What Are Medicinal Foods?

Many of us have been using food as medicine in one way or another throughout our lives. Ginger tea can help an upset stomach, prune juice is great for constipation, cranberry juice can help symptoms of a urinary tract infection, and honey can help soothe a sore throat.

Every culture and family has their magical “cure-all” for when someone has a common cold. We may not know exactly why these foods work, but we continue to use them as needed time and time again.

We know that vitamins and minerals can protect our bodies. However, can food be more than a great defense? Can food actually treat or cure disease and illness?

Medicinal foods are foods that contain compounds known to nourish and protect the body. In some studies, medicinal foods have been shown to prevent or slow the growth of chronic or age-related illnesses, and even some cancers.

Just as some foods can trigger a negative response in our bodies, there is evidence both modern and ancient that changing or maintaining a healthier diet can treat or even cure some diseases.

An Ancient Cultural Practice

Root ginger, limes, and other Indian ayurveda foods piled together.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Indian Ayurveda have been used for centuries to keep their local populations healthy and to treat disease. Both cultures value balance above all else. They treat each patient holistically as they aim to achieve homeostasis by balancing out elements and focusing on the mind, body, and spirit connection.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine elements are represented by water, wood, earth, fire, and air, whereas the Ayurvedic elements are similarly represented by ether, fire, earth, water, and air. Both of these ancient methodologies rely heavily on the use of plants, herbs, and spices as medicine.

The Western medical world has debated the efficacy of these Eastern medicine practices, but there’s definitely some room for validity considering they were able to successfully treat their populations before the rise of modern medicine and there has been very little deviation from their traditional treatments through the centuries.

You can even find evidence of some of their most important medicinal plants by looking at their most famous dishes. Indian Curry is packed full of anti-inflammatory ingredients that are also great for our digestion. Chinese food staples such as garlic, sesame, and ginger are cheap ingredients that can benefit everyone. Both of these cuisines are available to any person regardless of budget.

Visiting an Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, a full evaluation will be done to see how one might be able to achieve that homeostasis. Recommendations for adjusting their diet by adding or eliminating certain ingredients give the patient the best possible chance to fight and treat disease.

This is not unlike a visit to a Western medicine nutritionist. Whether the consultation is for weight loss or heart disease, the patient’s prescribed diet is broken down into a personalized, science-driven approach that uses the addition and removal of certain foods to improve overall health.

Of course, it is important to note that all methodologies warn of the importance of not using food to replace any treatments that your doctor may prescribe and to consult with your practitioner before drastically changing your diet.

7 Medicinal Foods That Fight for You

Let’s look at some of the most powerful ways food can benefit our health and examples of foods you can introduce into your diet today:

1. Artichokes

artichokes-on-a-plate-artichoke-sliced-in-half

Chronic inflammation has been linked to many major diseases from heart disease, cancer, arthritis, allergies, and even brain disorders. Foods such as refined carbohydrates, soda, red meat, and fried foods can trigger an inflammation response.

Enter the artichoke, an anti-inflammatory superstar. Artichokes are one of the top three vegetables with the highest levels of antioxidants, a compound that reduces inflammation by fighting the cause: free radicals, or the biproduct of many bodily processes, including digestion.

Artichokes are loaded with vitamins, including A, K, and C and they’re high in fiber. Artichokes also contain quercitin, rutin, and gallic acid, three compounds that have been shown in studies to prevent the growth of cancerous tumors by hindering the development of cancerous cells.

2. Cruciferous Vegetables

A bright purple cauliflower sits in the middle of other cauliflower..

Most humans have over 100 trillion microbes, or flora, in our gut. These microbes are responsible for keeping good bacteria working to fight off the bad, triggering neurotransmitters that communicate from your gut to your brain, which can affect how you feel. An imbalance of gut flora can lead to many digestive issues and diseases.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, and cabbage are chock-full of fiber that the good bacteria in our large intestines love to feed on. Crucifers also contain a phytochemical called glucosinolate that certain gut microbes can break down into beneficial compounds. These compounds have antiinflammatory properties thanks to their ability to release histamine. But perhaps most exciting is that these compounds have also been shown to slow the growth of tumors.

