There are a number of ways your lifestyle can enhance your immune system, but one of the most important is eating the right foods.
So how do we choose?
It seems like every few weeks there is a new immune-boosting superfood on the scene. But as an immunologist and functional medicine doctor, I’m here to tell you that any nutrient-dense food that’s rich in vitamins and minerals is an immune superfood.
However, some foods seem to stand out from the rest for their beneficial properties. Here are five magical superfoods that I always try to add to my diet for a strong and healthy immune system:
1. Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been a staple in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. And now we have modern science to explain the effects of these amazing fungi, which, depending on the species, can boost, redirect or modulate our immune activity.
The one I like best is maitake, also called “hen-of-the-woods” or “chicken-of-the-woods.” Not only do they make delicious tacos, but they can increase Th1 cytokines, which help stimulate cellular immune response when fighting bacterial infections.
I’m a fan of shiitake mushrooms, too. Studies show a pattern of immune-boosting benefits, such as an increase in NK and Cytotoxic T cells — both advantageous in conquering viruses and cancer cells.
Lastly, there’s the reishi mushroom, which has been shown in several studies to increase the Th1 cytokine response and help make chemotherapeutic drugs more effective. In addition, extracts of reishi promote the immune response against certain strains of herpes virus.
Reishi mushrooms have a hard outer shell that makes them inedible, so capsules are the most convenient form.
2. Ginger
Ginger has several strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The spicy, aromatic root contains compounds called gingerols, which show promise in preventing cardiovascular disease by reducing oxidative stress in blood vessels, as well as inflammation in the heart area.
Studies reveal that ginger extract may help prevent alcohol-induced liver disease and can also block the kidney damage created by chemotherapy drugs.
I often recommend ginger to patients who have nausea, bloating and other GI complaints from imbalances in their microbiome. You can incorporate fresh ginger in savory dishes, smoothies and ginger tea, or grab a ginger shot bottle (found at many juice bars and cafes) to drink plain or dilute in water.
3. Broccoli sprouts
Recently, a great deal of attention has been focused on broccoli sprouts, a potent source of one of the most immune-supportive biochemicals: sulforaphane.
On its own, sulforaphane has been shown to increase the levels of several antioxidant compounds by inducing a compound in our cells called NRF-2. This is sometimes called the “master regulator” of antioxidants, which means it helps increase the production of other antioxidants.
NRF-2 can play a role in lowering inflammation seen in many diseases like cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and liver disease.
Most cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, contain large amounts of glucoraphanin, which converts to sulforaphane during digestion. However, young broccoli sprouts contain between 10 and 100 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli!
The best way to eat broccoli sprouts is raw — for instance, in salads — because sulforaphane is easily broken down by cooking. I always aim to eat two ounces of broccoli sprouts a week.
4. Garlic
Not only does garlic make everything taste more delicious, but this pungent vegetable has multiple compounds that regulate the immune system.
Studies on garlic find that it is immune-stimulating — increasing the activity of NK cells, a type of immune cell that has granules with enzymes that can kill tumor cells or cells infected with a virus.
At the same time, garlic is anti-inflammatory and can be cardioprotective by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
It’s also fabulous for fortifying our gut, for several reasons:
It can increase levels of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus, a natural inhabitant of the GI tract and an excellent probiotic.
It’s known to be antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.
It can fix bacterial imbalances in the gut that may be driving inflammation.
You can incorporate garlic into almost any recipe — so use it whenever you can — and you can also find it in supplement form if you’re not a fan of the taste.
5. Turmeric
If I had to pick one culinary compound out of nature’s apothecary for it’s immune-supportive effects, I’d go with turmeric root.
The bright yellow-orange root is not only a staple in Indian cooking, but it contains a magical compound called curcumin.
The bright yellow-orange root contains a magical compound called curcumin, which has many key benefits:
It can buffer high cortisol levels.
It can suppress some of the immune changes at the root of autoimmune diseases, while generally helpful in reducing chronic inflammation throughout the body.
It encourages the growth of beneficial strains of bacteria in the gut and lowers other disease-causing bacterial strains.
It’s effective for minimizing joint swelling in rheumatoid arthritis.
Turmeric is a great spice to use in cooking, although it does impart a bright yellow hue to your skin tongue and teeth. And, because it’s not well-absorbed in the GI tract, you’d need to eat gobs of it to achieve immune-modulation effects.
Given that, curcumin supplements are the best way to get this beneficial compound. Dosages vary based on need. For general health, I recommend about 1,000 milligram a day in divided dosages.
Sat, Mar 5 2022 Dr. Heather Moday, Contributor
Dr. Heather Moday is a board-certified allergist, immunologist and functional medicine physician.
After analysing more than 1,000 raw foods, researchers ranked the ingredients that provide the best balance of your daily nutritional requirements – and they found a few surprises.
Many of us are paying more attention to our diets and how the food we eat can support our health. To help sort out the fact from the fiction, BBC Future is updating some of our most popular nutrition stories from our archive.
Imagine the ideal food. One that contains all the nutrients necessary to meet, but not exceed, our daily nutrient demands. If such a food existed, consuming it, without eating any other, would provide the optimal nutritional balance for our body.
Such a food does not exist. But we can do the next best thing.
The key is to eat a balance of highly nutritional foods, that when consumed together, do not contain too much of any one nutrient, to avoid exceeding daily recommended amounts.
Scientists studied more than 1,000 foods, assigning each a nutritional score. The higher the score, the more likely each food would meet, but not exceed your daily nutritional needs, when eaten in combination with others.
Calculated and ranked by scientists, these are the 100 most nutritious foods:
A short guide to the 100 most nutritious foods
Please note: a few of the foods listed are endangered species, which we would not recommend. We would advise researching the provenance of all ingredients if buying them yourself.
