However, with one particular dish, even a single serving might be too much.
As we age, making smarter food choices becomes increasingly essential, and some foods are best avoided altogether.
This is especially true for a Thai dish that has been linked to the deaths of approximately 20,000 people each year.
However, a closer look at the source of one of its key components reveals a serious health hazard.
Known as Koi Pla, this dish features minced raw fish combined with lemon juice, herbs, and spices.
Despite its appearance as a simple salad, especially among the Lao people in Laos and Isan, Koi Pla has earned a deadly reputation.
Millions of people enjoy this dish every year. However, it isn’t simply the raw fish that poses the risk.
Instead, it’s what comes with the fish that makes it potentially lethal.
Medical professionals warn that these flatworms are responsible for bile duct cancer, a disease that has given East Asia the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rates of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in the world.
“It’s a very big health burden around here,” he shared with Agence France-Presse.
“But nobody knows about this because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree.”
Their findings were alarming. In some communities, as many as 80 percent of the residents had ingested the parasite.
Despite the gravity of the issue, Dr. Khuntikeo has faced resistance, particularly from older generations, when trying to raise awareness.
“But I cannot accept this answer.”
Meanwhile, Boonliang Konghakot, a farmer from the Khon Kaen province, remains unfazed, stating: “I used to come here and just catch the fish in the pond…it’s so easy to eat raw.”
“I’ve never been checked before, so I think I will probably have it because I’ve been eating (koi pla) since I was little.”
