Are Thai eating healthy?

[kurnell]

I'm on my way back from Khao Yai. At breakfast today there were 50+ Thais. I counted 11 that were the in, and the rest were either fat or obese. Some were huge, including the staff. I blame sugary drinks

[balo]

No Thais do not eat healthy and as a result , older people get sick wth cancer and do not live a long life in this country. I am sure that westerners also eat very unhealthy food at times , and people get sick , cancer and all sorts of diseases.

So think before you eat . I cook at home most of the time. I use coconut oil and try to avoid processed food in my dishes.

[Don Aleman]

The answer strikes you as soon as you enter any Thai pharmacy. They may display 100 products but checking the labels indicates 90 of them are for stomach ache !

[lahgon29]

I think many of the middle classes are trying to eat better, and understand the problems with diet here. The Royal Project place near me is full to overflowing with customers when new produce arrives..All vegies, fruit and salad, much of It farang stuff. I buy everything i can from there, and Thais are always asking the missus why she is buying eg long celery or New Zealand spinach, and what do I do with It? They smile and say they will give It a go. Avocados and passion fruit, Bok choy and Choi sum the same.

It starts with the middle class..Maybe It will work down from there.

The "poor" in Australia would give the Thais more than just a run for their money in eating crap.. I know...I used to be one of them.

[lahgon29]

No Thais do not eat healthy and as a result , older people get sick wth cancer and do not live a long life in this country. I am sure that westerners also eat very unhealthy food at times , and people get sick , cancer and all sorts of diseases.

So think before you eat . I cook at home most of the time. I use coconut oil and try to avoid processed food in my dishes.

Balo..Where do you get your coconut oil? I can't find It anywhere here In Udon.

[geistfunke]

one point is missing here - lots of pesticide residues and chemicals on all fruits and vegetables. Much higher than US or Europe and high above all standards. NO local control at markets and Supermarkets, no consumer protection!

So pls. be careful and always clean and wash all fruits and vegetables very carefully before you cook and eat.

[Franko666]

Don't mean to be unkind but you are a wealthy (by Thai standards) idiot.

Are Thais eating healthy?

What a silly question in Thailand.

There are latterly millions of people in Thailand who are every day eating anything they can get to keep them going ..... simply because they can't afford anything else.

Grow up, get out of you elitist Farang mind trap.

Every day there are Thais who think they are lucky to get the 35 Baht for a meal.

They do not have the time, or more especially the money, to consider whether that meal is "healthy" or not.

And frankly they don't care, just as long as they can get a meal so they won't be hungry for a while.

Please excuse me for being blunt, but as many elite and wealthy Farangs in Thailand ....... you simply do not know the really of daily Thai life for latterly millions of poor Thais.

That's why your question is a silly and pointless question.

As I said, I don't mean to be rude, but you need to be aware of the daily reality of life for many poor Thais.

What does what you say have to do with the price of tea in China?

The OP did not ascribe motivations, just asks if Thai food is healthy . If you have an opinion on that, please feel free to contribute, otherwise please refrain from calling people names .

[habfan]

We run a small Mom and Pop in my Wife's rice farming village in Lampang Province and the amount of Mama noodles we go through is frightening. I've even caught my step-son eating it out of the package as a snack, no water he just sprinkles the flavour packet over the dry noodles and eats it like a bag of chips.

For the most part though our cooked village food is quite healthy consisting of a large amount of fish and vegtables. I must admit to a fondness though for cap moo and sticky rice but I try to keep it in moderation.

[masuk]

Don't mean to be unkind but you are a wealthy (by Thai standards) idiot.

Are Thais eating healthy?

What a silly question in Thailand.

There are latterly millions of people in Thailand who are every day eating anything they can get to keep them going ..... simply because they can't afford anything else.

Grow up, get out of you elitist Farang mind trap.

Every day there are Thais who think they are lucky to get the 35 Baht for a meal.

They do not have the time, or more especially the money, to consider whether that meal is "healthy" or not.

