Perhaps more than anything else in our lives, the foods we regularly eat help determine whether or not we will become ill, or remain healthy into older age. Whether vegetables, fruit, meat, oils or grains, foods contain influential substances including antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, fiber and much more.

Nutrient deficiencies and toxicity from a poor diet are linked to nearly all modern health conditions. John Hopkins University reports that some 80 percent of cancer patients are believed to be malnourished, and that treatments used to battle cancer (like chemotherapy) only increase the body’s need for nutrients and very high-quality foods even more. (1) You probably already know that diabetes and heart disease (currently the No. 1 killer in the U.S. and most industrialized nations) are also illnesses that are highly influenced by one’s diet — and the same can be said for allergies, autoimmune disorders like arthritis, thyroid disorders and many more.

The expanding field of Nutrigenomics (also called Nutritional Genomics) is devoted to studying how food influences gene expressions and contributes to either health and longevity or to disease and earlier death. The principles behind nutrigenomics can be summarized in several key points: genes play a role in disease development and prevention; a poor diet can be a serious risk factor for many diseases; nutrient deficiencies and toxic chemicals in low-quality foods have an effect on human gene expressions; each person is different in terms of how much their genes/health are impacted by their diet; and a healthy but also personalized diet can be used to prevent, mitigate or cure chronic diseases. (2)

Some of the ways that medicinal foods specifically act like natural protectors against disease and help to slow the effects of aging, include:

Decreasing & Controlling Inflammation – Inflammation is the root of most diseases and a major contributor to the effects of aging. Inflammation is a response from the immune system when the body perceives it’s being threatened, and it can affect nearly every tissue, hormone and cell in the body. Research also shows that “obesity has a strong inflammatory component,” a problem that now affects nearly two-thirds of all adults in the U.S. (3)

Balancing Hormones − Hormones affect every part of health, from your energy and cognitive abilities to your body weight and sex drive. Abnormal hormonal changes contribute to accelerated aging, diabetes, obesity, fatigue, depression, low mental capacity, reproductive problems and an array of autoimmune diseases. (4)

Alkalizing the Body – The human body keeps a tight grip on its internal pH level, working hard to keep it around a pH of 7.36. Studies show that when it comes to the pH and net acid load in the human diet, “there has been considerable change from the hunter-gather civilization to the present.” (5) Processed, low-quality foods make the body more acidic and allow diseases to thrive more easily. An alkaline diet (high in plant foods that are detoxifying) helps with cellular renewal and might promote longevity.

Balancing Blood Glucose (Sugar) – Diabetes and weight gain are tied to poor insulin response and other hormonal changes. Poorly managed blood sugar levels due to consuming high amounts of sugar and processed carbohydrates can lead to cravings, fatigue, neurological damage, mood disorders, hormonal balances and more. To sustain normal blood sugar, experts recommend that low-glycemic and non-processed carbohydrates take the place of refined, empty calories and added sugar. (6)

Detoxifying & Eliminating Toxins – Toxicity is tied to poor digestive health, hormonal changes and decreasing liver functioning. In modern society, we are bombarded by chemicals from our diet and environment that contribute to inflammation, autoimmune diseases, infertility, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, and so on.

Improving Absorption of Nutrients – Many of today’s illnesses are due to nutritional deficiencies and high rates of free radical damage. The majority of processed convenience foods are stripped of their natural nutrients or at least partly manmade, packed with synthetic ingredients and preservatives but very low in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and enzymes.

Dear Emad Kamil Hussein ,

Each person is unique - he has a unique genetic code of health. The ancient Indian doctrine of ayurveda gives us the key to these codes and teaches us to maintain our individual nature.

 9 recommendations for healthy nutrition, proven for centuries:

1. Eat in a quiet and relaxing environment

2. Eat only when hungry

3. Before the next meal, wait until the previous meal is digested

4. Thoroughly chew food and eat in a measured manner.

5. Eat while you are comfortable

6. If you are upset, postpone the meal

7. Never eat on the run

8. Eat every day at about the same time

9. After meals, rest a few minutes

Good health, from which all other quality of life attainments are possible.

Regards,Shafagat

Dear Prof. Emad,

I am deeply sorry for the health condition you have been through. I think dietary choices can affect the positive and negative health development of an individual. Some food types when eaten by some people bring untold allergies and accompanying health complications. Therefore, one has to identify the meals that do not auger well for his/her health development and abstain from such meals.

Also, health boosting foods must be eaten by all. I am not into medicine but I have read extensively that FRUITS, VEGETABLES and MUCH DRINKING OF WATER can do great wonders in improving one's health condition. Also, refraining from the excessive eating of meat (with high cholesterol levels) serve as a strong buffer against various diseases. 

Thank you so much for bringing this very important question that would help in improving the health of global researchers via their food choices. It is heartbreaking that researchers who are to constantly fuel intelligent discussions that improve the lives of the masses of people are confined to hospital beds because of ailments. Let us watch what we eat and minimize this bizarre situation. Best regards and good health to you my brother and to all you great friends on Research Gate.

