Latest Discoveries on Food-Based Disease Prevention
Latest Discoveries on Food-Based Disease Prevention
Drinks and Kidney Stones
A new study from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston reveals that drinking 0.5 pounds (about 227 grams) of water daily reduces kidney stone risk by 4%. Drinking the same amount of coffee, tea, beer, or wine reduces risk by 10%, 14%, 21%, and 39% respectively.
Milk and Bronchitis
A recent statistical survey by American researchers found that among smokers with chronic bronchitis, 31.7% never drank milk; whereas among smokers who consumed milk daily, the incidence of bronchitis was below 20%. Thus, milk’s abundant vitamin A protects the trachea and bronchial lining, reducing inflammation risk.
Vitamin B6 and Diabetes
Reports from France, Italy, and Japan indicate that diabetic patients with low vitamin B6 levels experience reduced numbness and pain in limbs after taking 100 mg of vitamin B6 daily for six weeks. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin B6—such as brown rice, flour, eggs, cabbage, and dry yeast—is also effective in preventing and managing diabetes.
Pumpkin Seeds and Prostate Conditions
A recent research paper published by U.S. scientists states that eating about one handful (50 grams) of pumpkin seeds daily can treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, restore second-stage symptoms to early stage, and significantly improve third-stage conditions. This is because active compounds in pumpkin seeds can relieve initial prostate swelling and also help prevent prostate cancer.
Starchy Foods and Colon Cancer
Research from Cambridge University in the UK shows that Australia’s colon cancer rate is four times higher than China’s, partly due to lower starch intake (under 100 g/day) in Australia versus higher intake (over 370 g/day) in China. Experts note that butyrate in starchy foods like bananas, potatoes, and peas directly inhibits intestinal bacterial proliferation and acts as a powerful suppressor of cancer cell growth.
Vegetables and Lung Cancer
A scientific team in Hawaii compared diets of 332 lung cancer patients and 865 healthy residents. They found that people with higher vegetable intake were less likely to develop lung cancer. Importantly, this protective effect does not come from any single vegetable or known component (like fiber or vitamins), but from the combined effect of all vegetables.
Spinach and Retinal Degeneration
A recent Harvard study shows that eating vegetables 2–4 times weekly reduces the risk of retinal degeneration. Spinach protects vision primarily due to its carotenoid content. These compounds, found in leafy greens, shield the retina from solar damage—retinal degeneration being the main cause of vision loss in people over 65.