Is There Hormones And Chemicals In Thai Food ?

[fletchsmile]

Reminds me of when I was learning Thai. The subject of ladyboys in Thailand came up and why there are so many here. People put forward various ideas such as social and cultural tolerance. The class teacher came out with a statement that a lot of people believe its to do with the amount of hormones added to food, and particularly with chickens being a key part of the diet which were fed hormones. This was a lady with a Masters Degree from Chula teaching foreign students Thai language at their No.1 university so not one of those urban myths or superstitious beliefs from someone without the pleasure of an education.

So there you go. Yes, if you ask Thais there could very well be something in what you're saying, and there could be a lot of hormones in Thai food. Particularly chicken.

Think yourself lucky that you just have a few spots. Be careful though - it's a slippery slope from there to growing breasts and then craving a sex change (allegedly)

[wana]

so ,basically ,if ive already had the sex change ......i can eat as much chicken as i want ?

[givenall]

Absolutely. Chemicals are all over, even packaging adds chemical to the food

All chickens have hormonal too

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[pastitche]

someone told me that moo yang (grilled pork for anyone who just arrived in thailand this morning ) is dipped in msg which when barbequed become very carcinogenic

what is safe to eat then ?

Finely ground glass. Its not very nutritious or tasty, though.

SC

With the appropriate sauces and a wife who doesn't want you to sit up all night watching rugby league and drinking beer, it can be tasty

[Darrel]

i get red bumps like hives that break out when i eat certain foods like KFC ...

I get red bumps like hives if I even think about eating KFC.

Some things are just too disgusting to contemplate.

[Shurup]

Reminds me of when I was learning Thai. The subject of ladyboys in Thailand came up and why there are so many here. People put forward various ideas such as social and cultural tolerance. The class teacher came out with a statement that a lot of people believe its to do with the amount of hormones added to food, and particularly with chickens being a key part of the diet which were fed hormones. This was a lady with a Masters Degree from Chula teaching foreign students Thai language at their No.1 university so not one of those urban myths or superstitious beliefs from someone without the pleasure of an education.

So there you go. Yes, if you ask Thais there could very well be something in what you're saying, and there could be a lot of hormones in Thai food. Particularly chicken.

Think yourself lucky that you just have a few spots. Be careful though - it's a slippery slope from there to growing breasts and then craving a sex change (allegedly)

Not sure about chickens, but animals are given testosterone based hormones to increase animal's muscle mass. Estrogen will cause increase in fat and water retention. I don't see why any farmer would feed their livestock female hormones. Testosterone will not make you "feel pretty" or grow boobs.

The second point is that hormones taken oraly will be deactivated by the liver and therefore very little to none of it will reach the blood stream. (that's the simple explanation withoug going into too much details). For any sensible amount of hormone to reach the blood stream and affect anyone's physique, someone need to eat enourmous amounts of highly steriod saturated meat.

I would rule out the hormone fed animals as the reason for that many Ladyboys in Thailand.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Shurup

[pastitche]

^

There's different types of cancer and the main types in Thailand are lung and liver cancer both of which have more to do with smoking and alcohol intake then with food although eating raw fish is a contributor to liver cancer.

Although there is sound evidence that smoking and alcohol contribute to cancer deaths as you say, my family's histoty shows that you can die of lung cancer as a non-smoker and of liver cancer as a complete teetotaller.

If it were that easy to define causes, cancer would not exist; how about all the other cancers that kill people every year? For whatever reason cells in our bodies mutate and the mutation kills us - young men die of testicular cancer, women of varying ages die of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, without reasonable explanation or something to blame.

Edited April 26, 2012 by pastitche

[Shurup]

^

There's different types of cancer and the main types in Thailand are lung and liver cancer both of which have more to do with smoking and alcohol intake then with food although eating raw fish is a contributor to liver cancer.

Although there is sound evidence that smoking and alcohol contribute to cancer deaths as you say, my family's histoty shows that you can die of lung cancer as a non-smoker and of liver cancer as a complete teetotaller.

