Healthy Food

DEFINE HELTHY FOOD

Healthy food is food considered beneficial to health in ways that go beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. Because there is no precise, authoritative definition from regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, different dietary practices can be considered healthy depending on context.

Foods considered "healthy" may be natural foods, organic foods, whole foods, and sometimes vegetarian or dietary supplements. Such products are sold in health food stores or in the health/organic sections of supermarkets.

EXAPLES OF HEALTY FOOD

1- Apples

• Apples are an excellent source of antioxidants, which combat free radicals. Free radicals are damaging substances generated in the body that cause undesirable changes and are involved in the aging process and some diseases.

• Some animal studies have found that an antioxidant found in apples (polyphenols) might extend lifespans.

• Researchers at The Florida State University said that apples are a "miracle fruit".

• In their study, the investigators found that older women who starting a regime of eating apples daily experienced a 23 percent drop in levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and a 4% increase in good cholesterol (HDL) after just six months.

2 - Almonds

• Second on our list of top 10 healthy foods is almonds. Almonds are rich in nutrients, including magnesium, vitamin E, iron,calcium, fiber, and riboflavin. A scientific review published in Nutrition Reviews found that almonds as a food may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

• Almonds have more fiber than any other tree nut.

• The fatty acid profile of almonds, which is made up of 91-94% unsaturated fatty acids, may partly explain why it helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

3 - Broccoli

• Broccoli is rich in fiber, calcium, potassium, folate and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds which reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Broccoli also contains vitamin C, as well as beta-carotene, an antioxidant.

• A single 100 gram serving of broccoli can provide you with over 150 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C,which in large doses can potentially shorten the duration of the common cold.

• Another ingredient, sulforphane, which exists in broccoli, is also said to have anti-cancer as well as anti-inflammatory qualities. However, overcooking can destroy most of the benefits.

4 - Blueberries

• Blueberries are rich in fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are natural chemicals found in plants.

• Unlike minerals and vitamins that are also found in plant foods, phytonutrients are not essential for keeping us alive. However, they may help prevent disease and keep the body working properly.

• According to a study carried out at Harvard Medical School, elderly people who eat plenty of blueberries (and strawberries) are less likely to suffer from cognitive decline, compared to other people of their age who do not.

• Scientists at Texas Woman's University found that blueberries help in curbing obesity. Plant polyphenols, which are abundant in blueberries, have been shown to reduce the development of fat cells (adipogenesis), while inducing the breakdown of lipids and fat (lipolysis).

• Regular blueberry consumption can reduce the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) by 10%, because of the berry's bioactive compounds, anthocyanins, scientists from East Anglia University, England, and Harvard University, USA reported in theAmerican Journal of Nutrition.

5 - Oily fish

• Examples of oily fish include salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovies.

• These types of fish have oil in their tissues and around the gut. Their lean fillets contain up to 30% oil, specifically, omega-3 fatty acids. These oils are known to provide benefits for the heart, as well as the nervous system.

• Oily fish are also known to provide benefits for patients with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis.

• Oily fish also contain vitamins A and D.

• Scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that prostate cancer progression was significantly slowedwhen patients went on a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements.

6 - Leafy green vegetables

• Studies have shown that a high intake of dark-leafy vegetables, such as spinach or cabbage may significantly lower a person's risk of developing diabetes type 2.

• Researchers at the University of Leicester, England, said that the impact of dark green vegetables on human health should be investigated further, after they gathered data from six studies. They reported their findings in the BMJ.

• Spinach, for example, is very rich in antioxidants, especially when uncooked, steamed or very lightly boiled. It is a good source of vitamins A, B6, C, E and K, as well as selenium, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, copper, folic acid, potassium, calcium, manganese, betaine, and iron.

7 - Sweet potatoes

• Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as carotene (the pink, yellow ones).

• The Center for Science in the Public Interest, USA, compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables.17 Thesweet potato ranked number one, when vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, protein and complex carbohydrates were considered.

8 - Wheat germ

• Wheat germ is the part of wheat that germinates to grow into a plant - the embryo of the seed. Germ, along with bran, is commonly a by-product of the milling; when cereals are refined, the germ and bran are often milled out.

• Wheat germ is high in several vital nutrients, such as vitamin E, folic acid (folate), thiamin, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as fatty alcohols and essential fatty acids.

• Wheat germ is also a good source of fiber.

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