If you want to boost your mood, pair your daily apple with some leafy greens, while mixing grapes with onions can lower your blood pressure, according to diet experts. Rob Hobson, a registered dietitian with a special interest in food science, has revealed food combinations that can be super-boosting and healthy on their own.
Eating a fish curry that combines both turmeric and oily fish can create a powerful anti-inflammatory effect – while eating a banana with yoghurt can improve your bone health and help gut bacteria. Olive oil helps the human body absorb vitamin A, found in tomatoes and red peppers, which is essential for healthy skin and eyes.
Black grapes, rich in the polyphenol antioxidant catechin, may help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological disorders, while combined with onions, they may prevent blood clots and improve cardiovascular health. Other health-boosting food combinations include garlic and honey, which can help with upper respiratory infections, and almonds and berries, which can help prevent heart disease.
But a study of 2,000 adults found that 21% had little or no knowledge of vitamins and minerals and their role in their bodies. Speaking on behalf of supplement brand Healthspan, which commissioned the study, Rob Hobson said: “We thrive on synergies and many of us create them in our lives without realising it.
“From a biological perspective, the body needs synergies to function properly. Food synergy is defined as the way certain foods and the nutrients they contain work together to provide more powerful health benefits than individual foods.
“So sometimes just combining two items can increase the impact on your health. While foods have their own individual health benefits, when you combine them it can be even greater because they can help the other do its job better.
“Our diet is hugely important to our health and paying more attention to what we eat and how we combine foods can be really beneficial, which can then be used to target specific conditions such as reducing inflammation, managing diabetes and heart disease or dealing with menopause symptoms.”
10 SUPER FOODS THAT WILL IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITIONAL SYNERGY, ACCORDING TO ROB HOBSON
1. Salmon, shrimp and almond curry
Helps to: Reduce inflammation in the body, which is at the root of all chronic diseases
Food synergy: Oily fish (salmon, trout, herring, sardines, mackerel) – omega 3 + turmeric (curcumin)
This fish curry is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and curcumin, the active compound found in turmeric. Together, this synergy of nutrients can enhance the anti-inflammatory effects of the individual nutrients. Reducing inflammation in the body can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease.
2. Overnight oats topped with almonds and berries
Helps with: Heart disease
Food synergy: Almonds (flavonoids) with foods rich in vitamin C (fruits)
Almond shells contain flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants in the body. Along with vitamin C, found in foods like fruits, this combination has been shown to help reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. The oxidation of LDL cholesterol is now recognized as a major factor in the development of heart disease.
3. Tomato, avocado and basil salad with olive oil
Helps with: Heart health, prostate health
Food synergy: Lycopene-rich foods (tomatoes) + olive oil
Lycopene is an antioxidant that has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. This plant compound has also been linked to improved prostate health. Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene, which aids its absorption when combined with oils like olive oil. Olive oil has many health benefits for supporting good heart health, including reducing inflammation and increasing HDL cholesterol.
4. Breakfast smoothie made with probiotic yogurt and banana
Helps with: Healthy microbiota, bone health
Food synergy: Probiotic yogurt + banana (prebiotics)
Probiotic yogurt carries beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus into the gut. Maintaining a balance of food versus bad bacteria is essential for a healthy microbiota. This is important because the gut is where food is broken down and nutrients are absorbed and passed on to the body. Gut health is also closely linked to immunity. Adding bananas adds prebiotics (inulin) to the mix. These indigestible fibers are fermented by the bacteria in the gut – essentially helping to feed the bacteria in your gut, helping it thrive.
5. Blue cheese and grape salad (including red onion)
Helps with: Heart health, blood pressure (circulation)
Food synergy: Black grapes (catechin) + onion
Black grapes are rich in the polyphenol antioxidant catechin, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological disorders, and helps manage weight. Onions and grapes together prevent blood clots and boost cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that this combination helps improve cardiovascular protection by improving circulation.
6. Apple, walnut and spinach salad
Helps with: Cognitive function and mood
Food synergy: Apples (flavonoids) + green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, arugula) – dietary nitrate
Apples and leafy greens – Apples are rich in flavonoids, and leafy greens are rich in dietary nitrate. Studies show that the combination of flavonoids and nitrate can increase the production of nitrous oxide. The increase in nitrous oxide after consuming flavonoids and dietary nitrate can improve cognitive function and mood. Beets are also rich in dietary nitrates.
7. Chicken with red pepper and turmeric (spice mix contains black pepper)
Helps with: Joint health
Food synergy: Black pepper (piperine) + turmeric (curcumin)
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin and has been extensively researched for its anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin is difficult to absorb in the body but is enhanced by black pepper. The active ingredient in pepper is piperine and is responsible for this absorption effect.
8. Black bean chili (contains red pepper)
Helps with: Iron deficiency anemia
Food synergy: black beans (iron) + red pepper (vitamin C)
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Non-heme iron in plant foods is less easily absorbed by the body. It is widely known that non-heme iron is more easily absorbed in the presence of vitamin C. Plant sources of iron include beans, legumes, lentils, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits. Red peppers are the richest food source of vitamin C, but others include berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, and potatoes.
9. Ginger and turmeric salad dressing (contains honey and garlic)
Helps with: Upper respiratory tract infections
Food synergy: Garlic (phenols) + honey
Garlic and honey are often cited as antibacterial on their own. However, research has shown that when used together they have a greater ability to reduce the growth of pathogenic bacteria, which is due to the synergistic effect of the phenols and fatty acids found in the food. It has also been suggested that these two foods may be a useful alternative treatment for upper respiratory tract infections when used together, or may be used in conjunction with pharmaceutically prescribed antibiotics.
10. Tomato, avocado and chickpea salad with olive oil
Helps with: Heart health, prostate health
Food synergy: Lycopene-rich foods (tomatoes) + olive oil.
Lycopene is an antioxidant that has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. This plant compound has also been linked to improved prostate health. Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene, which aids its absorption when combined with oils like olive oil. Olive oil on its own has many health benefits that support good heart health, including reducing inflammation and increasing HDL cholesterol.