The 26 Top Health Foods
While most natural foods are good for you, some are better for you than others. Besides being a good source of general nutrition, the following top health foods are also good medicine. As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
| Health Food | Nutrients it Contains | Health Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Garlic | Allicin, allylic sulfides, antioxidants | antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-cancer; lowers cholesterol |
| Onions | Similar to garlic | similar to garlic |
| Apples | Quercetin, flavenoids, pectin | anti-cancer |
| Spinach | lutein | protects retina of eye |
| Tomatoes | Lycopene, other carotenoids, vitamin C, coumaric acid, chlorophyll acid | anti-cancer, especially prostate cancer |
| Chili peppers | Capsaicin, vitamin C, beta carotene | anti-cancer; binds carcinogens |
| Red grapes | resveratrol | anti-cancer; prevents sticky platelets, lowering risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke |
| Soy products (e.g., tofu) | Isoflavones, genistein | anti-cancer; reduces cholesterol |
| Green tea | Polyphenols | anti-cancer; lowers heart disease; prevents gingivitis |
| Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage | Beta-carotene, vitamin C, sulforaphane, indoles | anti-cancer |
| Fish (especially salmon and tuna) | Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA | lowers triglycerides and cholesterol |
| Flax oil | Omega-3 fatty acids | boosts immune system; lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol; promotes healthy skin; anti-cancer |
| Legumes: beans, peas, lentils | Isoflavones | anti-cancer |
| Pink grapefruit | Lycopene, pectin | anti-cancer |
| Strawberries | Elegiac acid, quercetin | anti-cancer |
| Blueberries | Anthocyanins | anti-cancer |
| Citrus fruits | Limonene | anti-cancer |
| Nuts and Seeds | Omega-3 fatty acids, lignins, vitamin E | anti-cancer |
| Cantaloupe | Carotenoids, vitamin C | anti-cancer |
| Watermelon | Lycopene | anti-cancer |
| Papaya | Carotenoids, vitamin C | anti-cancer |
| Sweet potatoes | Beta carotene, vitamin C | anti-cancer |
| Olive oil | monounsaturated fatty acid | lowers cholesterol |
| Shiitake mushrooms | Lentinen | boosts immune system |
| Cranberry juice | hippuric acid | Acidifies urine and prevents bacteria from adhering to lining of bladder, thus reducing urinary tract infections |
Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his “little patients” call him, has been advising busy parents on how to raise healthier families for over 40 years. He received his medical training at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the world’s largest children’s hospital, where he was associate ward chief of the newborn intensive care unit before serving as the chief of pediatrics at Toronto Western Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto. He has served as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and University of California: Irvine. As a father of 8 children, he coached Little League sports for 20 years, and together with his wife Martha has written more than 40 best-selling books and countless articles on nutrition, parenting, and healthy aging. He serves as a health consultant for magazines, TV, radio and other media, and his AskDrSears.com website is one of the most popular health and parenting sites. Dr. Sears has appeared on over 100 television programs, including 20/20, Good Morning America, Oprah, Today, The View, and Dr. Phil, and was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in May 2012. He is noted for his science-made-simple-and-fun approach to family health.