As you already know, there are numerous sayings and beliefs associated with foods in any locality. These food folklore have been found to be passed down from generations to generations. Most of them had been initiated from ancestral experience with certain foods. Also, some were born out of plain curiosity or some sort of attribution. I have taken quite a while to compile and categorise the foods and from various resources including; the internet, novels, my parents, documentaries and even cartoon/comical books.
One might wonder, are the above resources to be trusted? Well, I guess not. But, hey…it’s food folklore we are talking about, and one can’t be “too sure” that a certain food supplies ONLY a certain nutrient. God gave us a vast majority of foods and from my understanding and research, these foods should be consumed in adequate portions and in a complementary manner in order to harvest/harness their goods.
So, by all means, read through and get knowledge of the following folklore regarding foods. Although, this is in NO way a guarantee that what is said of the food is entirely true. This is the reason why i clearly didn’t put a full-stop punctuation at the end of the sentence. This means you are FREE to add the folklore in your locality to the compilation at our forum. We all at Diet234 will love to know the food folklore in your area!
So let’s roll out!
Fruits
Apples: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”; prevents cavities and tooth decay
Blueberries: Cure for kidney and urinary-tract ailments; improves vision and memory
Cherries: Cherry gum dissolved in wine relieves a cough; ensures continued fertility
Citrus fruits: Prevents scurvy; causes low blood pressure; cure the common cold
Lemon: Reduces body fat; removes metabolic poisons
Cranberries: Prevent scurvy; prevent cure or urinary-tract infections
Currant: Relieves sore throat
Fig: Relieves toothache; mild laxative
Grapefruit: Should be avoided completely when taking medication; burns calories, dissolves fat, aids in weight loss; is “good for you”
Raspberry: Raspberry leaf tea promotes contractions and aids in labor
Vegetables
Beets: An effective cure for anemia; helps build iron-rich blood.
Carrots: Important for good eyesight
Celery: Promotes weight loss
Garlic: Stimulates digestion; inhibits germs; cleanses the blood and intestines; lowers cholesterol and blood pressure; purges bad spirits
Bitter leaf: Prevents high blood sugar; heals wounds; strong antimalarial potion
Lettuce: Induces sterility
Onions: Cooked onions cure the common cold; good for the heart; “cleanses the eyes when it makes you cry”
Peppers: Cure for a cold; aphrodisiac
Potatoes: A historic cure for impotence; prevents scurvy; soothe and soften the skin; are fattening
Spinach: Builds strong muscles (remember “Popeye” – the popular childhood cartoon?)
Cucumber: Relieves sexual tension especially for men
Ginger: “I need some ginger!” – gives moral boost; reduces appetite; relieves irritable bowel syndrome; aids flatulence; relieves colic
Nuts and Legumes
Beans: They are a natural laxative; causes heartburn
Soybean: “Brings out the female in you”
Coconut water: “Makes a child dull”; very potent in detoxifying poisons; purest form of water (hydration)
Groundnut: It causes pimples (acne)
Cashew nut: It brings excessive thirst
Walnut: Food for the brain – no wonder it is structured in every way like the brain
Kolanut: “Chewed to speak to the gods”; drives sleep away and gives energy boost; eaten for clairvoyance (to see vision or the future)
Bitter Kola: Arrest purging; antimalarial medicine; discolors the teeth; blood purifier
There will be more soon. Stay tuned! 🙂
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