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Published on September 30, 2007

The medicinal powers of nam prik, or chilli paste, have prompted the Public Health Ministry to launch a national campaign to promote its wider consumption.

The move follows the results of a survey highlighting its significant health and economic benefits.

Besides its nutritional value, foods with nam prik can save billions of baht annually in healthcare savings.

Data show the ministry spends at least Bt5.4 billion each year caring for cancer, heart-disease and diabetes patients.

These ailments can be caused by an unhealthy diet, including excess consumption of junk food and insufficient fruit and vegetables. A World Health Organisation study shows 60 per cent of cancer cases are diet-related.

"Our survey found the majority of people in this country consume fewer than the required 400 grams of fruit and vegetables a day. The figures are 80 per cent for males and 76 per cent for females," said Dr Wichai Ekapalakorn, director of the ministry's survey unit.

Diet is a fundamental factor contributing to obesity and several other chronic diseases.

As a result, the ministry decided to turn to promoting nam prik as a way to improve diet. A dish of chilli paste contains 100 different kinds of herbal ingredients.

"Nam prik contains a wide variety of herbal ingredients commonly good for health. The basic ingredients are chilli, garlic, red onion, salt, shrimp paste, fish sauce and pla ra, or fermented fish."

"They can naturally increase antibodies, improve circulation and respiration which automatically reduces cancer, heart disease and diabetes risks," said Narumol Yuwanaboon of BioThai, a non-governmental organisation working on natural resources and diversity.

She said nam prik contained antioxidants and anti-ageing substances, adding that a recent medical study found ingredients in nam prik could reduce cancer, heart- and circulation-disease deaths by 20 per cent. Strokes and brain diseases could be slashed by 26 per cent to 42 per cent.

In addition, nam prik encourages people to eat more vegetables.

"Due to its hot and spicy taste, you cannot eat nam prik without lots of veggies and some rice. That's Thai wisdom in food culture. Today's medicine confirms that vegetable fibre helps digestive systems.

"In terms of taste, nam prik is delicious if you use quality ingredients and a variety of vegetables free from contamination. Some nam prik needs a specific type of chilli for its best taste," Narumol said.

Thailand once had as many as 500 varieties of nam prik, but only 200 remain. Each region has its own specific ingredients and cooking and eating methods.

In the North, people commonly use thuanao, or fermented soybean, as a key ingredient, while pla ra is popular in the Northeast and boo doo, or fermented fish, is common in the South.

However, food expert Assoc Prof Srisamorn Khongphan said chemical contamination in some nam prik ingredients was a concern. The variety of vegetables available has dwindled in past years.

Food scientist Arthit Phandej of the Food Safety Centre said there was increased contamination because of the switch to pesticides and careless food processing. The situation is improving, however.

Another recent survey showed pesticide contamination in fruit and vegetables had fallen from 7.47 per cent to 3.92 per cent between 2003 and 2006, but bacteria was still found in some samples of processed nam prik.

The same survey showed 98 per cent of people consider nam prik a main dish, while 64 per cent said it was a daily staple.

The most popular are nam prik kapi, pla too, pla ra and noom.

"The best way is to make your own, in which you can select quality ingredients and favourite vegetables to eat with it. Another suggestion is to eat seasonal and native veggies, which reduces risk of chemical contamination.

"Seasonal veggies have the best taste and need far fewer chemicals," Narumol said.

"By eating healthy food like nam prik, you will help support chemical-free farming and automatically help improve the environment and ecology in rural areas.

"If you grow vegetables and medicinal plants at home to eat, it will help ease global warming, too. Nam prik is part of the sufficiency economy. We hope more people will return to traditional dishes," she added.

Social critic Nithi Eaosriwong supported the campaign if it promoted native vegetable consumption and conservation leading to food security.

"To change people's perceptions is not easy. It needs careful implementation." Younger generations will need encouragement, he said.

Anthropologist Chalardchai Ramitanon of Chiang Mai University said the campaign could help encourage natural-resource conservation.

Academic Lorm Phengkaew said it could fail without the promotion of cooking at home and discouraging the eating of junk food.

Kamol Sukin

 The Nation