Could changing your diet cure your illnesses?

Foods are being hailed at the new medicines, with experts claiming that they can be useful for preventing cancer and heart disease, curing insomnia and even boosting your sex life.

Here, we look at some common health complaints that experts believe might be helped or even cured completely just by altering our diets.

Skin problems

There's no magic bullet for skin problems, says nutritionist Natalie Savona, and some may be caused by underlying problems, but changing your diet can help give you clearer, healthier skin.

The most important substances are the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, she says, which are found in fresh fruit, dairy products, oily fish and vegetables, particularly leafy green vegetables.

The mineral zinc is also important for skin, with acne and spots resulting from deficiency. The cure is simply to eat more zinc, which is found in fish, pumpkin seeds and leafy green vegetables.

If you suffer from dry skin and hair, dandruff or aching joints, you might be deficient in essential fatty acids. This is common in people following a low fat diet and can be cured by eating more oily fish, nuts, seeds and linseed oil.

Savona recommends drinking lots of water to keep the skin hydrated. She blames bad digestion for many skin problems, and says that for good looking skin you need to make sure your liver is working properly.

This means drinking water and avoiding foods that might block the liver or digestive system like refined carbohydrates, chemical additives, fried and fatty foods, processed foods and added, refined sugar.

Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet - through eating more vegetables, beans, pulses and wholegrains - helps to clear out the digestive system and it might also help to cut down on your intake of alcohol, caffeine, vegetable oils, red meat and grain foods, she says.

Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)

According to the National Association for Pre-menstrual Syndrome (NAPS) blood sugar levels can dramatically affect the severity and frequency of PMS symptoms, which include tiredness, irritability, headaches, stomach pain, digestive problems, bloating, emotional instability, depression and irrational behaviour.

It's not so much what you eat but how you eat it that can help. NAPS suggests eating regular small carbohydrate meals to keep blood sugar levels balanced. In a study, a diet of six small meals a day helped nearly three quarters of sufferers and completely cured a quarter of them.

The theory is that blood sugar levels somehow affect the levels of the hormone progesterone in the system, which in turn affects PMS symptoms, but the exact cause is not yet known.

Generally, sufferers should try to eat more starch, fibre, vegetables and fruit and less fat, sugar, salt, caffeine and alcohol. Meals should be carbohydrate rich and should be eaten every three hours to keep blood sugar levels balanced.

Typical meals include oat cakes with fruit spread, banana on toast, jacket potato with cottage cheese or a bowl of cereal.

Another important thing for women with PMS is to avoid coffee, says Natalie Savona. Not only does coffee interfere with the liver, preventing it from regulating the hormones effectively and exacerbating symptoms, but it also causes a rise in blood sugar levels because it stimulates the release of glucose into the bloodstream.

For women who are worried about the severity of their flow during menstruation, iron can help replace lost blood and the mineral manganese can help to lessen flow.

Manganese is found in fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and - wait for it - tea. So it's now officially acceptable to settle down with a relaxing cuppa when your period starts.

If you have a very heavy flow or are worried about your periods or PMS, you should always see a specialist, says Natalie Savona, who will be able to make sure there's nothing wrong. For more information contact NAPS on www.pms.org.uk, or call their helpline on 01732 760012

Colds, flu and bronchitis

Recent studies in America have shown that chicken soup is among the best foods for fighting off viral infections because chicken is high in the amino acid cysteine, which is thought to block the migration of white blood cells to accumulate in the lungs, preventing infection.

Cysteine is also anti-inflammatory and, like with other hot drinks or foods, the steam from soup helps to dissolve and expel mucus, preventing blockage.

Eat lots of garlic and onions, which are fantastic immune boosters and really powerful anti-viral agents, says Natalie Savona. Recent studies in Japan showed that shitake mushrooms contain high levels of lentinan, which is another effective anti-viral agent.

Aside from the virus itself, what makes this type of illness so awful is the mucus. Foods which decrease the production of mucus or make it thinner are useful because if the mucus is thin it can't cause a blockage or infection and is more easily expelled.

These foods are referred to as being mucokinetic and include chillies, horseradish, curries, mustard, tabasco, ginger and other hot and spicy foods.

Some people find that certain foods - specifically dairy products like milk and yoghurt - actually increase the produciton of mucus and make the condition worse.

Make sure you've got enough immune boosting vitamin C in your diet too, says Savona. It is found in fruit and vegetables like kiwi and citrus fruits and broccoli.

Stress

Stress, anxiety and depression are responsible for a whole range of health problems and can exacerbate already existing problems too. Getting rid of stress is difficult, but certain foods can help by releasing chemicals which help the body to relax.

The best known of these 'relaxing' chemicals is the amino acid tryptophan, a substance found in the brain which helps the body to relax by releasing the 'feel good' chemical serotonin.

Studies have shown that tryptophan - found naturally in bananas, figs, cottage cheese, eggs, dried dates, halibut, seaweed, beef, turkey and milk - is effective at helping people feel more relaxed and at encouraging the body to release hormones which encourage sleep.

Other substances which have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety are, surprisingly, carbohydrates and sugar. This doesn't mean rushing off and sprinkling refined sugar on your cereals, though, because the best sorts of sugar are the complex carbohydrates found in fruit, brown rice and honey.

These sugars are thought to induce relaxation and act as mild sedatives if eaten with a source of protein to make the effect last longer. Another sedative is a chemical called quercetin, which is found in onions and which encourages the body to relax, easing tension.

Stress is also exacerbated by alcohol and caffeine, says Savona, so cutting these out of your diet can make an immediate difference to stress and anxiety levels. Drinking lots of water is important, too, as dehydration can lead to depression and feelings of panic and anxiety.