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If food were a superhero, these 20 items would be the most powerful! Packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients, these healthy foods help your body function optimally and are the ultimate way to prevent disease and prolong life. Check out the healthiest foods in the world!
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Broccoli Kids may scoff at this green vegetable, but adults should Add more to their plate. Broccoli is rich in fiber and several detoxifying phytonutrients that can help lower your cholesterol and cancer risk. Pregnant women should also take note – broccoli is a good source of folate, an important prenatal nutrient.
eggs While people with cardiovascular disease or high cholesterol may want to avoid these nutrient-dense Food, but acceptable to most people. A recent study including more than 200,000 people found that eating one egg a day did not increase the risk of heart disease. With only 72 calories and 6 grams of protein per large egg, this popular breakfast food is an easy way to fill up. It’s also rich in choline, an anti-inflammatory nutrient that’s vital to our health, but our bodies can’t produce enough on their own.
Kale Like its leafy cousin spinach, kale is a superfood. With just 36 calories per cup, you can get plenty of calcium and vitamins A, C, and K. But you get much more than that—the vitamins in kale make it a proven cancer-fighting agent, and while a detox diet doesn’t work, the nutrients in kale can naturally help cells flush out toxins.
Tomatoes Their deep red color gives off their most important nutrient: lycopene. This nutrient may have cancer-fighting properties that may reduce the risk of prostate, lung, and stomach cancer. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects the heart.
Salmon Salmon is the gold of seafood. As one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, studies show salmon can reduce high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. Even better, it’s actually brain food. It’s rich in DHA, an omega-3 that has been shown to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s.
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berries Low in calories but rich in fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants, berries are used in cereals, salads, and more Great supplement. But they may not be just a sweet treat. Not only have they been shown to boost brain power, but a new study found that women who ate three bowls of blueberries and strawberries a week had a three-point lower risk of heart attack One.
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Walnuts A vegetarian way to get omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are a Heart-healthy nuts. Study after study has proven their vascular benefits, from lowering “bad” cholesterol to reducing inflammation. They’re also a flat belly food that protects against metabolic syndrome and the accompanying Belly Fat!
Lentils These delicious (and easy to prepare) beans are An excellent combination of protein and fiber along with a number of important nutrients like immunity-boosting iron and zinc. Recent studies that have been shown to be part of a heart-healthy diet also suggest that eating more lentils may help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
bananas A favorite among endurance athletes, these 100-calorie fruits are good for health. Known for their healthy blood pressure-lowering potassium content, bananas also contain bulking fiber and compounds that help you absorb more healthy nutrients from your favorite foods.
Almonds These nuts are the perfect snack food. A quarter cup is exactly 200 calories, but you also get 7 grams of protein, nearly 4 grams of fiber, and more than half your daily vitamin E. People with high cholesterol should take note: Swapping almonds for a similar carbohydrate-heavy snack cut heart disease risk by 30 percent.
Avocado Who doesn’t want an excuse to eat more guacamole? Avocados are creamy and full of fiber, folate, and heart-healthy fats. They fight inflammation and fat — in a recent study, people who ate avocados had a lower BMI than those who didn’t.
quinoa Don’t mistake quinoa for a grain. Despite its grain-like qualities, it’s actually a seed, which may be why it’s packed with protein and fiber—8 and 5 grams per cup, respectively—as well as nutrients from anti-inflammatory plants. It is also popular with vegetarians because it contains all the essential amino acids, which areAcids are usually only found in meat.
Extra virgin olive oil The Mediterranean diet—rich in vegetables and healthy fats—is Considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. This is thanks in large part to olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that have been shown to boost heart health and lower bad cholesterol.
Green Tea To describe all the health benefits of green tea, you would have to write a book. This simple sip is packed with antioxidants and packed with flavonoids that help reduce your risk of cancer, speed up your metabolism and prevent heart disease. Drink up! A Japanese study found that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had a significantly lower risk of death — 23 percent for women and 12 percent for men.
Oats A convenient breakfast staple, oats are a proven cholesterol-lowering food . Consuming three grams of soluble fiber per day (in your bowl of oatmeal) can lower your cholesterol by as much as 23%. Due to their high fiber content, they can also be consumed as a way to prevent high blood pressure and heart attack.
Black beans are high in folate and soluble fiber, and should be a staple in your diet. But since black beans also contain more than 15 grams of protein per serving, they’re especially filling and may even help balance blood sugar. These beans are also a good source of magnesium—one cup contains more than 30 percent of a woman’s daily requirement—and can improve circulation.
Sweet potatoes Don’t just eat these sweet vegetables on Thanksgiving. Research shows that sweet potatoes are high in fiber and may actually help improve blood sugar regulation in people with type 2 diabetes. They are also the best source of vision-enhancing beta-carotene. Just be sure to add a little olive oil, as the fat helps your body absorb beta-carotene better.
Grass-Fed Beef Yes, too much red meat isn’t exactly heart-healthy, But the right amount of grass-fed beef can provide important nutrients that may not be available elsewhere. Grass-fed beef is richer in omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and iron than conventionally prepared beef. It’s also leaner and has lower cholesterol! It sounds like a smart indulgence when you’re craving red meat.
skim yogurt A can of nonfat yogurt contains about 130 calories and 14 grams of protein, not to mention that you need nearly 50% of your daily calcium. It’s a filling snack, especially if you add berries or nuts to it. But, most importantly, yogurt may be a dieter’s best friend. A 2011 Harvard study found that people who ate more yogurt lost about 0.8 pounds every four years. This is great for simply eating a delicious snack.