100. SWEET POTATO (v)
86kcal, $0.21, per 100g
A bright orange tuber, sweet potatoes are only distantly related to potatoes. They are rich in beta-carotene.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 49
99. FIGS (v)
249kcal, $0.81, per 100g
Figs have been cultivated since ancient times. Eaten fresh or dried, they are rich in the mineral manganese.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 49
98. GINGER (v)
80kcal, $0.85, per 100g
Ginger contains high levels of antioxidants. In medicine, it is used as a digestive stimulant and to treat colds.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 49
97. PUMPKIN (v)
26kcal, $0.20, per 100g
Pumpkins are rich in yellow and orange pigments. Especially xanthophyll esters and beta-carotene.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
96. BURDOCK ROOT (v)
72kcal, $1.98, per 100g
Used in folk medicine and as a vegetable, studies suggest burdock can aid fat loss and limit inflammation.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
95. BRUSSELS SPROUTS (v)
43kcal, $0.35, per 100g
A type of cabbage. Brussels sprouts originated in Brussels in the 1500s. They are rich in calcium and vitamin C.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
94. BROCCOLI (v)
34kcal, $0.42, per 100g
Broccoli heads consist of immature flower buds and stems. US consumption has risen five-fold in 50 years.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
93. CAULIFLOWER (v)
31kcal, $0.44, per 100g
Unlike broccoli, cauliflower heads are degenerate shoot tips that are frequently white, lacking green chlorophyll.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
92. WATER CHESTNUTS (v)
97kcal, $1.50, per 100g
The water chestnut is not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in mud underwater within marshes.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
91. CANTALOUPE MELONS (v)
34kcal, $0.27, per 100g
One of the foods richest in glutathione, an antioxidant that protects cells from toxins including free radicals.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
90. PRUNES (v)
240kcal, $0.44, per 100g
Dried plums are very rich in health-promoting nutrients such as antioxidants and anthocyanins.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
89. COMMON OCTOPUS
82kcal, $1.50, per 100g
Though nutritious, recent evidence suggests octopus can carry harmful shellfish toxins and allergens.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 50
88. CARROTS (v)
36kcal, $0.40, per 100g
Carrots first appeared in Afghanistan 1,100 years ago. Orange carrots were grown in Europe in the 1500s.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
87. WINTER SQUASH (v)
34kcal, $0.24, per 100g
Unlike summer squashes, winter squashes are eaten in the mature fruit stage. The hard rind is usually not eaten.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
86. JALAPENO PEPPERS (v)
29kcal, $0.66, per 100g
The same species as other peppers. Carotenoid levels are 35 times higher in red jalapenos that have ripened.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
85. RHUBARB (v)
21kcal, $1.47, per 100g
Rhubarb is rich in minerals, vitamins, fibre and natural phytochemicals that have a role in maintaining health.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
84. POMEGRANATES (v)
83kcal, $1.31, per 100g
Their red and purple colour is produced by anthocyanins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
83. RED CURRANTS (v)
56kcal, $0.44, per 100g
Red currants are also rich in anthocyanins. White currants are the same species as red, whereas black currants differ.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
82. ORANGES (v)
46kcal, $0.37, per 100g
Most citrus fruits grown worldwide are oranges. In many varieties, acidity declines with fruit ripeness.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
81. CARP
127kcal, $1.40, per 100g
A high proportion of carp is protein, around 18%. Just under 6% is fat, and the fish contains zero sugar.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 51
80. HUBBARD SQUASH (v)
40kcal, $8.77, per 100g
A variety of the species Cucurbita maxim. Tear-drop shaped, they are often cooked in lieu of pumpkins.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 52
79. KUMQUATS (v)
71kcal, $0.69, per 100g
An unusual citrus fruit, kumquats lack a pith inside and their tender rind is not separate like an orange peel.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 52
78. POMPANO
164kcal, $1.44, per 100g
Often called jacks, Florida pompanos are frequently-caught western Atlantic fish usually weighing under 2kg.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 52
77. PINK SALMON
127kcal, $1.19, per 100g
These fish are rich in long-chain fatty acids, such as omega-3s, that improve blood cholesterol levels.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 52
76. SOUR CHERRIES (v)
50kcal, $0.58, per 100g
Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) are a different species to sweet cherries (P. avium). Usually processed or frozen.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 53
75. RAINBOW TROUT
141kcal, $3.08, per 100g
Closely related to salmon, rainbow trout are medium-sized Pacific fish also rich in omega-3s.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 53
74. PERCH
91kcal, $1.54, per 100g
Pregnant and lactating women are advised not to eat perch. Though nutritious, it may contain traces of mercury.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 53
73. GREEN BEANS (v)
31kcal, $0.28, per 100g
Green beans, known as string, snap or French beans, are rich in saponins, thought to reduce cholesterol levels.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
72. RED LEAF LETTUCE (v)
16kcal, $1.55, per 100g
Evidence suggests lettuce was cultivated before 4500 BC. It contains almost no fat or sugar and is high in calcium.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
71. LEEKS (v)
61kcal, $1.83, per 100g
Leeks are closely related to onions, shallots, chives and garlic. Their wild ancestor grows around the Mediterranean basin.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
70. CAYENNE PEPPER (v)
318kcal, $22.19, per 100g
Powdered cayenne pepper is produced from a unique cultivar of the pepper species Capsicum annuum.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
69. GREEN KIWIFRUIT (v)
61kcal, $0.22, per 100g
Kiwifruit are native to China. Missionaries took them to New Zealand in the early 1900s, where they were domesticated.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
68. GOLDEN KIWIFRUIT (v)
63kcal, $0.22, per 100g
Kiwifruits are edible berries rich in potassium and magnesium. Some golden kiwifruits have a red centre.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
67. GRAPEFRUIT (v)
32kcal, $0.27, per 100g
Grapefruits (Citrus paradisi) originated in the West Indies as a hybrid of the larger pomelo fruit.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
66. MACKEREL
139kcal, $2.94, per 100g
An oily fish, one serving can provide over 10 times more beneficial fatty acids than a serving of a lean fish such as cod.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
65. SOCKEYE SALMON
131kcal, $3.51, per 100g
Another oily fish, rich in cholesterol-lowering fatty acids. Canned salmon with bones is a source of calcium.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 54
64. ARUGULA (v)
25kcal, $0.48, per 100g
A salad leaf, known as rocket. High levels of glucosinolates protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 55
63. CHIVES (v)
25kcal, $0.22, per 100g
Though low in energy, chives are high in vitamins A and K. The green leaves contain a range of beneficial antioxidants.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 55
62. PAPRIKA (v)
282kcal, $1.54, per 100g
Also extracted from the pepper species Capsicum annuum. A spice rich in ascorbic acid, an antioxidant.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 55
61. RED TOMATOES (v)
18kcal, $0.15, per 100g
