The health benefits of popular foods

Apples

Apples are sometimes called "nutritional powerhouses" because of their impressive nutritional profile.

Apples contain about 14 percent of our daily needs of Vitamin C (a powerful natural antioxidant), B-complex vitamins, dietary fiber, phytonutrients (which help protect the body from the detrimental effects of free radicals), and minerals such as calcium and potassium.

Studies have revealed that eating apples can potentially help prevent dementia and reduce the risk of stroke and diabetes.

Almonds

Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium, good quality protein, and healthy unsaturated fatty acids.

Studies have revealed that almonds can potentially help prevent cardiovascular diseases, cut the risk of cancer, and help prolong life.

Bananas

Bananas are naturally free of fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and very rich in potassium.

The potential health benefits of bananas include: lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of developing childhood leukemia, and supporting heart health.

Beetroot

Beetroot, also known simply as the beet, has been gaining in popularity as a new super food due to recent studies claiming that beets and beetroot juice can improve athletic performance, lower blood pressure and increase blood flow.

This is partly due to its high content of nitrates, which increase nitric oxide in the body and play a substantial role in heart and vascular health.

Beetroot is a rich source of folate and manganese, and also contains thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, choline, betaine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and selenium.

Broccoli

Broccoli contains high levels of fiber (both soluble and insoluble) and is a rich source of vitamin C.

In addition, broccoli is rich in vitamin A, iron, vitamin K, B-complex vitamins, zinc, phosphorus, and phytonutrients.

Studies have found that broccoli can potentially help prevent osteoarthritis, protect skin against the effects of UV light, reverse diabetes heart damage, and reduce bladder cancer risk.

Cauliflower

Cauliflowers are a member of the brassica family, more commonly known as cruciferous vegetables.

They contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer.

They also contain fiber that helps with satiety, weight loss, and a healthy digestive tract, choline that is essential for learning and memory, as well as many other important nutrients.

The potential health benefits of cauliflower include preventing mutations and reducing stress from free radicals, preventing constipation, and helping memory.

Chickpeas

Originally cultivated in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, have spread their culinary influence throughout the world.

The potential health benefits of chickpeas include improved glucose levels, lipids, and insulin levels for diabetes, maintaining bone strength and heart health.

Chocolate

Chocolate is rich in antioxidants. Despite its bad reputation for causing weight gain, there are a number of health benefits associated with its consumption (particularly dark chocolate).

The potential benefits of eating chocolate include: lowering cholesterol levels, preventing cognitive decline, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Coffee

Coffee is one of the main sources of antioxidants in the U.S. population.

The potential health benefits of drinking coffee in moderation include: protecting against type 2 diabetes, preventing Parkinson's disease, lowering the risk of liver cancer, preventing liver disease, and promoting good heart health.

Cranberries

Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin E.

Studies have found that cranberries can potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), slow tumor progression, prevent urinary tract infections, and benefit oral health by preventing bacteria from binding to teeth.

Grapes

The portability, texture, flavor, and variety of grapes have made them a popular finger food in countries all over the world.

Studies have associated grapes with the prevention of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and constipation as well as decreasing the risk of obesity and overall mortality.

as part of an overall healthy and varied diet.

The potential health benefits of grapefruit include boosting weight loss, maintaining healthy blood pressure and heart health, and combating free radicals.

Green Tea

Green tea may well be one of the world's healthiest drinks and contains the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea.

Studies have found that drinking green tea is associated with a reduced risk of stroke, and may help fight prostate cancer.

Honey

Honey possesses antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

Studies have found that honey can potentially help prevent GERD (gastroesophageal reflux), shorten the duration of bacterial diarrhea, help heal burns, minimize seasonal allergies, and fight off infections.

Kiwifruit

Kiwis are a nutrient dense food, meaning they are high in nutrients and low in calories. The kiwifruit is higher in vitamin C per ounce than most other fruits.

The potential health benefits of eating kiwis include: maintaining healthy skin tone and texture, reducing blood pressure, and preventing heart disease and stroke.

Mango

The mango is a member of the drupe family, a type of plant food in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell (what we sometimes call a pit) with a seed inside. Olives, dates, and coconuts are also types of drupes.

Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like mangoes decreases the risk of obesity and overall mortality, diabetes, heart disease, and promotes a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy, overall lower weight.

Milk

Dairy products, like milk, are a great dietary source of calcium. Calcium has many functions in the body, but its primary job is the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth.

Calcium is also important for blood-clotting and wound-healing, maintaining normal blood pressure, and muscle contractions, including heartbeat.

Milk also provides magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamins B-6 and B-12.

The potential health benefits of milk include: maintaining bone, blood pressure, and heart health, and providing an increase in vitamin D. Deficiency in vitamin D has been associated with depression, chronic fatigue, and PMS.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms, though classified as vegetables in the food world, are not technically plants. They belong to the fungi kingdom and provide several important nutrients.

The potential health benefits of mushrooms include helping to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, regulating blood pressure, and improving immune responses to infection.

Oats

Oats contain high levels of a type of fiber known as beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is known to help lower levels of bad cholesterol.

The potential health benefits of oats include: reducing the risk of coronary artery disease, lowering the risk of colorectal cancer, and lowering blood pressure.

Oily fish

Oily fish, such as salmon or mackerel, is an excellent source of omega-3 oils and lean protein.

Potential health benefits of eating oily fish include: preventing cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, boosting infant sensory, cognitive, and motor development, improving memory, protecting vision, and preventing oral and skin cancers.

Olive oil

People who regularly consume olive oil are at a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension(high blood pressure), stroke, and hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels).

In addition, olive oil intake may help treat inflammation, endothelial dysfunction (problems with the inner linings of blood vessels), thrombosis and carbohydrate metabolism.

Onions

Onions can vary in size, shape, color, and flavor. The most common types are red, yellow, and white onion.

Flavors can vary from sweet and juicy with a mild flavor to sharp, spicy, and pungent, often depending on the season in which they are grown and consumed. An estimated 105 billion pounds of onions are harvested each year worldwide.

The possible health benefits of consuming onions include lowering the risk of several types of cancer, improving mood, and maintaining the health of skin and hair

Potatoes

Along with the tomato and eggplant, the potato plant belongs to the nightshade family, of which some species are truly poisonous. Today, potatoes are one of the cheapest universal crops to produce and are available year-round.

The health benefits of consuming potatoes include maintaining bone structure, supporting heart health, reducing chronic inflammation, and preventing constipation.

Oranges

An orange has over 170 different phytochemicals and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and strong antioxidant effects.

Oranges also contain thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and copper. Because of their high vitamin C content (over twice the daily need), oranges are associated with boosting the immune system.

Strawberries

Strawberries are one of the most popular, refreshing, and healthy treats on the planet; they contain many vitamins and antioxidants that can be beneficial for your health.

The potential health benefits of strawberries include: reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, blood pressure, constipation, allergies, diabetes, and depression.

Spinach

Spinach is one of the best sources of dietary magnesium and calcium.

The potential health benefits of spinach include: helping manage diabetes, helping preventing cancer, reducing the risk of asthma, lowering the risk of blood pressure, and improving bone health.

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