Food and Nutrition

Big Food and Big Pharma :The Unholy Nexus

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on July 7, 2025

Big food and big pharma are best friends. NCDs(noncommunicable diseases) are now the leading cause of death in India for some time over riding diarrhea diseases and tuberculosis.According to the World Economic forum India will be spending 3.55 trillion dollars between 2014 to 2030 if intervention against the NCD promoters are not strictly taken care .

The combination of ultra-processed foods and drinks, seed oils, unhealthy diets, substance abuse, and a sedentary lifestyle is creating a global health emergency.

They started pushing seed oils as a "healthy" alternative to traditional fats like:

• Butter
• Lard
• Tallow
• Coconut oil

Health organizations eventually jumped on the bandwagon & the rest is history.

Toxic machine grease became a "health food" overnight.

And here's the… pic.twitter.com/SUhNyrI0UR
— Michael Morelli (@morellifit) October 23, 2024

This tweet

Most of the biggest research are funded by either big food or Big pharma.Infact if the tweets basic premise is checked ,before 1970,America had far less lifestyle disease and so did India.

Butter, ghee, and coconut oil were staples in India, and our grandparents never whined about diabetes! Olive oil containing MUFA was used forever in Italy and they have lower CVA risks.

I wrote about processed food and the soya oil problem long time back.But just like everything else the internet has a lot of noise, making it difficult for doctors like me to even reach the ears which would be helped.

I am not selling a supplement or food product. I hope what I say encourages you to research the topic. The Omega six fatty acid is in excess in these seed oils.They are pro inflammatory and may give rise to various health issues even connective tissue disorder.If you don’t skip using them in your daily food, you are at risk. Packaged food and restaurant food all contain some or all of this and you have no way of knowing.The seed oils cause oxidative damage,plaque formation with increased cardiovascular risks.

🥗

Eat a Variety of Foods

Include cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and animal foods daily.

🍛

Balanced Macronutrients

50–60% carbs, adequate protein & healthy fats (20–30%).

🍎

Fruits & Vegetables

Consume at least 5 servings daily for vitamins and fiber.

🍭

Limit Sugar & Processed Foods

Cut down on sweets, soft drinks, and refined carbs.

🧂

Control Salt Intake

Keep intake below 5g/day to reduce hypertension risk.

🏃

Be Physically Active

Aim for at least 30–60 minutes of moderate activity daily.

🧼

Safe & Hygienic Food

Prevent infections by washing and cooking food properly.

👶

Exclusive Breastfeeding

Recommended for first 6 months, followed by complementary feeding.

🚭

Avoid Tobacco & Alcohol

Strongly discouraged to prevent chronic diseases.

🧪

Use Fortified Foods

Use fortified staples to prevent micronutrient deficiencies.

📘 Source: ICMR-NIN 2017 Nutrition Guidelines

The chemicals used in process are a horror story leaving behind Trans fats, Glyphosate residue,Plasticizers
BPA,Hexane and more.All the vegetable oils below have some or all the risks.

Soybean
Sunflower
Cottonseed
Canola oil
Rice bran Oil
Dalda

If big food didn’t sell all the horrors ,big pharma would be unable to sell the medicines for lifestyle diseases.

You will see there are always newer and better hypoglycemic drugs and antiobesity drugs but no interest in making packaged food better and ~~less harmful~~ healthy.Or maybe that’s too much to ask for. ITC is a big FMCG company it’s also the Indian tobacco corporation and mints money that way too.

Dabur sells Ayurvedic products as well as FMCG including their honey,fruit drinks as well as oral care products. Do you get the link?OTC pharma ,FMCG and Big pharma are in a dance of death contest where they are competing for the highest margin and not necessarily your health.

Ultra-processed food (UPF) and Ultra-processed beverage (UPB) consumption is associated with higher risks of numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs). (Source)

Which FMCG brand has OTC drugs in india?

Dabur

Cipla

Abott

In India NCD s increased from 1995 and peaked in 2018.Kerala followed by Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab.

