The old saying is remarkably true because our dietary habits play remarkable role in shaping of overall health. With balanced food choices, several life style disorders can be prevented or their severity can be reduced. If unhealthy diet with high fats, sugars and sodium were consumed on regular basis eventually the health will be compromised and serious health issues might be developed in later stages of life.

Likewise, with healthy food consumption, we can boost health and can manage chronic diseases with more holistic        approach and lesser side effects. In this way medicinal food can serve us both in preventive and curative manner. A good understanding about the powerful medicinal effects of certain foods enable us to make good decisions in the selection of food, their required quantities and their best possible uses for maintaining health.

Honey, date fruits, garlic, almond, lentils, apples, oatmeal, nuts and pulses, whole grains, oily fishes are some of the examples of healthy foods that are consumed on daily basis in every corner of the world. These foods got powerful components that not only gives us nutrition but got proven health benefits.

According to scientific review published in Nutrition Review recently, almonds got plenty of good cholesterol and when used in adequate quantities, have tendency to decrease cardiovascular events by decreasing bad cholesterol. Almonds are also rich in fiber, electrolytes, minerals and vitamins especially B and E. Garlic is another proven lipid lowering agent that is a part of every day’s cuisine. The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory responses produced with its use make garlic a very promising medicinal food for chronic disorders.

Brazil nuts got B1, vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium and magnesium and have a distinct role of maintenance of thyroid function through regulating basal metabolic rate. Lentils have been proven valuable against disorders like hypertension, diabetes and even in cancers. They got good fiber content and complex carbohydrates and might serve as a good substitute to regular carbohydrate diet that increase glucose level rapidly which is undesirable in diabetic patients.

Honey is the only food in world with no expiry date that shows its strength in maintaining health when used in regular diet but due to its high fructose content it is not treated as a medicinal food. However numerous studies showed its anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and even anti-diabetic effects as it only increases the blood glucose levels when needed and decrease the high levels of sugars through its euglycemic effects.

Many fruits also contain health benefits like apple got load of iron and micronutrients in it that make it best for iron deficiency anemia. In developing countries the iron deficiency anemia is the major cause of growth abnormalities in pre-pubertal stages. Date fruits are rich in carbohydrates, fiber, minerals and electrolytes and proven to be helpful in reducing hepatic stress, hyperlipidemia and diabetes confirmed by recent studies.

Oatmeal is truly a remarkable food for diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia. Not only it reduces blood glucose level but also removes bad cholesterol from circulation so it’s a proven heart healthy diet. Oatmeal got plenty of omega 3 fatty acid, folate and potassium with B vitamins that makes it ideal food to start the day with. Similar is the case with oily fishes that contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids that are valuable in treating dyslipidemia. Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and spinach have got attention of many researchers as their inclusion in diet decreases the risk of cancer, cardiac disorders, diabetes and other chronic disorders. In order to avoid the diseases in the first place the preventive approach i.e. taking above foods in daily diet can be followed. This not only neutralizes the effects of toxins and harmful additives of food but also provide necessary macro and micro-nutrients and vitamins to enhance and maintain health. However dietary inclusion of above foods in adequate quantities might provide benefits in patients with chronic disorders .These medicinal food can help in increasing quality and quantity of life in chronic patients when used in addition to the modern medicines.