If it were that easy to define causes, cancer would not exist; how about all the other cancers that kill people every year? For whatever reason cells in our bodies mutate and the mutation kills us - young men die of testicular cancer, women of varying ages die of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, without reasonable explanation.

It's definitely modern world's diet, no questions about it.

[h90]

Reminds me of when I was learning Thai. The subject of ladyboys in Thailand came up and why there are so many here. People put forward various ideas such as social and cultural tolerance. The class teacher came out with a statement that a lot of people believe its to do with the amount of hormones added to food, and particularly with chickens being a key part of the diet which were fed hormones. This was a lady with a Masters Degree from Chula teaching foreign students Thai language at their No.1 university so not one of those urban myths or superstitious beliefs from someone without the pleasure of an education.

So there you go. Yes, if you ask Thais there could very well be something in what you're saying, and there could be a lot of hormones in Thai food. Particularly chicken.

Think yourself lucky that you just have a few spots. Be careful though - it's a slippery slope from there to growing breasts and then craving a sex change (allegedly)

Not sure about chickens, but animals are given testosterone based hormones to increase animal's muscle mass. Estrogen will cause increase in fat and water retention. I don't see why any farmer would feed their livestock female hormones. Testosterone will not make you "feel pretty" or grow boobs.

The second point is that hormones taken oraly will be deactivated by the liver and therefore very little to none of it will reach the blood stream. (that's the simple explanation withoug going into too much details). For any sensible amount of hormone to reach the blood stream and affect anyone's physique, someone need to eat enourmous amounts of highly steriod saturated meat.

I would rule out the hormone fed animals as the reason for that many Ladyboys in Thailand.

on the chicken it is different. Can't recall either the antibiotics or the samonellastatica (spelling in english???) after it is partially destroyed by the liver acts similar to Estrogen. That protein folded has a similar shape.

So no purpose for Estrogen, just antibiotics.

[h90]

so ,basically ,if ive already had the sex change ......i can eat as much chicken as i want ?

that's right and it will help to grow sexy breasts.

[GuestHouse]

^

There's different types of cancer and the main types in Thailand are lung and liver cancer both of which have more to do with smoking and alcohol intake then with food although eating raw fish is a contributor to liver cancer.

Although there is sound evidence that smoking and alcohol contribute to cancer deaths as you say, my family's histoty shows that you can die of lung cancer as a non-smoker and of liver cancer as a complete teetotaller.

If it were that easy to define causes, cancer would not exist; how about all the other cancers that kill people every year? For whatever reason cells in our bodies mutate and the mutation kills us - young men die of testicular cancer, women of varying ages die of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, without reasonable explanation or something to blame.

The statistical data indicates that certain life style choices, exposure to certain toxins greatly increases the incidence of some diseases - A causal link between the life style choice/toxin is demonstrated.

This does not mean that it is impossible to develop these disease if you are not exposed to the causes of an increased incidence - and it absolutely does not mean that because someone develops these diseases who has not been exposed to the identified causes of increased incidence that the casual relationship is false.

[GuestHouse]

I would imagine if you didn't die of something else you would die of cancer, so presumably cancer deaths increase as people become healthier

SC

For that to be true you'd have to demonstrate that the non cancer causes of death have both been removed and/or have not been replaced by other diseases - Example: People who do not die of small pox (now removed) are not necessarily going to die of cancer. Likewise, people who do not die young are, by longevity, exposed to the diseases of old age - And cancer is not one of the major diseases of old age - Where cancer does develop in old age it, like our bodies in old age, is very much slower to grow new cells.

[aneliane]

^

There's different types of cancer and the main types in Thailand are lung and liver cancer both of which have more to do with smoking and alcohol intake then with food although eating raw fish is a contributor to liver cancer.