India: Health of the Nation’s States

The 2017 India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative by ICMR reports:

✅ Proportion of deaths due to NCDs rose from 37.9% in 1990 to 61.8% in 2016.
✅ Major NCDs:
- 🫀 Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)
- 🎗️ Cancers
- 🌬️ Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs)
- 🩸 Diabetes
✅ Key behavioral risk factors:
- 🍟 Unhealthy diet
- 🚶 Lack of physical activity
- 🚬 Use of tobacco and alcohol

Source: PIB Press Release
Original chart by Dr. Amrita Basu, healthwealthbridge.com

The study report “India: Health of the Nation’s States” provides insight into the 2017 India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),states that the proportion of deaths due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India has increased. It rose from 37.9% in 1990 to 61.8% in 2016. The four major NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), and diabetes. They share four behavioral risk factors: unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and use of tobacco and alcohol.(Source)

The Marketing gimmicks are extensive. Real fruit is absent from packaged fruit juices, and milk biscuits lack milk. Honey often contains HFCS(Source) . Chawanprash is marketed by Big B and Dhoni. Gutkha and pan Masala are promoted by so-called A-list heroes. Beverages are endorsed by health-conscious beauties. These irresponsible marketing ploys mislead the population. Clever marketing and addictive tastes influence choices, leading to high spending on R&D.

The ratio of fat,salt and sugar are meant to be addictive and all the fast food companies spend money and time perfecting that.

What are the main points of ICMR 17 Nutrition Guidelines for Indians?

ICMR 17 Nutrition Guidelines for Indians

#	Guideline
1	Eat a variety of foods from all food groups, focus on seasonal and regional foods.
2	Balance energy intake and expenditure to maintain healthy weight.
3	Limit intake of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats, avoid trans fats.
4	Consume whole grains and millets instead of refined grains.
5	Eat at least 400g of fruits and vegetables daily.
6	Ensure adequate protein intake from quality sources like pulses, legumes, eggs, meat, fish.
7	Meet micronutrient needs (Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A, B12, Zinc, Folate, etc.)
8	Ensure safe food handling and clean drinking water.
9	Use healthy cooking methods and avoid reuse of cooking oils.
10	Stay physically active at least 30-60 minutes daily.

Avoid protein supplements, instead opt for protein from real food.Straight talk is strangely often skipped

People would rather take alcohol,smoke ,drive without helmets, than prevent theses preventable causes of problems.Its so much easier to blame the,Government system,parents,partners,next door aunty,doctors than looking inside.Take responsibility for your own health. #HealthIsWealth

Big Food & Big Pharma: Key Supporting Research

No.	Title	Synopsis	Link
1	Food–Pharma Convergence in Medical Nutrition	How food and pharma blur lines via medical foods, nutraceuticals, and shared R&D.	Read on PMC
2	Big Food, Food Systems, and Global Health	Big Food fuels chronic disease burden, feeding pharma’s treatment markets.	Read on PLOS Medicine
3	Big Food and WHO Influence Strategies	Food industry lobbies and shapes policy, mirroring Big Pharma tactics.	Read on PubMed
4	Critical Assessment of Food Industry Influence on Health Research	Food industry–funded studies often report favorable results—like Big Pharma’s research influence.	Read on PubMed
5	Manufacturing Illness: The Role of Big Food and Big Pharma	How both industries profit from chronic disease, shaping health narratives and policy.	Read on ResearchGate

Sources: healthwealthbridge.com | X: @misra_amrita | YouTube: @healthwealthbridge

More Reference:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1796435

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/prevalence-of-ncds-tripled-infectious-diseases-doubled-since-1995/article68422602.ece/amp/

https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/indias-call-action-noncommunicable-diseases

https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/india-otc-drugs-market/companies

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9309965/

https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/india-otc-drugs-market/

https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/features/story/fmcg-firms-eye-healthcare-market-19873-2011-02-09

https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/curbing-indias-ultra-processed-foods

https://ncdalliance.org/why-ncds/risk-factors-prevention/unhealthy-diets-and-malnutrition#:~:text=Unhealthy%20diets%20and%20the%20resulting,and%20stroke%2C%20and%20some%20cancers.

https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/upload_documents/DGI_07th_May_2024_fin.pdf

Why Do We Cook?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 3, 2025

I didn’t have a cooking ,baking passion growing up.But I was surrounded by a super mom who couldn’t really afford a cook and thus bravely balanced her Government job and cooked for us.

She ensured we ate nourishing food before going to school,at school and when we were at home.I learned the basics of everything and could make rice,Dal,roti, sabzi,chicken fish …but didn’t feel inspired to learn more.I didn’t need to .My mom was a wonderful cook who needed help and I was happy to be the sous chef and clean up crew .

