The old belief that chicken soup can knock out the common cold or that eating a few extra carrots each week improves eyesight were well-intended tales of their day. But they weren’t perhaps as thoroughly researched as the claims nutritionists make lately about the healing properties seen in a variety of foods.

Can your refrigerator really serve as a pharmacy to prevent disease? Or, better yet, can the foods sitting inside of it actually stop disease? Calorie-counting aside, a wave of scientific evidence based on myriad studies shows that eating the right foods can stave off conditions such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, gallstones, type II diabetes and cancers of the breast, ovaries, colon and prostate – and in some cases, augment their cures.

Below is a list of diseases and ailments that researchers say can be at least partially combated by a host of various fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish and even red meat, in some cases.

Because healthy blood depends on iron, doctors years ago would recommend to their anemic patients that they eat more liver due to its high level of absorbable iron. But they’ve come to realize that liver packs in too much saturated fat and can no longer be considered a “healing food.” Instead, low-fat cuts of beef, the dark meat of poultry, cantaloupe, cauliflower and dried beans make for an ideal diet rich in iron and vitamins to help revive anemic blood.

Ongoing research is proving valid the effectiveness of polyphenols and fibrous pectin contained in bright fresh fruits as warriors in the prevention and partial diminishment of hardening arteries. Bottled pomegranate juice is considered to be especially powerful, as are a couple of glasses of red wine each day. And in the battle with cholesterol, doctors recommend pumping up the diet with salmon, mackerel, oats, grains, and olive and canola oils.

After decades of research, scientists have concluded that up to 50 percent of all cancers may be linked to diet. Studies of specific cancers are showing some promising links between certain foods and prevention. Diets rich in cruciferous vegetables and grains might lower the risk of colon and bowel cancers. The beta-carotene in green and yellow fruits and veggies may ward off the risk of lung and mouth cancers. And members of the allium family (onions, garlic, scallions and chives) contain compounds that could safeguard against stomach cancer.

Could the popularity of cheese on dessert menus at contemporary restaurants stem from the fact that calcium and phosphorous “re-mineralize” teeth eroded by acids? Researchers say that it doesn’t take much cheddar to do the trick. In regard to periodontal disease, broccoli, melons and nectarines are among the foods rich in vitamin C that help in the production of collagen, which strengthens gum tissue.

If you don’t get enough vitamin B, you could end up a slouch. The vitamin’s two forms (B-6 and B-12) help convert proteins, carbohydrates and fats into fuel, and you’ll find them in fortified cereals, meat, poultry and fish.

Potassium is high on the list of suspected agents for reducing and/or controlling high blood pressure. Some researchers have speculated that low intake of potassium prompts the body to hoard sodium, a known culprit of the disease and a roadblock for the body to absorb potassium. In an effort to stabilize blood pressure, reach for apricots, bananas, Brussels sprouts, fish and low-fat milk.

Everyone thinks of milk when it comes to replacing the lost calcium in those suffering from this degenerative bone disease. But let’s not forget about less-fatty alternatives such as yogurt or a hearty bowl of minestrone soup using a beef broth made with calcium-rich bones. Also keep in mind that vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium. So it’s best to toss in a side of sockeye salmon, cod, eggs or boiled shrimp, and, of course, brief daily exposure to sunlight.