Seven foods you should be eating more of right now Some common ingredients can have powerfully positive effects on our health. Here are seven worth adding more of to your diet. Some common ingredients can have powerfully positive effects on our health. Here are seven worth adding more of to your diet. There have never been so many different foods to choose from. It can sometimes be difficult to know what nutrients to prioritise from one day to the next – should you focus more on protein, or fibre or vitamin C?Here are seven of them – along with evidence as to why they should be included in your next shopping list. every day for 12 weeks. The participants all had risk factors for chronic diseases, like heart disease of type 2 diabetes – such as high blood pressure. After the 12 weeks, those who ate the almonds had lower levels of "bad" cholesterol, better gut health and less inflammation., or a muffin, every day for four weeks found that eating whole and ground almonds boosts their intake of monounsaturated fatty acids, fibre, potassium and other important nutrients. The researchers found that butyrate was significantly higher among almond eaters. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that fuels the cells lining our colon. These cells provide the ideal condition for gut microbes to flourish, for the gut wall to be strong and healthy, and to best absorb nutrients.Swiss chard helps lower blood pressure, improves blood flow and heals the lining of blood vessels, expert say a phytochemical with "neuroprotective" qualities. This means it may help to protect our nervous systems from damage and the effects of ageing. "Swiss chard contains nitrates, which help the body produce nitric oxide, a signalling molecule that improves the health of our circulation," says William Li, president and medical director of theThis helps lower blood pressure, improves blood flow and heals the lining of blood vessels that can be injured during ageing, Li adds. Swiss chard also contains polyphenols, including quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin that are "powerful antioxidants that protect our cells and help to lower inflammation", he says.The best way to consume Swiss chard, Li says, is to not overboil it, as this will remove some of the nutrients Swiss chard is especially beneficial for older adults who want to improve blood flow, maintain vision health, and keep up with brain, heart, and general vascular health, Li says. The best way to consume Swiss chard, Li says, is to not overboil it, as this will remove some of the nutrients. Also, he adds, the leaves of Swiss chard are where most of the beneficial nutrients are stored.Watercress contains high amounts of B vitamins , as well as calcium, magnesium and iron, and polyphenols.in the body – which is known to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes over the long term – and reduce levels of unhealthy cholesterol. Watercress also contains phenethyl isothiocyanate, a natural compound linked to its ability to slow down cancer cell growth. Along with broccoli,2018 study by the World Journey of PsychiatryDespite beetroot being widely consumed, we almost always just eat the root, he says – despite them containing lots of nutrients and beneficial compounds. "Beetroot is, in practice, commonly understood as the root itself, and this is how it is typically sold, prepared, and remembered in everyday life. As a result, the leaves tend to fall outside usual dietary habits and are often simply discarded. "Cultural habits strongly shape what's considered edible or desirable, and in some contexts, leafy parts of vegetables are viewed as secondary or are simply unfamiliar in everyday cooking." This goes for numerous other vegetables too, Ponte says, many of which are also packed with nutrients. Beetroot leaves tend to contain higher levels of proteins and minerals, and contain phenolic compounds associated with antioxidant activity, says Luis Gustavo Sabóia Ponte, a researcher at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas and University Professor at Universidade Paulista and Centro Universitário Senac.Despite beetroot being widely consumed, we almost always just eat the root The study showed that beet leaves remain biologically active after undergoing simulated digestion in the lab. The digested leaves showed antioxidant activity and helped protect DNA against oxidative damage. Ponte also tested the digested leaves in colorectal cancer cells and saw a reduction in cell growth and colony formation. However, he says, caution must be applied to the findings. While some of the compounds present in the leaves remained available after simulated digestion, others, including vitexin and apigenin, were still detected after digestion, although in lower amounts. Ponte's simulated digestion showed what happens mostly up to the small intestine, and excludes the colonic phase – which is the final part where the large intestine processes leftover waste. It's also where, Ponte says, gut bacteria can transform parts of these compounds and potentially modify their effects. Fully confirming that we can access all the nutrients in beetroot leaves would require human and lab studies that take the full digestive process into account, Ponte says.To get the best out of chia seeds, the seeds need to be crushed before they're ingested, scientists say But there's evidence to suggest we may not be benefitting from chia seeds as much as we possibly could. Rachel Burton, professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, had already been studying dietary fibre for a long time when she decided to look into chia seeds. "There were – and still are – many health claims all over the internet associated with consuming chia seeds, particularly linked to benefits to our gut microbiome, but there didn't seem to be much solid science to support them," she says."Dietary fibre is a key dietary component and most of us don't eat enough of it – if the claims about chia were incorrect, and people were paying for an expensive foodstuff on this basis, then this is important to know," she says.– which is usually how we consume them – and ground chia seeds. What she found in the lab suggested that eating chia seeds whole can prevent us from truly absorbing the nutrients they contain."By eating chia seeds whole, it means that the nutrients that are touted are not actually available," she says.The rats who had the pumpkin seeds all showed improvements in anxiety, cognition and memory "So unless you chew everything for ages, the seeds pass through your gut essentially unchanged," Burton says. Therefore, grinding the chia seeds makes the omega fats more accessible. Burton advises grinding other seeds, too, for the same reason, including flax and linseed.Pumpkins are a popular ingredient, but many people don't know the seeds are packed with nutrients been shown to support heart health., nerves or mental health due to constant exposure to toxic substances, including lead and mercury, some medicines, agricultural insecticides and certain alcoholic drinks.. For two weeks, one group received a basic diet, and the others were given either roasted or raw pumpkin seed supplements in two different amounts. The rats who had the pumpkin seeds all showed improvements in anxiety, cognition and memory. Roasted pumpkin seeds showed the most benefits – potentially, the paper states, because the roasting process makes the seeds' nutrients more bioavailable by breaking the cells down and releasing antioxidants linked to the cell's walls.Many gardeners see dandelions as a weed, but the leaves are packed with compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties When it comes to eating a healthy, varied diet, one of the main barriers is how available these foods are. Luckily, dandelion greens are abundant and available to most of us once spring has arrived.Dandelion greens may not seem, at first glance, to be an obvious kitchen staple. But they are packed with beneficial compounds that have anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer effects. Some studies show links to lower risk of heart disease, too: although, in one review, researchers sayDandelion leaves are consumed all over the world – in salads and soups, as seasoning and syrups, and in wine, or as tea and coffee substitutes.. 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