And frankly they don't care, just as long as they can get a meal so they won't be hungry for a while.

Please excuse me for being blunt, but as many elite and wealthy Farangs in Thailand ....... you simply do not know the really of daily Thai life for latterly millions of poor Thais.

That's why your question is a silly and pointless question.

As I said, I don't mean to be rude, but you need to be aware of the daily reality of life for many poor Thais.

Maybe so, but if I take my buddy out to lunch, he chooses noodles, won't eat greens at all.

Hardly nutritious and poverty has absolutely nothing to do with it. it's what he's been (or hasn't been) taught. Do school kids get lessons in nutrition?

Do they know that eating noodles regularly is unhealthy? Even in well-educated ASEAN countries such as Singapore, the govt has had to step in and force the drink manufacturers to lower the sugar content. Why do Thais prefer soymilk to dairy milk. Soymilk is loaded with sugar.

Has a survey ever been made comparing household poverty to rampant alcoholism?

[masuk]

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/08/15/instant-noodles-could-hurt-your-heart/

The instant noodles commonly known as ramen a staple food for college kids and other young adults, as well as people in certain cultures may increase people's risk of metabolic changes linked to heart disease and stroke, new research finds.

[balo]

No Thais do not eat healthy and as a result , older people get sick wth cancer and do not live a long life in this country. I am sure that westerners also eat very unhealthy food at times , and people get sick , cancer and all sorts of diseases.

So think before you eat . I cook at home most of the time. I use coconut oil and try to avoid processed food in my dishes.

Balo..Where do you get your coconut oil? I can't find It anywhere here In Udon.

Its available at Friendship supermarket here in Pattaya. Big bottles of cooking oil 160 baht. Also at some markets you will find it.

[AyG]

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/08/15/instant-noodles-could-hurt-your-heart/

The instant noodles commonly known as ramen a staple food for college kids and other young adults, as well as people in certain cultures may increase people's risk of metabolic changes linked to heart disease and stroke, new research finds.[/size]

Trash science.

"Although instant noodle is a convenient and delicious food, there could be an increased risk for metabolic syndrome given [the food's] high sodium, unhealthy saturated fat and glycemic loads," said study co-author Hyun Shin, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston."

There "could" be an increased risk, but there's no actual evidence of it from the article.

There's no direct link between sodium content, saturated fat or glycaemic load and metabolic syndrome.

There's no proper control group, e.g. people who eat fresh noodles, rather than dried ones.

And the author doesn't even have a proper scientific qualification yet.

Just another example of shoddy, sensationalist reporting from the joke-of-a-news-outlet, Fox.

[Benmart]

I watch my diet and let others decide what they want to eat.

[Jaggg88]

Anything but healthy, everything is loaded with Salt and Sugar......

Average 4 portions of processed food every day (white polished rice) sugar in everything (food and drink) and they use Palm oil - all of this is why they have a diabetes epidemic. Its not just Thailand, the sugar and white rice over indulgence goes on right across Asia.

[DeepInTheForest]

[edited]

I add: anything that burns your mouth is bad for you; anything fermented (rotting) should be strongly questioned; and anything animals will not eat (like popular bagged snacks) should be avoided.

[edited]

Nothing wrong with rotten food, either: gravadlax, cheese, beer, bread, sauerkraut, crème fraîche, dosa, idli, injeera, Worcestershire sauce, lassi, leben, yoghurt, dahi, smetana, ssamjang, kimchi, sour cream, yoghourt. All delicious, and all healthy as part of a balanced diet.

Have to laugh at the implied equivalence of "fermented" and "rotting". Fermentation was how our ancestors preserved food before the Age of Electricity (which is currently arguably killing us). Most observant users of the language would draw a distinction between the two words, I think.

I loved the list of fermented foods supplied by AyG, and wish to add tofu, buttermilk, and fermented mare's milk to the list.