A low-energy, nutrient-dense food that are an excellent source of folate, potassium and vitamins A, C and E.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
60. GREEN TOMATOES (v)
23kcal, $0.33, per 100g
Fruit that has not yet ripened or turned red. Consumption of tomatoes is associated with a decreased cancer risk.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
59. GREEN LETTUCE (v)
15kcal, $1.55, per 100g
The cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is related to wild lettuce (L. serriola), a common weed in the US.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
58. TARO LEAVES (v)
42kcal, $2.19, per 100g
Young taro leaves are relatively high in protein, containing more than the commonly eaten taro root.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
57. LIMA BEANS (v)
106kcal, $0.50, per 100g
Also known as butter beans, lima beans are high in carbohydrate, protein and manganese, while low in fat.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
56. EEL
184kcal, $2.43, per 100g
A good source of riboflavin (vitamin B2), though the skin mucus of eels can contain harmful marine toxins.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
55. BLUEFIN TUNA
144kcal, $2.13, per 100g
A large fish, rich in omega-3s. Pregnant women are advised to limit their intake, due to mercury contamination.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
54. COHO SALMON
146kcal, $0.86, per 100g
A Pacific species also known as silver salmon. Relatively high levels of fat, as well as long-chain fatty acids.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 56
53. SUMMER SQUASH (v)
17kcal, $0.22, per 100g
Harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. Its name refers to its short storage life.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 57
52. NAVY BEANS (v)
337kcal, $0.49, per 100g
Also known as haricot or pea beans. The fibre in navy beans has been correlated with the reduction of colon cancer.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 57
51. PLANTAIN (v)
122kcal, $0.38, per 100g
Banana fruits with a variety of antioxidant, antimicrobial, hypoglycaemic and anti-diabetic properties.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 57
50. PODDED PEAS (v)
42kcal, $0.62, per 100g
Peas are an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, minerals and water-soluble vitamins.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 58
49. COWPEAS (v)
44kcal, $0.68, per 100g
Also called black-eyed peas. As with many legumes, high in carbohydrate, containing more protein than cereals.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 58
48. BUTTER LETTUCE (v)
13kcal, $0.39, per 100g
Also known as butterhead lettuce, and including Boston and bib varieties. Few calories. Popular in Europe.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 58
47. RED CHERRIES (v)
50kcal, $0.33, per 100g
A raw, unprocessed and unfrozen variety of sour cherries (Prunus cerasus). Native to Europe and Asia.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 58
46. WALNUTS (v)
619kcal, $3.08, per 100g
Walnuts contain sizeable proportions of a-linolenic acid, the healthy omega-3 fatty acid made by plants.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 58
45. FRESH SPINACH (v)
23kcal, $0.52, per 100g
Contains more minerals and vitamins (especially vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus and iron) than many salad crops. Spinach appears twice in the list (45 and 24) because the way it is prepared affects its nutritional value. Fresh spinach can lose nutritional value if stored at room temperature, and ranks lower than eating spinach that has been frozen, for instance.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 59
44. PARSLEY (v)
36kcal, $0.26, per 100g
A relative of celery, parsley was popular in Greek and Roman times. High levels of a range of beneficial minerals.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 59
43. HERRING
158kcal, $0.65, per 100g
An Atlantic fish, among the top five most caught of all species. Rich in omega-3s, long-chain fatty acids.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 59
42. SEA BASS
97kcal, $1.98, per 100g
A generic name for a number of related medium-sized oily fish species. Popular in the Mediterranean area.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 59
41. CHINESE CABBAGE (v)
13kcal, $0.11, per 100g
Variants of the cabbage species Brassica rapa, often called pak-choi or Chinese mustard. Low calorie.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 60
40. CRESS (v)
32kcal, $4.49, per 100g
The brassica Lepidium sativum, not to be confused with watercress Nasturtium officinale. High in iron.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 60
39. APRICOTS (v)
48kcal, $0.36, per 100g
A ’stone’ fruit relatively high in sugar, phytoestrogens and antioxidants, including the carotenoid beta-carotene.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 60
38. FISH ROE
134kcal, $0.17, per 100g
Fish eggs (roe) contain high levels of vitamin B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Caviar often refers to sturgeon roe.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 60
37. WHITEFISH
134kcal, $3.67, per 100g
Species of oily freshwater fish related to salmon. Common in the northern hemisphere. Rich in omega-3s.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 60
36. CORIANDER (v)
23kcal, $7.63, per 100g
A herb rich in carotenoids, used to treat ills including digestive complaints, coughs, chest pains and fever.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 61
35. ROMAINE LETTUCE (v)
17kcal, $1.55, per 100g
Also known as cos lettuce, another variety of Lactuca sativa. The fresher the leaves, the more nutritious they are.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 61
34. MUSTARD LEAVES (v)
27kcal, $0.29, per 100g
One of the oldest recorded spices. Contains sinigrin, a chemical thought to protect against inflammation.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 61
33. ATLANTIC COD
82kcal, $3.18, per 100g
A large white, low fat, protein-rich fish. Cod livers are a source of fish oil rich in fatty acids and vitamin D.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 61
32. WHITING
90kcal, $0.60, per 100g
Various species, but often referring to the North Atlantic fish Merlangius merlangus that is related to cod.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 61
31. KALE (v)
49kcal, $0.62, per 100g
A leafy salad plant, rich in the minerals phosphorous, iron and calcium, and vitamins such as A and C.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 62
30. BROCCOLI RAAB (v)
22kcal, $0.66, per 100g
Not to be confused with broccoli. It has thinner stems and smaller flowers, and is related to turnips.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 62
29. CHILI PEPPERS (v)
324kcal, $1.20, per 100g
The pungent fruits of the Capsicum plant. Rich in capsaicinoid, carotenoid and ascorbic acid antioxidants.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 62
28. CLAMS
86kcal, $1.78, per 100g
Lean, protein-rich shellfish. Often eaten lightly cooked, though care must be taken to avoid food poisoning.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 62
27. COLLARDS (v)
32kcal, $0.74, per 100g
Another salad leaf belonging to the Brassica genus of plants. A headless cabbage closely related to kale.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 63
26. BASIL (v)
23kcal, $2.31, per 100g
A spicy, sweet herb traditionally used to protect the heart. Thought to be an antifungal and antibacterial.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 63
25. CHILI POWDER (v)
282kcal, $5.63, per 100g
A source of phytochemicals such as vitamin C, E and A, as well as phenolic compounds and carotenoids.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 63
24. FROZEN SPINACH (v)
29kcal, $1.35, per 100g
A salad crop especially high in magnesium, folate, vitamin A and the carotenoids beta carotene and zeazanthin. Freezing spinach helps prevent the nutrients within from degrading, which is why frozen spinach ranks higher than fresh spinach (no 45).
