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Can Food be the Next Medical Breakthrough?

During the second half of the 20th century, in many parts of the world the human diet that was generally plant-based became animal-based. The World Health Organization has reported that these alterations in diet have strong effects on human health.

Physicians are trained about the actions of the medications they prescribe, but many don't have an in-depth knowledge of nutrition. However, if diet is affecting chronic illness or pain, then diet and nutrition may need to play a larger, more prominent role in health care.

This editorial briefly reviews the findings of a few early studies that found certain food groups were affecting study outcomes. In one study, patients with rheumatoid arthritis who fasted for a short while and then ate a vegetarian diet appeared to have clinically relevant improvement in their disease.

It's known that certain herbs and spices have properties that can affect health, even causing death. One compound, resveratrol, is found in grapes, berries, and peanuts. It has both an anti-inflammatory effect as well as an antioxidant effect. Antioxidants may reduce the chances of developing certain kinds of cancer.

Fruit juice and caffeine are common among many diets. It wasn't long ago that researchers determined that certain medications were greatly affected if patients took them while drinking grapefruit juice. Some medications were affected to the point that they could be toxic. As a result, there is now a list of medications that should not be taken with grapefruit juice. While other juices don't seem to have the same effect on medication, one type of orange juice that is made with Seville oranges, may be somewhat similar to grapefruit juice.

Caffeine is found not only in coffee and chocolate, but can also be in tea, soft drinks and some medications. Caffeine can work against the effects of some medications, like methotrexate. On the other hand, caffeine is often put into medications that are for pain relief because of its added benefit.

The author concluded that if dietary interventions are an option in treating of preventing some illnesses, then this could be a promising area for future medical care.

References: Rae Francis Bell, MD. Food and pain: Should we be more interested in what our patients eat? In Pain. May 2007. Vol. 129. Issue 1-2. Pp. 5-7.

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