Six Power Foods For Health

Food plays an important role in maintaining good health. And what we eat and how much is as important as the food we eat. Here are six power foods which keep us healthy and fit. They help in maintaining good health and safeguard us from diseases.

1. Tomato In India there are still communities who do not eat tomatoes on certain days of the week. One should not miss out on the benefits of tomatoes such as relieving migraines due to riboflavin in them. They also protect your heart. Researches reveal that women who ate 7 to 10 helpings of tomato or tomato-based foods such as soups and juices in a week, lower their risk of cardiovascular disease by 32%. Eating tomatoes reduces the risk of prostate cancer as they are rich in anti-oxidant lucopene. This provides protection against prostate cancer and cut down its risk by 11%.

2. Kiwifruit This fruit is loaded with anti-oxidant and is full of fibre. Kiwifruit protects against free radical damage. This fruit is most nutritionally dense. It contains more vision-saving lutein than any other fruit or vegetable. A study carried out in 2004 by University of Oslo in Norway inferred that Kiwifruit lowers blood-clot risk. It reduces triglycerides, a blood fat linked to heart attack drops by 15%.

3. Barley We all know it as a diuretic as its consumption increases the flow of urine. This grain is full of health benefits. When wheat and oat are processed, they lose their fibre content. This does not happen with barley. It is loaded with soluble beta-glucan fibre which remains intact even after it is processed. Studies show that this fibre helps you reduce bad cholesterol by 17%. This fibre also decreases blood sugar and insulin levels. Barley is therefore recommended for people with type 2 diabetes. Take advantage of this super grain by including it in your meals at a regular basis.

4. Walnuts They are the healthiest nuts you will get. They help you fire your metabolism and sleep better. Also, they prevent gallstones. Walnuts benefit your bones as they are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the essential omega-3 fatty acid which are good for the skeletal system. They decrease the breakdown of bones.

5. Brown Rice Nutritionally it is far superior to its processed, polished and better-looking white rice. Eating brown rice reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) by 7%. It also strengthens your nerves. Just one cup of brown rice gives 88% of your daily requirement of manganese. It helps in production of energy from proteins and carbohydrates and helps in synthesis of fatty acids which are essential for functioning of a healthy nervous system.

6. Broccoli The florets have enough nutrients like Vitamin C, betacarotene, Calcium and fibre to fight digestive disorders and heart and bone diseases. Plant nutrients and sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound, in broccoli, help repair sun-damaged skin. Broccoli acts against skin cells’ carcinogenic response to sun’s ultraviolet rays and hence protects skin from developing skin cancer.