From wikipedia, which gives a sense of how widespread the use of fermentation was and is:

The term buttermilk also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates (e.g., the Balkans, the Middle East, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Southern United States) where unrefrigerated fresh milk sours quickly,^[1] as well as in colder climates, such as Scandinavia, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk

Among others, the Chinese have a long tradition of fermentation, and a great deal of description was given to it in their earliest literature. Not surprising, considering the need to preserve foods beyond their harvest date.

[xylophone]

No Thais do not eat healthy and as a result , older people get sick wth cancer and do not live a long life in this country. I am sure that westerners also eat very unhealthy food at times , and people get sick , cancer and all sorts of diseases.

So think before you eat . I cook at home most of the time. I use coconut oil and try to avoid processed food in my dishes.

Balo..Where do you get your coconut oil? I can't find It anywhere here In Udon.

Its available at Friendship supermarket here in Pattaya. Big bottles of cooking oil 160 baht. Also at some markets you will find it.

That seems remarkably cheap as the stuff I sometimes buy at Big C is around 450 baht for 500 ml??

Perhaps the stuff you are buying has been extracted using solvents, or has been through a "refined, bleached and deodorized" process, or is "hydrogenated" (making it mostly solid)??

Any info on this would be appreciated.

[huawei]

Don't mean to be unkind but you are a wealthy (by Thai standards) idiot.

Are Thais eating healthy?

What a silly question in Thailand.

There are latterly millions of people in Thailand who are every day eating anything they can get to keep them going ..... simply because they can't afford anything else.

Grow up, get out of you elitist Farang mind trap.

Every day there are Thais who think they are lucky to get the 35 Baht for a meal.

They do not have the time, or more especially the money, to consider whether that meal is "healthy" or not.

And frankly they don't care, just as long as they can get a meal so they won't be hungry for a while.

Please excuse me for being blunt, but as many elite and wealthy Farangs in Thailand ....... you simply do not know the really of daily Thai life for latterly millions of poor Thais.

That's why your question is a silly and pointless question.

As I said, I don't mean to be rude, but you need to be aware of the daily reality of life for many poor Thais.

What does what you say have to do with the price of tea in China?

The OP did not ascribe motivations, just asks if Thai food is healthy . If you have an opinion on that, please feel free to contribute, otherwise please refrain from calling people names .

He is preaching. The worse sort of farang. As if poverty doesn't exist in his home country.

My heart doctor at a world class hospital in Bangkok told me not to eat from the street food stalls but food courts ok.

[balo]

No Thais do not eat healthy and as a result , older people get sick wth cancer and do not live a long life in this country. I am sure that westerners also eat very unhealthy food at times , and people get sick , cancer and all sorts of diseases.

So think before you eat . I cook at home most of the time. I use coconut oil and try to avoid processed food in my dishes.

Balo..Where do you get your coconut oil? I can't find It anywhere here In Udon.

Its available at Friendship supermarket here in Pattaya. Big bottles of cooking oil 160 baht. Also at some markets you will find it.

That seems remarkably cheap as the stuff I sometimes buy at Big C is around 450 baht for 500 ml??

Perhaps the stuff you are buying has been extracted using solvents, or has been through a "refined, bleached and deodorized" process, or is "hydrogenated" (making it mostly solid)??

Any info on this would be appreciated.

Sorry, I'm not an expert on these things , we have the virgin coconut oil which is very expensive but not suitable for cooking. That is more like 450 baht per bottle. The only coconut cooking oil I found is a thai brand and quite cheap. I'm very happy with it.

[masuk]

one point is missing here - lots of pesticide residues and chemicals on all fruits and vegetables. Much higher than US or Europe and high above all standards. NO local control at markets and Supermarkets, no consumer protection!

So pls. be careful and always clean and wash all fruits and vegetables very carefully before you cook and eat.

Some supermarkets are very careful with their fruit, and check the suppliers for pesticides. See Rimpings advertorial.

[xylophone]

Balo..Where do you get your coconut oil? I can't find It anywhere here In Udon.

