Can Food Cure Disease?

From ancient times we, in India, have  endowed  food with  magical qualities. In the Vedic times, food was associated with divine attributes. This tradition was prevalent in other societies as well-ancient  Egypt for example. 

Night blindness was a well recognised disease in ancient Egypt. The cure suggested was to apply to the eyes juice  squeezed from cooked liver!  The ancient Greeks recommended that  the patient eat cooked liver in addition to applying cooked liver oil or juice to the eye.

This is a good example of  how  man discovered the healing powers of food-perhaps initially by accident. Later these patterns became well established and were described in medical texts. The astonishing fact is their proven value in treating disorders primarily by lack of food and nutrients. 

Another dramatic episode in man's  search for a cure is the story of scurvy. Scurvy is caused by vitamin C deficiency. Fresh herbs, lemons, oranges and other citrus fruits were found to be very effective in preventing and controlling scurvy. 

These episoaes in the  history of man's battle against disease clearly illustrate the fact that food can cure certain  types of diseases. It is quite evident, however, that  the diseases which  can  be cured by food or nutrient concentrates are caused by deficiency of particular nutrients. The disorders a& cured by giving  food sources rich in  the nutrient that is otherwise lacking in the diet.

This does not mean that  food  and the nutrients it contains can cure all diseases. However there is no doubt that  food can help to control several  ailments. Diabetes is a common example. Mild cases of diabetes which manifest themselves in  middle aged persons can usually be controlled using diet alone. 

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disease caused by inability of the  body to utilize the amino acid phenylalanine, As you are aware, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Young children with  PKU have to be given a diet which is almost free of phenylalanine. Otherwise they become mentally retarded. This shows us that PKU cannot be cured but dietary measures can keep it in check. 

There are several other diseases which cannot be cured by food.  Diseases caused by bacteria and viruses are obviously treated with antibiotics or sulpha preparations. Even in  such cases good food  is essential to prevent the patient from becoming weak. It also promotes quick recovery. 

You will come across several other examples in this block to illustrate the role of food in the treatment of disease. From the previous discussion you would have realized that diseases can  be of three types: 

• Diseases or disorders caused by nutrient deficiency. 
• Diseases which have several causes some of which are food and nutrient-related. 
• Diseases which have  no direct food or nutrient-related cause. 

Giving foods and nutrients in  concentrated form is effective therapy for those diseases we have mentioned in the fist category/type. Food and diet plays an all important role in  the treatment of these disorders. 

Diseases in  the  second category include diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). Consumption of excessive amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates can precipitate diabetes in  individuals who are already genetically predisposed. Similarly consumption of diets containing excessive amounts of fats particularly saturated fats and cholesterol is  believed to be a cause of CHD and the underlying process of narrowing of arteries by deposition of fat (atherosclerosis). 

In the case of these diseases diet cannot cure disease. It can only help to check the progress of the disease process and also to prevent complications. Diet therapy, therefore, helps patients to lead a full life.  Without it the disease can become uncontrollable irrespective of whether the patient is also prescribed drugs or not. In fact mild cases can be controlled by diet alone, as we mentioned earlier. 

Infectious diseases are good examples of the  third category.  Some of these may be transmitted through food. However, food is not the direct cause. Treatment of these diseases usually do include a greater or lesser degree of diet therapy. For example, a febrile infectious disease (disease associated with fever, as you know) would require giving the patient additional energy and protein-rich foods in a suitable form. This would  depend on whether the fever is chronic as in  the case of tuberculosis or acute as in  typhoid. You will study more details about these conditions later in  this block. Here, we will only emphasize that a  suitable diet is very important in helping the person to recover from infectious diseases.