Health Begins on the Plate: The Power of Nutrition as a Healing Agent | Your health in 2024

An old and well-known popular proverb says categorically: “You are what you eat.” As science advances in discovering new mechanisms that affect the health of the human body, it confirms the validity of this ancient expression. Nutritional aspects are increasingly important to maintain or restore a person's full health.

It is already known that many diseases can be developed or triggered due to an individual's eating habits. Excessive intake and consumption of certain substances can give rise to countless health problems that always require specialized medical care.

“It is known that following a balanced diet has always been, and still is, one of the best ways to achieve and maintain physical and mental health, and avoid the emergence of various problems or chronic diseases,” points out Maria Fernanda Cori Rodriguez, a nutritionist at Helder Pulido Institutea reference health center in São Carlos and the region.

But the specialist goes further, and explains that the beneficial effects that can arise from eating certain foods are more comprehensive, and can complement or replace taking medications and other treatments.

“What the general population doesn’t realize is that certain foods have enormous potential as therapeutic agents and can be used to treat countless diseases and conditions,” he explains.

Foods that can help prevent urinary tract infections

Maria Fernanda cites the example of cranberries, which have shown excellent results as a complementary agent in the prevention and treatment of various urinary tract infections. According to the specialist, this type of infection is one of the most common types of infection among the population, and despite the effectiveness of antibiotics, recurrence rates remain high among patients. Moreover, the development of antibiotic resistance is a major concern and leads to the search for alternative treatment options.

“Some updated meta-analyses have indicated that cranberry supplements significantly reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections in susceptible populations and may be considered a promising adjuvant therapy in their prevention. In healthy women, there was a 26% reduction in the risk of recurrence of these infections with Cranberry action,” according to the specialist.

Another substance that has attracted the attention of the scientific community as a complementary medicine to combat urinary tract infections is D-Mannose. “It is a monosaccharide found naturally in fruits. When D-mannose is excreted in the urine, it potentially prevents E. coli, the main organism that causes urinary tract infections, from attaching to the urinary tract and causing infection,” explains Maria Fernanda.

Diet also helps in treating intestinal diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), the main forms of which are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are characterized by chronic inflammation with a recurrent pattern in the gastrointestinal tract. According to the nutrition expert, despite the increasing number of new medications available to treat these conditions, less than half of patients achieve clinical remission, and what is striking is the decreased action of these medications in individuals who initially responded well to treatment. This has a negative impact on the progression of the disease and the person's quality of life.

“The origin of inflammatory bowel diseases is attributed to genetic factors, an imbalance of the intestinal microbiota, an abnormal immune response of the person and environmental stimuli. In this scenario, diet is a possible environmental trigger,” explains Maria Fernanda.

According to the specialist, the disease itself already impairs the absorption of many important nutrients, and a suboptimal nutritional status can have a negative impact on disease control, compromising patients' quality of life.

“A chronic inflammatory state and poor absorption of nutrients also lead to potential deficiencies in vitamins and micronutrients that are essential for overall well-being. “A vicious cycle is created, like this,” he says.

Maria Fernanda points out that some of the key micronutrients and vitamins that may have poor absorption in IBD are iron, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin D, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamins A, E, C, K, B1 and vitamin D. B6.

The good news, according to the specialist, is that regulating nutrition can have a beneficial effect on treating and controlling the symptoms of these intestinal infections.

“The evidence is strong enough to show that the disease, when active, is associated with low levels of micronutrients. This shows that several nutritional aspects can lead to better symptom control, deeper recovery, and, in general, improved quality of life for patients with These diseases,” says the nutrition expert.

Maria Fernanda points out that this approach is fully consistent with the practice of integrative medicine, applied at the Helder Pulido Institute. This concept understands the individual as a whole and, in many cases, suggests an interdisciplinary treatment for each person's problem. In short, different health professionals specializing in different fields work together to achieve treatment and promote a better quality of life for the patient.

“In this sense, nutrition plays an important role as another component that helps form a broad and complete protocol, which significantly increases the chances of success of the proposed treatment,” celebrates the professional.

Rua Maestro Joao Sepe, 900

Room 133, Medical Center Building

Jardim Paraiso, Sao Carlos – SP

Phone/WhatsApp: (16) 99312 5156 – (16) 3372 7163