Is Thai Food Actually Healthy?

[pomchop]

I buy a lot of fresh vegetables from thai markets and roadside pickup trucks....take it home rinse it off and eat it raw or cooked....who knows what pestitcides or fertilizers the farmers used to grow it all....frankly not sure I even want to know....but overall it seems to me to be a better choice than sucking down a bigmac and fries....

I usually use sunflower oil for cooking as I am told it is one of the more healthy oils...but again I am not quite sure who or what to believe....

[Trembly]

If GMO is harmless and good for us - why then the fight against having GMO food labeled so we know what we are eating?

_______________________________

Any takers?

Quite easy because then people could make a choice and many would not choose GMO foods.. and that would make it less profitable for them.

The reason is that there is no justification for labeling on food unless it affects the basic ingredients and those ingredients are unsafe or a cause for concern. If an ingredient is say fructose and it was produced by GMO or not and there is no difference between the two, then why label it GMO? Only the organic lobby want that because they focus on the process not the product even if the product is identical - it's a philosophy thing, not a scientific thing.

Scientists Under Attack :

Billed as "a political thriller on GMOs and freedom of speech", this film by the German film-maker Bertram Verhaag tells the stories of two scientists, Dr Arpad Pusztai and Dr Ignacio Chapela, whose research showed negative findings on GM foods and crops.

Both suffered the fate of those who challenge the powerful vested interests that dominate agribusiness and scientific research. They were vilified and intimidated, attempts were made to suppress and discredit their research, and their careers were derailed.

The Pusztai Affair

I have the documentary in my Dropbox if anyone would like to download it.

Edited May 11, 2013 by Trembly

[rookball]

yada yada about rice, msg and fish sauce. ironically japan and hongkong with one of the highest % intake of these per capital happened have the longest and 3rd longest life expectancy.

[CaptHaddock]

yada yada about rice, msg and fish sauce. ironically japan and hongkong with one of the highest % intake of these per capital happened have the longest and 3rd longest life expectancy.

Right. Of the 10 countries with the highest rates of stomach cancer, four are Asian. The world leader in stomach cancer is Japan.

http://www.aneki.com/stomach_cancer_countries.html

[Keesters]

What about palm oil that is almost always used in street foods? Although opinion is divided, my own feeling is that it is causing my ldl levels to go up since moving here. I don't smoke now, do exercise daily and before coming here, had no cholesterol issues. my doctor reckons palm oil is not as healthy as other vegetable oils.

The 60 year old lady who ran, until recently, a roadside cafe near me would agree with you. She changed to rice bran oil long time ago. She also offered red/brown rice as an alternative to white. Unfortunately she has now moved far away. I'm back now to palm oil and white rice unless I cook at home.

I am avoiding palm oil like the plague, so more home cooking. Whenever I ask what cooking oil outside places use, it's always palm oil. Gee, considering there is some doubt about the healthiness of it, I am surprised there is not much visible debate about it.

Palm oil is one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest, oil. Maybe that's why they all use it. It may also have something to do with taste, but I'd rather not taste the oil at all and taste the veggies. White sugar is cheaper than brown, same goes for rice. Healthier food costs more money. Like a lot of things in this world MONEY dictates policy. Common sense goes right out the window.

[wilcopops]

In reality the OP is just a reflection of our lack of knowledge about diet and how
it affects our health.

In general Thai food is still less processed than most western foods - in that

sense it is healthy.

It is due to the nature of corruption in Thailand more susceptible to illegal
processes before it is consumed by the public and sources may well be contaminated
due to the lack of "zoning" which results in crops growing right next
to unregulated industries.

The truth is however that so long as you eat a balanced and VARIED diet you should
(contamination avoided) be perfectly healthy.

There is a huge misconception that concentrating on a particular kind of food can
bring about changes in your health. There is a massive lack of real
understanding about how science works and who works it - largely dominated by
the concept of evil big business versus the "poor underdog" of
alternative culture. ..... alternative culture is BIG MONEY now and big
business does not control science - it may control a few scientist - but
testing by peers is usually government funded or by genuine skeptics. You need
to understand the process of how testing is carried out....etc. etc. before you
start making ill-informed statements about "Big Pharma" - they are
NOT the sole factor here.