Yes you are right in all over the world cancer chemicals use rates are linked but Thailand is an exception, it's just ciggies, booze and people being too healthy

Breast cancer is 20%

My friend had a uterus tumor

Last year, I saw a woman with breast cancer begging to try to pay for her treatment (no, she could not have accepted a Happy Meal instead) she's probably dead now

Edited April 26, 2012 by aneliane

[robblok]

lol johnny with his 12k baht/month "close to bts" 5 story shop house and

"Go to the local fresh market every 2-3 days and buy heaps of good stuff, as little flesh as you're willing to obvious common sense - my household of 5-6 lives on average < B150 per day,"

150b/5.5 = <30baht a day

u need a reality tv show or something.

Just because you would find it difficult to live as I do isn't cause to claim I'm lying. If you speak Thai, or have a trusted Thai willing to spend a few days with you, you too can find a 3-5 story shophouse for between 10 and 15K per month. It takes time but it isn't difficult, talk to the hair salons, the food vendors, the motorcycle guys. If you're really motivated for a particular area, distribute handouts stating what you're looking for and offer a couple of thousand baht reward and you'll be flooded with calls.

My previous house was a small single-story, but 2BR 2 bath and a kitchen, and the rent was $3,700 per month. You probably wouldn't want to live there as it was on the edge of a Muslim slum 100m down a tiny walking-only soi, but it was fine for us until the second baby came along, right across from my work and 15 minutes walk from Saphan Taksin BTS. When we moved the landlord sold it for 280,000 baht.

And our food budget is exactly what I said, and has been for over a year now. Spending B400 on a trip to Klong Toey market buys as much as the maid and I can carry back, pumpkin is current 15/kg, large pineapples B10, three big fish for B40. The kids eat first, the maid and I scrounge on their leftovers, not saying it's pleasant or that you could live like that, but it's healthy food and we're not malnutrited, kids are growing strong and healthy.

Laugh all you like but don't call me a liar.

"the maid and i scrounge on the leftovers "

do you consider yourself living or surviving in thailand ? some of your stories bout scrounging leftover food and sometimes not having 5 thb to give your kids for school dinner is borderline unbelievable .......

if you can and do live comfortably in the centre of bkk on 30 thb per day ,congratulations

maybe i live in a differnt bangkok than you ?

I live on around 150 bt a day food wise. Just me nobody else and i eat a lot of meat (chicken) I prepare all my food myself to make sure i get some healthy food and bake it in healthy oils or grill it in an oven.

[wana]

lol johnny with his 12k baht/month "close to bts" 5 story shop house and

"Go to the local fresh market every 2-3 days and buy heaps of good stuff, as little flesh as you're willing to obvious common sense - my household of 5-6 lives on average < B150 per day,"

150b/5.5 = <30baht a day

u need a reality tv show or something.

Just because you would find it difficult to live as I do isn't cause to claim I'm lying. If you speak Thai, or have a trusted Thai willing to spend a few days with you, you too can find a 3-5 story shophouse for between 10 and 15K per month. It takes time but it isn't difficult, talk to the hair salons, the food vendors, the motorcycle guys. If you're really motivated for a particular area, distribute handouts stating what you're looking for and offer a couple of thousand baht reward and you'll be flooded with calls.

My previous house was a small single-story, but 2BR 2 bath and a kitchen, and the rent was $3,700 per month. You probably wouldn't want to live there as it was on the edge of a Muslim slum 100m down a tiny walking-only soi, but it was fine for us until the second baby came along, right across from my work and 15 minutes walk from Saphan Taksin BTS. When we moved the landlord sold it for 280,000 baht.

And our food budget is exactly what I said, and has been for over a year now. Spending B400 on a trip to Klong Toey market buys as much as the maid and I can carry back, pumpkin is current 15/kg, large pineapples B10, three big fish for B40. The kids eat first, the maid and I scrounge on their leftovers, not saying it's pleasant or that you could live like that, but it's healthy food and we're not malnutrited, kids are growing strong and healthy.

Laugh all you like but don't call me a liar.

"the maid and i scrounge on the leftovers "

do you consider yourself living or surviving in thailand ? some of your stories bout scrounging leftover food and sometimes not having 5 thb to give your kids for school dinner is borderline unbelievable .......

if you can and do live comfortably in the centre of bkk on 30 thb per day ,congratulations

maybe i live in a differnt bangkok than you ?