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 64
23. DANDELION GREENS (v)
45kcal, $0.27, per 100g
The word dandelion means lion’s tooth. The leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 64
22. PINK GRAPEFRUIT (v)
42kcal, $0.27, per 100g
The red flesh of pink varieties is due to the accumulation of carotenoid and lycopene pigments.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 64
21. SCALLOPS
69kcal, $4.19, per 100g
A shellfish low in fat, high in protein, fatty acids, potassium and sodium.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 64
20. PACIFIC COD
72kcal, $3.18, per 100g
Closely related to Atlantic cod. Its livers are a significant source of fish oil rich in fatty acids and vitamin D.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 64
19. RED CABBAGE (v)
31kcal, $0.12, per 100g
Rich in vitamins. Its wild cabbage ancestor was a seaside plant of European or Mediterranean origin.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 65
18. GREEN ONION (v)
27kcal, $0.51, per 100g
Known as spring onions. High in copper, phosphorous and magnesium. One of the richest sources of vitamin K.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 65
17. ALASKA POLLOCK
92kcal, $3.67, per 100g
Also called walleye pollock, the species Gadus chalcogrammus is usually caught in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. A low fat content of less than 1%.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 65
16. PIKE
88kcal, $3.67, per 100g
A fast freshwater predatory fish. Nutritious but pregnant women must avoid, due to mercury contamination.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 65
15. GREEN PEAS (v)
77kcal, $1.39, per 100g
Individual green peas contain high levels of phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and dietary fibre.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 67
14. TANGERINES (v)
53kcal, $0.29, per 100g
An oblate orange citrus fruit. High in sugar and the carotenoid cryptoxanthin, a precursor to vitamin A.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 67
13. WATERCRESS (v)
11kcal, $3.47, per 100g
Unique among vegetables, it grows in flowing water as a wild plant. Traditionally eaten to treat mineral deficiency.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 68
12. CELERY FLAKES (v)
319kcal, $6.10, per 100g
Celery that is dried and flaked to use as a condiment. An important source of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 68
11. DRIED PARSLEY (v)
292kcal, $12.46, per 100g
Parsley that is dried and ground to use as a spice. High in boron, fluoride and calcium for healthy bones and teeth.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 69
10. SNAPPER
100kcal, $3.75, per 100g
A family of mainly marine fish, with red snapper the best known. Nutritious but can carry dangerous toxins.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 69
9. BEET GREENS (v)
22kcal, $0.48, per 100g
The leaves of beetroot vegetables. High in calcium, iron, vitamin K and B group vitamins (especially riboflavin).
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 70
8. PORK FAT
632kcal, $0.95, per 100g
A good source of B vitamins and minerals. Pork fat is more unsaturated and healthier than lamb or beef fat.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 73
7. SWISS CHARD (v)
19kcal, $0.29, per 100g
A very rare dietary source of betalains, phytochemicals thought to have antioxidant and other health properties.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 78
6. PUMPKIN SEEDS (v)
559kcal, $1.60, per 100g
Including the seeds of other squashes. One of the richest plant-based sources of iron and manganese.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 84
5. CHIA SEEDS (v)
486kcal, $1.76, per 100g
Tiny black seeds that contain high amounts of dietary fibre, protein, a-linolenic acid, phenolic acid and vitamins.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 85
4. FLATFISH
70kcal, $1.15, per 100g
Sole and flounder species. Generally free from mercury and a good source of the essential nutrient vitamin B1.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 88
3. OCEAN PERCH
79kcal, $0.82, per 100g
The Atlantic species. A deep-water fish sometimes called rockfish. High in protein, low in saturated fats.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 89
2. CHERIMOYA (v)
75kcal, $1.84, per 100g
Cherimoya fruit is fleshy and sweet with a white pulp. Rich in sugar and vitamins A, C, B1, B2 and potassium.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 96
1. ALMONDS (v)
579kcal, $0.91, per 100g
Rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Promote cardiovascular health and may help with diabetes.
NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 97
SOURCES
Food selection, ranking and cost based on the scientific study “Uncovering the Nutritional Landscape of Food”, published in the journal PLoS ONE.
Nutritional data based on The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28.
Nutritional insights from The Encyclopaedia of Food and Health (2016), published by Elsevier Science.
Produced for BBC Future by Fact & Story. This page was originally published as an infographic.
Swapping out the butter or other artery-clogging fats in your diet for heart-healthy olive oil may add years to your life, researchers say.
Folks who consume more than 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil a day are less likely to die from heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or lung disease when compared to people who consume less of this healthy fat, a new study finds.
It’s not just adding olive oil to your diet that staves off death from disease, said study author Marta Guasch-Ferre, a research scientist in the nutrition department at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. “We need to pay attention to overall diet quality and lifestyle, and consistent with our results, the key would be to add olive oil into the diet as a substitution of other unhealthier fats.”
Olive oil is rich in healthful antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins, and is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. “One may speculate that mechanisms related to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of olive oil may have played a role in these findings,” Guasch-Ferre said.
Olive oil use could also be a marker for a healthier lifestyle. Folks in the study who consumed the most olive oil were more physically active, less likely to smoke and ate more fruits and vegetables than people who consumed less olive oil.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 90,000 people from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who were free of heart disease and cancer when the study began in 1990. These folks were followed for 28 years. Every four years, they were asked how often they ate certain foods, including fats such as margarine, butter, mayonnaise, dairy fat and olive oil.
When compared with people who never consumed olive oil, those who consumed more than 1/2 a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart disease, a 17% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 29% lower risk of dying from a neurodegenerative disease, and an 18% lower risk of dying from lung disease.
The researchers also developed statistical models to simulate what would happen if a person swapped out 3/4 a tablespoon of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or other vegetable oils with olive oil. This switch reduced the chances of dying from all causes. Substituting olive oil for other vegetable oils such as canola, corn, safflower and soybean didn’t have the same effect, the study showed.
