Medicinal Foods

Medicinal Foods

        With all the new medications that are out there to fix the ailments that we don’t even know that we have, the direction that some doctors are taking in their practice is quite interesting. Food has been the source of many people’s health and the lack there of for years, which is also the source of some doctors motivation to get us healthy, and to help each patient achieve the results that he/she desires without the added chemicals and side effects that come from traditional medicine.  According to the article ’10 Foods that Double as Medicine’ most of our food has benefits to eating it, and here are a few that double as medicine: Buckwheat Honey, pickles, yogurt, ginger, peppermint, hibiscus tea, turmeric, chia seeds, oatmeal, beans and salmon. (local10.com)

Buckwheat honey is great for quieting a child’s cough, is a therapeutic antiseptic for the topical treatment of wounds, burns and cuts.  Honey is a drying agent when applied to the surface of a wound, which prevents moisture for bacteria and fungus to grow.  In a recent article on livestrong.com website titled ‘What Are the Benefits of Buckwheat Honey?’, Meg Campbell writes that it has a higher concentration of macro nutrients, has more trace elements and antioxidant compounds than any other honey that is available.  Buckwheat honey has less water content, making it more concentrated.  Honey is also suggested to be used for prevention of damage to lipids, which causes elevated LDL levels. Raw, un-processed, darker buckwheat honey is recommended for greater health benefits.

There are many foods that are suggested for abdominal discomfort, irritable bowel disease, diarrhea, and better overall gut function. Pickled vegetables that are not processed using vinegar are great for diabetes control, improves digestion, helps stop diarrhea, provides liver protection and even have the ability to heal stomach ulcers (organicfacts.net Health Benefits of Pickles).  Vinegar based pickles are proven to improve hemoglobin levels in diabetes patients.  There should be extra caution taken when consuming pickles due to the increased salt intake, which could cause hypertension and fluid retention. Peppermint and ginger are also great go-to foods for upset stomach and abdominal discomfort.