Diet and health: The “ill effects” of jackfruit

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Origin of medical myths

Superstitions prevail in Science. At least sometimes.

It is believed that Pythagoras sacrificed an animal to appease god after he succeeded in proving his famous theorem in geometry.

I have heard that some scientists from Indian Space Research Organization chant mantras on the eves of launch of vehicles that carry satellites.

Some of these things may not be superstition in true sense but simply a ritual.

I am not talking of these rituals.

I intend to address the superstitions prevailing in medicine or medical practice rather.

Patients often associate their symptom to a particular event preceding it. For instance, “I got flue because I ate…..”

In India, patients often ask you what food they should avoid. There are conditions where a particular food or ingredient may be desirable or avoidable. Everyone knows what to avoid if you are diabetic or hypertensive. Then there can be food allergies, indigestions. For instance Celiac disease patients need to avoid a protein in wheat called gluten.

A doctor may ask patients to avoid leafy vegetables and other vitamin K rich food materials if some one has a high risk of thrombo-embolic phenomenon which can lead to the formation of clots within the vessels. These patients may still take these food materials but they would have to enhance the dose of anti-coagulant drugs they are taking.

All this is justified and there is Science behind that has been understood.

However, what would you do if a condition does not require any dietary restriction or addition but a patient insists and would not go without such an advice?

I finally advised one such stubborn patient to avoid “Jackfruit pickle especially if old” in a remote and arid area of Gujarat where you actually don’t get Jackfruits at all! Nevertheless, my patient returned happily… fully satisfied! He returned with good post operative vision and attributed it to strict adherence to my advice.

If you see this woman propagating the message that consuming jackfruit affects the visual recovery after a cataract surgery, don’t blame her. It’s me.

As you see the origin of some of the medical myths lies in such pieces of advice we give.

Sorry poor innocent Jackfruit!

Don’t worry; I am going to have you in my dinner tonight.

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