Healthy Foods You Underestimate

msn health and fitness

Just as the best workout is the one you aren’t doing, the best foods for you may be the healthy ones you aren’t eating.

We tend to think of the healthiest foods as the ones that take a lot of effort to choke down: a huge kale salad, a large green juice, or a thick block of tofu instead of your favorite steak. Well, we have good news. These foods pack in multiple health benefits and can be sprinkled on foods and dishes you already love. Boosting your health has never been easier or more delicious.

According to the American Cancer Society, curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) interferes with the growth and spread of cancer. It also keeps damaging—and painful—inflammation at bay. Curcumin also works as a powerful anti-inflammatory in the liver, research shows.

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This herb works overtime for your body: Despite its low calorie count, it’s filled with good-for-you nutrients and flavonoids like quercetin, which increases blood flow and activates a protein in the body that torches stored fat and keeps new fat cells from forming. So springling your meal with cilantro can actually help you drop a few pounds. Cilantro also helps stimulate insulin release—without increasing blood sugar to do it—making it beneficial for diabetics.

A study in Nutrition & Metabolism found that hemp seeds can fight heart disease by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. With its anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, hemp milk offers a lower-calorie, allergy-free alternative to milk.

A 2009 study found that consuming a food containing vinegar lowered body weight, body fat and triglycerides in obese subjects.

Host to more antioxidants than any other North American fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes. In fact, a Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study found that subjects who consumed blueberry juice scored higher on memory tests than those taking a placebo. Get the most benefits by aiming for 1 cup of fresh or 1/2 cup of dried or frozen blueberries daily.