Science is not carried out be big business alone there are thousands of people testing
product and theories all over the world in universities and other institutions
that are not in the pockets of the multi-nationals. Theories and products
are made public and testable before they can be marketed - THAT is the law in
most countries.

A classic example is the recent fad about "antioxidants" - many people
believe because they have been shown to fight the development of cancer in the
body that taking MORE increase your protection. This has NEVER been shown to be
true and in fact there are some trials that suggest that over-doing antioxidants
even INCREASES your chances of getting cancer.

There is also the concept that "nutritionist" are some kind of real

doctor......no such thing.......a favourite of "Nutritionists"
(quacks) is the MSG scare...in reality there is very little to suggest that
this substance which also occurs naturally in some foods is damaging at all.
Why not read the history of this Japanese discovery and then see where it is
used?

.... and PLEASE stop saying there are no "chemicals" in things; EVERYTHING
has a chemical formula.

Edited May 12, 2013 by wilcopops

[robblok]

In reality the OP is just a reflection of our lack of knowledge about diet and how

it affects our health.

In general Thai food is still less processed than most western foods - in that

sense it is healthy.

It is due to the nature of corruption in Thailand more susceptible to illegal

processes before it is consumed by the public and sources may well be contaminated

due to the lack of "zoning" which results in crops growing right next

to unregulated industries.

The truth is however that so long as you eat a balanced and VARIED diet you should

(contamination avoided) be perfectly healthy.

There is a huge misconception that concentrating on a particular kind of food can

bring about changes in your health. There is a massive lack of real

understanding about how science works and who works it - largely dominated by

the concept of evil big business versus the "poor underdog" of

alternative culture. ..... alternative culture is BIG MONEY now and big

business does not control science - it may control a few scientist - but

testing by peers is usually government funded or by genuine skeptics. You need

to understand the process of how testing is carried out....etc. etc. before you

start making ill-informed statements about "Big Pharma" - they are

NOT the sole factor here.

Science is not carried out be big business alone there are thousands of people testing

product and theories all over the world in universities and other institutions

that are not in the pockets of the multi-nationals. Theories and products

are made public and testable before they can be marketed - THAT is the law in

most countries.

A classic example is the recent fad about "antioxidants" - many people

believe because they have been shown to fight the development of cancer in the

body that taking MORE increase your protection. This has NEVER been shown to be

true and in fact there are some trials that suggest that over-doing antioxidants

even INCREASES your chances of getting cancer.

There is also the concept that "nutritionist" are some kind of real

doctor......no such thing.......a favourite of "Nutritionists"

(quacks) is the MSG scare...in reality there is very little to suggest that

this substance which also occurs naturally in some foods is damaging at all.

Why not read the history of this Japanese discovery and then see where it is

used?

.... and PLEASE stop saying there are no "chemicals" in things; EVERYTHING

has a chemical formula.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164638.htm

here a study about msg.. real study .. it might be safe but it causes weight gain more as in people eating the same but no msg. We all know obesity is a problem.

[roamer]

In reality the OP is just a reflection of our lack of knowledge about diet and how

it affects our health.

In general Thai food is still less processed than most western foods - in that

sense it is healthy.

It is due to the nature of corruption in Thailand more susceptible to illegal

processes before it is consumed by the public and sources may well be contaminated

due to the lack of "zoning" which results in crops growing right next

to unregulated industries.

The truth is however that so long as you eat a balanced and VARIED diet you should

(contamination avoided) be perfectly healthy.

There is a huge misconception that concentrating on a particular kind of food can

bring about changes in your health. There is a massive lack of real

understanding about how science works and who works it - largely dominated by

the concept of evil big business versus the "poor underdog" of

alternative culture. ..... alternative culture is BIG MONEY now and big

business does not control science - it may control a few scientist - but

testing by peers is usually government funded or by genuine skeptics. You need

to understand the process of how testing is carried out....etc. etc. before you

start making ill-informed statements about "Big Pharma" - they are

NOT the sole factor here.

