Memory loss? Pop a berry

A glance at the average person's lifestyle makes terrifying viewing for Dr Patrick Holford, UK's top nutritionist. The way we eat, he says, makes many of us prime candidates for chronic illnesses later in life.

A sixth of Britons will develop diabetes or die prematurely from heart disease, a stroke or from cancer.

If they survive these, a quarter of them will spend the last 30 years of their lives coping with the pain of arthritis or suffering the symptoms of Alzheimer's.

But of the drugs that are prescribed to "treat" these conditions, do we really know how effective and safe they are?

In his latest book, Food is Better Medicine than Drugs, Holford explains that while these drugs may alleviate the overt symptoms of a disease, they almost never treat the underlying cause, and often have severe and sometimes deadly side effects.

Instead, he advocates treating and even preventing chronic illnesses through diet.

"I am not advising people to stop taking their prescriptions," Holford says. "But there are nutrients that can address the root cause of a problem, ease its symptoms and thereby, negate the costly and potentially dangerous life-long need for drugs."

Here, we find the top ten foods that might just save your life:

Red onions

The illnesses: Asthma and eczema.

The conventional medicine: Asthma and eczema are both inflammatory conditions that often occur due to unidentified
allergies.

Inhalers delivering both corticosteroid and betaagonist drugs for asthma merely control the progression of the disease. Cortisone creams for eczema thins the skin, making you more vulnerable to infection.

The food medicine: Quercetin is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory chemical found in red onions that reduces allergic symptoms associated with asthma and eczema.

Oats

The illnesses: Heart disease and diabetes.
The conventional medicine: Statins are widely prescribed for their ability to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, but dizziness, headaches, fatigue, suppressed immunity and muscle soreness are associated with these drugs.
Diabetes drugs include Biguanides, Sulfonylureas and Glitazones which may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and heart failure.
The food medicine: The soluble fibre found in oats (eaten as oatbran, porridge or oatcakes) helps lower the LDL cholesterol associated with heart disease.

They are also low-glycemic-index (GI) and high in nutrients called beta-glucans which help to stabilise blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Berries

The illnesses: Memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The conventional medicine: Common drugs to treat Alzheimer's include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that work to replace one of the brain's neurotransmitters required for good memory function, and memantine which regulates the activity of a brain chemical responsible for learning and memory. People prescribed these may experience hallucinations and confusion.

The food medicine: Berries — particularly blueberries — are high in antioxidants. As the brain ages, its susceptibility to resist the damaging effects of molecules called free radicals on the nerve cells involved in memory retention, is reduced. The antioxidants in berries can help ‘mop up' these free radicals.

Seeds

The illnesses: Insomnia, muscular tension and osteoporosis.

The conventional medicine: Benzodiazepines, such as Valium, Librium and Klonopin, may trigger forgetfulness, drowsiness and social problems. Treatment for osteoporosis includes HRT, but long-term use has shown to promote an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.

The food medicine: Both sesame and pumpkin seeds are high in calcium and magnesium. Not only does this make these seeds excellent bone builders, but their two constituent minerals also work in tandem to calm the body and ease muscle tension.

Soya

The illnesses: Hormonal problems and symptoms of menopause.

The conventional medicine: Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) has been linked to breast, endometrial and womb cancer, as well as thrombosis, cardiovascular disease, blood clots and an increased risk of stroke.

The food medicine: Oestrogen-like plant substances called isoflavones are found in soya products — including soya milk, beans and tofu. These have been shown to reduce the incidence of hot flushes and may even protect against breast cancer.

Oily fish

The illnesses: Inflammation, arthritis, pain and depression.
The conventional medicine: Anti-inflammatory drugs often merely mask the underlying cause. Prozac and similar anti-depressants have been linked to high blood pressure, drowsiness, blurred vision, sexual dysfunction and even addiction.

The food medicine: The omega-3 fatty acidss found in oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring, counteract the cause of inflammation and help build the brain's neuronal connections which can help increase the amount of serotonin (a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation) that you produce.

Grains

The illnesses: Problems regulating blood sugar levels and Irritable Bowel Symptoms (IBS).

The conventional medicine: All IBS medications treat symptom rather than the cause and Zelnorm has been withdrawn from use in the US, Canada and Australia for its links to heart problems.

The food medicine: Non-gluten grains including buckwheat, quinoa and millet are soluble fibres that improve digestion and are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction associated with IBS.

Eggs

The illnesses: Pain and inflammation.

The conventional medicine: Aspirin has been found to cause serious gastrointestinal problems including ulcers, while paracetamol is toxic to the liver.

The food medicine: Eggs are high in sulphur, involved in many bodily functions, from pain control and inflammation to detoxification and tissue building.

Red peppers

The illnesses: Infection.

The conventional medicine: Antibiotics are most commonly prescribed. Side effects vary from diarrhoea, nausea and allergic reactions to an increased risk of kidney stones as well as blood clotting.

The food medicine: Red peppers, broccoli, kiwi and papaya are all high in vitamin C that helps protect the immune system.

Garlic

The illnesses: Heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

The conventional medicine: Thiazides, beta-blockers and blood thinning medications, such as Warfarin, have been linked with everything from kidney damage and increased incidence of gallstones to insomnia, excessive bleeding and haemorrhaging.

The food medicine: Two cloves of garlic a day can reduce the ‘stickiness' of blood platelets, promoting healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride (fatty acid molecule) levels.