Its available at Friendship supermarket here in Pattaya. Big bottles of cooking oil 160 baht. Also at some markets you will find it.

That seems remarkably cheap as the stuff I sometimes buy at Big C is around 450 baht for 500 ml??

Perhaps the stuff you are buying has been extracted using solvents, or has been through a "refined, bleached and deodorized" process, or is "hydrogenated" (making it mostly solid)??

Any info on this would be appreciated.

Sorry, I'm not an expert on these things , we have the virgin coconut oil which is very expensive but not suitable for cooking. That is more like 450 baht per bottle. The only coconut cooking oil I found is a thai brand and quite cheap. I'm very happy with it.

For cooking, I use the extra virgin coconut oil which has been cold pressed using centrifuge technology, thereby retaining all of the good parts of coconut oil, whereas the cheaper ones which can be subjected to various treatments, including heat and solvents, can have such important components such as Lauric acid removed, making them less healthy.

[hugocnx]

Someone here start a new topic on coconut oil please. This topic is not about what kind of oil is best.

[AyG]

For cooking, I use the extra virgin coconut oil which has been cold pressed using centrifuge technology, thereby retaining all of the good parts of coconut oil, whereas the cheaper ones which can be subjected to various treatments, including heat and solvents, can have such important components such as Lauric acid removed, making them less healthy.

I've been ignoring the moronic posts about the apocryphal benefits of coconut oil. It's a highly saturated oil and much less healthy than monounsaturated and unsaturated oils. (See, for example, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550 for evidence-based discussion of various oils and fats.)

The assertion that processing can remove lauric acid, however, is both laughable and ludicrous. Coconut oil is about 50% lauric acid. What manufacturer would want to throw away 50% of the product before sale? That's no way to make a better profit.

[xylophone]

For cooking, I use the extra virgin coconut oil which has been cold pressed using centrifuge technology, thereby retaining all of the good parts of coconut oil, whereas the cheaper ones which can be subjected to various treatments, including heat and solvents, can have such important components such as Lauric acid removed, making them less healthy.

I've been ignoring the moronic posts about the apocryphal benefits of coconut oil. It's a highly saturated oil and much less healthy than monounsaturated and unsaturated oils. (See, for example, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550 for evidence-based discussion of various oils and fats.)

The assertion that processing can remove lauric acid, however, is both laughable and ludicrous. Coconut oil is about 50% lauric acid. What manufacturer would want to throw away 50% of the product before sale? That's no way to make a better profit.

Quoting the Mayo Clinic article regarding different fats really doesn't stack up any more because they obviously haven't changed their old view point to all of the latest research which is available regarding fats and how they affect the human body.

Perhaps you are in the camp which used to warn people against eating butter, eggs and so on because they were bad for you, and championed eating things such as margarine?

There is a huge amount of new information out there which suggests that many of the fats and oils which were thought to be "healthy" are in fact not, especially when they are heated, or in the way they are processed.

The old idea that animal fats and so on were the "bad guys" and that vegetable fats were the "good guys" has been seriously questioned. Also the research, in the 50s, regarding coconut oil was seriously flawed and has remained that way ever since so looking at it again seems to come up with a different conclusion.

And I quote this from one of the many articles available on coconut oil and methods of refining it, "once it (Lauric acid) is removed you are left with a liquid oil with a much lower melting point. So if you see this product online or in a store, just be aware that it is a highly refined product, and that it is missing coconut oil’s star component: lauric acid".

So it appears that lauric acid, or indeed some of it can be removed or destroyed during processing, however I am not an expert on this and can only go on what information is available.

Edited October 22, 2014 by xylophone

[AyG]

Quoting the Mayo Clinic article regarding different fats really doesn't stack up any more because they obviously haven't changed their old view point to all of the latest research which is available regarding fats and how they affect the human body.

Perhaps you are in the camp which used to warn people against eating butter, eggs and so on because they were bad for you, and championed eating things such as margarine?

