunked. Maybe this could have been relevant prior to Industrial farming and the green revolution but certainly not in this present era !!! Hard to believe ? Bitter truth and the ground reality. Almost 75 % of our population is suffering from chronic Non-communicable diseases ( NCDs ) due to poor lifestyle choices. All these metabolic disorders which were largely unknown & mainly affecting the affluent society ( Kings & Queens of the past ), a century ago have become so rampant that it affects even the poorest of the poor sparing no families !!!
White polished rice is easy to cook in 10 min whereas the traditional organic rice varieties need 30 - 45 min for proper cooking !!!
Grains contain three layers viz epicarp full of husk and multilayered bran ; endosperm contains only the carbohydrate and germ contains healthy fats and micronutrients.Traditionally we use to hand pound the rice , removing only the husk and few layers of bran. Consuming it in wholesome form with minimal processing supplies low glycemic Load and necessary nutrients like B-vitamins and minerals ( acting as cofactors of metabolism) packed in them for proper Metabolism.
Removing the fiber from the grains, particularly rice and wheat, increases the shelf life for years whereas the fiber rich unpolished grains cannot be stored for months. The problem arose when "Food became Commodities". Moreover, it is highly incompatible in restaurants to use unpolished rice which cannot be stored for months whereas polished rice and white flours can easily be stored for years !!!! Another problem is deficiency of B-complex vitamins which acts as cofactors in many of the reactions related to Energy Metabolism & Methylation pathways. The intake of pulses has gone down drastically after the green revolution because of the monopolization of crops viz , Rice , Wheat , Corn & Soy along with cash crops. We are actually depriving the gut microbiome with a low fiber diet.
Our soil is deprived of nutrients particularly minerals with 5 decades of industrial farming and hence our food supply has micronutrient deficiencies particularly minerals and vitamins & we are treating micronutrient deficiencies with pills !!!
NUTRIENTS |
CHEMICAL FARMING |
ORGANIC FARMING |
| Organic Matter | -14% | +29-99% |
| Total Nitrogen (N2) | -7-22% | +21-100% |
| Available Phosphorous (P) | 0% | +63% |
| Available Potassium (K) | -22 % | +14-84% |
| Zinc (Z) | -15.9-37.8%
| +1.3-14.3% |
| Copper (Cu) | -4.2-21.3% | +9.4% |
| Manganese (Mn) | -4.2-17.6% | +14.5% |
| Iron (Fe) | -4.3-12% | +1 % |
The problem with Wheat is that hybrids were introduced in the green revolution which are responsive to artificial fertilizers and sprayed with pesticides, Insecticides, herbicides and weedicides. Gluten content in wheat from chemical farming is at least three times higher compared to organic traditional wild variety. It affects mitochondria slowing down the metabolism, adversely affects gut microbiome and produces gastrointestinal disorders including leaky gut , which predisposes to autoimmune disorders & Metabolic disorders.
Most of the home cooked foods nowadays are mostly ultra processed and high Insulin diets ( a combination of high refined carbs and refined oils ). The glycemic index, glycemic load and the insulin response of home cooked foods are as comparable to that of foods served in fast food restaurants.It is not only the fast foods in restaurants that impact our health but the effect of home cooked ultra processed foods is far more higher in producing the metabolic disorders because most of us , use to dine out mostly during the weekends and not on a regular basis in day to day life.
Food industry and Big pharma have fabricated scientific research to their economic advantage, demonizing the saturated fats that humans have been using for thousands of years. In the 1960s , Heart disease was rampant in the general population and the government funded a lot of research studies to decode the science and reason behind it. Ancel keys conducted a large scale study in 22 countries and found no correlation between the expected dietary fat and heart disease. He tricked the world by eliminating the countries which didn't show a positive correlation. Out of the 22 countries where studies were conducted, only 6 countries showed a positive correlation between dietary fat and heart disease whereas the rest of the countries showed no correlation at all.He published in the research paper that dietary fat is the cause of Heart disease. Following that recommendations and guidelines were given for populations who were scaremongered about saturated fat and Cholesterol. This scaremongering is still prevalent in the public !!! People switched over to eating a lot of refined carbs and excessive sugars and decades passed away.Now Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide.Largely influenced by the food industry Saturated fats that increase cholesterol and hence they are bad according to the Diet- Heart hypothesis. Even the heart associations are advocating PUFA ( PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids) as Heart healthy not knowing about the Oxidative damage they bring to our system. The altered cholesterol numbers are just a reflection of metabolic health status and Insulin Resistance and have nothing to do with intake of saturated fats or cholesterol in diet per se !!!
Liver makes cholesterol 2-3 g/day which is absolutely essential for cellular homeostasis- repair and regeneration , synthesis of steroids and sex hormones , membrane fluidity and receptor functions , neuronal health and Quorum sensing for Immunity. LDL-Cholesterol has been wrongly demonized as bad fat and scientific communities are using statins & PCSK9 inhibitors to keep it near zero for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. The entire population is affected by the scaremongering about the Cholesterol & cholesterol phobia is very prevalent around the world.