Science is not carried out be big business alone there are thousands of people testing

product and theories all over the world in universities and other institutions

that are not in the pockets of the multi-nationals. Theories and products

are made public and testable before they can be marketed - THAT is the law in

most countries.

A classic example is the recent fad about "antioxidants" - many people

believe because they have been shown to fight the development of cancer in the

body that taking MORE increase your protection. This has NEVER been shown to be

true and in fact there are some trials that suggest that over-doing antioxidants

even INCREASES your chances of getting cancer.

There is also the concept that "nutritionist" are some kind of real

doctor......no such thing.......a favourite of "Nutritionists"

(quacks) is the MSG scare...in reality there is very little to suggest that

this substance which also occurs naturally in some foods is damaging at all.

Why not read the history of this Japanese discovery and then see where it is

used?

.... and PLEASE stop saying there are no "chemicals" in things; EVERYTHING

has a chemical formula.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164638.htm

here a study about msg.. real study .. it might be safe but it causes weight gain more as in people eating the same but no msg. We all know obesity is a problem.

Best avoid the Marmite & Vegemite then. MSG is simply the salt stablised form of glutamate and Marmite has the highest glutamate percentage of any manufactured food. And a tube of Pringles is pretty dicey too. Most American processed food contains tons of the stuff, Pizza Hut and KFC, Taco Bell all use high amounts of it in one form or another. I really don't have a problem with it, eat relatively little processed food, not enough to worry about it. I do however have to laugh at all the MSG "phobics" who unknowingly consume vast amounts of it under different names. Take a look at the list:: http://www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm

Now where did I put that bit of Parmesan ....I like my glutamates

Edited May 12, 2013 by roamer

[GreenSnapper]

MSG is a typical Western hysteria.

In reality, billions of people consume it everyday. And have no negative impact.

A small minority can be allergic. As a small minoriy is allergic against many other natural products, like nuts or milk.

The West has the most obese people and most food hysterias.

[maddas]

The West has the most obese people and most food hysterias.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy the west doesnt seem to do to bad here

Yes, I agree many of the GMOs are about producing CHEAPER food - cheaper
because they store better, retain their freshness longer, have greater
productivity, more resistant to pests and diseases - the type of food
we all want and the Monsantos of this world have taken that on board

oh my, tried eating vegetables grown at home? cannot compare supermarket junk to home grown

Edited May 12, 2013 by maddas

[GuestHouse]

Can somebody explain to me - What precisely is the problem with people deciding what they want to eat, what they don't want to eat, what they want adding to their food, what they don't want adding to their food?

[GuestHouse]

.... and PLEASE stop saying there are no "chemicals" in things; EVERYTHING

has a chemical formula.

Please, let's top pretending to not understand.

People's genuine fears over 'chemicals' in their food are not founded in a fear of H2O but in the mass use and miss use of pesticides, herbicides, and agro-pharmaceuticals.

As you rightly point out, corruption plays a part, but so does ignorance.

I personally know Thai market gardeners who treat vegetables with chemicals right up to the day of harvest. I personally know where 'banned' agro-chemicals are openly on sale. (I doubt the people buying and using these chemicals know they are banned - they know they are cheap and they use them).

Again, go talk to Thai farmers, it is very common practice for them to grow two crops - one they use chemicals on which is grown for market. A second they don't use chemicals on which they consume at home.

The term (translated) 'The beautiful leaves we sell in the market, the leaves that have been eaten by bugs we eat at home' explains something about attitudes to the use of chemicals in food production.

So please, let's not rip chemical formulas for soap off Wikipedia and give lectures on the definition of chemicals - we are not fooled by attempts to skip addressing the subject of 'Food Safety'.

[GreenSnapper]

Can somebody explain to me - What precisely is the problem with people deciding what they want to eat, what they don't want to eat, what they want adding to their food, what they don't want adding to their food?

Nothing.

But people don't decide that, they follow the food gurus which change their opinions every 5 years and are often unscientific ideologues.