Many questions on the potential health benefits of olive oil need answering before broad recommendations on its use can be made, wrote Susanna Larsson in an accompanying editorial. She is an epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
For example, Larsson asked, “What is the amount of olive oil required for a protective effect? Are the protective effects confined to polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil or are refined olive oil and other vegetable oils as beneficial?”
Nutritionists not involved in the new study point out that eating a healthy, balanced diet is more important than any one food.
It’s not just the olive oil that confers these health benefits, it’s likely what the olive oil travels with and/or adds flavor to, said Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health emerita at New York University.
“Olive oil is part of the classic heart-healthy Mediterranean diet,” Nestle noted. This style of eating includes lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean protein, and is low in processed foods. “It’s never about one food, it’s really about dietary patterns,” she said.
Olive oil has calories, and they can add up quickly, Nestle pointed out. There are about 120 calories in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
This isn’t a lot of olive oil either, said Meghan McLarney, a dietitian at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. “A typical salad at a restaurant has about 4 tablespoons of dressing.”
Replacing a fat is different from adding one to your diet, and there are easy ways to replace butter and other animal fats with olive oil, she said.
“If a recipe calls for butter, cut out half of the butter and replace it with olive oil,” McLarney said. “This blend is a great way of transitioning and introducing a healthier fat but keeping the flavor.”
Swapping out butter or margarine for olive oil or infused olive oil can make a great flavoring on whole grains, vegetables and proteins. “You can bake with olive oil, too,” she said.
SOURCES: Marta Guasch-Ferre, PhD, senior research scientist, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston; Marion Nestle, PhD, Paulette Goddard professor, nutrition, food studies, and public health, emerita, New York University, New York City; Meghan McLarney, RD, dietitian, Nebraska Medicine, Omaha; Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Jan. 11, 2022
Find out which foods you should eat raw or cooked to maximize antioxidants.
Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of nutrients and antioxidants like carotenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols that help prevent health issues like cancer and cardiovascular disease and can improve mood. Antioxidants help your body counteract damage caused by toxic byproducts called free radicals. Eating more fruits and vegetables also increases your vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamine, and niacin, minerals, and fiber.
But it can be tricky to know how you should store and prepare fresh foods to get the most nutrients.
Luckily, when you store most fruits and vegetables, this generally does not affect antioxidants levels. In fact, antioxidant levels can even go up in the few days after you buy the fruits and vegetables. But when you start to see the fruit or vegetable spoil and turn brown, that usually means that they have started to lose antioxidants. The main exceptions are broccoli, bananas, and apricots, which are more sensitive and start to lose their antioxidants during storage within days, so eat those sooner than later.
Whether you should cook or eat raw fruits or vegetables to maximize antioxidants varies. Some vegetables like mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, and peppers gain certain antioxidants after they are cooked.
1. Tomatoes: Cooked may be better than raw.
Storage tip: Even though this will make shelf life shorter, store tomatoes in room temperature since tomatoes can lose antioxidants (and flavor) when stored in cooler temperatures.
Cook your tomatoes to release higher levels of lycopene and total antioxidant activity. You can cook them for up to 30 minutes at 190.4 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees Celsius). Lycopene is found in red fruits and vegetables like watermelon, red bell pepper, and papaya and has been linked to lower rates of cancer.
Raw tomatoes have less overall antioxidants, but have more vitamin C.
2. Carrots: Cooked may be better than raw.
Cook your carrots to get more beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gets converted in your body to vitamin A, which is good for your eyes and immune system. Sous Vide carrots for best results. Steaming or boiling carrots preserves more antioxidants than roasting, frying or microwaving carrots. If you’re in Top Chef mode and want to maximize antioxidants, try sous vide carrots, which has even more antioxidants than steamed carrots.
3. Broccoli: Raw and cooked.
Storage tip: Keep broccoli wrapped in packaging in the refrigerator at 1 degree Celsius (or 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Unlike most vegetables, broccoli tends to lose antioxidants faster than other vegetables when stored without packaging, particularly when it starts to lose its color and turn yellow. Wrap the broccoli in microperforated or non-perforated packaging to keep antioxidants for longer.
If you eat raw broccoli, you’ll get higher levels of an enzyme called myrosinase, which creates helpful compounds like sulforaphane, which blocks the growth of cancer cells and helps fight Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers. Myrosinase is sensitive to heat and thus destroyed during cooking.
Cooked broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, increases indole, which is thought to be protective against cancer. Steamed broccoli has also better potential to reduce cholesterol than raw broccoli.
Sous vide or steam broccoli to keep antioxidants and nutrients. Boiling 9-15 minutes causes the loss of up to 60 percent of nutritious compounds become leached into the water. Stir-frying and a combination of boiling and stir-frying (common in Chinese cuisine) causes the most loss of vitamin C and nutrients. Steaming allows broccoli to retain better color and texture.
4. Cauliflower: Raw and cooked.
Fresh cauliflower has 30 percent more protein and many different types of antioxidants such as quercetin. Raw cauliflower keeps the most antioxidants overall, but cooking cauliflower increases indole levels.
Don’t boil cauliflower in water because that loses the most antioxidants. Water-boiling and blanching causes the worst loss of minerals and antioxidant compounds in cauliflower because many of the nutrients get leached into the water. Steam or sous vide cauliflower to maintain nutrients.
5. Brussel Sprouts, cabbage: Raw and steamed.
Brussel sprouts and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables rich in compounds protective for cancer. One study found that people who consumed about 300 grams or two-thirds pound of Brussels sprouts daily for a week had higher levels of a detox enzyme in the colon, which helps explain the link between eating cruciferous vegetables and lower risk of colorectal cancer.
Raw Brussels sprouts give you the most folate and vitamin C. Steaming Brussels sprouts can release more indole compounds (but they arguably taste best when roasted!).
6. Kale: Raw and blanched.
Kale has beta-carotene, vitamin C, and polyphenols. Cooking kale significantly lowers vitamin C and overall antioxidants. Keep kale raw or, if you prefer cooked, blanch or steam kale to minimize antioxidant loss.
7. Eggplant: Cooked and grilled.
Grill eggplant to make it a lot richer in antioxidants compared to raw or boiled (and it tastes a lot better too). Don’t forget to salt your eggplant slices before cooking to get rid of excess moisture and bitterness.