Refined oils are mostly made from Soybean, cottonseed , corn , canola and tagged as heart healthy vegetable oils !!! It is high in PUFA ( PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids) which are more prone for Oxidation.In Fact these oils increase the chances of heart attacks and strokes !!! It is widely used not only in restaurants and commercials but also in most homes as it is much cheaper and looks clearer. Most of us are still unaware of the effects of refined oils in our biological system one is that they are mostly PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids ( PUFA ) prone to oxidation and produce oxidative damage and free radicals inside our system.To neutralize this excess free radicals, we need more and more antioxidants like Glutathione ( the most important free radical scavenger) primarily in Liver. It is reflected by elevated liver enzymes ( GGT- Gamma Glutamyl Transferase ) & AST ( Alanine aminotransferase ). Moreover , the Oxidative damage inside the liver causes inflammation ( Steatohepatitis ) and one runs the risk of easily developing Insulin resistance syndrome since the metabolic buffer of PFT ( Personal Fat Threshold ) is bypassed. The so-called " Bucket handle " hypothesis that when subcutaneous fat storage is saturated and overwhelmed, fat spillover occurs and causes Fatty liver and systemic insulin resistance is not very valid to a major portion of the population in this modern era. The metabolic syndrome is most often explained by Main lining Hypothesis that Liver plays a central role in energy homeostasis and Fatty liver is a harbinger of Systemic Insulin Resistance. Liver fat is driven by excess Fructose ( sugars ) consumption and hyperinsulinemia causing De novo Lipogenesis (DNL) ie., conversion of sugars into fat. One become fat and sick in the past to suffer from metabolic disorders ( before 4-5 decades ) BUT In the present day modern era, one may not have to become obese and overweight since most of the ultraprocessed foods are directly hitting the liver and produce Fatty liver and hepatic insulin resistance and thence systemic insulin resistance.
Another important aspect in the food chain is the Hybridization of Fruits in the last 100 years to make it taste like honey & its abundance throughout the year. The natural taste of fruits is Tart !! as most wild fruits. Fruits towards the end of summer give the animals a survival advantage to eat more and more & store it as fat so as to survive the periods of adversity ( Food scarcity in the winter months ).This is particularly seen in hibernating animals. We are living in a world of surplus and unlikely to suffer droughts or food scarcity. Now we are "Cactus in the Rainforest". The survival advantage has become a Curse !!! Although fruits are natural energy bars loaded with micronutrients and electrolytes it is worthwhile to take locally available seasonal fruits.Hybridized high sugary fruits in large quantities are not fine for someone with metabolic disorders.
Low sugary fruits are fine when consumed in wholesome form. It is often mistaken that fruit juices are fine ; Absolute myth !! The fruits when consumed in wholesome form have both soluble and insoluble fibers with low Glycemic Load and Low Insulin response whereas the juices contain only the soluble fibers with high Glycemic Load and high insulin response. Insoluble fibers form a lattice network in the inner lining of the small intestine whereas soluble fibers form hydrogel over the lattice network preventing rapid absorption of glucose and fructose into the blood circulation. Since most of the insoluble fibers are removed during Juicing , Sugars flood the liver pretty quickly driving DNL producing Fatty liver. Fruit juices are no different from soda !!
Most of the ingredients ( grains , vegetables, spices and fruits) used for cooking at home are loaded with pesticides, herbicides, weedicides , Insecticides all of which are Biocides that have its impact on our biological system particularly gut microbiome and mitochondria.Our Mitochondria is derived from bacterial genes by maternal inheritance ( mother's side ) & Our gut microbiome is an integral part of human biology. Biocides inhibit the 'Shikimate' pathway of the microbiome and act as mitochondrial toxins slowing down the metabolism and ultimately produce Insulin Resistance and Metabolic disorders. It affects the integrity of the inner lining of the gut wall producing Leaky gut and potentially many of the gastrointestinal disorders and Autoimmune disorders.
Basically the differences that we see between fast food restaurants and home cooked foods is the use of Flavor enhancers ( MSG - Monosodium Glutamate or Ajinomoto which is excitotoxin to the neurons producing neuronal damage) the very reason why we are hooked towards fast foods in restaurants , food additives and preservatives and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS ) and corn flours.
Hydrogenated fats ( Trans Fats ) are nothing but vegetable oils bombarded with hydrogen to make it solid at room temperature and preferred in most restaurants as they are cheap and easy to handle. But it contains a lot of trans fat in it. It is very new to our body that it cannot metabolize , resulting in Fatty liver and adverse cardiovascular consequences like Heart attacks and Strokes.Although it is banned in most of the developed countries like the European Union and USA , the ban is still waiting to happen in India.Most of the restaurants use this kind of cheap oils for their routine use. The sad story is it is also widely used in cooking at home merely because of its cheap price in the name of vegetable ghee !!!
Home cooked foods of the modern era are at least 75% as bad as fast foods !!! Little do we know this very basic information and still we are in great delusion that home cooked foods are healthy and continue to suffer from chronic diseases lifelong.
"Your eyes cannot see what you mind does not know "
What we need the most in alleviating the chronic metabolic disorders like Diabetes , Hypertension, Obesity and Heart disease is Education , enrich your knowledge & empower yourself to lead a disease free drug free life. We need to shift our focus towards Organic foods , reduce our sugar consumption , routine use of unpolished or slightly polished traditional rice and millets by organic farming , and avoid vegetable oils. This could be the only sustainable and scientific solution to prevent, treat and reverse metabolic disorders from its roots rather than treating them with drugs , lifelong !!!
We are living in a digital world of misinformation ; fabricated scientific researches and false propaganda of mass media, wondering why we are stuck with false knowledge ?
Finally , choose your food plate wisely !!!
because ,
" Good food is Medicine &
Bad food needs medicine "
Dr. Thangadurai
