MANILA, Philippines -- Have a headache? Eat fish, whose oil helps reduce inflammation. Or ginger, which lessens pain. How about a stomachache? Eat bananas. For pregnant women, ginger can help soothe morning sickness and nausea. For those suffering from premenstrual syndrome, a diet of cornflakes, rich in carbohydrates, can help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue. A stuffed nose? Garlic can fight colds, and by the way, it lowers cholesterol, too.
Suffering from diarrhea? My child consumes apples and bananas. Can?t remember your anniversary? Zinc in oysters can improve mental functioning. Can?t sleep? Take honey before bedtime. Its sedative effect is soothing, besides its great taste.
Food as medicine
Medicines are expensive today, so we should keep ourselves healthy. But food can ease common ailments. Fruits, vegetables, and other foods have been used for centuries around the world to alleviate or prevent symptoms of many diseases, such as the following:
? Strokes -- Aside from baby aspirin, which has been proven to thin the blood (but which can be dangerous for someone whose blood does not easily clot), why not consume green tea? Green tea may prevent buildup of fatty deposits in arteries. The mono unsaturated fat in avocados can also lower cholesterol.
? High blood pressure -- Olive oil and celery can lower blood pressure.
? Diabetes -- The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.
? Constipation -- Guava, which is rich in fiber, can help prevent constipation.
? Stomach problems -- Eat yogurt with healthy bacteria to maintain balance in your stomach.
? Kidney stones -- Orange can dissolve kidney stones, and may even help prevent colon cancer.
? Asthma -- Despite their raw smell, onions can help ease the constriction of bronchial tubes.
? Arthritis -- The omega oils in fish can prevent or delay the onset of arthritis.
? Osteoporosis -- The manganese in pineapples can help ease bone problems.
? Ulcers -- Cabbage has chemicals to heal gastric and duodenal ulcers.
? Urinary tract infection -- I personally swear by this. I consume cranberry juice (unsweetened) every day. The acid content of cranberry juice helps control harmful bacteria.
? Breast cancer -- Eat wheat, bran, and cabbage, which can help maintain estrogen at healthy levels.
? Lung cancer -- Think of beta carotene in dark green and orange vegetables such as carrots, spinach and lettuce.
? Cancer -- Watermelon helps boost our immune system and its lycopene is a cancer-fighting oxidant.
? Immune system disorders -- Strawberries (and other berries) are great antioxidants.
Ask your doctor
Of course, for serious medical problems, see your doctor. The information above is not meant to replace doctor?s advice, and use your common sense. If you are allergic to any of the foods above, don?t consume them. In fact, before you start eating any of them, please seek your doctor?s advice first.
I bear no responsibility for reader use of the aforementioned advice. I hereby acknowledge the help of my friend Nerisa Fernandez, who forwarded the said information.
Math and love
Christian Canlas, my former student, a Math major who graduated last month, passed to us this note on math and love.
Math tells three of the saddest love stories: Tangent lines who had only one chance to meet and then parted forever; parallel lines who were never meant to meet; and asymptotes who can get closer and closer but will never meet at all.
May our love stories have happier endings.
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Queena N. Lee-Chua is a professor of mathematics and psychology at the Ateneo de Manila University. Contact her at blessbook@yahoo.com.
Previous columns:
Robert Randles: scientist and movie musician ? 4/28/07
Math, music and movies ? 04/21/07
Kudos to Filipino science geniuses ? 04/14/07
MMR vaccine and autism ? 03/31/07
How safe are insect repellents? Part 2 ? 03/24/07