I live on around 150 bt a day food wise. Just me nobody else and i eat a lot of meat (chicken) I prepare all my food myself to make sure i get some healthy food and bake it in healthy oils or grill it in an oven.

there is a big differnce in 150 a day and 30 a day

you dont live in bkk centre either ,do you ?

johnnies talking about eating scraps of leftovers with the maid etc

it seems pretty extreme ,even thais i work with spend 80 on a coffee from suzuki shop where we work

and they think nothing about going out to eat japanese o mexican restauants after work and spend a few hundred on dinner alone ......

[BigJohnnyBKK]

"the maid and i scrounge on the leftovers "

do you consider yourself living or surviving in thailand ? some of your stories bout scrounging leftover food and sometimes not having 5 thb to give your kids for school dinner is borderline unbelievable .......

if you can and do live comfortably in the centre of bkk on 30 thb per day ,congratulations

maybe i live in a differnt bangkok than you ?

Plenty of Thais here in BKK would be happy to have 150B per day for just food, sure I'd like to spend more, but right now it is what it is, and my point in this particular thread is that from a health POV we're actually much better off than if we were ordering pizza, getting sugary/fatty snacks from 7/11 etc.

And we're not eating scraps, but as parents we both put the kids first, make sure they've had their fill before we eat. I'm still overweight so doesn't do me any harm to cut down, and the maid's very happy her kids are being fed well at all, six months ago they were definitely in malnutrition territory upcountry, and hadn't seen either parent for over two years, now they get to live with mum.

What I really miss is being able to afford buying new books, I go through several each week and am now re-reading ones from my storage boxes up in the attic.

But no one said life would be easy, I know I'd have a much harder time of it being back stateside as a single father unable to afford childcare. . .

Edited April 26, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[meom]

^

There's different types of cancer and the main types in Thailand are lung and liver cancer both of which have more to do with smoking and alcohol intake then with food although eating raw fish is a contributor to liver cancer.

Yes you are right in all over the world cancer chemicals use rates are linked but Thailand is an exception, it's just ciggies, booze and people being too healthy

Breast cancer is 20%

My friend had a uterus tumor

Last year, I saw a woman with breast cancer begging to try to pay for her treatment (no, she could not have accepted a Happy Meal instead) she's probably dead now

Maybe I misunderstand your previous post in which you blindly state that the increase of cancer in Thailand is basically caused by chemicals in food.

Some type of cancers have not much to do with food such as lung and liver cancer which happen to be the most prevalent in Thailand so I think it's not correct to blame the increase in cancer purely on food additives without further collarboration.

You could be right though. I don't know what are the statistics for example for gastrointestinal cancer where there's much more of a link with food.

[Darrel]

i eat a lot of meat (chicken) I prepare all my food myself to make sure i get some healthy food and bake it in healthy oils or grill it in an oven.

Unless you buy your chicken from someone who raises them in his back garden I doubt that there is anything healthy about it. Battery chickens are known to be full of chemicals and hormones etc, even in the West.

[farang000999]

my wife buys all organic label veggies. no idea if it helps.

[GuestHouse]

my wife buys all organic label veggies. no idea if it helps.

We do too, and we grow a lot of our own - But when we buy we buy from people who grow their own and who can't afford chemicals.

That someone says they don't use chemicals is no proof that they haven't use them - especially if the price for chemical free is higher.

[Ulysses G.]

That someone says they don't use chemicals is no proof that they haven't use them - especially if the price for chemical free is higher.

An excellent point.

[GreenSnapper]

The most important step you can do improving your health is:

Get rid of this Western paranoia about chemicals and "healthy" food.

Yes, you can buy overpriced "bio" food at the store, if you can afford it. But it does not help you at all. Eating the "pesticide infested" fruits are just the same and cost only half. And often your fruits and vegetables are more fresh and contain more vitamines. "Bio" is the same rubbish as "slimming coffee".

This will suprise you if you come from the West, where "Greenpeace" and other groups have a lot of influence to scare you. This scare is worse for your health than all the pesticides and MSG you may take in.

