The original edibles
Food isn’t medicine. Wanna know why?
Meaning food! We’ve never been more consumed by what we eat – looking for ingredients that’ll ease what ails us, body and mind. But what if we
told you that the “food as medicine” doctrine hurts more than it helps? Well, that’s what we’re
telling you. hear us out. Here are two basic truths about humans. First, in medicine we trust, whether it’s antidepressants (use of which has soared in the new millennium), antibiotics at the first tickle of a sore throat (drug-resistant superbugs, activate!), or blind faith in dietary supplements (most women admit to taking them regularly). And second, many of us distrust food, thinking it can make us sick, fat or morally weak. So why not combine those two inclinations into one tidy philosophy: treat food as medicine.
The latest support for that idea appeared earlier this year, in a study from the University of Leeds and the University of York, both in the UK, titled Lettuce Be Happy.
(Nice pun, scientists!) Researchers connected higher scores of well-being to both quantity and frequency of eating fruits and vegetables. They estimated that adding just one portion per day could buoy your mental health as much as going for a walk an extra seven or eight days a month.
That study’s part of a burgeoning subspeciality called nutritional psychiatry, which explores the connection between diet and mind. And the psychological benefits of food join a host of positive physical effects: the potential lifesaving properties of fibre, antioxidants and vitamins in fighting chronic diseases. That fight is very necessary, particularly for those living in food deserts where produce is scarce. Researchers at Tufts University recently suggested that prescribing and subsidising fruits and vegetables in impoverished areas could prevent millions of cases of chronic diseases and save hundreds of billions of US dollars in health-care costs.
But for many, it’s not a case of life and death, but a case of demonising and canonising foods. We once sat at the altar of all things low-fat, but we now praise highfat keto and paleo. No matter the object of our affection, the drive to see food as a medical intervention has intensified. I know that shift intimately because 25 years ago, I wrote a book ( Consumed: Why Americans Hate,
Love, and Fear Food, R292, exclusivebooks.co.za) about peoples’ toxic relationship with food, a relationship that’s grown more complicated. Now I marvel at using the word ‘relationship’. Doesn’t that hint at a level of disordered thinking? Shouldn’t food just be a source of sustenance and pleasure?
HAPPY MEALS
Eat your wayto happiness, more energy, better sex, glowing skin. Stories about ‘mood foods’ have been around for as long as we’ve had mood swings. Numerous studies have found links between eating a highly processed diet and depression. Conversely, consuming fish, vegetables and fruit has been tied to a lower probability of depression. That makes intuitive sense. Fresh, natural foods are packed with vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatories that protect your brain. Consider, too, that about 95% of your body’s serotonin, the famous feel-good neurotransmitter, is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, so it’s directly related to the stuff you’re ingesting. This makes it easier for your neurons to talk to one another, and that makes you feel good.
Yet despite all this evidence, researchers still have trouble pinning down causal links. One confounding factor is that depressed people might be drawn to junk food while happier folks might find it easier to eat healthier. What’s more, gathering research is a flawed process. Most of it is self-reported, and guess what? People lie.
BEYOND THE PLATE
Also, people don’t eat in a vacuum. Consider what we know about places where populations live much longer than average – Ikaria, Greece; a region of Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan. Researchers have found these people eat a diet of fresh foods and good fats, such as olive oil. But they’ve also identified nine crucial behaviours that contribute to longevity, and only two of them involve food (consuming lots of beans and eating only until about 80% full). Other factors include daily exercise, having a spiritual practice involving a larger community, and socialising.
The last piece is especially critical to the health puzzle. Many studies show social activity is a fine bedfellow