Here are some healing superfoods that you should have in your diet on a daily basis if possible. Food is a natural medicine for your mind and body and it’s National Nutrition Month. We thought it would be a good time to share some of the invaluable information amassed about nutrition. These foods work as a natural medicine and they can energize you, boost your immune system and help your mental health. These healing superfoods have lots of research behind them and they can dramatically change your health risks. Below you will find our top nine healing superfoods so you can start including them in your diet as soon as possible.
Remember – eat breakfast everyday no matter what. Breakfast can increase your metabolism by up to 25% and can help stabilize mood swings throughout your day.
Here are a few of the highest ranked healing Superfoods
Fish
Research shows that people who eat fish regularly have less chronic disease and live longer than those who do not that’s why fish is part of our great healing superfoods. These are some of the diseases omega 3’s in fish can help.
- Breast Cancer. A study shows Greenland Eskimo women have no breast cancer. Fish contains an estrogen receptor blocker.
- Depression. A recent study links fish consumption with a lower risk of depression. People who ate fish less than once a week ran a 31% higher chance of mild to severe depression than people who ate it more often.
- Heart Disease. Fish has Omega 3 fatty acids that prevent platelets in the blood from clumping together and sticking to arterial walls in the form of plaque. They also drive down triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Autoimmune Diseases. Researchers suspect that omega 3’s may block the production of inflammatory substances linked to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
- Alzheimer’s and diseases of aging. Reports suggest that omega 3’s interact with the fatty layers that surround brain cells and may somehow help protect brain cells from the diseases of aging like Alzheimer’s.
Broccoli
- Cancer tumors. John Hopkins discovered a compound found in broccoli that not only prevents the development of tumors by 60% in the studied group, it also reduced the size of tumors that did develop by 75%.
- Cancer, heart disease, and your immune system. Broccoli is among the most powerful weapons in our dietary arsenal against cancer. Broccoli boosts the immune system, supports cardiovascular health, builds bones, fights birth defects.
- Cancer. Broccoli consumption doubled in the last decade, following news of its cancer fighting abilities. 87 studies confirm that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables lower the risk of cancer.
Blueberries
- Antioxidant power. Blueberries have been named, “brain berries” and “youth food.” Blueberries combine more powerful disease fighting antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.
- Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, senility and degenerative diseases. A study of the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found people who ate 1 cup of blueberries daily increased the antioxidant level in their blood, an increase now showing prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, senility and degenerative diseases.
- Aging. A Tufts University study shows blueberries slow and even reverses many degenerative diseases associated with an aging brain.
Tea
- Green tea. Green tea has a powerful antioxidant, polyphenol, that is more prevalent in green tea.
- Cardiovascular disease. Current research suggests that green tea may lower cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk.
- Cancer and tooth decay. Studies suggest it’s protective against certain cancers and tooth decay.
- Black tea.
- Blood pressure, cancer, heart disease. How would you like a food that lowers your blood pressure, helps prevent cancer and osteoporosis, lowers your risk for stroke, promotes heart health? What if there was a food that was antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-cavity, anti-allergy and prevents cataracts. Tea is all this and more.
- Heart attack risk was lowered by tea. A study found that in males, deaths from coronary artery disease were reduced by 40% among those who drank one or more cups of tea daily, and another study from Harvard showed that there was a 44% lower risk of heart attack in people who drank at least one cup of tea daily.
Tomatoes
- Heart disease. The American College of Cardiology reports licopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, can reduce heart disease risk in middle aged women by 1/3.
- Cholesterol. Tomato products reduce LDL, the bad cholesterol, by 13%. British Journal Nutrition.
- Cancer. Lycopene is rare in foods; tomatoes are one of only a few that are rich in this powerful antioxidant.
- The higher the tomato intake the lower the cancer risk.
Oranges
- Heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes. Oranges help in reducing heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and a host of chronic ailments.
- Vitamin C. 20-30% of American’s adults have marginal blood levels of vitamin C and 16% are reportedly deficient in Vitamin C.
- Aging. Vitamin C is essential in the fight against aging and disease.
- Cancer. The National Cancer Institute calls oranges a complete package of anticancer power. The soluble fiber, or pectin, which is so effective for heart health, is also an anticancer agent. They are antioxidant and antimutagenic.
- Stroke. The Framingham Nurses’ Health Study found that drinking one daily glass of orange juice reduced the risk of stroke by 25%.
Spinach
- Cancer, cardiovascular, degenerative diseases. There are a number of studies that demonstrate spinach consumption aids in the reduction of cardiovascular disease, a host of cancers, age related macular degeneration and cataracts.
- Heart health. Spinach is a heart healthy food. The rich supply of carotenoid and other nutrients heals protect artery walls form damage.
- Cancer. In epidemiological studies, it’s been found that the more spinach consumed, the lower the risk of almost every type of cancer. As a general rule, the darker the greens, the more powerful they are against cancer and other diseases.
Beans
Beans are a wonder food. Vitamin rich, low fat, inexpensive and versatile protein. Beans are also in our healing superfoods list and are crucial to your diet because
- Lowers cholesterol
- Reduces obesity
- Reduces hypertension
- Diabetes. Stabilizes sugar.
- Decreases risk of cancer. Research shows higher rates of bean consumption is associated with a decreased risk of colon, breast and prostate cancers.
Oats
- Cholesterol. The FDA concluded oats lower serum cholesterol levels, especially LDL’s bad cholesterol.
- Longevity. Oats reduce disease and extend your health span. They sustain your energy and are rich in protein.
- Reduces disease risk. Whole grains lower your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, and hypertension
Additional foods
- Peppers and spices. Turmeric, ginger, oregano, and cayenne pepper are powerful spices. Inflammation creates disease in our bodies. Particular peppers and spices control inflammation.
- Garlic. Many studies show garlic boosts the immune system and lowers inflammation in the body that leads to disease. Garlics are also on our list of healing superfoods because they are used in many different cultures around the world.
Like the saying goes, we are truly what we eat. We can change our lifestyle and health so much if we pay close attention to our food. Using these healing superfoods regularly in your diet can provide enormous health benefits.