According to information from the medical website Medline Plus, the spleen is an organ located under the ribs on the left side of the body. The spleen is part of the autoimmune system, being responsible for fighting off infections within the body. Where the spleen is removed or disabled through infection, the body's ability to fight off disease is compromised. Thus, following a diet to keep your spleen in proper working order can help avoid other diseases down the line.
Spleen Diet Theory
Understand that Western medicine does not place a large amount of importance on tailoring a dietary approach to cultivate well-being in any one organ exclusively, so the best place to look for a diet to bolster spleen function is within the ranks of Eastern medical science. According to information from the traditional Chinese dieting site Eastmountain.ca, spleen function can be improved by incorporating certain foods into your diet on a regular basis, as this can improve the spleen's energy, correcting any existing deficiencies.
Spleen Diet Recommendations
Consume a diet that is rich in the following foods to help improve spleen function: grains such as barley, oats and rice; warm soups; fruits and veggies such as sweet potatoes, leeks, onions, pumpkin, carrots, peas, turnips and stewed fruit; meats such as chicken, lamb, beef and tuna, and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and rosemary. Additionally, you should aim to avoid raw or uncooked foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables. Other items to avoid include cold foods such as iced beverages or ice cream, dairy products, spinach and tomatoes.
Western science provides another clue to enhancing spleen function courtesy of a study performed at the University of Barcelona in Spain, published in the British Journal of Clinical and Experimental Immunology in 2007. In the study, rats that received a moderate daily dose of cocoa were seen to have improved spleen function and immunological response. To incorporate these findings into your own spleen-proofing diet, consider consuming foods containing cocoa at least once a day in conjunction with the other recommendations made above to hopefully improve your overall spleen functionality.
Tags: spleen function, Spleen Diet, According information, According information from, foods such, improve spleen