Quick Bread Recipe!

Plus my sister was a childhood baking genius.She and her friends even published a local newspaper where recipe of gur ka paratha was a runaway hit.

My sister was ten year old at that time and she was awe inspiring in her dedication for making these lip smacking,mouth watering yet complex dishes.She baked,cakes,cookies ,tiramisu ,payesh, patishapta,roast chicken,biriyani,stuffed parathas…all with equal passion and ease.I was the chief taster,sous chef and head(only member) of clean up crew,plus kept an eye on her ,to keep her safe in the kitchen.

All that good food and love in the food ensured I looked good ,had normal body weight and became an ENT surgeon and my sister became a beautiful Gold Medalist Geologist .

My sister continued to bake and graduated to baking bread which I learned too.

During the early years of my marriage ,both my husband and I cooked,ate from hostel canteen, eating out at Dilli haat on Saturday nights .I managed but with a very busy post grad life ,inspired cooking was rare.It was functional cooking.I had yet to meet my muse.

When my baby was born I got a cook to help me with cooking .I was struggling.The cook was nice,but cooked average food with extra oil.The result you can guess.This continued till March 2020.

What you experience through your taste buds and mind stays with you .But that was yet to be revealed.

Do not listen to rich boys, eating at home is a healthy practice. One that can prevent many diseases, lead to sharing between communities, and deepen bond of love and security. Learn to cook. Practice it often. Irrespective of gender, age or income. #gharkakhana
— Rujuta Diwekar (@RujutaDiwekar) February 19, 2025

I hope we continue to lag behind Singapore and other developed nations in terms of eating out or ordering food from restaurants (via online options)
➡️It is well-known that home-cooked food is the MOST healthy option.
➡️It is also known that eating "outside" food is one of the…
— Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (@hyderabaddoctor) February 18, 2025

I was glad both doctors,nutritionists and social media took it upon them to bust the propaganda being tried,with FOMO being used.

Absolutely. Cooking at home for your own health is the best investment. The food at chained restaurant is less food more disease.Eating out should be occasional not a daily thing.Betting on people eating unhealthy food restaurant chain-they will then own hospital chains.
— Dr.Amrita Basu ( Misra) (@misra_amrita) February 18, 2025

In 2020 with the COVID Pandemic and the absence of a cook ,my hubby and I magically transformed into cooking and baking gurus .The inevitable happened.

We cook as a family since 2020 March and my house cleaning help didi helps with the preps.Its a tango which we have found a rhythm with.

Recently while watching a Milind Soman reel where he was doing calisthenics, I read a quote of his…

If you respect two things;kitchen and workout place…your old age will thank you

Milind Soman

I am not talking about only the women cooking for the family.I am talking about everyone cooking for their own health and their loved ones.It won’t be a burden and you will definitely spend less on medication and healthcare costs.

I use my oven,air fryer,microwave ,pressure cooker and hacks to make cooking work for us.My husband, cooks almost as much as I do and it works as a tango.My daily helper didi helps with the preps and that is an answer to my prayers.I wasn’t always cooking my own food .COVID 19 was what made me learn and go full time.Its been the best investment in my heart and health for the long run.

My Air Fryer

Remember big food and big pharma are great friends.If it comes out of a package,it’s definitely processed and not having your best interest at heart.

But saying that I will tell you about a quote I read in a Bengali cook book(I forgot the name),so paraphrasing

“Who cooks for you?Is it the fire,the veggies,the utensil ?No it’s your heart full of love that cooks.”

If you are cooking for yourself,that is the best way to love and take care of yourself .

Clean kitchen,calm cooks ,love and peace in your heart will help you rustle up good food .But are you ready to do the work?

I am participating in Blogchatter A2Z 2025 and also the April Ultimate blog challenge.

This is a B post.you can find all the April posts here.

Who is responsible for selling and buying unhealthy products? Belling the economic cat

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on July 4, 2024

Finally! The Indian Supreme Court has stated that personalities that endorse consumer products have a duty to ensure the products are neither misleading or harmful to the consumer.

So.. let’s start with Colas and Sugary drinks. 10% if Indians have diabetes, and 50% diabetics don’t know they have it! The personalities that promote Cola’s and other sugary drinks must now add that Colas are huge health risks ..Shekhar Kapur on Tweeter tweeted this.

