Latest Discoveries on Food Prevention of Diseases
Latest Discoveries on Food Prevention of Diseases
Drinks and Kidney Stones
A recent study from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston reveals that drinking 0.5 pounds of water daily reduces the risk of kidney stones by 4%; drinking the same amount of coffee, tea, beer, or wine reduces the 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 drank milk daily, the incidence of bronchitis was below 20%. Thus, milk’s abundant vitamin A protects the tracheal and bronchial linings, reducing inflammation.
Vitamin B6 and Diabetes
Reports from France, Italy, and Japan indicate that diabetic patients with low vitamin B6 levels experience reduced or eliminated symptoms such as numbness and pain in limbs after receiving 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 diabetes.
Pumpkin Seeds and Prostate Disorders
A research paper recently published by American 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. Pumpkin seeds’ active components can eliminate initial prostate swelling and also help prevent prostate cancer.
Starchy Foods and Colorectal Cancer
Research from Cambridge University in the UK indicates that Australia’s colorectal cancer rate is four times higher than China’s, partly due to lower starch intake (under 100 g/day) in Australians versus higher intake (over 370 g/day) in Chinese. Experts point out that butyrate in starchy foods like bananas, potatoes, and peas directly inhibits intestinal bacterial proliferation and is a potent suppressor of cancer cell growth.
Vegetables and Lung Cancer
A Hawaiian scientist group compared diets of 332 lung cancer patients and 865 healthy residents and found that those with higher vegetable intake were less likely to develop lung cancer. Moreover, this protective effect isn’t due to any single vegetable or known component (like fiber or vitamins), but rather the combined effect of all vegetables.
Spinach and Retinal Degeneration
A recent Harvard University study shows that eating vegetables 2–4 times weekly reduces the risk of retinal degeneration. Spinach protects vision primarily due to its carotenoid content; this compound, found in leafy greens, prevents damage from sunlight to the retina—the main cause of vision loss in people over 65.