In Asia, billions of people eat MSG and what Westerners believe "unhealthy" food. Some countries have the longest life expectation, e.g. Japan.

So do the first step and do something for your mental health: laugh about those hardcore ideologists who want to make your life miserable. Eat what looks good and eat a diverse diet.

[aneliane]

The most important step you can do improving your health is:

Get rid of this Western paranoia about chemicals and "healthy" food.

Yes, you can buy overpriced "bio" food at the store, if you can afford it. But it does not help you at all. Eating the "pesticide infested" fruits are just the same and cost only half. And often your fruits and vegetables are more fresh and contain more vitamines. "Bio" is the same rubbish as "slimming coffee".

This will suprise you if you come from the West, where "Greenpeace" and other groups have a lot of influence to scare you. This scare is worse for your health than all the pesticides and MSG you may take in.

In Asia, billions of people eat MSG and what Westerners believe "unhealthy" food. Some countries have the longest life expectation, e.g. Japan.

So do the first step and do something for your mental health: laugh about those hardcore ideologists who want to make your life miserable. Eat what looks good and eat a diverse diet.

Well said Mr Monsanto

[barefoot1988]

eat a wide variety of food as some posts stated

it works for me at least. i have a wide range of variety consisting of macs, burger king, pizza co, 7/11 meals and etc

[autan]

Yes of course, why do think Thai foods tastes so good.

[metisdead]

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[exeter]

Thais like their chillis, makes you strong ( puts lead in your pencil) whilst a doctor told me once that Chang was no good it had chemicals in it, I pursued this the doctor and asked "what type of chemicals"...............alcohol ! Can you believe what you are told in Thailand? it seems you just have to be lucky that the person giving the information knows what they are talking about, the chillis work by the way but it does have a contagious side effect, females seem to amazingly get bouts of tiredness and headaches at the end of the day!

[YipYipYa123]

This thread should be named : what hormones and chemicals ARE NOT in Thai foods?

In a country where absolutely nobody has any common sense or responsibility , every chemical that makes it taste better or sell faster will probably be in there

Even chemicals, flavorings and pesticides banned in other countries are likely to be used anyway in a mai pen rai country

[BigJohnnyBKK]

The most important step you can do improving your health is:

Get rid of this Western paranoia about chemicals and "healthy" food.

I completely agree that excessive concern about "chemicals" and obsessions, extreme fad diets etc aren't actually healthy.

However it is certainly the case that over-processed packaged "factory food" created and designed by humans solely for shelf-life, profitability and taste-appeal are not conducive to high levels of true health even when they don't directly cause disease. The great majority of people - not just in western highly developed nations but also increasingly in the developing world over-eat such unhealthy food, and the fact that this trend is causing serious and widespread negative effects is not in dispute.

And you'll find the concern about the overuse of poisonous pesticides and the need to carefully wash fresh fruit and veggies to be very real even in - especially in - upcountry rural areas populated mostly by farmers. This is not a faddish, western imported concern, it comes for their own direct experience from the resulting health hazards. Thailand in particular does not effectively regulate nor enforce the proper use of dangerous chemicals in its food supply, and being concerned about the consequences of this fact is not on the same scale as advocating macrobiotics or avoiding free radicals.

Edited April 28, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[aneliane]

Yes, you can buy overpriced "bio" food at the store, if you can afford it. But it does not help you at all. Eating the "pesticide infested" fruits are just the same and cost only half. And often your fruits and vegetables are more fresh and contain more vitamines. "Bio" is the same rubbish as "slimming coffee".

ila

1/ organic / bio food does not have to be pricey, especially in LOS

2/ Tests on organics and non-organic fruits/veg results in the amount 200 times more harmful chemicals on non-organic products. And that's in Europe where chemical use is controlled...

in Thailand there is no regulation and farmers are discovering the magical effects of chemicals, how plants are growing faster, bigger, saving their time, efforts, increasing their profit and are going crazy

Edited April 28, 2012 by aneliane