Globally,
the medical world is tending towards preventive medicine. Essentially,
preventive medicine (also called preventive cure) consists of measures
taken to prevent diseases or injuries, rather than curing them or
treating their symptoms.
Indeed, decisive publications such as Elsevier, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Science Direct have so much to say in this area.
One of the most respected voices in
human history, Hippocrates, was quoted to have told his compatriots,
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This is a piece of
advice to his listeners to not only eat for eating sake. The food must
consist of elements that are not only capable of temporarily quashing
hunger, but they must also be so nourishing to the body as to deny
diseases any foothold.
It is odd that despite the abundance of
fruits and vegetables all over the country, many families still do
without fresh fruits and vegetables all the year round. If this sounds
unbelievable to you, it’s probably because you are a health freak who
takes nutritional values derivable from food seriously.
For instance, researchers are of the
view that a lifestyle that protects heart may also reduce cancer risk;
while they express certainty that a healthy lifestyle leads to healthier
hormones. Again, they say, consumption of colourful fruits and
vegetables may prevent or delay Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — a
debilitating disease characterised by rapidly progressive weakness,
muscle atrophy, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, and
difficulty breathing.
While you are not expected to ditch your
doctor, it is an open secret that whenever you visit the hospital, the
first question after your complaint is, ‘what medications have you
taken?’ This being the case, you may treat the following tips as
‘preventive drugs’ for common ailments that don’t really require
hospital visit — except, of course, if they become complicated!
Stop PMS with pork and beans
Premenstrual syndrome is one aspect of
monthly period that the average woman detests. This is because it is
sometimes more uncomfortable than the menstrual flow itself, what with
breast tenderness, abdominal aches and general feelings of ‘unwellness’
that come with it.
To stop PMS in its stride, researchers
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA, recommend eating pork
meat and beans. According to the findings, published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the two foods contain B vitamins — thiamine and riboflavin, necessary for normal functioning of the body.
The researchers say the combination of
these foods could prevent you from developing PMS. The study found that
women who consumed 1.9 milligrams of thiamine per day and 2.5 milligrams
of riboflavin per day had a 25 to 35 per cent lower risk of developing
PMS than women who consumed less, but they didn’t see those same
benefits when they took supplements. Pork and beans happen to be the
best sources of both vitamins, and eating them on a regular basis will
provide you with the amount you need to keep the cramps away.
Hang hangover with asparagus
Asparagus are available in leading
supermarkets across the country. According to a 2009 study in the
Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food
Technologists, the amino acids and minerals found in asparagus extract
may alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells against toxins.
Again, researchers at the Institute of
Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea say eating young
asparagus shoots and leaves before or while drinking will not only
provide the beneficial enzymes, but your stomach will be full of food,
and thus slow down your body’s absorption of alcohol.
Lead researcher, B.Y. Kim, notes that
chronic alcohol use causes oxidative stress on the liver as well as
unpleasant physical effects associated with a hangover. These toxicities
were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the
extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots.
“These results provide evidence of how
the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol
hangover and protect liver cells,” Kim says.
Asparagus officinalis is a common
vegetable that is widely consumed worldwide and has long been used as
herbal medicine due to its anti-cancer effects. It also has anti-fungal,
anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. While this is not an
invitation to indulge, it is heart-warming to know that there’s a
home-made ‘brew’ that can relieve you of your indulgence the day after!
Shield your lungs with lemonade
The duo of tele-doctors, Michael Roizen
and Mehmet Oz, advise that citrus-rich fruits are never to be shunned in
daily diet intakes. They contend that lemonade does more than relax and
cool you on a hot day. “It may protect your lungs against adult
asthma,” they say.
The doctors note that people who eat
little or no fruit and shun citrus are more likely to develop asthma or
fall victim to its wheezing, gasping symptoms than people who eat them.
“Vitamin C in these fruits probably facilitates the breathe-easier
effects,” they conclude.
Physicians say adult asthma can start at
any time and could be caused by a number of factors, including the
environment, where you live and genetics. They advocate regular
consumption of citrus fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, lemons and
limes.
As additional precautions, they advise
you to quit smoking, and to also control exposure to dust-mite waste in
your pillows by covering them with neat casings regularly.
Physicians also note that since lemon
juice has the highest levels of citrate of any citrus juice, it is good
to take lemonade to prevent kidney stones. This is because the citrate
in lemon juice helps dissolve calcium deposits that eventually turn into
kidney stones. The benefits are present whether you suck on lemon or
juice it.
Coffee for depression
Researchers from the Harvard School of
Public Health, in a study published last year, found that women who
drank an average of four cups of coffee per day were 20 per cent less
likely to develop depression than people who didn’t drink coffee, or any
other caffeinated drinks, for that matter.
They aver that caffeine may protect the
brain against certain neurotoxins that can cause depression. So, if you
are not allergic to coffee like some of us are, drink on and rid
yourself of depression!
Beef up with liver
Scientists say liver deficiency may
sometimes contribute to incidence of migraine. This is another reason to
eat beef liver — one of the best dietary sources of the B vitamin
riboflavin, which researchers say has shown some promise in reducing the
frequency of migraine headaches. So, eat your riboflavin-rich beef with
other foods high in the vitamin, including dairy products and
vegetables.
No comments:
Post a Comment