No one disputes the importance of a well-balanced diet in maintaining health. But by punctuating overall healthy eating with a few known super-foods, you may stand an even better chance of keeping certain diseases at bay—or even knocking them back if they have already begun. Fortunately, those these foods may act like medicines, they do not taste like them. Instead, they provide healing power while giving your taste buds a welcome treat.
Blueberries
Among all fruits and vegetables, blueberries rank high for antioxidant content, according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, and industry group. Antioxidants help to protect the human body against effects of free radicals, which may decrease the risk of various aging-related diseases. In a study conducted by Jim Joseph and colleagues at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, rats that were fed blueberries were slower to develop aging-related loss of mental capacity.
Yogurt
Making yogurt, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, involves mixing a dairy product with a bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus being the most typical. These active cultures may be beneficial to the immune system, protecting the gastrointestinal tract and the body from cancer, according to the National Yogurt Association.
Walnuts
Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to decreased risk of heart disease and hypertension. They also contain the amino acid called arginine, which is known to boost the flow of blood to the heart, according to the AARP.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are notable for their apparent effects on prostate cancer. Dr. Edward Giovannucci and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health found that in a group of 47,400 men studied, consumption of tomato sauce was linked to a lower risk of developing the cancer. The researchers suspect, but have not confirmed, that the antioxidant lycopene is the chemical responsible for the risk reduction. And tomatoes may even be helpful in controlling early-stage prostate cancer, University of Chicago researchers have written in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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