COMMON SENSE OVER FADS

Instead of relying on superfoods and crash diets, Indians would be better off listening to their grandmothers and eating sensibly

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The panel titled 'The path ahead: Better nutrition and preparedness are the best ways' focused on how good nutrition would fuel India's quest to become a healthier and more resilient nation. The session, moderated by Pooja Biraia, THE WEEK’s Principal Correspondent, brought together Dr Jyoti Wadhwa of Apollo Athenaa, Dr Sushant Mittal from Action Cancer Hospital, and Dr Krishna Murty of Subharti Hospital to discuss how nutrition shapes long-term wellbeing. Excerpts:

Pooja Biraia/ Let me begin by asking you, ma'am, what a balanced diet means. Is there a diet that can prevent cancer?

Dr Jyoti Wadhwa/ As I am an oncologist, I restrict today's discussion to cancer risk reduction and also the important role diet plays while a cancer patient is undergoing treatment. A balanced diet is one which not only provides enough calories and nutrients, but one that should also enable cells to renew and repair themselves.

It should contain enough macronutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins and good quality fats, but also micronutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, which we often get from fruits and vegetables.

Biraia/ Do antioxidants play a role in cancer care?'

Dr Sushant Mittal/ So, antioxidants act like radical scavengers. We have a lot of ions going around in the body and they need to be taken care of. That is where antioxidant foods, superfoods, the millet diet, and fruits and vegetables come in. They detoxify our body.

Biraia/ When a patient comes to you, how do you judge their level of nutrition?