Rooh Afza vs Patanjali's Gulab Sharbat: Food Pharmer reveals truth behind summer drink that is '99% sugar'
The controversy around Rooh Afza and Patanjali's Gulab Sharbat has been simmering for a while, particularly after Baba Ramdev labelled Rooh Afza as the "sharbad jihad." However, if you're a fan of these drinks, you may want to think twice before reaching for that glass.
Revant Himatsingka, also known as Food Pharmer, recently took to Instagram to share a post titled "Patanjali and Rooh Afza EXPOSED," where he dissected the ingredients of these drinks, raising serious concerns about their potential health risks. (Also read: Ambanis, Sachin Tendulkar's health coach reveals why bread is 'gutter' for your gut: 'Most dangerous thing you can eat' )
He begins the video by pointing out that Patanjali's Rooh Afza bottle doesn't even mention how much sugar it contains, although their website states that it contains 99% sugar. He also highlights how the bottle labels it as an "Ayurvedic Proprietary Medicine," and sarcastically comments, "In Ayurvedic times, was there something called sodium benzoate?", a preservative listed among the ingredients. What shocked him most was that Patanjali recommended consuming this 99% sugar drink twice a day.
A post shared by Revant Himatsingka (@foodpharmer)
Turning to its competitor, Rooh Afza, he says it contains 87% sugar (clearly mentioned on the bottle) along with several preservatives. He also flags that it includes an artificial red colour that is banned in countries like Norway and Austria and comes with a warning: "May cause attention and activity issues in children."
Revant concludes by saying that while these drinks might taste good, they're definitely not good for your health.
The controversy surrounding Rooh Afza intensified after Yoga guru Ramdev made disparaging remarks, alleging that profits from the drink were used to fund religious institutions, coining the term "sharbat jihad." These statements led Hamdard Laboratories, the manufacturer of Rooh Afza, to file a lawsuit against Ramdev and Patanjali Foods Ltd. The Delhi High Court deemed Ramdev's comments as "indefensible" and a violation of its earlier directives, warning of contempt proceedings.
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