Optimal Nutrition – Foods as Medicine
In the field of
nutrition, it is now generally agreed without a
doubt that a healthy diet promotes cardiovascular
health and protects against some types of cancer.
Thousands of studies examining the relationship
between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer risk
have demonstrated the protective effects of these
dietary elements. Compounds thought to help protect
against cancer include a wide range of antioxidants
such as vitamin E, C, beta-carotene, and
phytochemicals (plant chemicals) such as flavonoids,
etc…Many foods are notorious for their healing
properties; for example, omega-3 fatty acids (flax
oil, fish oil, …) for vascular inflammation,
tomatoes (lycopenes and carotenoid) for protection
against certain types of vascular and malignant
disorder, garlic for serum cholesterol and
lipoprotein and immune boosting power, avocadoes and
soybeans for osteoarthritic pain, etc…
Optimal nutrition
plays an important role in both the prevention and
treatment of most chronic illnesses. It is clear
that many patients want advice about what they
should eat and that they want this information from
their physicians. Naturopathic
physicians are trained to provide comprehensive and
thoughtful counseling to patients about nutrition.
There are foods that people can eat to improve their
digestion, elimination, and thyroid/adrenal/ovarian
functions. There are foods that people can eat to
reduce pain, menstrual cramps, prevent headaches,
etc… Naturopathic doctors are trained to assess the
nutritional status of patients, to recommend
individual diets, and to understand and support the
psychological needs of patients changing their
diet. In talking about using foods for medicine, it
is important for physicians to also discuss how
environmental issues impact food safety and public
health, expose patients to various culture aspects
of nutrition, and how genetic engineering of foods
will affect that person’s health.
I am convinced that
good nutrition makes a huge contribution to
improving health and that a basic program of eating
healthy live foods and balanced meals, as well as
supplementing with a good multiple vitamins, has
potential of helping 70-80% of patients within 6
weeks. Simplicity plays a key role in my philosophy
about the practice of medicine. |
