SECRET FOODS THAT HEAL

Many foods have healing properties, but a few you might not have heard about. These "secret foods" have unexpected benefits that might surprise you. However, in addition to their special attributes, these foods are all low in fat and high in nutrients, and make a good addition to any healthy diet.

Bananas

One doesn't often think of the banana as a healing food. It can be surprisingly effective when it comes to treating warts, however. In the December 1981 issue of the journal "Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery," Dr. Livia Warszawer-Schvaroz describes how to get rid of plantar warts using banana peels. She notes that the peel can be taped to the wart with surgical tape, and that the wart will show noticeable shrinkage after two weeks. In a six-week period, the wart will disappear. Warszawer-Schvaroz followed up with patients treated who used this method and found that the warts had recurred two years later.

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Seaweed

If you don't mind stepping out of your culinary comfort zone, include various forms of seaweed in your diet. Seaweed has been found to have anti-viral and anti-tumor properties, according to a review in the June 2011 "Trends in Food Science and Technology." Seaweed also provides probiotics, which positively influence gut health. You can add dried seaweed to miso or other broth-based soups, enjoy it with sushi or snack on dried strips made available for this purpose. The next time you have a cold, include this secret ingredient in a bowl of chicken soup to increase its virus-fighting properties.

Papaya

Papaya is a colorful tropical fruit that is a healthful addition to your diet, but if you have a cut, you might want to apply it to your skin instead. When researchers examined the use of green papayas as a wound dressing for chronic skin ulcers in Jamaican hospitals, they found that subjects reported faster wound healing and less odor, according to the 2000 "West Indian Medical Journal." Researchers note that the papaya was also considered to be more effective than other topical treatments, likely because of antibacterial properties in the fruit.

Natto

Natto, a highly fermented soybean dish, is not widely consumed in North America, but in eastern Japan, where it is a common side dish, rates of osteoporosis are low. Natto is high in K2, a vitamin that is important for bone metabolism. According to research published in the April 2001 "Nutrition," the consumption of natto is the likely cause of the low rates of osteoporosis in this area. Adding natto, an admittedly acquired taste, to your diet might work to heal weak bones. Alternatively, you could supplement with vitamin K2.