One of the hottest concepts now being studied is that disease-preventing medicine is available in our gardens—or as close as the nearest supermarket. Studies are suggesting that certain compounds occurring naturally in plants seem to arrest cancer in humans, slow the progress of heart disease and even prevent tooth decay.
It’s not really news that plants promote healing. After all, 25 percent of modern pharmaceuticals are derived in some way from plants, and the medicine cabinets of nutritionists and folklorists have been filled with plant remedies for centuries. What’s new is the idea that these compounds might offer preventive health benefits, saving lives and health-care dollars as well. Millions of dollars could be saved in hospitalization, surgical procedures, pharmaceutical drugs and health insurance if their potential healing benefits could be properly tapped.
Scientists have been dancing around the idea that foods can heal for years, reluctant to accept at face value what nutritionists have been suggesting all along. Now, motivated by positive early findings, researchers have initiated scientific studies to determine just how effective foods can be in healing human disease. They are concentrating on disease-fighting micronutrients called phytochemicals and antioxidants. Most research has been directed at the link between these compounds and the two big killers—cancer and heart disease.
One of the most significant findings so far, from studies by The American Institute for Cancer Research, is that as much as 40 percent of all cancers are linked to diet. Clearly, this is research that is long overdue.
Eat your medicine
Some foods have already clearly emerged as winners. You may have heard all your life that garlic is good for you, but no one could tell you exactly why. After comparing six studies of garlic consumption on colorectal cancer, researchers at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill have concluded that garlic might protect against cancer. It apparently works because the antioxidant neutralizes cancer-causing agents in cells. Scientists have only begun to sniff at garlic’s potential, for this mighty bulb contains at least 15 antioxidant compounds.
A Harvard Medical School study found that women who ate a carrot a day slashed their risk of stroke by 67 percent and that eating about two cups of cooked carrots every day cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke in half for men who have the beginning signs of heart disease. Carrots are effective because they contain antioxidants. Oxidized cholesterol clogs the arteries, say researchers, so it stands to reason that antioxidants will reverse it.
Another Harvard finding showed that Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Edam, Gouda, Roquefort, mozzarella and Stilton cheeses help prevent tooth decay by blocking bacteria in the mouth from producing the acid that destroys tooth enamel. Most cheeses, of course, are high in fat, so opt for lower-fat versions when possible.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), also conducting healing-foods research, has found that licorice root, an extract 50 times sweeter than sugar, has the potential to protect against breast cancer and possibly ulcers.
In what may seem like an intuitive application, chile peppers have been shown to help people suffering from bronchitis, sinusitis or colds, according to a respiratory diseases specialist from the University of California at Los Angeles. The hot peppers work because capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot, triggers natural reflexes that flood the respiratory system with watery secretions, thinning mucous that clogs breathing passages.
Other findings suggest the following links between foods and disease:
Barley lowers cholesterol and helps regulate blood sugar. Celery may lower blood pressure. Citrus fruits contain a host of phytochemicals thought to protect against cancer. Cranberry and blueberry juices can prevent and treat urinary-tract infections.
Eggplant contains compounds that block absorption of cholesterol and may protect against cancer. Fish and shellfish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Flaxseed, a grain sometimes used in breads, is believed to contain anticancer compounds. Beans and other legumes lower cholesterol and help modulate blood sugar. Olive oil lowers total cholesterol and raises “good” cholesterol, lowering heart attack risk. Peppermint oil and angostura bitters will settle upset stomachs.
As you may have guessed, researchers have just begun to explore this marvelous cornucopia of potential disease fighters. And since databases like those at the University of Illinois list nearly 35,000 species of plants, the research will possibly never end.