Episode 203: ‘Deli Boys’ / Dangers of Ayurvedic Medicine

Today Asif and Ali discuss  the new critically acclaimed Disney Plus /Hulu series “Deli Boys” (1:15). They discuss creator Abdullah Saeed’ background and how he came to develop the series. They discuss what they love about the show including the superb cast including Saagar Shaikh. Asif Ali, and Poorna Jagannathan. 

 

Then, based on some recent news articles, Ali asks Asif about the dangers of Ayurvedic medicine (27:24). They discuss this practice of this form of medicine, its history and basic principles. Asif then discusses some of the limited evidence for this practice in the Western medical literature. He then goes over how some Ayurvedic medicine preparations include lead, mercury and arsenic and how this can lead to heavy metal toxicity in several case reports. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

 

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Show Notes:

• Deli Boys is a funny, timely ride for our distracted era:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/06/arts/deli-boys-review/
• Deli Boys: one of the most bingeable shows about the Muslim diaspora imaginable: https://hyphenonline.com/2025/03/06/deli-boys-hulu-disney-plus-muslim-pakistani-comedy/
• Deli Boys Creator Abdullah Saeed on Telling a Brand-New, Brilliantly Original Kind of Crime Story: https://www.vogue.com/article/abdullah-saeed-deli-boys-interview
• Deli Boys’ Poorna Jagannathan: Never Has She Ever Played a Villain Like This: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/deli-boys-poorna-jagannathan?srsltid=AfmBOoqXkbqsrS2K2BrhmALAkBM6VMtekLHdczOooEDKBuM1FU-VwlBL
• ‘Deli Boys’ aims to flip the script on the stories of guys behind the counter: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-03-06/deli-boys-asif-ali-saagar-shaikh-abdullah-saeed
• ‘This Show Really Faced an Uphill Battle’: https://www.vulture.com/article/deli-boys-abdullah-saeed-interview.html
• Jenni Konner on the Five-Year Journey to ‘Deli Boys’ and Its ‘Magical’ End Result: https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/jenni-konner-deli-boys-1235101742/
• Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurvedic-medicine-in-depth
• Ayurveda: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda
• Ayurvedic medicine tainted with heavy metals in B.C., linked to lead poisoning case: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ayurvedic-medicine-heavy-metals-1.7486308
• Lead toxicity from Ayurvedic medicines: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/30/E1010
• Pink ladies: mercury poisoning in twin girls: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC140434/