In this issue, we shall devote our column to exalting the “medicinal values or therapeutic effects” of regular, ordinary food that people all over the world eat as a part of their diet. The reported health benefits of some of the foods we have listed hereunder are anecdotal, passed down from generation to generation, used by herbolarios (town herbalists), and have not been thoroughly and scientifically proven. But since they are regular food items we consume daily, and past experiences show many of them helped, trying them for some of the ailments or situations they are allegedly effective for is simply natural and safe. As long as one is not allergic to them, ingesting these food items does not result in adverse “side-effects” as could be encountered in, say, Noni Juice or some other unvetted, cure-all herbals and “food supplements” in the market today.
Besides their essential nutritional value, many of the foods we ingest regularly have “medicinal effects” that we are not conscious of but which help alleviate or correct some diseases or conditions. It is common knowledge that scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), for instance, is cured by eating a lot of citrus fruits, or that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) among diabetics will be alleviated by eating candies, sugar, or other sweets. Or, that bananas and apples are good for diarrhea, while papaya, prunes, and other fruits and vegetables are good for constipation. The food we eat is metabolized (transformed) into chemicals in our bodies, which is actually an internal “auto-pharmacy” that works wonders for our health and longevity.
But did you know that onions, hot pepper, and tomatoes are good for the common cold? Or that cherries are good for cramps? Or that apple, grapefruit, and kalamansi are good for halitosis (bad breath)?
Here is a list of medical conditions and the corresponding food items claimed to either prevent or alleviate them:
1. Arthritis: Apple, pineapple, cantaloupe, grape, grapefruit, orange, mustard green, strawberry, tangerine, cucumber, lettuce, cherries, celery, cauliflower.
2. Insomnia: Onion, cabbage, celery, avocado, apple
3. Hemorrhoids: Prunes, dates, beans, eggplant, plums, sweet potato
4. Nausea: Pineapple, papaya
5. High Cholesterol: Soybean (tofu), red wine, grapefruit, tomato, apple, eggplant, corn, cabbage, peas, beans, green leafy vegetables, high fiber cereals, avoid red meat, saturated fats
6. Indigestion: Plums, papaya, pineapple, banana, apple, grapefruit, cucumber, peach
7. Sinusitis: Onion, hot pepper, tomato
8. Gastric Ulcer: Pumpkin, rice, avocado, banana, date, okra, peach
9. Hypertension: Bamboo shoots, guava, pear, tangerine, squash, cherries, jackfruit, peach, celery, orange
10. Impotence: Pumpkin seeds, avocado, seaweeds, date, oyster, hot pepper
11. To lose weight: All varieties of fruits and juices, like grapefruit, orange, apple, pineapple, radish, tomato, lettuce, especially when eaten as a substitute for red meat and carbohydrates, with calorie-counting
12. Cancer: For prevention, a high fiber, low cholesterol diet (fish), plus frequent intake of processed tomato (ketchup, tomato paste), asparagus, broccoli, apricot, strawberry, cherries, mustard greens, okra, apple, carrots, papaya, prunes, spinach, peach, pumpkin, watermelon, green leafy vegetables
13. Heart Attack: Just like for cancer prevention, a high fiber and low cholesterol diet, plus a lot of vegetables and some fruits
14. Stroke: The same antioxidants as above.
15. Cuts & Burns: Olive oil, sesame seed oil, coconut oil
16. Dry scalp, skin: Coconut oil, papaya, avocado, sesame seed oil
17. Constipation: Papaya, prunes, green leafy vegetables, peanuts, pineapple
18. Dizziness: Onion
19. Gall Stones: Soybean, radish, tomato, apricot
20. Headache: Beets, cabbage, apple, asparagus
21. Diarrhea: Bananas, toast, ginger, turmeric, carrots, mushrooms, kimchi, yogurt (fermented foods are good for our gut microbiome)
These are only a few sample conditions where foods have been taken not only for their fundamental nutritive and caloric value but for their alleged medicinal effects. We want to emphasize that these food items are not substitutes for prescription medications. As a general rule, one should never stop taking prescription drugs without consulting a physician.
Diet, tobacco, and alcohol are the three most important, if not the most notorious, killers of man, and the reason why in today’s world we have catastrophic numbers of obesity, hypercholesterolemia, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, depression, infertility, male erectile dysfunction, and degenerative diseases like arthritis, gout, osteoporosis, etc. Of course, there are other factors that contribute to the epidemic of these ailments, but food and lifestyle, even more than heredity, play a very significant role in health and disease. What we eat, how much we eat, what we do not eat, how we take care of ourselves, or how we abuse our bodies, determine, to a great extent, how healthy or unhealthy we are, our quality of life, and our longevity. Foremost, we are what we eat!
I am looking forward to the United States Congress and the Food and Drug Administration putting the screws on the so-called “food supplements, alternative medications, herbal and homeopathic therapies,” all of which make up for a flourishing 30 billion US dollar business annually. The medical and lay community in the United States is now (finally!) realizing that the majority (more than 90 percent in my view) of the so-called “food supplements” with purported therapeutic values are nothing more than a money-making scheme that victimizes hundreds of millions of unsuspecting people around the world. No unvetted “food supplements” (for safety, efficacy, side-effects, etc.) should be allowed for over-the-counter sale.
I sincerely hope the Philippines and other nations will follow suit to safeguard our people and our country from the unscrupulous domestic or foreign manufacturers, money-hungry distributors, and dealers of falsehood, who have been victimizing the ignorant and trusting public long enough. Our government and lawmakers should promulgate laws without delay to protect the people by putting an end to these malignant merchants of deception and fraud.
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, distinguished educators, renowned scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
