Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have heard about the "gaumutra party" that a religious outfit hosted recently to propagate its belief that drinking cow urine is the best hope we have against a relentless virus that — realistically speaking — even the world's best scientists are still struggling to find a cure for. At the shindig, Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, who presided over the event, extolled the virtues of his favoured drink, claiming that the coronavirus, especially affects those who consume meat. Elsewhere, there are numerous netizens who have confidently proclaimed that consuming Indian staples like garlic and turmeric can "kill" the virus. But both these theories, say experts we spoke to, don't hold water. In fact, when it comes to Maharaj's claim, nutritionist Suman Agarwal tells us flat out, "There are many Indians who have been brought up thinking that gaumutra is 'pavitra'. But I would rather ignore such beliefs than talk about them."

The good diet

Suman Agarwal