MSG, white bread, white rice don't harm your health. Only in Western fantasy land.

[GuestHouse]

Can somebody explain to me - What precisely is the problem with people deciding what they want to eat, what they don't want to eat, what they want adding to their food, what they don't want adding to their food?

Nothing.

But people don't decide that, they follow the food gurus which change their opinions every 5 years and are often unscientific ideologues.

MSG, white bread, white rice don't harm your health. Only in Western fantasy land.

That's big of you.

You allow that the rest of us have the right to choose what we eat and in the next breath tell us you still get to choose the basis upon which we make our choice.

There's a nasty after taste of 'control' in that line of thought.

[GreenSnapper]

Can somebody explain to me - What precisely is the problem with people deciding what they want to eat, what they don't want to eat, what they want adding to their food, what they don't want adding to their food?

Nothing.

But people don't decide that, they follow the food gurus which change their opinions every 5 years and are often unscientific ideologues.

MSG, white bread, white rice don't harm your health. Only in Western fantasy land.

That's big of you.

You allow that the rest of us have the right to choose what we eat and in the next breath tell us you still get to choose the basis upon which we make our choice.

There's a nasty after taste of 'control' in that line of thought.

There is always a "nasty taste" for people, who don't understand the meaning of "free speech".

[robblok]

In reality the OP is just a reflection of our lack of knowledge about diet and how

it affects our health.

In general Thai food is still less processed than most western foods - in that

sense it is healthy.

It is due to the nature of corruption in Thailand more susceptible to illegal

processes before it is consumed by the public and sources may well be contaminated

due to the lack of "zoning" which results in crops growing right next

to unregulated industries.

The truth is however that so long as you eat a balanced and VARIED diet you should

(contamination avoided) be perfectly healthy.

There is a huge misconception that concentrating on a particular kind of food can

bring about changes in your health. There is a massive lack of real

understanding about how science works and who works it - largely dominated by

the concept of evil big business versus the "poor underdog" of

alternative culture. ..... alternative culture is BIG MONEY now and big

business does not control science - it may control a few scientist - but

testing by peers is usually government funded or by genuine skeptics. You need

to understand the process of how testing is carried out....etc. etc. before you

start making ill-informed statements about "Big Pharma" - they are

NOT the sole factor here.

Science is not carried out be big business alone there are thousands of people testing

product and theories all over the world in universities and other institutions

that are not in the pockets of the multi-nationals. Theories and products

are made public and testable before they can be marketed - THAT is the law in

most countries.

A classic example is the recent fad about "antioxidants" - many people

believe because they have been shown to fight the development of cancer in the

body that taking MORE increase your protection. This has NEVER been shown to be

true and in fact there are some trials that suggest that over-doing antioxidants

even INCREASES your chances of getting cancer.

There is also the concept that "nutritionist" are some kind of real

doctor......no such thing.......a favourite of "Nutritionists"

(quacks) is the MSG scare...in reality there is very little to suggest that

this substance which also occurs naturally in some foods is damaging at all.

Why not read the history of this Japanese discovery and then see where it is

used?

.... and PLEASE stop saying there are no "chemicals" in things; EVERYTHING

has a chemical formula.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164638.htm

here a study about msg.. real study .. it might be safe but it causes weight gain more as in people eating the same but no msg. We all know obesity is a problem.

Best avoid the Marmite & Vegemite then. MSG is simply the salt stablised form of glutamate and Marmite has the highest glutamate percentage of any manufactured food. And a tube of Pringles is pretty dicey too. Most American processed food contains tons of the stuff, Pizza Hut and KFC, Taco Bell all use high amounts of it in one form or another. I really don't have a problem with it, eat relatively little processed food, not enough to worry about it. I do however have to laugh at all the MSG "phobics" who unknowingly consume vast amounts of it under different names. Take a look at the list:: http://www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm

Now where did I put that bit of Parmesan ....I like my glutamates

I can assure you I don't eat the stuff, i cook myself and I am neither English nor Australian so the marmite vgemite is something i never eat. But I am not scared of the stuff I just avoid it if I can.

