Load
up on health-boosting superfoods that combat breast cancer, heart disease and
more
If you’re tired of reading about must-eat superfoods that
are hard to find—and even harder to pronounce; (hello, açai berry and
quinoa)—take heart:
Your pantry may hold more superpowered wonders than you
realize!
From chocolate and coffee to red wine and walnuts, the following eight
amazing everyday foods can help improve your health.
CHOCOLATE
Good news for all the chocoholics out there: Cocoa just
might be one of the heart-healthiest foods around!
A 2011 Harvard study found
that organic compounds called flavonoids that are contained in cacao (the bean
used to make chocolate) are associated with reduced blood pressure as well as
improved blood vessel health, cholesterol levels and general blood flow.
"All of these things are protective against heart disease," says Eric
Ding, PhD, conductor of the study and a professor of nutrition and epidemiology
at the Harvard School of Public Health.
"But the HDL findings—the increase
in good cholesterol—nobody knew about that until our study, as well as the
improved blood flow."
As good as that news is, it’s not a green light to
eat any and every chocolate bar you come across.
"Eighty percent of the
chocolate we consume in this country is not healthy," says Joseph Maroon,
MD, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh and author of The Longevity Factor.
"It's pure
sugar and doesn't have the flavonoids in it from the original cacao tree and
bean."
The experts we spoke to recommend snacking on two to four squares
per day of dark chocolate that has at least 70% to 75% cacao, because it has
more flavonoids.
If you're not a chocolate fan, Dr. Ding and Dr. Maroon both
recommend taking a 400 to 450 mg cocoa flavonoid supplement in lieu of eating
squares.
Photo: Martina Vignatelli/iStock
COFFEE
While coffee has been widely touted for its health benefits,
a recent study amounted to a small victory for male
coffee drinkers.
According to a 2011 Harvard study, coffee consumption has been
linked to decreased rates of prostate cancer.
In the study, men who drank six
or more cups of coffee per day were found to have a 20% lower risk of
developing prostate cancer and a 60% lower risk of developing lethal prostate
cancer, according to researcher Lorelei Mucci, PhD, study author and associate
professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
"We saw
the same lower risk whether the men only drank decaf, only drank caffeinated or
drank both, so it's something other than the caffeine," Dr. Mucci says.
Though downing six cups of joe every day is probably too much for most people,
rest assured that the study still found lower rates of prostate cancer in men
who only drank one to three cups per day, compared to those who drank none at
all.
Get him in the habit by making a double batch when enjoying your morning
brew.
Photo: Michael Flippo/iStock
WATERCRESS
While it may not be the most popular leafy green, watercress
has been associated with one very positive health impact for women: It may
inhibit the growth of breast cancer tumors.
Though only a small study was
conducted, scientists at England’s University of Southampton reported in 2011
that a compound in watercress can "turn off" the signal that sends
blood flow to a tumor, in essence stopping the tumor in its tracks.
"All
cancers develop new blood vessels, so if you interfere with the development of
new blood vessels, you effectively impede the blood supply to the tumor,"
Dr. Maroon says.
"A lot of the drugs [that treat breast cancer] prevent
the tumors from making new blood vessels, and in that way, can slow, impede or
eradicate the growth of some tumors."
Although more research is needed,
it’s safe to assume that adding this leafy green to your diet, whether as a
sandwich topping or in salads, couldn’t hurt.
Photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock
WALNUTS
Most nuts are recognized as superfoods, thanks to a high
concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, like omega-3s, which help lower
cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease.
However, a 2011 study indicates that walnuts might be the
most super nut of them all.
According to study author Joe Vinson, PhD,
professor of chemistry at Scranton University in Pennsylvania, walnuts contain
twice the amount of antioxidants per ounce as peanuts and almonds, two popular
types of nuts consumed in the U.S.
His research found that all nuts in general
were better sources of antioxidants when compared to pure vitamin E (a type of
antioxidant).
But when walnuts were compared to peanuts and almonds, they were
found to be better in terms of the "quality and quantity of
antioxidants."
According to Kari Kooi, RD, corporate wellness dietitian at
The Methodist Hospital in Houston, that means walnuts can not only help improve
cholesterol levels but also help manage your weight by providing satisfying
heart-healthy fats and protein.
Photo: Thinkstock
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil has long been associated with the heart-healthy
Mediterranean diet, but it may benefit more than just your ticker.
In a 2011 study, researchers analyzed the olive oil consumption
of 7,625 French people 65 or older and found that those whose use of olive oil
was "intensive" were 41% less likely to suffer a stroke compared with
those who never consumed olive oil.
"We can't infer which aspects of olive
oil may prevent stroke," says study author Cécilia Samieri, PhD, a
professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Bordeaux in
France.
However, Dr. Samieri says, it’s possible that the oleic acid in olive
oil decreases the absorption of saturated fats—and, ultimately, the chance of
stroke.
APPLES
It looks like an apple a day really can keep the doctor
away—especially when it comes to heart health.
A 2011 study conducted by researchers at Florida
State University compared postmenopausal women who ate 75 grams of dried apple
a day to women who ate other types of dried fruit.
The result? Women who ate
the dried apple saw a 23% drop in their LDL ("bad") cholesterol, as
well as a 4% increase in their HDL ("good") cholesterol.
What’s more,
the additional 240 calories derived from the dried apple slices didn't cause
participants to gain weight—the apple group actually lost an average of 3.3 lbs
over the course of the year in which the study was conducted.
Although dried
apples were used in the study, eating the equivalent amount of fresh apples is
believed to produce similar results.
WHOLE GRAINS
New research may make you think twice before buying that
loaf of white bread.
Foods that contain whole grains and bran, like
stone-ground whole-grain bread, brown rice and old-fashioned oatmeal, can help
protect against coronary heart disease and aid in digestive health.
They also
improve insulin sensitivity, which can help better control your sugar levels—a
vital factor for diabetics.
A 2010 study found that the intake of whole grains
was associated with a 16 to 31% overall reduction in the risk of dying from any
cause in participants with type 2 diabetes.
"Whole grains can slow the
absorption of cholesterol, just like some of the drugs that you take [for high
cholesterol] do,” says Dr. Maroon.
In essence, by improving your overall
cholesterol count, you can help lower your risk of heart disease.
RED WINE
What could be better than chocolate being good for you? Red
wine! (In moderation, of course.)
According to a 2011 report from the University of Florida, which reviewed
several studies on resveratrol—a polyphenol compound that is naturally found in
red wine—it may have "anti-aging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties."
It is important to note that the studies were
conducted on laboratory animals, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to
support the claim.
The key is in the polyphenols, which Dr. Maroon says, “can
reduce inflammation…increase HDL and lower LDL [cholesterol levels], have a
mild to modest effect on blood pressure, dilate blood vessels to improve blood
flow to the brain and heart, and lower insulin resistance," which helps
prevent type 2 diabetes.
However, that doesn't mean you can drink a bottle of
wine every night with dinner. "I don't encourage people to drink alcohol
who haven't in the past [or who suffer from alcoholism]," says Dr. Maroon.
"What I do say is one glass of wine for women and no more than two for men
[per day] is healthy.”
Though wine is no fountain of youth, it can help delay
the body's aging process.
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