N UTR I T I O N
Make every bite count
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What you eat can help your body heal
Written by Sandie Lynch Registered Dietitian In private practice
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f you’ve had a cut or a broken bone, you know that your body heals itself. The body is designed to heal, sustain life and multiply, but it is dependent on us to provide the resources needed to do so. When dealing with diabetes, cancer, autoimmune and cardiovascular disease, as well as the flu and COVID-19, many of the same systems that heal cuts and broken bones are at work. The body has five healing systems that require quality resources to promote healing and health. Health experts estimate that 40 to 80 percent of diseases that are the leading causes of death – coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, diabetes and some cancers – could be prevented through lifestyle. Thirty years ago, researchers demonstrated that intensive lifestyle changes lead to the regression of coronary heart disease after just one year of intervention, and they proved that these changes are sustainable. Dr. William Li published the book, Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself, in which he reviews the five systems within the body that prevent and 10 | 2022
heal disease, along with foods that support optimal function. The five healing systems of the body include:
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Angiogenesis: The body’s ability to make blood vessels to feed cells. Angiogenesis is what grows new blood vessels to heal a cut. In some situations, making new blood vessels can lead to diseases, such as obesity and cancer. Diseases caused by too many blood vessels include cancer, Alzheimer’s, endometriosis, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis. Having too few blood vessels leads to hair loss, heart failure, ulcers and nerve damage, to name a few. Foods such as berries, broccoli, kale, stone fruit, almonds, walnuts, green tea and dark chocolate balance angiogenesis to improve healing without causing disease.
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Regeneration: The body’s organs are created and replaced by stem cells. Stem cells create every organ as an embryo grows into an infant, and these continue to “renew” organs and tissues over one’s lifetime. Stem cells monitor and replace cells when they become dysfunctional or die. Without stem cell regeneration, the body would die within a week. Unhealthy habits such as smoking, a nutrient-poor diet or sleeping less than six hours a night can decrease or damage stem cells’ ability to regenerate and heal. Foods and beverages shown to stimulate stem cell regeneration include apples, apricots, cranberries, grapes, carrots, soy, coffee, black tea and olive oil.
