| Though the government is pretty corrupt, you seem to be paranoid in your criticism of it. > "Use iodized salt in food else your children will be born retarded". "In India, the entire population is prone to IDD due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it. To combat the risk of IDD, salt is fortified with iodine. However, an estimated 350 million people do not consume adequately iodized salt and, therefore, are at risk for IDD. Of the 325 districts surveyed in India so far, 263 are IDD-endemic."[1] > People used handmade soaps and herbal alternatives for soap. Handmade soaps are fine. The ads never said you should only use big-brand soaps. Just because it's called "herbal alternative", it does not mean that it is effective. Each family or each region has its own "herbal alternative". Are you saying that they are all as effective as soap? > 5 different types of leaves, gargling with hot water mixed with a mixture of 15 different kind of powders I have visited villages for various reasons. Most people I came across used one of three methods: neem twigs, salt, charcoal ash. Neem has some antimicrobial properties, but those who cleaned with salt were ruining their teeth. I doubt that ash benefited their oral hygiene. I dare say these villagers are better off with modern products. > The reality is, even in rural areas the level of hygiene is way better. Better than what? If you're comparing villages to urban slums, sure. Are you forgetting that in villages, most people crap out in the open? And don't using soap afterwards? And did you read this article about women not using sanitary pads? [1]: http://www.icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2013/september/0922.pdf |
"Iodine, an element essential for human health, is present only in small amounts in sea salt,[1]" (cribbed from Wikipedia)
[1]: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es0719071