The food we eat plays an important, though not decisive, role in maintaining good health. However, moderation is the key. Eating too much of certain foods can affect our overall well-being.
We should all strive to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains if we want to maintain good physical and mental health.
Speaking of foods that can have a negative impact on our bodies, there is a certain Thai dish that is so dangerous to consume that it is believed to claim the lives of 20,000 people every year.
The ingredients themselves are not dangerous, except for one key ingredient.
This dish, known as koi pla, is made from raw fish, lemon juice, herbs, and spices, but is considered a salad by the people of modern Laos and Isan. Galangal, shallots, and mint are sometimes used for added flavor.
The fish used to prepare this dish is caught from a body of water in the Mekong region that contains parasitic flatworms.
Unfortunately, people who consume this dish are likely to end up with the parasites in their bodies. These parasites attack the liver and cause liver cancer.
This type of cancer is most common in East Asian people.
Doctor Narong Khuntikeo is trying to raise awareness about the dangers of koi pla. His own parents died of liver cancer after eating this dish.
Unfortunately, the Lao people aren’t listening. They just don’t want to give up their tradition of preparing and eating this dish that can lead to death.
“It’s a very big health burden here,” Dr. Khuntikeo told Agence France-Presse. “But nobody knows about it because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree.”
In 2017, the doctor, along with a group of scientists, performed ultrasound scans and urine tests on people in the region where the dish is consumed on a daily basis.
The results showed that about 80 percent of the people from different communities had the parasite.
When the results are shared with the locals, most of them don’t care.
“Oh well, there are many ways to die,” said one of them. “I’ve never been tested before, so I think I probably have it because I’ve been eating (koi pla) since I was little,” another added.
Please SHARE this article on Facebook with your family and friends.
