Fruits and Veggies – Add Years to Your Life

It may come as a shock to regular readers of health publications, but there is no such thing as a superfood. While sensational headlines are full of magical foods that can transform your life, no particular food can cure a disease unless your disease is caused by the lack of a particular nutrient a particular food may contain.
Real foods, on the other hand, contain all the valuable macro- and micro-nutrients that make them essential to maintaining your well-being. Fruits and vegetables, no surprise, top the list of real foods we should be eating plenty of.

Scientific studies have shown us that no particular diet, be it high-protein, low-carbohydrate, vegan, paleo, low-fat, gluten-free, low-glycemic, dairy-free or any combination thereof is the best diet. Rather, it seems the magic bullet is choosing a variety of real foods and avoiding processed foods as much as possible. Eating a diet rich in a variety of the right foods will increase the odds in your favor of living a longer life free of chronic illness..

Top Fruits

Raspberries

Raspberries are rich in quercetin and gallic acid, which are flavonoids linked to healthy heart function and they provide protection against obesity. Raspberries have also been shown to promote healthy cell life and regulate normal cell death.

Oranges

Oranges are high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body against free radicals, which are roaming atoms with an unpaired electron. Free radicals can damage cells. Vitamin C renders free radicals harmless by pairing off the free electron. Oranges also contain a flavonoid called herperidin, which is contained in the white part of the orange peel. Hesperidin has been shown to help regulate blood pressure.

Bananas

Technically an herb, not a fruit, the banana is a terrific source of potassium, which is essential to good cardiovascular health. Bananas also help the body absorb calcium and are a great source of vitamin B6, which helps the body produce serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that can help stave off depression.

Kiwi

Kiwi has even more vitamin C than oranges, along with vitamin E and other antioxidant nutrients. This along with potassium, fiber, magnesium and zinc make kiwi a nutritional powerhouse.

Pomegranates

Another fruit rich in vitamin C, pomegranates have the additional appeal of being low in calories. They also contain a host of polyphenols, which are micronutrients linked to a possibly reduced risk of cancer.

Tangerines

Like oranges, tangerines are loaded with antioxidants, only more of them. Add to this plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber to help support weight management and digestive health and tangerines are an excellent food choice. Not only this, but they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that support eye health and flavonoids that may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Top Vegetables

Eggplant

Eggplant contains a host of phytochemicals that help support health, chief among them chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants found in our foods.

Garlic

This little bulb packs a nutritional wallop. Garlic has anti-viral qualities, sulfur-containing nutrients that aid in immunity and joint health and properties that aid in cardiovascular protection.

Broccoli sprouts

Broccoli sprouts are tiny little powerhouses that help support the lungs, skin, kidneys and liver, are rich in plant chemicals that may help fight cancer and have antioxidant properties to boot.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes have a load of vitamin A to support eye health as well as sexual health. They also have a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, which is thought to enhance your immunity to disease, Lots of B vitamins, potassium and fiber, too.

Spinach

Spinach is a great green veggie source for folate, which is essential for developing fetuses. Also, an excellent source of vitamin A, iron, potassium, zinc, calcium and selenium. Good for cell protection and thyroid function.

Onions

Like the equally smelly garlic clove, onions contain sulfurous compounds that have anti-viral properties. They are also a good source of quercetin, which appears to be a powerful anti-inflammatory that can support your heart and reduce allergy symptoms.