About 400 years ago Greek physician Hippocrates made the statement: 'Let your medicine be your food and your food be your medicine', which is regarded by many to be true to this day.
However, many orthodox medical doctors, who have had very little training in nutrition, don't see eye to eye with Hippocrates' statement and don't support the idea that food has real healing powers.
-So here's the paradox: If food is necessary to keep you alive, then this begs the question why can't it be used as a healer?
Fortunately, there is a great deal of documentary scientific evidence to show that food indeed is a very powerful healer for a vast array of ailments and gets to the root cause of illness.
Healing Foods
Do you remember, as a child, being told by your mother to eat all your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Later on in life, you may have been told that this was just an "old wives tale". Well, guess what, recent studies have shown that Mom was right! Foods can prevent eye disease, heart disease, arthritis and more.
Some Basic Science:
In more recent years scientists have discovered that foods contain "phytochemicals", a fancy name for naturally occurring chemicals. This is not the same as nutrients, which we all know are the substances necessary for sustaining life.
Phytochemicals are substances that have properties that can aid in disease prevention and even cures. Scientists have identified thousands of these chemicals in the foods we eat and a single serving of fruits or vegetables can contain as many as one hundred different phytochemicals.
The most well known phytochemicals are the antioxidants. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage from toxic substances and from free radicals, a by-product produced by our bodies converting oxygen into energy. Free radicals can damage cells in our bodies and lead to disease. Antioxidants protect the body from oxidation and reduce the risk of acquiring many of our common ailments.
Fruits and Vegetables
In fruits and vegetables you can tell which of the main phytochemicals they contain by their color. Fruits and vegetables that are orange in color, such as carrots, cantaloupes and mangoes contain beta-carotene.
Those that are red in color, such as tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit contain lycopene.
Yellow fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, oranges, & peaches contain beta cryptothanxin.
Indoles can be found in the green vegetables,like broccoli, cabbage, and kale.
Purple fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, grapes, and eggplant (aubergines) contain anthocyanins.
Allicin can be found in garlic, onions, and chives.
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I, Paul Phillips am a health writer researcher. I graduated in 'Biological Sciences' which includes biochemistry, physiology and nutrition. I have worked in various related research and development labs. I am always willing to give advice and help people in my field. For a free ebook and much more information please try the link below
http://www.HealthNewsLive.net