[GuestHouse]

There is always a "nasty taste" for people, who don't understand the meaning of "free speech".

From a man who labels opinions he does not agree with as 'Hysteria'.

[robblok]

Can somebody explain to me - What precisely is the problem with people deciding what they want to eat, what they don't want to eat, what they want adding to their food, what they don't want adding to their food?

Nothing.

But people don't decide that, they follow the food gurus which change their opinions every 5 years and are often unscientific ideologues.

MSG, white bread, white rice don't harm your health. Only in Western fantasy land.

That's big of you.

You allow that the rest of us have the right to choose what we eat and in the next breath tell us you still get to choose the basis upon which we make our choice.

There's a nasty after taste of 'control' in that line of thought.

There is always a "nasty taste" for people, who don't understand the meaning of "free speech".

Indeed you are one of them.. freedom of speech freedom of information. If I don't like what the Palestines or Israelis doe I don't buy their products.. (usually you can find out where it comes from). If I don't like GMO then want to be able to avoid it.

You on the other hand want me to eat it because of your opinion. I am all for science and some GMO products are good but id like to know what I eat so I can decide for myself.

As for your white bread enough evidence processed carbs are not great for the body. Id love to compare your body to someone in your age group who takes care of it

[GreenSnapper]

You on the other hand want me to eat it because of your opinion. I am all for science and some GMO products are good but id like to know what I eat so I can decide for myself.

Listen, my friend: The problem with all ideologists is, they want to reeducate people. And because of that attitude, they assume that others do the same.

I could care less what you eat. I don't interfer in your eating habits at all. But I'm free to call hysteria hysteria. And I'm free to criticize fake science, which is based on believe systems and not on facts or proper use of statistics.

[robblok]

You on the other hand want me to eat it because of your opinion. I am all for science and some GMO products are good but id like to know what I eat so I can decide for myself.

Listen, my friend: The problem with all ideologists is, they want to reeducate people. And because of that attitude, they assume that others do the same.

I could care less what you eat. I don't interfer in your eating habits at all. But I'm free to call hysteria hysteria. And I'm free to criticize fake science, which is based on believe systems and not on facts or proper use of statistics.

You are free to do so.. friend.. but what is wrong with labeling it.. nothing then you can decide what you want.. not care.. and I can decide what i want care.. Not that hard im not infringing on your rights though you are infringing on mine.

[wilcopops]

Robloc - you clearly have no idea on ow to analyse scientic date and or trials or even media reports on a trial in China in 2008 - I suggest you read some peer reviews or at least brush up on medical trial ethos and critical thinking.

[robblok]

Robloc - you clearly have no idea on ow to analyse scientic date and or trials or even media reports on a trial in China in 2008 - I suggest you read some peer reviews or at least brush up on medical trial ethos and critical thinking.

You cant even type my name correct so what faith do I have in your analitic powers ? Just because you don't like one study it isn't valid. I havent seen you back up any of what you say with studies.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/27/us-msg-linked-weight-gain-idUSTRE74Q5SJ20110527

Other study saying the same thing

[somtampet]

Any food in moderation is not BAD for u,good excersise and plenty of veggies too.

Food in excess is bad for u,as is obesity,or as i call it

pure unadulterated greed

Edited May 13, 2013 by metisdead
Bold removed.

[jaideeguy]

The OP stated that he has been in the Kingdom for 20 yrs .....about as long as I've been here and what I've noticed is that the real Thai food is changing, mostly due to corporate takeover. 20+ years ago, the Thais ate a much simpler diet. In the rural areas, they ate a lot of cultivated and uncultivated weeds and the use of pesticides was much less. Chicken was grown by smaller farms and not as loaded with hormones and antibiotics etc. And there was not as much 'mystery meat' that goes in all dishes now.

Agree that the quality of oil used is 2nd hand garbage and has given me many cases of diarrhea and I try to avoid any fried things if I can.

But, maybe the OP is suffering from the same as me........'Thai food overload' as I used to love Thai food and never had any issues with even street foods, but lately I find myself craving my own falang food cooking and the wife mostly loves it, because she gets the night off.