There is a huge amount of new information out there which suggests that many of the fats and oils which were thought to be "healthy" are in fact not, especially when they are heated, or in the way they are processed.

The old idea that animal fats and so on were the "bad guys" and that vegetable fats were the "good guys" has been seriously questioned. Also the research, in the 50s, regarding coconut oil was seriously flawed and has remained that way ever since so looking at it again seems to come up with a different conclusion.

And I quote this from one of the many articles available on coconut oil and methods of refining it, "once it (Lauric acid) is removed you are left with a liquid oil with a much lower melting point. So if you see this product online or in a store, just be aware that it is a highly refined product, and that it is missing coconut oil’s star component: lauric acid".[/size]

So it appears that lauric acid, or indeed some of it can be removed or destroyed during processing, however I am not an expert on this and can only go on what information is available.

The Mayo clinic article was last updated on 7 August this year, so it's hardly old thinking. It's just reflecting the scientifically proven facts about the effects that saturated fats have on the body. They're hardly alone, the United States Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, International College of Nutrition, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, (British) National Health Service, and Dietitians of Canada all specifically advise against the consumption of high amounts of coconut oil because of its high levels of saturated fat.

Yes, there is new research out there which has suggested that things aren't fully understood yet, but it's not been adopted as the consensus position yet. Unfortunately, websites, the tabloid media and quack manufacturers tend to pick up on such research and promote (even misrepresent) these ideas as fact. (A very common failing is to take evidence produced in vitro and assuming it's valid for in vivo.) Further work by different groups is needed to confirm these findings and to put them into context before they should be considered gospel.

I stand corrected on the removal of lauric acid. It appears it is done commercially to change the melting point.

[xylophone]

Well AyG, at least it seems as if we have found some middle/common ground on the subject.

From my perspective, there were too many "anomalies" in the "eating animal fats etc was bad for you" and this was evident in everything from a totally unhealthy and fat laden diet which my mother existed on until she was in her 80s, to the fact that the Atkins diet seemed to work, and also that certain bodies of people exist almost entirely on animal fats, and cholesterol and heart disease have no place in their society.

There were certainly links in research around fats and heart disease, but as you have said, perhaps things aren't fully understood yet. I remember in the mid-1990s being tested for calcium deposits in my arteries, because that was then seen as one of the major components of heart disease; calcium deposits being laid down after inflammation had set in, thereby narrowing the arteries, and potentially trapping the larger cholesterol molecules, so cholesterol therefore being blamed for heart attacks.

I understand what you say about the difference between in vitro and in vivo results and fully concur, and still puzzles me how the medical profession seem to get it wrong for long periods of time, and even in my lifetime I have seen the change from butter, eggs, milk, meat, etc being good for you, to then being branded as bad, only to see the emergence of such things as margarine and trans fats, fructose and so on. Then the emergence of vegetable oils, some of which become terribly unstable after a period of time or after cooking, resulting in plenty of free radicals doing damage in the body.

Anyway, this is probably getting off topic, so to get back on topic..............there is plenty of good food available in Thailand so that one can follow a healthy diet, but the fact is Thais don't seem to do this in the main.

[AyG]

even in my lifetime I have seen the change from butter, eggs, milk, meat, etc being good for you, to then being branded as bad, only to see the emergence of such things as margarine and trans fats, fructose and so on.

Of course, there has been a major change in lifestyle over the last hundred years.

A hundred years ago meat was an expensive luxury. Most people had very little of it, and certainly didn't eat it every day. It was, however, recognised as a good source of protein, something many people would have been deficient in. Rickets was also a major social problem because of the closeness with which houses were built for poor people, blocking out the sunlight. Dairy products are a good source of vitamin D. It made sense to promote their consumption.

Major change in diet started after World War II. People started eating a lot more animal products, with most people eventually eating meat at least once a day, and often at every meal.

This wasn't a problem until people became a lot more sedentary, partly from the rise of office work, partly from the popularisation of TV, and partly from a decline in interest in sports.

