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Medicine is not always the answer! Healing foods can often significantly help prevent and manage symptoms.
Whether you’re fighting lethargy, searching for ways to boost your immune system, healthy food is the medicine we give our bodies to sustain good health.
Know the healing properties of the top healing foods so next time you can give your body a boost when you have specific illnesses or injuries.
TOP 20 HEALING FOODS
Here is a list of foods that will give you a boost when you are not feeling your best. Read on to learn how these healing foods help heal the body.
1. Banana
Bananas may not be a miracle mood-lifter but research has shown that bananas may play an indirect role by shoring up the amount of serotonin the brain is able to produce.
At some level, this sweet fruit helps balance brain neurotransmitters which may aid improve your mood.
The banana’s vitamin B6 and an amino acid called tryptophan are key nutrients for mood. A single well-ripened banana a day, along with a diet rich in carbohydrates and whole grains, is enough to correct slight corporal imbalances.
2. Oat flakes
Oats are loaded with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant plant compounds.
They provide a fresh boost to the brain and a great source of energy for the whole day.
Oats contain iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and B vitamins, nutrients that help boost brain health and function. The iron and magnesium help transport oxygen to the brain.
Its high content in fiber and carbohydrates will contain will keep you satisfied until your next meal.
A study found that children who ate oatmeal for breakfast scored up to 20 percent higher on tests than children who ate sugary cereal.
3. Sunflower seeds
Two tablespoons of sunflower seeds daily, about 30 g, provide significant doses of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, phosphorus, and magnesium.
These nutrients may play a role in reducing your risk of common health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Fatty acids are necessary for good communication between neurons and the two minerals are of great help in brain functions.
Sunflower seeds are especially high in vitamin E and selenium. These function as antioxidants to protect your body’s cells against free radical damage.
4. Prunes
Its high fiber content makes it ideal for helping regulate your bowels and your bladder or other related problems such as preventing hemorrhoids brought on by constipation.
Prunes are a good source of energy, and they don’t cause a rapid hike in blood sugar levels. In fact, scientists found that eating prunes and drinking prune juice can significantly reduce blood pressure.
They are also good for boosting brain energy since the amounts of B vitamins it carries helps stimulate brain function.
5. Apricot
Apricots are a good source of beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, all of which are potent antioxidants that help fight free radicals.
Beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamins C and E in particular are nutrients in Apricots that protect your eyes against damage.
Two dried apricots daily can promote eye health and prevent problems related to wear and tear, such as macular degeneration.
6. Carrot
We all know carrots but how good of a healing food can it be?
Thanks to beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants found in carrots, they have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.
They promote good bacteria in your gut, which can improve health and decreased the risk of disease.
Diets rich in carotenoids may help protect against several types of cancer, according to some studies. A medium-sized carrot a day meets vitamin A needs.
7. cheese
Cheese provides a large amount of vitamin A, which is great for reducing the risk of macular degeneration and vision loss.
High-fat cheeses like blue cheese, Brie, and cheddar contain small amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which according to research can help prevent obesity, heart disease, and reduce inflammation.
A daily serving of 75 g may be sufficient to obtain an extra dose of 30% of the daily needs for vitamin
8. Broccoli
This healing food is loaded with healthy nutrients!
Did you know one cup of broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange? Vitamin C protects your cells from damage and promotes healing throughout your body.
Broccoli may have anti-cancer power due to sulforaphane and other natural compounds. It prevents cancer cells from forming in your body.
This vegetable is also an abundant source of calcium and phosphorus, two essential minerals for the good condition of bones and muscles.
Regular consumption is useful to combat hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and constipation. A serving of about 200 g should be consumed twice a week.
9. Mushroom
The healing benefits of this food vary depending on the type of mushroom. But overall, they can help with the following.
Mushroom’s high content of phosphorus, iron, and vitamin D make it especially interesting to strengthen the body structure. They also protect you against damage from aging and boost your immune system.
Mushrooms are rich in the B vitamins: riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, all of which promote heart health, digestive system, and healthy skin.
10. Leek
This humble vegetable increases the consistency of the bones thanks to its calcium content. It also provides a good amount of vitamin E, carotenes, iron, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin B1.