8. Red Peppers: Raw and cooked (stir-fry, roasted).
Red peppers are a great source of vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols, and other phytochemicals. Raw red peppers provide more vitamin C because vitamin C breaks down with heat. But other antioxidants like carotenoids and ferulic acid go up when red peppers are cooked.
Stir-fry or roast red peppers. Do not boil red peppers—boiling red peppers loses the most nutrients and antioxidants. Stir-frying and roasting actually preserves red pepper antioxidants, more than steaming.
9. Garlic and onions: Raw and cooked.
Garlic and onions have been linked with foods that help fight high blood pressure. Red onions have the highest amount of quercetin, a type of flavonoid family antioxidant thought to protect against certain forms of cancer, heart disease, and aging.
Garlic and onions are pretty hardy when cooked. You can blanch, fry, and even microwave them without changing their antioxidant levels by much, so prepare them however you like.
10. Artichokes: Cooked.
Cook your artichokes in order to boost their antioxidants. Steam artichokes to boost antioxidants levels by 15-fold and boil them to boost them by 8-fold. Microwaving them also increases an artichoke’s antioxidants. But don’t fry them– that plummets flavonoids, a type of antioxidant.
11. Blueberries: Raw and cooked.
Blueberries are one of the fruits with the highest levels of antioxidants, and you can eat them raw or cooked to get the most antioxidants. One study found that some type of antioxidants levels went up with cooking blueberries, while others went down.
Here are some final general tips:
Avoid deep-frying. Bad news for vegetable tempura fans: Deep-frying vegetables creates free radicals from the hot oil. Not only are free radicals damaging for the body, but the vegetables lose much of their antioxidants in the process.
Fresh is generally better than frozen. Vegetables like spinach and cauliflower can lose B vitamins in the process of being frozen.
At the end of the day, prepare your fruits and vegetables so that you’ll be more likely to eat them. As long as you stay away from the deep fryer, fresh fruits and vegetables will generally give you a lot more nutrients and antioxidants than processed foods.
Marlynn Wei, MD, PLLC October 3, 2015 Reviewed by Ekua Hagan
Higher levels of this type of fat in the blood can add five years to your lifespan.
A study has found that raising levels of omega−3 fatty acids in blood can lower the risk of premature death similar to quitting smoking, an equivalent to adding 4.7 years of life.
Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known for their beneficial health effect, thus the American Heart Association recommends eating oily fish such as trout, salmon, sardines, and anchovies twice weekly.
For the study, researchers used the omega-3 index test to measure EPA and DHA content in red blood cells (RBC), an excellent way to predict the risk of death from all causes.
They analysed data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort study, which has tracked Massachusetts residents in the United States over 11 years.
Dr Aleix Sala-Vila, the study’s co-author, said:
“Having higher levels of these acids in the blood, as a result of regularly including oily fish in the diet, increases life expectancy by almost five years.
Being a regular smoker takes 4.7 years off your life expectancy, the same as you gain if you have high levels of omega-3 acids in your blood.”
The study compared RBC fatty acids levels with standard risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in predicting premature death.
Some well known risk factors are age, total cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking.
The results show that four types of fatty acids, including omega-3 are better predictors of mortality risk.
Two of these predictors belong to saturated fatty acids which have often been associated with heart disease risk but in this study were linked to longer life.
A diet rich in omega−3 fatty acids improves the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content in erythrocytes (red blood cells) resulting in nearly 5 years of human life expansion.
Dr Sala-Vila said:
“This reaffirms what we have been seeing lately, not all saturated fatty acids are necessarily bad.”
The correct amount of dietary fatty acids may contribute considerably to individual health.
Dr Sala-Vila added:
“What we have found is not insignificant.
It reinforces the idea that small changes in diet in the right direction can have a much more powerful effect than we think, and it is never too late or too early to make these changes.”
About the author Mina Dean is a Nutritionist and Food Scientist. She holds a BSc in Human Nutrition and an MSc in Food Science.
The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (McBurney et al., 2021).
DALLAS, Texas — Previous studies have shown that spicy food can have a positive impact on your health. Now, a study released by the American Heart Association has a “hot” new take on the topic. Researchers say eating chili pepper isn’t just good for your health, it can help you live longer by reducing heart disease and cancer.
The study finds consuming chili peppers cuts the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 26 percent. The odds of dying from cancer decreased by 23 percent compared to people who don’t include peppers in their diet.
One of the key findings is that chili peppers act as a natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and blood-glucose regulator. This is due to the release of capsaicin into an eater’s system. This substance gives a pepper its trademark mild to intense spicy flavor.
The international appeal of chili peppers Researchers looked at over 4,700 studies from five major health databases to gather their data. Their final report included four large studies on the health of individuals who either did or didn’t eat chili peppers. The data examined more than 570,000 people from the United States, Italy, China, and Iran.
Overall, the report finds a 25-percent drop in all causes of death among people who include chili peppers in their diet.
“We were surprised to find that in these previously published studies, regular consumption of chili pepper was associated with an overall risk-reduction of all cause, CVD and cancer mortality. It highlights that dietary factors may play an important role in overall health,” says senior author Bo Xu of the Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute in a media release.
“The exact reasons and mechanisms that might explain our findings, though, are currently unknown. Therefore, it is impossible to conclusively say that eating more chili pepper can prolong life and reduce deaths, especially from cardiovascular factors or cancer. More research, especially evidence from randomized controlled studies, is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.”
Dr. Xu adds these findings have some limitations because the respondents ate different amount and various types of chili peppers. This makes determining if a specific variety or serving size is better for a patient’s health.
A weight loss fruit that makes you feel full, improves your gut health, and reduces absorption of fats.
Having an avocado every day as part of your diet will increase healthy gut bacteria and reduce the absorption of fat.
The fruit is rich in fibre and monounsaturated fat, a healthy fat that lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood.
A study by Ahmed et al. (2019) suggests that avocados contain a fat molecule that could help prevent diabetes and maintain a healthy weight by improving blood glucose levels, glucose metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.
A new study has found that people who eat avocados have higher levels of gut microbes responsible for breaking down fibres and producing a number of metabolites (short-chain fatty acids) that improve gut health.
Ms Sharon Thompson, the study’s first author, said:
“We know eating avocados helps you feel full and reduces blood cholesterol concentration, but we did not know how it influences the gut microbes, and the metabolites the microbes produce.
Microbial metabolites are compounds the microbes produce that influence health.
Avocado consumption reduced bile acids and increased short chain fatty acids.
