FEATURE 10 Food Remedies Ripe for the Picking By Tessa Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 07:37:00 08/31/2008
MANILA, Philippines - An apple a day keeps the doctor away, true, but people of age-old cultures believe that other nature-grown stuff are all one needs to keep healthy.
Looking for a natural vaccine against cervical cancer? Eat carrageenan, which is extracted from the cell walls of red algae (seaweed). Want to prevent arthritis, Alzheimer’s or tumors? Make tea from yellow ginger (or turmeric), and add tanglad (lemongrass) for that minty taste.
Below are 10 foods that have been known to have healing properties, or which enhance our immune system to help fight disease.
1. Wondering where to get an alternative source of protein without sacrificing another animal at the abattoir? Consume Spirulina-multi-celled blue green algae, which contains 12 times the digestible protein of beef. The Spirulina food supplement version is available in health stores, but chewable Spirulina granules are being cultured by the likes of dL Natural, a company engaged in the manufacture and international distribution of food ingredients and healthcare products. Based in Subic, Zambales, it accepts orders via its website. So nutritious are spirulina granules that they will soon be part of the feeding program for malnourished Aeta children to be initiated by national scientist Lourdes Cruz of the UP Marine Institute and Dr. Grace Yu of the UP College of Medicine.
2. Another natural anti-cancer food is the bitter almond. In large quantities, this almond can be deadly. But in the ancient Indian medicinal system called Ayurveda, bitter almonds are considered food for the brain and nervous system. You can buy bitter almonds at the Little India Simron’s Marketing along UN Avenue, Manila.
3. Also to be found at the store is apricot fruit, the anti-oxidant properties of which can protect you from heart disease, cataracts and muscular degeneration. Apricots can also be bought at health stores such as Healthy Options.
4. The Indian spice turmeric (also called curcumin, or dilaw na luya) has anti-inflammatory properties and is being studied by research scientists like Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. According to the Elsevier material (pre-clinical studies of curcumin), the stuff has been known to suppress tumor growth, especially in the colon, duodenum, esophagus, stomach, liver, breast, bone marrow, oral cavity and prostate.
In a previous phone interview, Aggarwal also shares the various pre-clinical cell culture and animal studies suggesting that curcumin—among its many other potentials—contributes to wound healing, the management of diabetes, and the prevention of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary disease and arthritis.
5. Meanwhile, carrageenan is being studied as an effective protection against HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infections and cervical cancer. (See www.carrageenaninfo.com) Used as a thickener in yogurt and toothpaste, carrageenan is being further examined to verify if it can provide protection from other diseases such as the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which causes cold sores.
6. For those addicted to softdrinks and juice concentrates, a healthier alternative is pure cane juice which is rich in vitamins and minerals and is known to strengthen the stomach, liver, kidneys, heart, eyes and brain.
Pure cane juice, which has Beta-sitosterol from cane pulp, helps alleviate urinary problems. It also has policosanol to promote healthy cholesterol levels, and is recommended for the treatment of anemia, jaundice and hepatitis. Its riboflavin is critical for energy production. The juice also provides a handy remedy for sore throat, colds and flu. Pure cane juice is available at the Blissful Belly vegetarian health food store in Xavierville Avenue, Quezon City.
7. Fresh wheatgrass juice is one of the richest sources of Vitamin A, complete B complex, C, E and K. It is also a natural source of laetrile (B-17). Dr. GH Earp Thomas, scientist and soil expert, has isolated over a hundred elements, including known minerals, from wheatgrass. He concludes that wheatgrass is a complete food, and estimates that 15 pounds of wheatgrass is nutritionally equivalent to 350 pounds of other nutritious vegetables.
Wheatgrass helps fortify the body’s immune system against many dietary carcinogens. One source of fresh wheatgrass is Dr. Omar Arabia’s Paracelsus Integrative Medical Clinic in Xavierville Subdivision, Quezon City. Powdered wheatgrass is also available at Fruit Magic stalls in several malls. Wheatgrass supplements can also be found in health stores such as Healthy Options.
According to literature posted at Paracelsus, wheatgrass and other baby greens are the richest sources of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the “blood” of plants, with almost identical molecular structure as the hemoglobin molecule of human blood. This is why drinking wheatgrass and other green sprout juices helps your body build red blood cells, which carry oxygen to every cell. The literature adds that by increasing the oxygenation of the body, chlorophyll-rich foods can help offset the effects of inhaling air pollutants. Wheatgrass juice has also been found to dissolve the scars formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses and smog.
Arabia, a medical-doctor-turned-naturopath, said that wheatgrass is a powerful detoxifying agent and is best taken on an empty stomach. To avoid uncomfortable cleansing reactions, you can start off with an ounce of the juice and gradually work up to four ounces or more as your body becomes more purified. If desired, it can be diluted with carrot juice or other vegetable juices, or water.
8. Then there’s unprocessed honey. Ruth Winters, MS, author of “A Consumer’s Guide to Medicines in Food,” cites research which tested unprocessed honey, commercially prepared honey and syrup against lab cultures of various bacteria and fungi that commonly infect surgical wounds. She reports that only unprocessed honey possessed consistent germ-killing properties. Unprocessed honey has been found to speed up healing by promoting cell growth at the edges of the wound and by helping absorb fluid build-up.
However, honey can also be hazardous, depending on the kind of plant from which the honeybees drew their nectar. The nectar gathered from certain varieties of rhododendron, azalea and, in particular, mountain laurel may be poisonous.
9. To ward off the effects of chemotherapy, try lemongrass which can easily be cultivated in your own backyard. It is also widely available in supermarkets and the wet market.
10. For the simplest, most accessible cure-all, try water. Yes, this simplest of all molecules may prove to be the best agent of health. Known as the best detoxifying medium, water taken after a 24-hour “dry” fast (meaning no solids or liquids taken in) cures hyperacidity/indigestion and headaches, as well as a host of other common ailments. The water should be taken with two pieces of calamansi and a pinch of rock salt, according to sources from the Ananda Marga.
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