Leeks are an excellent source of kaempferol, a polyphenol antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and some types of cancer.
The sulfur compounds (allicin and other thiosulfinates) found in garlic and onion are also found in leek, although in fewer quantities. These compounds may benefit heart health by reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and the formation of blood clots.
Next on our list of food that heals is cabbage!
Despite its impressive nutrient content, cabbage is often overlooked.
Its richness in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and copper helps to improve the tone and the relaxation capacity of the muscles, to remineralize the bones and the whole organism.
Cabbage is especially high in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that may protect against heart disease, certain cancers, and vision loss
Furthermore, its sulfur compounds protect the liver and skin, fight infections, and have antirheumatic properties.
12. Almond
Almonds are one of the most appreciated nuts for their flavor and nutrients!
This nut is high in healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, protein, and various important nutrients.
Almonds can lower the levels of LDL lipoproteins in your blood, also known as “bad” cholesterol. A study found that eating 1.5 ounces (42 grams) of almonds per day lowered LDL cholesterol. Its high antioxidant count protects your cells from oxidative damage, a major contributor to aging and disease.
Eating almonds can increase fullness and help you lower your caloric consumption!
13. Artichoke
Artichoke extract may reduce blood pressure. A study found that artichoke extract promotes the enzyme eNOS, which plays a role in widening blood vessels.
The extract has a purifying effect. It’s able to increase the production of bile, which helps remove harmful toxins from your liver. Promotes detoxification of the liver.
Artichokes are packed with powerful nutrients fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Particularly high in folate and vitamins C and K, they also supply important minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.
14. Parsley
This healing food may have antibacterial benefits when used as an extract.
A study found that parsley the extract showed significant antibacterial activity against yeast, molds, and a common, infection-causing bacteria known as S. aureus
Parsley is abundant in flavonoid antioxidants and vitamin C, which prevents oxidative stress and may lower cancer risk.
Parsley is packed with vitamin K, an essential nutrient for bone health.
15. Peach
The vitamin C in peaches helps your body heal wounds and keeps your immune system strong. It also helps get rid of “free radicals.
Peaches contain a lot of potassium, which stimulates kidney function keeping it clean and toxin-free. This reduces the possibilities of infections in the urinary system.
One medium peach can give you as much as 6% to 9% of the fiber your daily fiber needs. Getting enough fiber can help prevent constipation, diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and also support good gut health.
Peaches can help protect your body from aging and disease due to the antioxidant compounds in them.
16. Celery
Celery contains, apigenin a compound with an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant agent.
Celery may also that help combat cancer. Research has shown that apigenin may contribute to cell death, which could make it useful as a cancer treatment.
Pectin-based polysaccharides in celery may aid with stomach ulcers, improve the lining of the stomach, regulate bowel movements, and overall support digestion.
17. Asparagus
Asparagus has an impressive nutrient profile and healing benefits!
Asparagus contains powerful pigments called anthocyanins, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and heart disease.
Asparagus contributes to our folate needs. This essential nutrient helps form red blood cells and produce DNA for healthy growth and development.
This vegetable can act as a natural diuretic to help flush out toxins in kidneys and prevent kidney stones according to a 2010 study published in the West Indian Medical Journal.
18. Dates
They provide a lot of energy thanks to their easily assimilable sugars (glucose and fructose), without producing waste that accumulates in the body.
Its fiber slows digestion and may help prevent blood sugar levels after a meal.
Studies have also shown that dates may be helpful for lowering inflammation and preventing plaques from forming in the brain, which is vital for preventing brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
19. Fennel
The amazing healing properties of this food go from improving immune health, promoting tissue repair, and collagen synthesis.
Both the bulb and seeds contain manganese, a mineral that supports cellular protection, bone development, blood sugar regulation, and wound healing.
Fennel seeds may benefit heart health and reduce certain heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol.
20. Elderberry
If you have a cold, fever, or flu-like symptoms, elderberry extract has been found to reduce the length and severity of these ailments.
Elderberry may also support heart health, such as reducing cholesterol, uric acid, and blood sugar levels. Overall elderberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system.
They can help tame inflammation, lessen stress, and as an effective laxative.
We hope you found this list of healing food useful!