Sometimes two foods are better than one. That’s the power of food synergy. When you eat certain food combinations together, one enhances the health benefits of the other. You see this with some medications, but it also applies to what you eat. The next time you vow to eat healthy, try some of these powerful food combinations. They pack a double punch against cancer and other diseases.
Broccoli and Tomato Sauce
Broccoli is packed with cancer-fighting chemicals, but it’s more powerful when you pair it with tomato sauce. This is good news for men worried about their risk of prostate cancer. When researchers gave mice broccoli powder combined with tomato powder, the combination of the two foods fought prostate cancer more effectively than either one alone. Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene that helps to keep prostate cells healthy. Broccoli contains several chemicals that stop the growth of breast and prostate cancer cells, and compounds in broccoli help the liver detoxify and break down cancer-causing chemicals. When you process tomatoes to make tomato sauce, the lycopenes can better be used by the body. Combine tomato sauce with broccoli and you have a dynamic nutritional duo.
Food Synergy: Veggies and Olive Oil
Veggies are loaded with powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals, and many are a good source of beta-carotene. Beta-carotenes are important for eye health and have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Beta-carotenes, nutrients and cancer-fighting chemicals in vegetables are better absorbed when you eat them with olive oil. Why not get the benefits of food synergy? When you eat a salad, top it off with an olive oil-based dressing to make your salad even healthier. Out of olive oil? Avocados do the same thing.
Tumeric and Pepper
Tumeric is a spice used in Thai and Indian cooking. It reduces inflammation and may help ward off certain types of cancer. Preliminary studies suggest it may reduce the risk of obesity and Alzheimer’s disease too. The problem is turmeric isn’t well absorbed by the body. The key? Eat turmeric with black pepper. According to research from the University of Michigan, piperine in black pepper combined with turmeric enhances its anti-cancer activity against breast cancer cells. Get the benefits by enjoying more dishes made with curry.
Food Combinations: Green Tea and Lemon
Green tea is loaded with antioxidants called catechins that protect against cell damage that can lead to heart disease or cancer. Unfortunately, you have to drink a lot of it to get the benefits. This is because green tea catechins are rapidly degraded by the intestines. You’ll get more benefits if you add a little lemon to your green tea. The ascorbic acid in lemon helps to stabilize the catechins and prevent their breakdown. This means you’ll reap more health rewards. Tea with lemon, please?
Food Combinations and Food Synergy
Enjoy these food combinations. It’s a powerful way to boost the health benefits of what you eat and get the most out of your meals.
References:
The University of Michigan. “Spices halt the growth of breast stem cells, U-M study finds”
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