Foods that you make look and feel younger!
While we don't easily want to tell our age, knock off a few years with these anti-aging properties and you'll gladly tell people how old you are. Plus, you will benefit both health and body!
Avocado
According to Wikipedia, high avocado intake was shown in one preliminary study to lower blood cholesterol levels. Specifically, after a seven-day diet rich in avocados, mild hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels. These subjects also showed a 22% decrease in both LDL (harmful cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and 11% increase in HDL (helpful cholesterol) levels. Additionally, avocado is under preliminary research for potential anti-cancer activity.
GOOD TO KNOW
Add some avocado to fresh salad to increase the absorption of carotenoids (bete-carotene and lycopene) both of which are antioxidants.
When peeling an avocado, be sure to scrap right up to the skin, as the darkish flesh contains the greatest concentration of cartenoids.
While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food, the anti-inflammatory benefits of these avocado fats are particularly well-researched with problems involving arthritis.
More than half of the total fat in avocado in the form of oleic acid, which helps our digestive tract form transport molecules for fat that can increase our absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like carotenoids. As a monounsaturated fatty acid, it has also been shown to help lower our risk of heart disease.
Blackberries
With their rich content of nutritional dietary fibre, which plays an important part of helping to reduce the risk of intestinal disease and developing diabetes. Blackberries are also high in vitamins C, K and folic acid. Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals. A recent study has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by as much as 40 percent!
Blackberries are packed with anthucyanins - antioxidants - that aid in memory retention and reduce the risk of hypertension.
Carrots
We have long known that carrots are healthy - the beta carotene (vitamin A) and lycopene found in raw carrots help to protect your skin from sun damage and repair skin cells. Recent research now focuses on phytonutrients (polyacetylenes) in carrots, the most beneficial being falcarinol and falcarindiol.
The research shows that when these polyacetylenes are found in their reduced (versus oxidized) form they suggest a key interaction between the carotenoids and polyacetylenes in carrots. Apparently, the rich carotenoid content of carrots not only helps prevent oxidative damage inside the body, but it also helps to prevent oxidative damage to the carrot polyacetylenes, allowing these two groups of phytonutrients to work together in a synergistic way to maximize our health benefits!
GOOD TO KNOW
We all know that carrots are good for your eyes. As a rich source of Vitamin A, half a cup of carrots contain as much as 12,418 IU.*
*(Recommended daily allowance (RDA) levels for vitamin A oral intake is between 3000 and 10000 IU (international Unites).
Kiwifruit
These amazing fruits are packed with more vitamin C than the same amount of oranges, or one and a half times that of RDA. It is also rich in potassium and small amounts of vitamins E and A. Kiwifruit also contains alpha-linolenic acid and carotenoids, such as provitamin A beta-carotene.
GOOD TO KNOW
A study by the University of Oslo reported that by consuming two or three kiwifruit daily, blood truglyceride levels were reduced, reducing the risk of blood clots.
It is known that dietary fibre can reduce high cholesterol levels and also for binding and removing toxins in the colon, and kiwifruit is considered a fibre-rich food. In addition, kiwifruit assists in keeping the blood sugar levels under control.
Rosemary
Add a little rosemary to your salads and reap the benefits of phytochemicals and ursolic acid that help to maintain skin elasticity and help improve memory loss.
Rosemary also contains various antioxidants such as carnosic acid* and rosmarinic acid, and other bioactive compounds including camphor, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol, and rosmanol. Some of these may be useful in preventing or treating cancers, strokes and Alzheimer's Disease.
See also Benefits of Herbal Tea
GOOD TO KNOW
*The carnosic acid found in rosemary may shield the brain from free radicals, lowering the risk of strokes and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease
Sweet Potato
High in beta-carotene (vitamin A) this is the perfect vegetable for warding off wrinkles. Sweet potatoes are also rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.
In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value.
See also Sweet Potato Recipe
GOOD TO KNOW
Despite the name "sweet", it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance. [wikipedia]