Delhi's familiar winter haze is back, and once again the capital is breathing in air so toxic that even the weather reports are beginning to sound like health warnings.
With AQI levels swinging between "severe" and "hazardous" across Delhi and other metro cities, residents are waking up with headaches, wheezing and a sense of resignation. When the air outside feels like second-hand smoke, most people look for solutions wherever they can find them. And brands have clearly noticed.
As air pollution spikes, so does a new wave of marketing built around it. From "anti-pollution facewash" to "AQI-blocking supplements" and "lung detox juices", companies are scrambling to ride the moment.
The anti-pollution marketing.
And now, Dabur has rolled out its version: ads claiming that two spoons of its Chyawanprash a day can help "protect lungs from air pollution, especially PM 2.5". If you've travelled on the Delhi Metro recently, you've probably seen the posters placed cleverly right next to the flashing AQI numbers.
Not Everyone Is Applauding
Revant Himatsingka, better known online as Food Pharmer, who has made myth-busting his full-time job posted a satirical takedown of the ad, and let's just say he didn't hold back.
With a straight face and an air quality meter, he "congratulated" Dabur for single-handedly solving India's pollution crisis.
In this video, Himatsingka jokes about sprinkling Chyawanprash on breakfast idlis and stuffing it into air purifiers, because if it reduces PM 2.5 that easily, why stop at two spoons.
While it began as a humour-heavy review in classic Food Pharmer style, the tone quickly shifted. He pointed out flaws in the science behind the claim, including the fact that the referenced study was conducted on rats, not humans. "Three out of four authors were Dabur employees, and the fourth belonged to the Dabur Research Foundation," he says about the study.
He didn't stop there. Chyawanprash, he reminded viewers, is nearly 60 percent sugar, and dressing it up as "sharkara" rather than "chini" on the label may not be the most transparent approach.
Then came the challenge. Rather than the usual back-and-forth of legal notices (which he's dealt with before), Himatsingka dared Dabur to send a representative for a public debate, judged by independent doctors and nutritionists. "My fight is not against any one product," he wrote. "My fight is against misleading marketing and putting profit over the Indian public's health."
NDTV has reached out to Dabur for a comment, and the story will be updated once a response is received.
Worsening AQIs
To be fair, Delhi is currently facing one of its worst air quality periods on record. PM 2.5 levels have crossed 101 annually, more than 20 times the WHO guideline. AQI this week touched 436 in some areas.
Doctors are reporting higher cases of asthma, bronchitis and hospital visits among children and the elderly. In this environment of panic and desperation, brands know that "reassurance sells". But what critics of campaigns like this worry about is the false sense of safety it gives.
If families begin to believe that a spoonful of a product can protect lungs from smog, the urgency of masks, air purifiers, reduced outdoor exposure, and policy accountability fades.
Ayurvedic products such as Chyawanprash unquestionably have a cultural and wellness role in many Indian households. People have been consuming them for generations. But even the strongest supporters agree that they cannot be a replacement for evidence-based approaches to pollution-linked health risks.