According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 63 percent of the deaths that occurred in 2008 were attributed to non-communicable chronic¹ diseases such as cardiovascular（心血管的） disease, certain cancers, Type 2 diabetes² and obesity³ -- for which poor diets are contributing factors. Yet people that live in societies that eat healthy, plant-based diets rarely fall victim to these ailments⁴（疾病）. Research studies have long indicated that a high consumption of plant foods is associated with lower incidents of chronic disease. In the October issue of Food Technology magazine, Senior Writer/Editor Toni Tarver discusses recent discoveries in nutritional⁵ genomics that explain how plant-based diets are effective at warding⁶ off disease. The article indicates that bioactive compounds in plant foods play a role in controlling genetic⁸ and other biological factors that lead to chronic disease. For example, antioxidants（抗氧化剂） in plant foods counter free radicals⁹ that can cause chronic inflammation and damage cells. And other plant compounds help control a gene⁷ linked to cardiovascular disease and plaque¹⁰ buildup in arteries¹¹ and the genes¹² and other cellular¹³ components¹⁴ responsible for forming and sustaining tumors.

 

William W. Li, M.D., President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation in Cambridge, Mass., says that all consumers should look at their diets as if food is the medicine necessary to maintain healthy, disease-free lives. "Prevention is always better than a cure," said Li. Foods that may help prevent cancer and other chronic diseases include artichokes, black pepper, cinnamon, garlic, lentils（扁豆）, olives, pumpkin¹⁵, rosemary（迷迭香）, thyme（百里香）, watercress（豆瓣菜）, and more. For a more comprehensive list of medicinal foods, read "The Chronic Disease Food Remedy" in the October 2012 issue of Food Technology.

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