The Indian Supreme Court has stated that personalities that endorse consumer products have a duty to ensure the products are neither misleading or harmful to the consumer.

Finally! The Indian Supreme Court has stated that Personalities that endorse consumer products have a duty to ensure the products are neither misleading or harmful to the consumer.

So.. let’s start with Colas and Sugary drinks. 10% if Indians have diabetes, add 50% diabetics…
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) June 20, 2024

That’s one way of dealing with it.But primordial prevention would help more.Don’t make or sell products which are proven to be harmful! Brands, Governments,celebrities,consumers everyone needs to take a stand.Its not okay to deliberately sell unhealthy, harmful,products.

1.Tobacco and all tobacco products.In some parts of India women not only work at Bidi factories but also start chewing tobacco paste called gul.Both may start as early as eight years of age.The work feeds the habit and kills good health,common sense and escalates healthcare expenses.

2.Alcohol.

WHO Finally admitted that no level of alcohol consumption is good for health. Seed oils,moderate amount of alcohol,soyabean, aspartame are things WHO supported and promoted once .Something to think about there.

No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health

Alcohol and tobacco together are responsible for most cases of oral and Head-neck cancer .There’s no upside to these two evils.Indirect advertising ,brand promotions work as bad as anything else.

3.Ultra processed, sugary, salty, fatty food.Includes fast food,cold drinks,frozen deserts, ice cream, chocolate,cakes sold in packets.Sometimes food branded as health-food fail the health test.Have you read my book Nutrition Diet Myths and Life? It’s an eye opener for health food and what you must avoid.

It can’t just be the money, or is it? Is that the reason famous movie stars endorse products from brands selling tobacco ,alcohol and fast food?How can youth icons sell addictive substances ,gambling apps and unhealthy products ?The youth has all the resources to find out the truth behind these products.Something we didn’t have growing up.That’s the reason I hope they will deliberately give a cold shoulder to the so “stars” who promote death,disease and addiction as food,fun and entertainment. Be a responsible consumer and not a blind follower.

Plus, I hope brands will make and sell good products promoting health ,wealth and wellness and not things which will harm both the individual and the society. There’s no harm in hoping and praying, right?

Reference :
WHO:NO TOBACCO

https://healthwealthbridge.com/tobacco-cancer-responsibility/

https://healthwealthbridge.com/truths-about-chewing-tobacco/

https://healthwealthbridge.com/cancer-preventionliving-life-meaningfully

https://healthwealthbridge.com/gulchewing-tobacco-the-untold-horror-story-of-rural-bengal/

The Papaya Story

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on October 12, 2020

I once wrote a book called Fruits for life.It’s a book which Amazon likes too and has picked up for Prime reading several times.

Now this book Fruits for life, was the first book in the nutrition Secrets series.

That’s when I started exploring more about fruits and vegetables.

Today is the Papaya story.

Once upon a time we had a papaya tree in our backyard.Every two to three years during the April norwesters ,the tree would fall,then another would grow.For the few years the trees stayed with us we had small but fresh papaya.They were added to mixed veggie dishes.

It was nutrition but not always tasty.

I fell in love with the sweet papaya in Delhi while studying .The markets near Safdarjung always had plenty of fresh fruits in store.While the more exotic variety of fruits were not suitable for my pocket, a lovely ripe papaya fitted my meal plans to a T .

The ripe papaya when fresh and firm was delicious as a fruit .But Bengalis cook the unripe papaya in very many ways.That’s the recipe I will talk about today.

Papaya many ways:

We have a sweet dish with it,as chutney.

We add it to daal,in mutton dishes(the papein helps tenderize the meat),to mixed veggies and also eat it boiled (difficult one).

We also make a pepey ghanto.

In all the papaya stories ,never once did I think of cooking it.My mom cooks it really well though.

But this 2020 I am in an adventurous mood,so I did cook the papaya as a veg-) side dish.

Ingredients you will need for Bengali Raw papaya cooked spicy:

Mustard oil,or sunflower oil or sesame oil .Bay leaves,ginger,whole garam masala,jeera powder (cumin powder) turmeric, salt ,green chillies and plenty of tomatoes.

You can add raisins for a little sweet and nuts for a crunch.Important point is you need a firm papaya, grated finely.