These changes correlate with beneficial health outcomes.”
Bile acids are produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the intestine for breaking down fats from foods we eat.
Western diets are higher in fats causing more production of bile acids which can alert the gut microbiota population and cause intestinal inflammation.
The study recruited 163 overweight or obese participants and divided them into two groups receiving a normal diet.
The only difference was that one ate fresh avocados (175 g for men or 140 g for women) as part of a meal every day for 12 weeks and the other group had a similar diet but no avocados.
Dr Hannah Holscher, study co-author, said:
“Our goal was to test the hypothesis that the fats and the fiber in avocados positively affect the gut microbiota.
We also wanted to explore the relationships between gut microbes and health outcomes.
Despite avocados being high in fat, the avocado group absorbed less fat compared to the other group.”
Dr Holscher said:
“Greater fat excretion means the research participants were absorbing less energy from the foods that they were eating.
This was likely because of reductions in bile acids, which are molecules our digestion system secretes that allow us to absorb fat.
We found that the amount of bile acids in stool was lower and the amount of fat in the stool was higher in the avocado group.”
Types of fats found in foods affect the gut microbiome differently, for example, avocados contain monounsaturated fats which are considered heart-healthy.
On top of that, avocados are high in soluble fibre: an average avocado contains 12 g of fibres which is a big portion of the daily recommended fibre intake (28 to 34 g).
Dr Holscher said:
“Less than 5% of Americans eat enough fiber.
Most people consume around 12 to 16 grams of fiber per day.
Thus, incorporating avocados in your diet can help get you closer to meeting the fiber recommendation.
Eating fiber isn’t just good for us; it’s important for the microbiome, too.
We can’t break down dietary fibers, but certain gut microbes can.
When we consume dietary fiber, it’s a win-win for gut microbes and for us.”
People shouldn’t worry that avocados are high in calories as it is more important that it is a nutrient-dense food that contains micronutrients like fibre and potassium that we don’t get enough of.
About the author Mina Dean is a Nutritionist and Food Scientist. She holds a BSc in Human Nutrition and an MSc in Food Science.
Gone are the days of eating white bread. Many people are aware that whole-grain has more nutritional heft than white, fluffy, overly milled breads, but it’s not always easy to pick a good loaf when you’re at the grocery store.
Sometimes, a refined loaf of bread can masquerade as something more nutritious. Patrol the bread aisle and you’ll see terms like whole wheat, multigrain, seven-grain, 12-grain, all-natural, organic and enriched, to name a few. Who wouldn’t throw up their hands trying to decide what to buy?
Dietitian Laura Jeffers, MEd, RD, LD, helps break down which bread is healthier and what you should stay far away from.
Look for ‘100%’ on labels
When browsing the bread aisle at your grocery store, look for the term “100% whole-grain” or “100% whole-wheat” on the package.
“If you’re wondering which is better, either one works,” says Jeffers. “Whole wheat is a whole grain.”
Although different grains offer different benefits, many whole-grain breads are primarily made with wheat. If you’re looking for a nice mix of grains, check your ingredient label. Primary ingredients should be listed first in order of the amount within the loaf (wheat, oats, flax seeds, barley, buckwheat, etc.).
“Be cautious of terms like ‘wheat’ or ‘multigrain’ that don’t mention a percentage,” she warns. “They sound healthy, but they’re probably made with partially or mostly refined white flour. Wheat flour is 75% white flour and only 25% whole-wheat.”
“Enriched” is another clever term that means the maker of the bread has added nutrients to an otherwise nutrient-free white bread. When you see that word on a label, put it down and look for something else.
Unless you find that 100% on the package and whole-wheat listed as the first ingredient on the label, the bread is simply a refined loaf of bread with synthetic nutrients added to replenish those natural nutrients lost in the milling process.
Good bread makes your body happy
The benefits of eating 100% whole-wheat or whole-grain far surpass just the taste. Eating whole-grain foods within an overall healthy diet helps to lower your risk for many diseases, including:
Whole-grains are also rich in protein, fiber, B vitamins and many other nutrients that help to lower blood pressure, reduce gum disease, strengthen the immune system and help control weight. The Whole Grains Council reports that benefits are greatest with at least three servings per day, but every whole grain helps.
Say ‘no’ to substandard bread
Most other bread is made with grains that have been finely milled. The resulting flour is whiter and lighter — in more ways than one.
Not only does this refined flour look whiter and bake fluffier, but it also falls short of many of the nutrients essential to optimum health. Whole-grains begin as a whole grain kernel: bran, germ, endosperm.
The milling process mechanically removes the bran, which is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain and contains B vitamins and other minerals. Milling also removes the second germ layer, which is rich in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids. In the end, what’s left is the starchy center, which is ground into flour for various baking purposes.
“Refined flour lacks all of those wonderful nutrients and high-starch foods like white bread can quickly raise your blood sugar levels, putting you at risk for diseases like diabetes,” she says. “That’s why you should consider nothing but the best: 100% whole wheat or whole-grain bread.”
Diets rich in two nutrients harm immune cells in the gut, putting people at high risk of intestinal infections.
A diet rich in fat and sugar damages particular immune cells named Paneth cells that produce antimicrobial molecules keeping inflammation and microbes under control.
Highly specialised Paneth cells are located in the small intestine where nutrients from food are absorbed and sent to the bloodstream.
Western diets are high in processed foods and fat and sugar, which cause Paneth cells to not work properly.
Paneth cell dysfunction cause abnormalities in the gut immune system which in turn leads to infections (disease-causing microbes) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a study has found.
Dr Ta-Chiang Liu, the study’s first author, said:
“Inflammatory bowel disease has historically been a problem primarily in Western countries such as the U.S., but it’s becoming more common globally as more and more people adopt Western lifestyles.
Our research showed that long-term consumption of a Western-style diet high in fat and sugar impairs the function of immune cells in the gut in ways that could promote inflammatory bowel disease or increase the risk of intestinal infections.”
IBD patients often have defective Paneth cells, which are responsible for setting off inflammation in the small intestine.
For instance, Paneth cells can no longer function in patients with Crohn’s disease, which is a type of IBD and marked by fatigue, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and anaemia.
The research team examined Paneth cells of 400 adults and found that the higher the body mass index (BMI) the worse these cells looked.
