Hygienic Living Make Us More Sick?
Ever since the rojak food poisoning incident, I’ve been thinking. Could it be that Singapore is too clean, hence causing us to be more susceptible to bacteria and viruses?
Doctors these days try not to give patients anti-biotic medication, unless necessary. Reasoning being that our immune system are more dependent on drugs to fight viruses compared to the older generation. On the same note, have you ever wondered how come our parents / grandparents live to a ripe old age when they eat off street food?
During the war, people were eating off tree barks, grass, and sweet potato just plucked off the ground. There was probably no clean drinking water, and rice was cooked from well water. In the 1950s, there were road-side stalls that sell cooked food all over the island. I’m sure our “D” grade stalls today are easily 10 times more hygienic than the stalls back then.
Have you heard about mass food poisoning then? Even so, I seriously don’t think anyone had to be admitted to hospitals, or worse still died because of this.
Even in neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, or Thailand. There are many stalls that setup in rural villages without proper setup (e.g. grease-trap, cleaned utensils, etc) but people are still happily eating away, without any complains.
Today we hear about food poisoning, SARs, TB, and other diseases spreading like wildfire. Have you ever wondered why back then, people seemed healthier? Even with poorer living standards? Are our body stucture today, too dependent on the clean & green surrounding, so much so that a little bit of “impurities” will cause us to get sick easily?