[wilcopops]

Robloc - you clearly have no idea on ow to analyse scientic date and or trials or even media reports on a trial in China in 2008 - I suggest you read some peer reviews or at least brush up on medical trial ethos and critical thinking.

You cant even type my name correct so what faith do I have in your analitic powers ? Just because you don't like one study it isn't valid. I havent seen you back up any of what you say with studies.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/27/us-msg-linked-weight-gain-idUSTRE74Q5SJ20110527

Other study saying the same thing

Sorry but that just sums up how poor you are at iether comprehension or putting forward a coherent argument.........kinda what i expected anyhow.

sometimes it helps to use some common sense - who eats more MSG - US or Japanese? - Who in general is the more obese nation?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Considering that Asians have been surviving for centuries with their diet I find it hard to believe that it can be too bad for you. Why do farang males seem to like the slim, trim beauties that Thailand seems to produce. But, when those same Thai women marry farangs and start eating western food they quickly fatten up like us western women on our supposedly "better" diet. .

That's easy to answer.

Much of the Thai diet has little or no nutritional value, so they always look thin and their growth is stunted, no matter how much they eat.

Start feeding them western food, high in nutritional value, and they pile the pounds on, the kids grow tall too.

Western food is designed for you to live in a cold weather environment where the work load is heavy.

It just doesn't work in the tropics where the heat makes you sit around all day and you don't need to use energy to keep warm.

(Doesn't work when you work in an office, have central heating, and the only exercise you get is opening your car door either)

[Kilgore Trout]

Considering that Asians have been surviving for centuries with their diet I find it hard to believe that it can be too bad for you. Why do farang males seem to like the slim, trim beauties that Thailand seems to produce. But, when those same Thai women marry farangs and start eating western food they quickly fatten up like us western women on our supposedly "better" diet. .

First of all, everybody everywhere survives on what they eat; otherwise they would be dropping dead at the table. Most Thais who eat spicy food develop severe problems with their stomach lining in their 40s-50s and have high cholesterol because of all the oils and fried food. Many kids who eat typical food like rice and mama noodles don't get the proper nutrition they need to develop in a healthy manner.

Also, probably not wise to make racial generalizations; I know plenty of "white men" who like plenty of junk in the trunk and can't understand why someone would be attracted to girls who have the body of a 10 year old boy.

Just because (as you pointed out) you are a fat white female; it certainly doesn't mean all white westerners are; certainly not in my family

[Kilgore Trout]

while we are on the topic of healthy food I saw a recent episode of an american medical seris on TV here in Aus that asked the question how big a serve of veggies would you need to equal the amount of calories in a Big Mac Large Fries and a 32oz cup of Coke ??? the answer came as a total surprise to me when they answered the question by bringing out a large supermarket shopping trolley completely filled up with veggies an amount that I reckon most people would take at least 6 months to consume if eaten every day as their main meal with nothing else with them !

Do what I do; take a bunch of fresh organic greens and put them in the blender with water. Then drink a liter of this a day. More nutrients than you could ever consume by eating. Very healthy.

[kennedy]

while we are on the topic of healthy food I saw a recent episode of an american medical seris on TV here in Aus that asked the question how big a serve of veggies would you need to equal the amount of calories in a Big Mac Large Fries and a 32oz cup of Coke ??? the answer came as a total surprise to me when they answered the question by bringing out a large supermarket shopping trolley completely filled up with veggies an amount that I reckon most people would take at least 6 months to consume if eaten every day as their main meal with nothing else with them !

Do what I do; take a bunch of fresh organic greens and put them in the blender with water. Then drink a liter of this a day. More nutrients than you could ever consume by eating. Very healthy.

and don't get to far away from the toilet....

[Ulysses G.]

I know plenty of "white men" who like plenty of junk in the trunk and can't understand why someone would be attracted to girls who have the body of a 10 year old boy.

Girls with the body of a ten year old boy were probably not girls when they were born. Most real women that are thin still have the right curves.