Superfoods that Keep Illness at Bay
Foods can heal or harm! By adding these superfoods to your diet, you can boost your health and decrease your chances of various illnesses and health issues.
Blueberries
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, but foods such as blueberries can keep your colon in better health. This is thanks to their pterostilbene, a compound that inhibits colon tumour growth.
Quinoa
This super seed fights off inflammation, thanks to its saponins. This can have various health benefits for the body, especially if you suffer from arthritis or autoimmune diseases.
Steel-cut Oats
Oats are tasty and satisfying, but they can also prevent illnesses such as cancer and heart disease thanks to their chemical compounds called lignans.
Greek Yogurt
If you suffer from intestinal concerns such as Crohn’s Disease, Greek yogurt can be highly beneficial. This is because it contains calcium, a nutrient people suffering from Crohn’s Disease usually lack but require.
Coconut Oil
Research has pointed to how coconut oil could prevent tooth decay thanks to its antibacterial quality. Consume more of it to keep your pearly whites healthy.
Kale
Kale boosts your immune system, helping you fight off colds and flu. A study even found that when mice were fed green vegetables, they had more white blood cells fighting off infection than those who were not.
Cocoa
Dark chocolate can lower blood pressure, thanks to its antioxidants called flavanols. This, in turn, keeps your heart healthy.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes with purple skin have increased cancer-fighting qualities because they contain peonidins and cyanidins, two ingredients that inhibit the growth of cancer cells. They also lower potential risks from exposure to toxins such as mercury.
Olive Oil
Adding a bit of olive oil to your regular diet could help decrease your cancer risk. Since monounsaturated fats found in olive oil don’t oxidize in the body, they don’t produce free radicals that can cause cancer.
Avocados
Adding avocados to other foods can help you absorb more nutrients from your diet. So be sure to throw them into your healthy salads and sandwiches!
Chia Seeds
These powerful seeds tackle belly fat, which can prevent illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes (for which belly fat is one of the surest signs!).
Cauliflower
It’s high in a variety of nutrients as well as compounds to help your liver neutralize toxic substances, so enjoy more of this cruciferous vegetable.
Tea
That hot cuppa does more than just boost your mood – tea can help to ease allergies. Peppermint tea is especially helpful because its menthol acts as a decongestant.
Pumpkin
It’s rich in beta-carotene, which gets converted into Vitamin A in the body. We need this essential nutrient to achieve strong immune systems, healthy skin and powerful eyesight.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is a great source of lignin, an antioxidant that can fight disease. Eating just two tablespoons of these seeds will provide you with 20 per cent of the recommended daily amount of omega-3s which fight inflammation.
Acai Juice
Acai contains anthocyanins, which protect cells in the body. This means blocking free radicals! Anthocyanins also help to fight inflammation and cancer.
Walnuts
Not only does their appearance resemble a brain, but these nuts can prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Animal studies have also found that when mice were given walnuts, their memory and motor coordination improved.
Spinach
This leafy green is powerful protection against an eye disease known as macular degeneration. Spinach prevents the center of the retina from cell damage, thanks to how it contains lutein, a compound that protects cells.
Enjoy these powerful superfoods in a variety of dishes and take a more proactive approach towards fighting illness.
Cassie Brewer is a journalist living in Southern California. She is passionate about helping others look and feel their best and finds that one of the best ways to accomplish this is through the foods that we eat. You can read more of her writing on the Skintrium blog.
