Home ›› 04 Apr 2023 ›› Back
For Ramzan Ali, a 56-year-old rickshaw puller from Mohmmadpur area in the capital, buying fried fritters for iftar is the only way to survive at a time when the country is going through higher inflation for months.
Last year, in addition to fried fritters like beguni (fried eggplant), piaju (fried lentil-mixed onion), and alur chop (potato fritter), he was able to include fruits, like banana and apple, in iftar for his five-member family.
“But, this year, I could not even think of apples and bananas. Last year, I could buy apple for Tk 180-200 per kg and eat in iftar for three days at least. Now, the price of apples has jumped to over Tk 320. The price of a dozen of sabri bananas has increased to more than Tk 100 which was Tk 70 last year,” Ramzan said in frustration.
“It is better for me to have iftar with fried fritters and puffed rice only, which would cost Tk 100 at best. As the prices of all kinds of essential food items have increased in the market, this is the easiest solution for me,” he added.
Hundreds of families, like the family of Ramzan Ali, are being forced to drop nutritious fruits from their iftar list this year as a result of the ongoing inflation, opting for comparatively cheaper fried oily foods.
Health experts said that excessive use of oily foods in iftar could harm people in two ways. Firstly, these foods can trigger diseases in the bodies of people who are at risk of stroke or cardiac diseases. And secondly, the health condition of those who are already diagnosed with the diseases can deteriorate further very soon, either during Ramadan or after Eid.
Professor Syed Abdul Hamid, from the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka, said. “Poor people eat oily foods in iftar mainly for two reasons. Definitely, inflation is the primary reason as it has decreased the purchasing power of people from lower-income groups. Secondly, as people of our country are habituated to eating oily foods in iftar for a long time, they consider it essential and good for health. As a result, nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables have become non-essential food items for iftar.”
“The sellers of oily food generally use low-quality oil which is posing the risk of further health hazards for the poor. They are opting for comparatively cheaper oily foods due to financial strains, but it will ultimately increase their health treatment expenditure in the near future,” the professor opined.
Prof Dr Sohel Reza Chowdhury, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation, said, “The best part of fasting is it offers several health benefits like reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This reduction in risk factors lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. Fasting can be helpful for controlling diabetes also.”
“The traditional iftar items of fried fritters are very harmful to health. These foods are harmful to the health of people who are at risk of heart disease,” he said.
“That is why health practitioners are advising to eat less fried foods and include more vegetables, chira (flattened rice), and curd in the iftar list. They are good for digestion, and decreasing cholesterol and sugar levels,” he added.
Dr Pradip Kumar Karmakar, associate professor of the Department of Cardiology at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital, said that people at risk of heart diseases are generally advised to eat balanced iftar, but in vain.
He said in time of inflation, eating fruits like banana could be a cheaper solution. Besides, including vegetables in the iftar is a must.
Dr Afzal Momin, associate professor of the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, said that patients who are at risk of stroke should avoid fried food at any cost.
“A person can have chira with banana or curd and without sugar for the iftar and can eat supper within an hour of the iftar time. And then he can have his sehari meal. It would definitely be a healthy practice for any person,” he advised.
According to the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and Dialectologists of Bangladesh, after having a balanced food in the iftar, diabetic patients should have their supper with bread within an hour.
Dr Jobaida Naznin, assistant professor (endocrinology) of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, said in the month of Ramadan, people are always in confusion if they test their sugar level during fasting or take insulin. But the Islamic scholars have opined that taking insulin or testing blood sugar does not void fasting.
“Saline boosts the health condition while insulin squeezes the body. So, taking saline is prohibited during fasting, but taking insulin is not,” she explained.
