Right from antiquity to the present, special medicinal properties have been attributed to certain types of food. This has given rise to several recipes, which have been handed down from generations targeted at all manner of health conditions such as common cold, headache, stomach ache, menstrual pain, depression and other ailments of body and mind.
But of notable significance is the manipulation of food in form of ‘design diets’ aimed at preventing, controlling or curing certain diseases. Top on the list is diabetes that is characterized by high blood sugars and abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism with complications affecting the eyes, kidneys, heart, nerves etc.; and high rate of death among sufferers.
With the knowledge that a healthy diet: low in fat, sugar, and salt; high starchy carbohydrate and fibre; with moderate protein; eaten at regular times is all that is needed in most cases to keep this disease in check one can only ponder how many more medical conditions, can simple dietary modifications help in keeping the population healthy and save lives?
