According to Dr Ritu Lakhtakia who is from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, some food like cafe au lait, cherries, grapes, port wine, chocolate and beer can give doctors clues about illness. And this is so-called food imagery.
Cafe au lait
Cafe au lait spots can remind doctors of flat patches of milk-coffee colored skin. This is a sign of diseases such as neurofibromatosis in which non-cancerous masses usually grow along the nerves.
Cherries
When a vessel occludes at the back of the eye a cherry red spot can be seen at the centre. And visions of fruit can give doctors clues to diseases that are much harder to see.
A cherry red spot at the back of the eye implies that, the main vessel which supplies blood to the eye has been blocked. This is so emergent a situation that immediate medical attention is required.
Growing grapes
Bacteria can sometimes grow in clusters that resemble grapes
Some bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus, often present harmlessly on the skin. They can resemble bunches of grapes as they grow.
Port wine
Harmless birthmarks that look like a splash of a favorite tipple are described as port wine stains in medical text. They are commonly seen on the face.
The relatively common marks are caused by areas of small, abnormal blood vessels. And the color can vary from deep red to purple.
Chocolate
Chocolate can remind doctor of chocolate cysts which can help diagnose a condition called endometriosis, when tissue similar to endometrium is found outside the uterus. It can cause the ovaries to fill with a dark fluid akin to chocolate.
Beer
Drinking too much alcohol can contribute to obesity. In the daily life, beer is always related to beer-belly.
Dr. Lee