4 HEALTHY FOODS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

4 HEALTHY FOODS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

1. NUTS ESPECIALLY WALNUTS:
The superiority of nuts in promoting good health has been supported by a landmark Spanish study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2013). The PREDIMED trial was a multi-center randomized trial showing that eating nuts and olive oil prevented heart attacks and stroke.

The study enrolled 7,447 men and women. After an average of 4.8 years, the trial was stopped due to proven benefits found in the subjects taking nuts and olive oil. In the trial, the participants took around 30 grams of walnuts and assorted nuts per day.
Walnuts are concentrated sources of healthy plant protein. Walnuts contain rich amounts of fiber, the vitamin Bs, minerals (including magnesium and copper), and antioxidants such as Vitamin E.

Walnuts and nuts in general are teeming with the "good fats," mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce bad cholesterol. Just choose the unsalted or low-salt nuts.

Some precautions: For those individuals who have kidney stones, gouty arthritis, or allergy to nuts, you should limit or avoid eating nuts.

2. OLIVE OIL:
In the PREDIMED trial, participants were encouraged to take in a total of 4 tablespoons of olive oil per day. This amount of olive oil was used for both cooking and salads.

Why is olive oil beneficial to our health? The lead researcher, Dr Ramón Estruch of Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, explains that there are good fats and bad fats. Animal fat should be avoided whereas vegetable fats, like extra virgin olive oil and nuts should be recommended.

Similarly, Dr. Donald Hensrud writes that the fats found in all kinds of olive oil are the healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). These MUFAs may help reduce heart disease by lowering the bad cholesterol and normalizing blood clotting.

3. YOGURT:
Yogurt is regarded by experts as a complete food, having the perfect combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Yogurt has calcium for the bones, potassium for the muscles, and vitamin B for the nerves.

Dr. John Briffa, a London physician and nutrition expert, writes that the healthy bacteria in yogurt have the potential to help people with stomach ulcer, food poisoning, constipation, diarrhea and other bowel-related problems. The presence of good bacteria in yogurt somehow helps ward off the bad bacteria.

Several studies have shown that yogurt enhances our immune system. Yogurt can also help you lose weight. Compared with regular ice cream, yogurt has fewer calories, less fat and less sugar.

4. BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER:
According to the US Department of Agriculture, broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange and as much calcium as a glass of milk. One medium-sized stem has three times more fiber than a slice of wheat bread.

Broccoli is part of the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables, which also includes cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, kale and Brussel sprouts, all with similar health benefits.
Dr. Paul Talalay, a Professor of Pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his colleagues discovered broccoli's cancer-fighting substance called sulforaphane.

In fact, when scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund reviewed 206 human and 22 animal studies, they found scientific evidence that cruciferous vegetables lowered the risk of developing cancers of the oral cavity, throat, stomach, esophagus, lung, pancreas, and colon.

Moreover, eating broccoli has been linked to the prevention and control of diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

So if you want to stay healthy, consider adding these four foods to your diet. Good luck.

1. NUTS ESPECIALLY WALNUTS:
The superiority of nuts in promoting good health has been supported by a landmark Spanish study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2013). The PREDIMED trial was a multi-center randomized trial showing that eating nuts and olive oil prevented heart attacks and stroke.

The study enrolled 7,447 men and women. After an average of 4.8 years, the trial was stopped due to proven benefits found in the subjects taking nuts and olive oil. In the trial, the participants took around 30 grams of walnuts and assorted nuts per day.
Walnuts are concentrated sources of healthy plant protein. Walnuts contain rich amounts of fiber, the vitamin Bs, minerals (including magnesium and copper), and antioxidants such as Vitamin E.

Walnuts and nuts in general are teeming with the "good fats," mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce bad cholesterol. Just choose the unsalted or low-salt nuts.

Some precautions: For those individuals who have kidney stones, gouty arthritis, or allergy to nuts, you should limit or avoid eating nuts.

2. OLIVE OIL:
In the PREDIMED trial, participants were encouraged to take in a total of 4 tablespoons of olive oil per day. This amount of olive oil was used for both cooking and salads.

Why is olive oil beneficial to our health? The lead researcher, Dr Ramón Estruch of Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, explains that there are good fats and bad fats. Animal fat should be avoided whereas vegetable fats, like extra virgin olive oil and nuts should be recommended.

Similarly, Dr. Donald Hensrud writes that the fats found in all kinds of olive oil are the healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). These MUFAs may help reduce heart disease by lowering the bad cholesterol and normalizing blood clotting.

3. YOGURT:
Yogurt is regarded by experts as a complete food, having the perfect combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Yogurt has calcium for the bones, potassium for the muscles, and vitamin B for the nerves.

Dr. John Briffa, a London physician and nutrition expert, writes that the healthy bacteria in yogurt have the potential to help people with stomach ulcer, food poisoning, constipation, diarrhea and other bowel-related problems. The presence of good bacteria in yogurt somehow helps ward off the bad bacteria.

Several studies have shown that yogurt enhances our immune system. Yogurt can also help you lose weight. Compared with regular ice cream, yogurt has fewer calories, less fat and less sugar.

4. BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER:
According to the US Department of Agriculture, broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange and as much calcium as a glass of milk. One medium-sized stem has three times more fiber than a slice of wheat bread.

Broccoli is part of the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables, which also includes cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, kale and Brussel sprouts, all with similar health benefits.
Dr. Paul Talalay, a Professor of Pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his colleagues discovered broccoli's cancer-fighting substance called sulforaphane.

In fact, when scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund reviewed 206 human and 22 animal studies, they found scientific evidence that cruciferous vegetables lowered the risk of developing cancers of the oral cavity, throat, stomach, esophagus, lung, pancreas, and colon.

Moreover, eating broccoli has been linked to the prevention and control of diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

So if you want to stay healthy, consider adding these four foods to your diet. Good luck.