FOOD SPECIAL..TOO MUCH IS TOO BAD(1)

So tell us. How many papayas do you eat every week? And how many bunches of palak? Health food junkies, here's a warning. Overdose on the good things and they'll bite back

THAT HAPPENS when Mr X decides that fruit is the healthiest food on earth and chooses to eat fruit all the time? Or when Ms Y believes that proteins were created just to keep her thin and banishes all other food groups from her diet?

“This is when good food turns bad,“ says Dr Rommel Tickoo, consultant, internal medicine, Max Hospital, Delhi. “When we have too much of even a good thing, it ceases to be good, and can in fact cause harm.“

In this age of health obsession, we've been conditioned to think about foods as good or bad. If X is good and Y is bad, we reason, then for good health we should eat X and ditch Y. And once we've divided foods into good and bad, we begin to think that if a little of something is good for us, then a lot of it must be great. But that is a false argument, says Dr Tickoo.

“Amounts matter,“ he says. “Even when it comes to foods that are universally accepted as super good. Too much of anything is bad.“

Here's a checklist of good foods that become bad when you eat too much of them, so you can keep an informed eye on what you're eating.

1. FIBRE

There is absolutely no doubt that fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and all things good, and that they also contain fibre, which prevents constipation and other gastric problems.

But too much fibre (for instance, when you eat platefuls of raw green leafy vegetables or salads like radishes day in and out) can mess things up ­ big time.

Excess fibre often causes bloating, abdominal cramps and gas right away. In the long term, it can interfere with the absorption of minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, causing some serious deficiencies.

“Plus, each individual food you overdose on has its own set of problems,“ says Dr Manjinder Sandhu, head of cardiology at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon. “For example, eating large amounts of carrots or papaya will not necessarily result in greater benefits for you. Though the body converts the betacarotene into vitamin A, it absorbs only the amount it needs, leaving the rest to stay in the system. Over time, this turns the palms of your hands and soles of your feet a yellow or yellowish-orange, a condition called carotenemia.“

Carotenemia can also occur when you drink too much carrot juice or over-eat other foods high in beta-carotene, such as sweet potatoes, squash, spinach and broccoli.

The condition, fortunately, is harmless and can be sorted out simply by staying away from vitamin A-rich foods for a while.

“Papaya also has a digestive enzyme called papain which has beneficial effects in moderation, but overconsumption can cause stomach discomfort, coughs, colds and wheezing,“ says Dr Arpit Jain, senior consultant, department of internal medicine, Artemis Health Institute. “Papaya, orange and kiwi are rich sources of vitamin C, very high consumption of which can cause headaches, vomiting, bladder irritation and occasionally, kidney stones too.“

Finally, too many apples may cause gas, bloating and diarrhoea because of high fibre and sorbitol, and oranges and tomatoes can cause stomach irritation due to their high acidic content, Dr Jain adds.
WHO'S AT RISK?

Vegans or vegetarians, raw food enthusiasts, and those who eat excessive amounts of fruit while taking fibre supplements.
HEALTHY LIMIT:

We need about 25 to 35g of fibre daily, or about five cups of fruits and/or vegetables a day. Try to vary the fruit and veggies every day.

(KAVITA DEVGAN HTB 5FEB12)