So, what was good for the poor, hardworking people of the early 20th century has turned into a health hazard for the overweight, sedentary people of the 21st.

[balo]

That seems remarkably cheap as the stuff I sometimes buy at Big C is around 450 baht for 500 ml??

Perhaps the stuff you are buying has been extracted using solvents, or has been through a "refined, bleached and deodorized" process, or is "hydrogenated" (making it mostly solid)??

Any info on this would be appreciated.

Sorry, I'm not an expert on these things , we have the virgin coconut oil which is very expensive but not suitable for cooking. That is more like 450 baht per bottle. The only coconut cooking oil I found is a thai brand and quite cheap. I'm very happy with it.

For cooking, I use the extra virgin coconut oil which has been cold pressed using centrifuge technology, thereby retaining all of the good parts of coconut oil, whereas the cheaper ones which can be subjected to various treatments, including heat and solvents, can have such important components such as Lauric acid removed, making them less healthy.

OK I took a picture of the coconut oil that I buy here in Pattaya, I have no idea how they treated it before it ended up in the bottle. But I'm pretty sure it's healthier than other cheap cooking oil .

.

[xylophone]

That seems remarkably cheap as the stuff I sometimes buy at Big C is around 450 baht for 500 ml??

Perhaps the stuff you are buying has been extracted using solvents, or has been through a "refined, bleached and deodorized" process, or is "hydrogenated" (making it mostly solid)??

Any info on this would be appreciated.

Sorry, I'm not an expert on these things , we have the virgin coconut oil which is very expensive but not suitable for cooking. That is more like 450 baht per bottle. The only coconut cooking oil I found is a thai brand and quite cheap. I'm very happy with it.

For cooking, I use the extra virgin coconut oil which has been cold pressed using centrifuge technology, thereby retaining all of the good parts of coconut oil, whereas the cheaper ones which can be subjected to various treatments, including heat and solvents, can have such important components such as Lauric acid removed, making them less healthy.

OK I took a picture of the coconut oil that I buy here in Pattaya, I have no idea how they treated it before it ended up in the bottle. But I'm pretty sure it's healthier than other cheap cooking oil .

.

Thanks for taking the time and effort to do that, and I have to admit to never seeing this type of coconut oil before.

This is only an assumption, however from the price you paid I would suspect that this is one of the refined products, which in itself may not be bad, however the method of refining and extraction used can throw up some questions?

I don't want to get too deeply into discussing the merits or not of coconut oil, because as I have said in a previous post I am not an expert, however I do believe it has some health benefits over other types of oil. There is much out there on the Internet as regards the so-called "good oils" and the information makes interesting reading because of the instability of some of them, not to mention that many of them can be made from genetically modified crops.

And that whole GMO area is another minefield, however I will say one thing on it...............I have no problem with using the old methods of producing the best crops by crossbreeding the best producers of one particular crop, however I do not like the idea of taking a gene from a fish and inserting it into a tomato (for example) nor do I like the idea that crops can be modified so that they do not die when sprayed with a nasty chemical called glyphosate, and this chemical thereby finding its way into our food.

[aircut]

Anything but healthy, everything is loaded with Salt and Sugar......

Diabetes is in epidemic proportions in Thailand these days.

yes i agree, diabetes rates are on the increase and obesity as well. the fault is not in thai food, but the increase consumption of western sodas and processed food

Thai food for itself is balanced and healthy - just avoid the western junk food

[hugocnx]

Anything but healthy, everything is loaded with Salt and Sugar......

Diabetes is in epidemic proportions in Thailand these days.

yes i agree, diabetes rates are on the increase and obesity as well. the fault is not in thai food, but the increase consumption of western sodas and processed food

Thai food for itself is balanced and healthy - just avoid the western junk food

Western influence is just on the rise. The so called western soda's are even loaded with extra sugar to satisfy Thais hunger for sugar.

Together with fat pork, fat beef and fat chicken plus carbon loads from rice and noodles gives one to much energy intake.