With new research overturning established perceptions, even so-called safe lifestyle options are suddenly finding themselves under the scanner

Ah, so you’re the health conscious kind. You’ve got a daily vigorous workout regime, swear by organic food and don’t need a dietician to make you pass up spicy curry for some fresh sushi. Even at a movie you wouldn’t be caught dead with a cola and a burger — just popcorn please.

It would’ve been the perfect recipe for a bonny life if Dennis Avery, among others, hadn’t come along to prick some self-satisfied balloons.

Avery, an American researcher, caused a flutter when he first suggested that organic and ‘natural’ food could in fact be more dangerous than those treated with chemical fertilisers. Quoting the US Centers for Disease Control, Avery wrote in the ‘American Outlook’ that people eating such food are eight times more likely to be infected by a deadly strain of E coli bacteria.

This happens, he said, because organic food is fertilised with animal manure, a known carrier of this nasty microbe. Not everyone agrees, of course.

“I disagree completely,” exclaims nutritionist Naini Setalvad. “There are always some theories and counter theories. And most of the surveys are conducted by big brands themselves. The entire world is opting for organic food. Packaged and processed foods have traces of pesticides and chemicals and cause innumerable diseases, including cancer. They also lead to weight gain and cause damage to your hair, skin, body and mind.” But if both processed and organic are bad, where do we go?

Whether or not Avery had a point, there seems to be no end to health warnings about what’s generally perceived to be healthy food. Take sushi – there seems to be growing concern about the dangers of consuming raw fish. Even Setalvad has reservations about this one. “It does cause stomach disorders in a lot of people.

So, everything works in moderation,” she says. But the problem could be bigger. Besides the possibility of disease causing micro-organisms, deep water fish often accumulate high levels of toxic mercury. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised against a sushi diet.

And just when you thought you’d heard it all, here’s another shocker: A few days ago, the American FDA reported the discovery of a rare lung disease caused by eating butter-flavored microwave popcorn. Too much of it, of course. The condition is called ‘popcorn lung’ — the Washington Post said workers in popcorn factories develop this lung destroying disease. The only cure is a transplant.

On the flip side, curry spice is gaining attention, this time for the right reasons. USA Today reported a study by ‘Arthritis & Rheumatism’ which says the turmeric in curry spice almost completely prevented joint swelling in rats with arthritis. Other studies point out that spice could protect against diseases such as heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer’s. Howzzat?

Source : www.dnaindia.com