Frequent consumption of foods high in sugar and fat causes weight gain and has many health consequences.
These two macronutrients generally make up more than 40 percent of the calories of a typical Western diet.
The scientists fed mice a high sugar, high fat diet and in two months they became obese and had abnormal Paneth cells.
Dr Liu said:
“Eating too much of a healthy diet didn’t affect the Paneth cells.
It was the high-fat, high-sugar diet that was the problem.”
When a healthy diet replaced the Western diet, within four weeks, the Paneth cells were restored to normal.
Dr Liu said:
“This was a short-term experiment, just eight weeks.
In people, obesity doesn’t occur overnight or even in eight weeks.
It’s possible that if you have Western diet for so long, you cross a point of no return and your Paneth cells don’t recover even if you change your diet.
We’d need to do more research before we can say whether this process is reversible in people.”
In addition, deoxycholic acid (a secondary bile acid produce by bacteria in the gut) is involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
Bile acid plays a key role regarding Paneth cell abnormality since it increases the activity of the farnesoid X receptor (involved in sugar and fat metabolism) and type 1 interferon (part of the immune system active in the antiviral responses) thus hindersing Paneth cell from working properly.
The study was published in the Cell Host & Microbe (Liu et al., 2021).
More evidence suggests the long-standing belief that eating low amounts of saturated fats to ward off heart disease may not be entirely correct.
A new study that followed more than 4,800 people over 32 years shows that a plant-centered diet was more likely to be associated with a lower risk of future coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with focusing on fewer saturated fats alone.
“It’s true that low-saturated fat actually lowers LDL [or bad] cholesterol, but it cannot predict cardiovascular disease,” says lead study author Yuni Choi, PhD, postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. “Our research strongly supports the fact that plant-based diet patterns are good for cardiovascular health.”
To assess diet patterns of study participants, the researchers conducted three detailed diet history interviews over the follow-up period and then calculated scores for each using the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS). Higher APDQS scores were associated with higher intake of nutritionally rich plant foods and less high-fat meats. While those who consumed less saturated fats and plant-centered diets had lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, or lower levels of “bad” cholesterol, only the latter diet was also associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke over the long term.
Choi said targeting just single nutrients such as total or saturated fat doesn’t consider those fats found in healthy plant-based foods with cardioprotective properties, such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, and dark chocolate. Based on study results, she recommends those conscious of heart health fill their plates with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes and even a little coffee and tea, which were associated with a low risk of cardiovascular disease.
“More than 80% should be plant-sourced foods and then nonfried fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy in moderation,” she says.
“I think in focusing just on nutrients, we oversimplify the heart [health] diet hypothesis and miss the very important plant component,” says research team leader David Jacobs, PhD, professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. “If you tend to eat a plant-centered diet you will tend to eat less saturated fats because that’s just the way the plant kingdom works.”
Following a plant-centered diet is consistent with the American Heart Association’s (AHA) existing recommendations to minimize saturated fats and emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, says Linda Van Horn, PhD, professor, and chief of the Department of Preventive Medicine’s Nutrition Division at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and a member of the AHA’s Nutrition Committee.
“There is no question that current intakes of plant-based carbohydrate, protein and fat are below what is recommended and moving in that direction would be a nutritious improvement,” she says, noting, however, that this doesn’t necessarily mean everyone needs to be on a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Given that plant-centered diets have been associated with lowering the risk of other diseases, the researchers are now looking to better understand how APDQS scores impact chronic conditions such obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease. They’ll also be researching how diet affects gut bacteria as they expect eating plant-based foods provides more fiber and promotes healthy microbiomes.
“I think that diet patterns provide a really solid base for the public and policy makers to think about what a healthy diet really is,” Jacobs says.
SOURCES
Nutrition 2021: “Which Predicts Incident Cardiovascular Disease Better: A Plant-Centered Diet or a Low-Saturated Fat Diet? The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.”
Yuni Choi, PhD, postdoctoral researcher, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota.
Linda Van Horn, PhD, professor, chief of the Department of Preventive Medicine’s Nutrition Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
David Jacobs, PhD, professor of epidemiology and community health, University of Minnesota.7
By Rosalind Stefanac June 10, 2021 source: Medscape Medical News WebMD
People who feel able to tell others about their problems and who visit more often with friends and family have a markedly lower risk of becoming depressed.
The data, derived from over 100,000 people, assessed modifiable factors that could affect depression risk including sleep, diet, physical activity and social interaction.
Dr Jordan Smoller, study co-author, explained the results:
“Far and away the most prominent of these factors was frequency of confiding in others, but also visits with family and friends, all of which highlighted the important protective effect of social connection and social cohesion.”
Reminiscing about happy events and having a store of these to draw on is one way of building up resilience.
Similarly, getting nostalgic has been found to help fight loneliness and may also protect mental health.
Thinking back to better times, even if they are tinged with some sadness, helps people cope with challenging times.
3. Regulate your mood naturally
Being able to naturally regulate mood is one of the best weapons against depression.
Mood regulation means choosing activities that increase mood, like exercise, when feeling low and doing dull activities like housework when spirits are higher.
Some of the best ways of improving mood are being in nature, taking part in sport, engaging with culture, chatting and playing.
Other mood enhancing activities include listening to music, eating, helping others and childcare.
When people repeatedly compare a mental vision of their ideal self with the failure to reach it, this can produce psychological distress.
Aspirations can be damaging as well as motivating, depending on how the mind deals with them and what results life happens to serve up.
Thinking obsessively about a perceived failure is psychological damaging.
6. Reduce sedentary activities
Cutting down on screen-time strongly reduces depression risk, whether or not people have previously experienced a depressive episode.
The results come from data covering almost 85,000 people.
The study found that another important lifestyle factor linked to less depression is adequate sleep — around 7 to 9 hours is optimal.
Again, adequate sleep improves mood even in people who have not experienced depression.
7. Be in nature
Being in nature relaxes the mind, which in turn enhances the immune system.
This may explain why nature has a remarkably beneficial effect on a wide range of diseases including depression, ADHD, cancer, diabetes, obesity and many more.
Dr Ming Kuo, who carried out the research, explained how nature helps:
“When we feel completely safe, our body devotes resources to long-term investments that lead to good health outcomes — growing, reproducing, and building the immune system.
When we are in nature in that relaxed state, and our body knows that it’s safe, it invests resources toward the immune system.”
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