Dickson Adom

Food is our life ,& with our arrival on this earth we start our milk thru our mother .Our survival remain with the food ,with the passage of the time & global environment we all come in the contact with the different countries either in the form of the business ,services ,friendly environment which have inspired to join also with the culture .

In order to make such changes we have change our habit & little bit change in our cultural figure which has taken care of our habits ,living style & food habits . With this change in our life due to change in our cultural habit & behavior we have also made our change in our religious outlook .

We all are born equal with the different form of culture ,religion ,& our caste which gets a difference in the living style of the habits & in one mode it is desirable that by joining the different culture & habits we all are framed in one line of action . This appears good at the beginning but in the practical life it has given the reversal result .

In the sense that we have forgotten our habits ,living style ,including our food habits .This has given us the problem of our mental attitude ,behavior, our line of action & such other related areas of life , apart from the food habit in certain cases we have totally missed our family tides , & cultural behavior which have given us a problem of the family happiness & problems forget about the food habits.

With the  joining with the different countries due to the scientific & technological development the world has become smaller & with this their has been quite good & close expansion of business with the result different type of food packages in our import & export method we have taken advantages of different type of food & certain cases we have changed the food habits with the result that their has become a problem of our health as we have not become health conscious .

This is my personal opinion 

Thank you so much Dr. Shafagat for your kind recommendation.

Accept my respect,

Emad

Dear Emad Kamil 

Perhaps more than anything else in our lives, the foods we regularly eat help determine whether or not we will become ill, or remain healthy into older age. Whether vegetables, fruit, meat, oils or grains, foods contain influential substances including antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, fiber and much more.

Regards 

Dietary system with natural more than cooked food and a kind of sports are  the solution to any disease or unhealthy body. 

Liqaa 

Dear Emad Kamil Hussein,

   Food are present in different kinds and containing protein, fat, sugars and other minerals. Foods are essential for building the body but a balance in taking them is also necessary.

In addition to the above facts, I would like to mention some points as an examples which might get benefits or hazards from taking certain types of food:

1.       Foods might trigger the allergic response in atopic people.

2.       Overeating leads to dyspepsia.

3.       Fatty meals aggregates colicky pain in patient who have gallstone

4.       Certain foods causing diarrhea and others causing constipation

5.       Some foods should be avoided or reduced in specific diseases like hypertension (salty and fatty meals), diabetes mellitus (sugar and fat), renal failure (red meat) and etc…

6.       Overeating of certain foods (mushroom) may be toxic to your body

7.       Foods might be diuretics like sugar

8.       Iron rich foods prescribes by doctor to treat or alleviate iron deficiency anaemia

9.       Reduction of weight  requires reduction in eating in addition to the sports activities and by this way can treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, osteoarthritis and others.

Best regards for all RG members

Raid

Advice by doctor on nutritious food and cardiac exercise can lead us to healthy life.

Dear Dr. Raid M. Al-Ani

Thank you very much for your kind medical details.

Regards, Emad

Dear Dr. Emad,thank you for sharing me the question.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

"Perhaps more than anything else in our lives, the foods we regularly eat help determine whether or not we will become ill, or remain healthy into older age. Whether vegetables, fruit, meat, oils or grains, foods contain influential substances including antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, fiber and much more."

Please go through the article given in the following link,

https://draxe.com/food-is-medicine/

Rohith

Beef intake was inversely associated with colon cancer. However, in men high intake of beef was associated with increased risk of rectal cancer.

The incidence of several autoimmune diseases such as crohns and ulcerative colitis has been on the rise in developing countries, notably Portugal and Spain, which have seen large increases in incidence in line with GDP.  we might suggest that this is due to an increased availability of processed rather than "five a day" foodstuffs, though this has not been substantiated.  There is a lot of hype out there regarding using food as a medicine, much of which is not either a) tested against null hypothesis or b) tested at all.  There is much colloquial evidence for a healthy diet to reduce cardiovascular risk factors, though not for gall stone disease.  Well done for removing your own gall bladder.

Dear Dr. Daniel Couch,

Thank you very much for your kind comment. Regarding laparoscopic surgery of my gall bladder, are there any side effect of such removing operation?

Regards, Emad

Interesting, the creator of the universe has endowed nature with eatable resources that serve as boosters of our health, fighting against the common enemies of ailments we face in our everyday life.

I have read, seen and witnessed firsthand, the 'magic' that fruits, vegetables, and grains can do to improve one's health. I had eye problems and I was advised to blend carrots and drink every morning and evening. Do you know what happened? My eye sight improves drastically and I have stopped taking my orthodox medicine. That is the wonders of creation-the eatables in nature. Best regards my senior brother.

Dickson Adom

Wonderful comment dear Dr.Dickson, hope you long healthy happy life.

Regards, Emad