Food Remedies for Various Conditions

BROCCOLI — Image by whologwhy via Flickr

Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine.” Similar things have been said in Ayurveda and in Chinese medicine. Food can balance your immune system, provide seasonal relief (think watermelons in the heat of summer) and can even provide specific cures or extra help when you are treating diseases with herbs or medications. The chart below shows specific effects of many common foods.

I would caution however that the cause of problems needs to be considered as well as its energetics: a hot bacterial diarrhea should be treated differently than a chronic cold diarrhea that comes early in the morning and has undigested food in it. Foods should generally be eaten in season and either locally or from regions where the current weather is similar. And consider your constitution: if you run hot, choose a more cooling food. If you run cold, choose a protein-based food cure, or warm it up with herbs like cinnamon or ginger. If you want to lose a few pounds or tend towards constipation, figs may help but if you have blood sugar problems, they may be too sweet. If you tend towards hypothyroid, make sure your cabbage family foods are cooked. And if the home remedy doesn’t work, call in a professional who can diagnose and guide you towards a more targeted protocol of diet, herbs and medication.

Foods that Can Treat Various Conditions

Apples	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
Apricots	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer’s	Slows aging process
Artichokes	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
Avocados	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
Bananas	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
Beans	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
Blueberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
Broccoli (cooked)	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
Cabbage (cooked)	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
Carrots	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats B reast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
Cherries	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer’s
Chestnuts	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Chili peppers	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system Sprinkle into wounds
Figs	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Fish	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
Flax	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
Garlic	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Fights fungus
Grapefruit	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
Grapes	Saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
Green tea	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
Honey	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
Lemons	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smooths skin	Stops scurvy
Limes	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smooths skin	Stops scurvy
Mangoes	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	Aids digestion especially if pickled	Shields against Alzheimer’s
Mushrooms	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer if long cooked, esp reishi or shitaki	Strengthens bones if dried gill side up in sun *Cook well*
Oats	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Prevents constipation	Smooths skin
Olive oil	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smooths skin
Onions	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
Oranges	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Straightens respiration
Peaches	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	Aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Aggravates Diverticulitis Allergenic
Pineapple	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
Prunes	Slows aging process	Prevents constipation	Boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
Rice	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
Strawberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Calms stress	*Avoid pesticides*
Sweet potatoes	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Tomatoes	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
Walnuts	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
Water	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smooths skin	Remember minerals too!
Watermelon	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
Wheat germ	Combats Colon Cancer	Prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Improves digestion but watch for lectin and gluten allergies
Wheat bran	Combats Colon Cancer	Prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Improves digestion
Yogurt	Guards against ulcers	Strengthens bones	Lowers cholesterol	Supports immune systems	Aids digestion

(Chart in public domain, with changes)

The above list is not exhaustive of course. Pears, especially baked, are good for lung qi. A few doses of live blue cheese is an exceptional probiotic that survives stomach acid. In Chinese medicine special chickens with black bones are used for soup for the aged (and a few sticks of astragalus may be added for energy.) Kudzu root may be stewed for neck pain. Chicken soup with angelica (dong quai) may be used to build blood after giving birth. In Ayurveda, milk is used for a number of conditions (with and without turmeric.) Your overall balance of food in terms of hot, cold, bitter, sweet, bland, pungent or salty is important, as is your ability, determined by lifestyle and genetics to use such foods.