Indian cuisine is popular around the world. Indians have reached many other countries. Wherever they reside, one will find Indian restaurants catering to this population.
But Indian food is not healthy, says a UK-based cardiologist.
Indian cuisine
Indians have migrated to different parts of the globe for employment and money. Wherever this race of people resides, one will find a few restaurants to cater to them. The spices used in Indian cuisine are many and varied.
Additionally, there is a range of dishes with different flavors. All come from different parts of that land. Though delicious, Indian foods are not healthy.
Though the people having it boast of its richness, balanced nature, and nutrients, that is not so. Diabetes and obesity are on the rise there and the culprit lies in the local foods as well as imported junk foods.
Indian cuisine is unhealthy though tasty (Source: Blue Osa)The reputed medical journal Lancet carried an article in 2020 in which it stated that diabetes is overwhelmingly on the rise there. Nearly 72.96 million cases exist in the adult population there.
It is the world’s capital of diabetes. Though many people are vegetarians there, the benefits of plant-based foods are not observed in this population. Why?
Expert opinion
UK-based cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra shed light on this unhealthy aspect of the Indian diet. He revealed that there are more than 50% of there who have high or low body mass index or BMI.
Though 43% of the people have normal BMI, most in this category are metabolically unhealthy. A person is metabolically healthy if:
1. The blood pressure is normal for age.
2. There is no pre-diabetes or diabetes.
3. The triglyceride levels are normal.
4. HDL (good cholesterol) is normal and high.
5. Waist circumference is less than 90 cm in a man and less than 85 cm in a woman.
Most Indian snacks are deep-fried and made of refined flour (Source: Tarla Dalal)According to Aseem, most calories in Indian foods come from carbs of the unhealthy type. These include sugars, refined flour, starches, white rice, and the like. The intake of sugar is more than 75 grams per day.
This is nearly 4 times the recommended amount. These come from unhealthy snacks made of refined flour, fried foods, and sugars. A lot of fats and oils are used in the making of the dishes and this is extremely unhealthy.
How to reverse the ill effects
Such unhealthy foods cause diabetes. One can reverse it by switching to a healthy lifestyle and diet. This will prevent complications and death.
Cut down on starches, fried foods, sugars, white bread, potatoes, pasta, and junk foods. Whole fruits score over fruit juices. Moreover, it would help if one tries the whole food-based Keto diet.
And low-sugar, low-refined carbohydrate Mediterranean diet is also healthy. The tradition of adding sugars to breakfast dishes and curries should be stopped.
Indian sweet with too much sugary syrup (Source: NDTV food)Indian diets are low in protein. Since meat is absent in the diet, good sources of proteins from plants such as soybean, tofu, legumes, beans, lentils, cereals, and also eggs and cottage cheese can be added for increasing protein in the diet.
Also, read Mediterranean-style diet: The healthy diet pattern your favorite celebrities are in love with!
Aseem also stressed having daily walks or some form of exercise to improve muscle power and activity. Avoid elimination foods and eat wholesome, healthy, and balanced.