India Food Stats

Poisons That Heal In the 1920s, cattle in the US and Canada began dying of internal bleeding after eating moldy sweet clover hay (Melilotus species, particularly Melilotus officinalis or Melilotus alba ). Mold converted natural coumarins in the plant to dicoumarol , which acts as a vitamin K antagonist and prevents blood clotting. Scientists isolated dicoumarol in 1940, and it was developed into early anticoagulant drugs (later leading to warfarin ). Digoxin (or more broadly, digitalis/cardiac glycosides from foxglove, Digitalis purpurea or Digitalis lanata )  is a cardiac glycoside that increases the force of heart contractions and is still used to treat heart failure and atrial fibrillation. William Withering's 1785 book documented foxglove leaf preparations for treating dropsy (edema from heart failure).   Curare refers to plant-derived curare alkaloids such as d-tubocurarine from species like Chondrodendron tomentosum . Indigenous hunters in the Amazon used i...

Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF) popularly known by its trade name Milma, is one of the most profitable cooperatives in Kerala. Check nutritional stats of Milma products on OpenFoodFacts The state-run cooperative society, based in Thiruvananthapuram, was founded in 1980. KCMMF is a Federation of three Regional Milk Unions:  Ernakulam Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (ERCMPU) Trivandrum Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (TRCMPU) Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (MRCMPU) In 2025, Milma shared 92.5 percent of its profits with farmers.

Insulin, ghrelin, and leptin are three key hormones that orchestrate appetite, energy balance, glucose metabolism, and body weight regulation. Hunger Hormones Explained Ghrelin – Rises when your stomach is empty and screams “eat now!” Protein-rich meals and chewy, high-volume foods suppress it best. Sugary drinks and ultra-processed snacks barely touch it. Leptin – Made by your fat cells to signal “you have enough energy stored.” High levels should kill appetite, but in many overweight people, the brain stops listening (leptin resistance). Better food quality and gradual fat loss help restore sensitivity. Insulin – Spikes after eating carbs and tells your body to store energy while turning off hunger. Refined sugars cause big spikes; protein + fiber + fats produce a more moderate, sustained release. The stretching stomach and the rise in glucose in the blood stream triggers the release of insulin. This allows the conversion of glucose to glycogen (in the liver) and then to fat. Insulin...

Drawing from books like Salt, Sugar, Fat , Hooked , and Ultra-Processed People , the YouTube video Big Food Companies Are Using Indians As Lab Rats argues that India is not just a market, but a lab—1.4 billion test subjects under weak regulations . It shows how brands create a “health halo” by slapping words like protein, fiber, multigrain, natural, and organic on their packaging. It highlights how a "healthy" snack brand riding on the health appeal of Ragi sells chips with the same calories as a pack of Lay's, yet charges two and a half times the price. nutritional info is listed per 30g instead of 100. Companies are required to be honest with us when it comes to their claims. But there is nothing stopping them from manipulating our lack of awareness and attention to detail against us. Fighting back starts with a skill that's becoming increasingly important: knowing how to read a label.

Coconut water is one of the most popular natural hydration drinks today. With so many brands available on supermarket shelves and online platforms, it becomes important to understand what you are actually buying. Packaged coconut water generally comes in two categories based on the label declaration – those that mention 100% Coconut Water and those that are reconstituted from coconut water concentrate . Image: OpenFoodFacts Below is a comparison of popular packaged coconut water brands available in India, grouped by their label claim (data from OpenFoodFacts.org & Amazon.in). 100% Coconut Water Brands (as declared on label) Brand Name Ingredients Pluckk 100% Natural Tender Coconut Water with Real Malai Chunks Tender Coconut Water (99.30%), Coconut chunks(0.70%) Pluckk Natural Tender Coconut Water Tender Coconut Water (100%) Mojoco Coconut Water Tender coconut water Yu 100% Coconut Water Coconut Water Raw Pressery Coconut Water Coconut Water (100%), Biopreserva...