Food as Medicine: How Can What You Eat Help You Heal?

Ever heard of the saying ‘we are what we eat’? Well, the adage is true. What we eat has a profound effect on our overall health and well-being, from our physical health to our emotional well-being.

Recent research has shown that food is linked to mood, and dietary habits can also influence the risk of certain diseases. While some foods can lead to chronic health conditions, others can offer restorative and protective qualities.

If you’re interested in improving your diet and how food can heal the body, it’s worth speaking to your health practitioner. Healthcare professionals, like those who have completed nurse practitioner programs, will be able to tell you the significance of nutrition. 

What are nutrients?

Nutrients are chemical compounds that are found in food. They can be split into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Nutrients play a range of vital roles to keep us alive, provide us energy, and support our overall health.

All our body systems rely on nutrients for energy, growth, and development. Below, we’ve outlined the key differences between the two types of nutrients.

Macronutrients are needed in larger amounts than other types of nutrients, hence the term “macro”. The three main types of macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Macronutrients also contain calories, which the body uses as energy.

A few good sources of macronutrients include:

• Carbs: Wholegrain foods, vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes.

• Protein: Red meat, poultry, dairy products, nuts, and soy products.

• Fat: Extra virgin olive oil, coconuts, avocados, fatty fish, and dairy products.

Micronutrients refer to the vitamins and minerals that we get from our food. Vitamins are important for a range of functions, which include the body’s healing process, energy production, and immune function.

The importance of nutrients

Nutrients, both macro and micro, are crucial to development and staying healthy. Your body needs a variety of nutrients in certain amounts to maintain its tissues and operate optimally. A lack of nutrients can lead to malnutrition. 

Malnutrition is a condition that covers a range of different scenarios. The term is used to describe a situation where someone has an overall nutrient deficiency, a deficiency in certain nutrients, and overnutrition—the excessive consumption of nutrients.

Depending on the form of malnutrition and the individual, the symptoms can differ. For example, in children, malnutrition can stunt growth and development. Along with impacting physical health and growth, the condition can also impact their emotional well-being.

Even the lack of a single vitamin or mineral can have significant health consequences on the body. In severe cases, it can even impact healing, like after a surgery or accident, which is why nutrients are important.

For example, you might’ve heard of ‘scurvy’, the famous disease that appears in almost every pirate media. It is a disease caused by serious vitamin C deficiency, which can lead to the opening of previously healed wounds and stop the healing of new wounds.

It’s becoming evidently clear from recent studies that diet and nutrition are also closely linked with mental health. Several nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12, vitamin B9, and zinc, can cause symptoms of depression, like low moods and fatigue. 

Good nutrition is also associated with better mental health outcomes, whereas a poor diet is linked to an increased the risk of developing conditions like depression and anxiety.

How eating can help you heal

Food is the fuel that keeps your body running, but nutritional food is what keeps your body running well. Nutrition plays a massive role in your energy levels, immune system, and how quickly your wounds heal.

A lack of nutrients can impact and even stop the healing process, like with scurvy, but it can also help with speeding up healing and fighting off infections. For instance, the macronutrient protein plays a key role in repairing tissue, which is what you’ll need if you’re recovering from an injury.

There is also a range of micronutrients that play a critical role in the healing process and in boosting immunity. Vitamin C specifically helps with collagen production, which plays an essential role in the body’s healing process.

Collagen is crucial for healing because it essentially acts as a ‘building block’ for skin. Other micronutrients you need to include in your diet to stimulate collagen growth and healing include zinc and vitamin A.

Foods you should add to your diet

While food isn’t literally medicine, a well-balanced diet rich in macronutrients and micronutrients makes a massive difference in your health and healing. It can help fight infections and aid recovery from injury.

If you’re looking to add more vitamins and minerals to your diet, we’ve listed below some foods you can add and their corresponding micronutrients.

Vitamin C: Tomatoes, strawberries, spinach, kiwi, broccoli, and citrus.

• Vitamin A: Peaches, pumpkins, milk, eggs, cheese, and carrots.

• Zinc: Red meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, and dairy products.

• Iron: Red meat, fish, eggs, dried fruits, and whole-grain bread.

Before making major diet changes, it’s recommended to always speak to your healthcare practitioner first. That way, they can help you identify any nutrients you’re lacking and work with you to create a personalized diet plan.

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