有位曾多次公開宣稱牛糞和牛糞製品具有健康益處的印度美食專家，在一檔電視節目中被主持人端上一份真實的牛糞時卻拒絕嘗試，稱那是“這牛不純”。展現出他理論與實際行動的強烈落差，被網友揶揄為「大型雙標現場啪啪打臉」——這種行徑瞬間瓦解他言論的公信力。

要理解這種對牛產品的迷信性信仰，必須從印度文化中牛的神聖地位說起。在印度教文化中，牛被視為聖潔動物，象徵母性與滋養，其溫順而包容的形象讓人們對牛抱有深厚敬意。從宗教儀式到日常生活，牛在社會中承擔著各種角色：其乳製品是生活必需、牛糞常被用作燃料、牆面塗料或信仰象徵，甚至出現在聖經般的史詩故事中。

其中，被稱為「牛五樣」——牛奶、凝乳、酥油、牛糞與牛尿——更捲入醫療與宗教的混合認知，有些人認為其具有淨化、療癒能量。流行的阿育吠陀（Ayurveda）傳統醫學甚至主張牛尿療法可治療包括癌症、糖尿病、哮喘等多種疾病。印度政府和媒體曾多次推廣以Panchgavya為基底的療法，這是將牛乳產品與糞尿混合製成的傳統配方。但印度眾多科學家已公開批評此說缺乏科學根據，要求當局停止浪費公共資金於此。

在新冠疫情爆發期間，部分民眾與宗教人士甚至採用塗抹牛糞或飲用牛尿作為預防、治療手段，儘管印度醫學界多次發出警告，強調這些方式可能引發感染風險或其他疾病。

回到這位美食專家，從鼓吹牛糞萬能療效到實際拒絕嘗試，明顯透露出用信仰與文化粉飾神話的矛盾心理──理論不敢親身驗證，只願他人盲從。這種行為讓外界重新聚焦於「信仰與科學的界線」、「傳統與理性的衝突」，並提出嚴肅思考：在迷信盛行的背景下，如何維護公共健康、避免讓虛無信仰導致誤導或傷害。

This Indian culinary expert, who had repeatedly claimed in public that cow dung and cow-dung-based products have health benefits, was put to the test on a television program when the host presented him with real cow dung. However, he refused to try it, saying, “This cow is not pure.” The stark contrast between his rhetoric and his actions instantly became a target for ridicule online, with netizens mocking it as a “classic double-standard moment” and saying it completely undermined his credibility.

To understand this belief in the supposed benefits of cow products, one must first look at the sacred status of cows in Indian culture. In Hinduism, cows are considered holy animals, symbolizing motherhood and nourishment. Their gentle and giving nature has earned them deep reverence. From religious rituals to daily life, cows play multiple roles in society: their dairy products are staple foods, their dung is used as fuel, wall plaster, or a religious symbol, and their image appears in epic tales akin to sacred scriptures.

One example is the concept of the “Five Products of the Cow”—milk, curd, ghee, dung, and urine—which are infused with both medical and religious significance. Some believe these substances possess purifying and healing powers. In Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, cow urine therapy has even been promoted as a treatment for ailments ranging from cancer and diabetes to asthma. The Indian government and some media outlets have previously endorsed remedies based on Panchgavya, a mixture of these five cow products. However, many Indian scientists have criticized such claims as lacking scientific evidence and have urged the government to stop wasting public resources on them.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people and religious figures went so far as to smear themselves with cow dung or drink cow urine as a preventive or curative measure—despite repeated warnings from Indian medical authorities that such practices could cause infections or other illnesses.

Returning to the culinary expert, his shift from praising cow dung as a universal cure to refusing to try it himself reveals a contradiction: a tendency to wrap myth in faith and culture while avoiding personal verification, instead urging others to follow blindly. His actions have reignited discussions on the boundaries between belief and science, the clash between tradition and reason, and the critical question of how to protect public health in a society where superstition still holds considerable sway.