Yeah, so a couple of days ago, I was as usual on my phone, WhatsApp to be specific, scrolling through my unread messages, then boom a message popped up on my notification which really caught my attention. It did because the message was more of a warning ⚠️ that highlighted the danger involved in taking in (ingesting) MANGO 🥭 and a cold carbonated drink simultaneously.
Image by Beverly Buckley from Pixabay
You would be surprised at the number of scientific fallacies I read on whatsapp groups on a daily basis. These fallacies are sometimes so comical, so much you keep asking yourself HOW? WHY? and WHERE? Personally, some of these fallacies are mood lifters, where every other method have failed to improve my mood, they succeeded, 80% of the time. It just so amusing how funny it can be that someone out there actually thought of this fallacy, didn't just stop there, went ahead to put on social media, and some people without doing a double check or maybe even a reality check on how valid the claims are, deem it fit enough, went ahead to share, causing it to reach thousands, even at times millions of people, now that's hilarious, whats more amusing is that 80%-90% of people it's been shared to believe it without doing their personal findings, that literally how people get scammed.
Now, let's find out in clear terms what the message contained , what was it all about and how was it structured.
I will be sharing a screenshot here 👇
The message in the screenshot stated in clear terms and I quote 👇
" Do not drink cold drink after eating mango! Some travellers had gone to Chandigarh for sightseeing. They immediately drank cold drink after eating mango. They started feeling restless and they all started fainting. They were all admitted to the hospital where they were declared brought dead. The doctor said that after eating mango, do not drink any cold drink or soft drink. Citric acid in mango and carbonic acid in cold drink mixed together to produce poison in the body. Please forward this message to all your loved ones. Presently the mango season has started. "
Now the above message even states that "please forward to all your loved one" Yeah so much concern and care, but the bone of contention here is, as much as we care and of course are concerned, ARE THESE CLAIMS VALID? could it be another attempt at getting cheap organic traffic? could it be a just a coincidence? Maybe the cold drink was just a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrongest time and ended up being drunk by the wrong set travelers? What exactly is that cold drink that was taken and is it still safe for drinking ? What could have really happened ? Is that the whole story? Could something have happened behind the scene that we know nothing about ? Should the Mango and it source be investigated ? Where exactly was the Mango gotten from? According to the message nothing was said about the mango really, the cold water was used as the main scapegoat. There are just too many variables to consider, but the issue here is people are claimed to be dead (my condolences to the loved ones of the victims).
Image by Vahid Kanani from Pixabay
Cause of death? According to them MANGO 🥭 + COLD DRINK taken by the said travellers = FAINTING, then eventually DEATH. I have a brain, and frankly this doesnt add up, sounds like BS! Those are some extreme claims
I am not saying the above is a lie, not at all, but it just doesn't add up. To me it contains more fiction than fact especially the travellers going to the great beyond. Lets do some breakdown as to why I think this is more more fiction than facts
Now, the message was a harrowing tale of travelers who met their untimely demise after indulging in mangoes followed by cold drinks. According to the narrative, the combination of citric acid in mangoes and carbonic acid in cold drinks purportedly forms a deadly potion in the stomach. How true is this, let see what some experts have to say 👇
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Karishma Shah, who is an integrative nutritionist and health coach according to my personal findings, shed light on the digestive implications of consuming aerated beverages with fruits. While it's true that carbonated drinks can disrupt the digestive process by introducing excess air into the stomach, the notion that this combination is universally fatal is far-fetched. Now, please read well, Shah went ahead to emphasized that discomfort after consuming cold drinks alongside mangoes is more likely due to individual tolerance rather than inherent danger.
Oh, it doesn't end there, another well-known nutritionist Shweta Shah more of a celebrity quite frankly, echoed and sided with these sentiments, she cautioning against the harmful effects of mixing incompatible foods. While pairing mangoes with cold drinks may not be deadly, it can lead to digestive distress and spikes in blood sugar levels.
According to Ayurveda principles, certain food combinations can disrupt the body's natural balance, resulting in symptoms like gas, bloating, and constipation. Did you see death in the list? Well I didn't...but she did warn against combining milk with mangoes, citing compatibility issues that can hamper digestion but still not desth uhm. In her expert opinion, fruits should ideally be consumed separately to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels and ensure optimal digestion.
Now, I am not a fan of carbonated drinks, as a matter of fact, I hate them, why? Because, I am well aware of the eventual long-term dangers associated with taking them, let alone taking a cold one...
So, where does this leave us? While it's prudent to be mindful of food combinations and their potential effects on digestion, it's essential to approach sensational claims like this very one with a healthy dose of skepticism. Personally, the idea that consuming mangoes with cold drinks is a one-way ticket to the afterlife is more myth than reality in my book. Instead of succumbing to fallacies disguised more as fact, let's focus on balanced nutrition and mindful eating habits shall we
So do you think this Mango and Cold drink claim is fact or fallacy? Lets know in the comments
For more Info that actually debunks the above claim check this of mango and cold drink, read this: https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.33ER34A
