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Healthiest Foods
Here is the Top 10 Healthiest Foods!
More and more people today are realizing the importance of a healthy
diet in the prevention and treatment of many common health conditions,
and the role of diet in the prevention of cancer is becoming
increasingly clear. Where once scientists in the west were
reluctant to attribute diet to a cancer free lifestyle, today many
studies have borne out the importance of diet in the prevention of this
serious disease.
The top ten foods are thought to include:
1.Tomatoes – Tomatoes have long
been known to provide many health benefits, and they are thought to
play a role in the prevention of many forms of cancers. One of
the most significant benefits of the tomato is thought to lie in the
fact that it contains strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidants
are thought to interfere with the cell damage that can be caused by
free radicals. Free radicals are a natural part of the aging
process, and they have been implicated in a number of different types
of cancer.
2.Blueberries – Blueberries are
another fruit rich in all important antioxidants, and for this reason
they are thought to play an important role in the prevention of many
kinds of cancers. Blue and purple fruits, including blueberries
are thought to lower the risk of some cancers, and they also are
thought to improve memory function, promote a healthy urinary tract and
even mitigate the effects of aging. Blueberries contain many
healthy phytochemicals and phenolics, which are currently being studied
for their anticancer and antiaging benefits.
3.Red Cabbage – All varieties
of cabbages and related plants, including such popular choices as
broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and bok choy, are very
rich sources of calcium. However, red cabbage is one of the best
sources of not only calcium, but flavonoids. These flavonoids are
responsible for the rich purple color of red cabbage, and they are
thought to have strong antioxidant properties. Red cabbage is
perhaps the richest source of flavonoids in the vegetable world.
4.Red Beets – As with red
cabbage, it is the flavonoids abundant in the food that give red beets
their distinctive color. Red beets are a rich source of many
important nutrients, including the antioxidant vitamins which are
thought to play an important role in preventing many types of cancer.
5.Spinach – Spinach is one of
those valuable dark green leafy vegetables that nutrition experts
recommend. Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods
available anywhere, and it is a rich source of both vitamin C and beta
carotene. Both vitamin C and beta carotene are known to be
powerful antioxidants, and studies have shown these antioxidants to
play a role in cancer prevention. In addition, spinach is a rich
source of folic acid, a vital nutrient for women of child bearing
age. Studies have shown that those who eat two or more servings
of spinach per week have considerably lower levels of breast and lung
cancer.
6.Garlic – Studies focused on
the health benefits of garlic have shown time after time that garlic
really does live up to its strong reputation for being a food that
promotes overall good health and wellness. It is thought that the
same sulfur containing compounds that give garlic its pungent aroma and
its strong flavor also are able to protect people from cancer by
neutralizing common cancer causing compounds in the environment.
In addition, the compounds in garlic are thought to be capable of
slowing the growth of tumors.
7.Whole Wheat – In a recent
study of the health effects of whole wheat products, scientists have
found that those women who eat a lot of whole wheat in their diet have
a significantly lower risk of both breast cancer and heart disease, two
major killers of women. The wide variety of whole wheat products
on the market, including pastas, cereals and breads, mean that it is
quite easy to fit these healthy foods into any diet.
8.Oranges – Oranges are among
the most delicious, and most nutritious of all fruits. Oranges
have long been loved for their great taste and their high vitamin C
content, but oranges have shown significant benefits in preventing some
forms of cancer as well. In addition to vitamin C, oranges are
rich in many other anticancer compounds, including over 170
phytochemicals. In addition, oranges are rich in compounds known
as limonoids. These limonoids are what give oranges and other
citrus fruits there tangy and slightly bitter taste, and they are
thought to be highly effective anticancer compounds.
9.Strawberries – Strawberries
are thought to be among the strongest of all anticancer foods, and a
recent study found that those who consumed the most strawberries in
their diet were up to 70% less likely to develop many types of
cancer. Many other deep colored varieties of berries, such as
blueberries, raspberries, cranberries and blackberries, may share the
anticancer properties of strawberries.
10.Beans – many recent studies,
and much anecdotal evidence as well, points to the anticancer and
overall health benefits of all kinds of beans. Beans are packed
full of many important compounds, including protease inhibitors.
Protease inhibitors are known to make it more difficult for cancer
cells to gain a foothold in the body. In particular, fava beans
are thought to have the power to block cancer causing compounds in the
digestive tract, while soybeans are a rich source of isoflavones, which
are thought to play a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer.
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