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It’s high summer, and farmer’s market tables are sagging under the bounty of
the harvest coming in. (And if you planted a garden, you’re probably begging
your neighbors to take beans and tomatoes off your hands.) But while you want to
eat a rainbow as the USDA advises, not all fruits and veggies are created equal
when it comes to disease prevention. Here are 7 in-season showstoppers with some
of summer’s most powerful health benefits.
1. Tomatoes
Research shows that tomatoes have the potential to prevent or reduce the risk
of prostate, breast, colon, lung, an many other kinds of cancer, thanks to their
high concentration of the antioxidant lycopene. In fact, 72 different studies
have been conducted by the National Cancer Institute into the preventative
benefits of tomatoes.
While summer is the time to pluck tomatoes fresh from the vine, research
shows that cooking them concentrates the lycopene, making tomato-based sauces
and stews even healthier than the fruits themselves.
2. Avocados
Cardiologists love avocados; thanks to their heart-healthy mono-unsaturated
oils, avocados raise good cholesterol, lower bad cholesterol, and protect artery
walls. The result: research-proven effects in reducing stroke and heart attack
risk. In fact, both the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart
Association recommend avocados as part of a heart-healthy diet.
3. Summer Berries
Thanks to their vivid colors, berries such as blueberries, raspberries and
blackberries contain high levels of disease-fighting phytochemicals that have
been found to boost immunity, prevent cancer, lower heart disease risk and even
prevent seasonal allergies. Research shows that blueberries, in particular, have
powerful demonstrated effects in lowering cholesterol, preventing heart disease,
and lowering the risk of diabetes.
Blueberries have also received the most attention as cancer-fighters, but
just last month a study in the June 2014 issue of Cancer Immunology and
Immunotherapy identified a chemical in black raspberries that suppressed the
growth of tumor cells.
And while strawberries don’t pack quite the nutritional punch of some other
summer berries, they contain a phytochemical called fisetin that recent research
found had a powerful effect in preventing Alzheimer’s Disease.
4. Cucumbers
If your garden isn’t overflowing with tomatoes, it’s drowning in cucumbers,
right? While these crisp veggies often get a bad rap as being mostly water, this
isn’t the case. Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory properties – hence the
propensity of movie stars to put cucumbers on their eyes to reduce puffiness.
They also aid weight loss, accounting at least in part for their ubiquitous
presence in spa water. And like strawberries, cucumbers contain high levels of
fisetin, a compound research shows may help prevent Alzheimer’s and
dementia.
5. Grapes
From wild grapes to table grapes to wine grapes, this late summer fruit is
filled with beneficial compounds that fight aging, prevent cancer, and reduce
the risk of pretty much all age-related diseases. Red wine grapes, of course,
are the primary sources of the anti-aging powerhouse resveratrol, widely studied
for its ability to prevent and possibly treat bread cancer.
In one study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, resveratrol was shown
to suppress the abnormal cell growth that fuels breast cancer. In another study,
muscadine grapes, in particular, were shown to trigger self-destruction in liver
cancer cells. And animal studies found a more than 85 percent risk reduction for
aggressive prostate cancer in mice fed a resveratrol-rich diet. In several
recent studies, resveratrol has also been found to cause weight loss.
The truth is, though, that you can’t go wrong with any fruit or vegetable
that’s brightly colored, since the chemicals that provide those colors are also
the ones that prevent disease. But wait – onions and garlic are also powerful
disease-fighters, and they’re white. Think of the farmer’s market as your
pharmacy, and you’re on your way to health.
6. Mangoes
They contain copper, postassium, magnesium, B vitamins – and a laundry list
of immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals including
anti-inflammatory quercetin, astragalin, methylgallat and fisetin. But most
important, mangoes contain fiber and enzymes that boost digestion. Thanks to
their orange-colored flesh, mangoes – like carrots – are extremely high in
vision-enhancing vitamin A.
7. Green Beans
Whether blue lake, French, or some exotic heirloom variety, they’re climbing
your fence and bursting out of grocery store bins. That’s a good thing, since
green beans prevent heart disease, stroke, and diabetes; studies show green
beans reduce the risk of blood clots in the cardiovascular system and brain.
Rich in fiber, iron, calcium and minerals like silicon and manganese, green
beans contain nutrients not commonly found in many other vegetables. They also
contain the antioxidant kaempferol, which research has found to be
anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, and even anti-microbial.Also read here:
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