That’s a good way to have the right consistency of the dish.

Sharing a quick video of the dish and a full recipe soon.

The Papaya cooked

Quick method:

Gas on.Heat oil in a ladhai,saucepan,whatever you cook in on the gas.Let it heat up.Add mustard oil,wait for it to change colour.

Add the bay leaf ,cardamom ,ginger grated or paste and lightly roast them.Add the grated papaya.Mix the spices in a few tea spoons of water so that it’s a paste and no lumps are there .Add to the grated papaya together with tomatoes and green chillies.

Stir well till the masala is evenly distributed .Then cover and cook.This cooks in it’s own steam.If it gets stuck to the bottom of the pan start adding tea spoons of hot water ,by the side.But not a whole lot.

No one can eat soggy kancha pepey ghanto(Bengali word). Cook till it has a bite but no raw taste. Garnish with raisins and nuts or add small pieces of fried potatoes. We skipped all three but added Chola.

I like cooking with different vegetables.It’s a Challenge and you feel good knowing what you have put inside your body.

This is best eaten with Indian roti/chapati or even paratha.Spice quotient depends on you.

Do you like papaya?How do you eat it?Cooked or ripe ?

Baking Bread and Breaking Bread

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on September 17, 2020

Growing up, my mom insisted both of her daughters learn cooking. If not the fancy stuff but at least the regular everyday cooking. But my sister loved making all things exotic, delicious, and loved baking and cooking various dishes.

The white bread I baked on my fifth attempt

She baked cakes, cookies, brownies, and all sorts of deliciousness whose taste I enjoyed all through my teens and part of my tweens.

I had a discerning tongue when it came to food cooked with care.I was an expert taster.That was my main role in the kitchen ,back then.

Luckily, I picked up skills from both my mom and sister unaware. Though nowhere near their expertise and perfection levels, I can recreate recipes from food memories and bugging my mom over the phone.
That has kept me afloat since March. No cooking skills would have been traumatic for everyone concerned otherwise.

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How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!

Health of the Nation Report — Apollo Pro Health

But one thing I never tried making was bread with yeast. I can make roti/ phulka,luchi, paratha stuffed ones, naan, Gur ka paratha,lachha paratha. But never tried baking bread. After tasting a delicious loaf my sister baked last October, I even ordered some Active Instant dry yeast.
I didn’t dare use it. It was spoilt after sometime, and I threw it away. I thought that was the end of it.

Making roti everyday since March for breakfast and dinner was making me mentally tired. We never buy factory-made bread. In the small town we live in, that’s the only kind available. My daughter doesn’t like it, I get horrible acid reflux from it, and my husband would rather avoid it.
So, no store brought bread for eight years.

Now 2020 has seen all of us do a lot of crazy stuff, and this September, I broke my fear of baking bread and have already baked it four times. The last one was even whole wheat.

My sister told me it’s the bread bug. What can I say? My daughter liked it so much that after the first sweet milk loaf was baked, she was continually breaking off small pieces and eating them. It was challenging to make her eat tomatoes, and she made her own tomato and cucumber salad with two slices of fresh bread.I couldn’t believe my eyes.

What can I say, the best way to know whether you are cooking okay is when the people for whom you cook can’t stop eating it!
Sharing my bread activities for the last few days.
I never ever thought, this was something I wanted to do. But as they say, you never say never.

The things I changed
Bread baked in convection mode in a microwave oven (LG). I didn’t use butter, but olive oil. The honey and sugar were one-fourth of that recommended, and you can adjust according to your tastes.
I followed instructions from the manufacturer the second time around for the yeast’s proofing, and it rose better.
To sharing more bread stories.

The whole wheat bread:Fourth attempt at Baking bread

Here’s the recipe for the bread I baked for the first time.

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Big Food and Big Pharma :The Unholy Nexus

India: Health of the Nation’s States

Big Food & Big Pharma: Key Supporting Research

Why Do We Cook?

Who is responsible for selling and buying unhealthy products? Belling the economic cat

The Papaya Story

Baking Bread and Breaking Bread

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Podcasts by Dr.Amrita Basu

Vishakha Talreja

Roshan Radhakrishnan

Food and Nutrition

India: Health of the Nation’s States

Big Food & Big Pharma: Key Supporting Research

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

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