3. Mint

Antioxidants help eliminate free radicals that damage our cells and cause major disease. Evidence is emerging that cancer and some neurological disorders can be treated or slowed down by introducing foods that are rich in antioxidants.

Herbs have the highest antioxidant concentrations of any food type out there, with mint being the most antioxidant-rich. Mint is widely known for benefits like the ability to soothe an upset stomach and aid in clearing up congestion.

Mint also contains a unique antioxidant called rosmarinic acid that is believed to be capable of reducing asthmatic symptoms (as demonstrated in a 2019 study on rats).

4. Turmeric

Food has a direct impact on the regulation of sugar and hormones. Diseases such as Diabetes, thyroid disease, and many women’s health concerns can be managed by a combination of medication and diet.

Turmeric is a medicinal food that packs a 1-2 punch. Curcumin is the compound in turmeric that gives it that vibrant yellow color, and has been shown to have both blood sugar regulating and hormone balancing properties.

One study published in 2019 had patients with type 2 diabetes supplement with either curcumin or a placebo for ten weeks. At the end of the trial, the diabetics taking curcumin experienced a reduction in fasting blood glucose levels compared to their placebo-taking counterparts. (It’s not just diabetics that should be concerned with blood sugar – maintaining a steady blood glucose level throughout the day is key to maintaining a better mood, mental alertness, and better long-term health.)

Turmeric can also help with hormonal issues. Turmeric’s detoxifying properties can aid the liver in stage 2 detoxification, which removes toxins from the body, including unneeded hormones.

Turmeric has also been shown to reduce the risk of goiter development. A goiter is an enlarged thyroid and is a symptom of thyroid disease, a blanket term for a variety of problems caused by irregular hormone production in the thyroid.

5. Salmon

Foods that are good for your mood such as fish, dark chocolate, and blue berries sit on a table.

What we eat has a direct effect on how we feel. Some foods trigger our neurotransmitters to release good and bad chemicals, leading to feelings of happiness and excitement or anxiety and depression.

When we think of a mood-boosting food, many of us go straight to chocolate, and we’re not wrong. But oily fish like salmon and sardines actually contain two key components of mood regulation – magnesium and vitamin D – that experts agree most of us in the U.S. are deficient in.

While magnesium is present in a variety of foods including bananas, mushrooms, and almonds, vitamin D occurs more rarely in food. Dietary Vitamin D is mostly derived from animal sources like oily fish, egg yolks, liver, and red meat. Humans need magnesium to synthesize and metabolize vitamin D, and oily fish contains both.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Maintaining a healthy pH in your blood is paramount to kidney health, can help maintain bone density, and much more. Adding alkalizing foods to your diet ensures that you get enough minerals to balance out our food’s acid waste. (However, your body is already good at maintaining its own pH levels, and a 100% alkaline diet is never a healthy way to go – it’s all about balance.)

Sweet potatoes are considered an alkaline food that also have a host of other benefits. Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, the consumption of which is associated with reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. They contain the antioxidant bet-carotene which is know to protect the health of our eyes.

7. Sunflower Seeds

Certain vitamins and minerals can help slow aging and prevent cell damage by protecting and even repairing your DNA. Vitamin E’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties can help defend cells against free radicals, which can cause DNA lesions that contribute to faster cellular aging.

Vitamin E is particularly abundant in nuts and sees, with sunflower seeds listed as having the highest vitamin E content. Not surprisingly then, sunflower seeds are rich in antioxidants that are believed to protect the heart and arteries, and are also anti-inflammatory like the vitamin E they contain.

The Magic of Food

A chef gawks at random vegetables magically flying.

Food has an amazing ability to work for and with our bodies. Our holistic health is greatly impacted by what we are feeding ourselves, so it is very important to think about what things we have control over so that we can have the best health possible.

It is crucial to educate yourself about the facts and not fall victim to the fads when you are deciding what is best for your body. Food can be a powerful tool in helping our bodies treat and, in some cases cure, certain illnesses and diseases. Always consult a professional practitioner and your doctor before deciding to treat yourself with food or natural remedies.

The best part about food is that it is as delicious as it is medicinal, so enjoy experimenting with all of the wonderful ways you can benefit your health.