A Malaysian student, who is only in Standard 2 lost her eyesight completely after eating an excessive amount of processed food, especially nuggets and sausages.
In a viral Facebook post by Erna Nadia, she clarified that the kid did not turn blind after just consuming the food once or twice. The dietician who checked on the kid revealed the latter’s shocking diet.
“She has been given only processed food – nuggets, sausages, cookies since birth until recently. She is only in Standard 2.”
“She asked her teacher why she couldn’t see anything before she was sent to the hospital.”
After a thorough check-up, the kid is revealed to have lost her eyesight due to vitamin A deficiency. The total blindness is, unfortunately, irreversible.
Vitamin A is not only important in metabolism but also essential for healthy vision, according to the Cleveland Clinic. To ensure your body receives enough Vitamin A, it’s important to consume enough green vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy products, and salmon.
Erna, who is also a doctor, said that the story was shared by a friend of hers, and she also shared the symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency which you can look out for, such as dry eyes and poor vision.
She also clarified that her post is not meant to criticise the parents but merely remind everyone, including herself, about the importance of a healthy diet.
“Supplements don’t help much. Back then, our parents and grandparents fed us with proper food, right?”
As for the kid and her parents, there was nothing they could do except adapt to the situation.
“The more colouring your food has, the less healthy it is”
In her post, Erna said she understood that parents are sometimes too occupied to cook but suggested everyone try their best to at least prepare a proper meal, if not a healthy meal.
“A plate of rice with an egg paired with soy sauce is enough.”
“Processed food is very, very unhealthy and has no nutrition. The longer it lasts, the more colors it has, the more unhealthy it is.”
Some food may be guilty pleasures but if consumed excessively, it could lead to unimaginable health complications which we would regret down the road.