Maintaining a good diet does not only mean eating the right foods but also knowing how to combine them. In fact, there are nutrients which, despite having beneficial properties even when ingested individually, expand their positive effects when combined with others.
These are the best food pairings for health .
To fortify the bones
The ideal combination for this purpose includes foods rich in calcium and phosphorus , and others from which to draw vitamin D.
The first two are present above all in milk and derivatives; good concentrations of phosphorus, on the other hand, can be found in: brown rice , milk , yogurt , fish , bread , red meat and oats.
Various vegetables and oilseeds also provide calcium, even if its bioavailability is more limited than animal sources.
Vitamin D is abundant in oily fish such as mackerel , sardines and herring . Smaller quantities are also found in eggs , as it remains concentrated only in the yolk, and even less in mushrooms. Its levels are significant in some alternatives, such as fortified milk and various breakfast cereals .
Did you know that… small fried fish, eaten whole, are an excellent source of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus? On the other hand, they bring considerable levels of added fat. For this reason, however, frequent and abundant use is not recommended, especially if the person suffers from significant excess weight.
To reduce the risk of heart attack
The perfect two in this case is made up of foods that are sources of quercetin and catechins .
Quercetin is a powerful phytochemical with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects , which helps dilate blood vessels . However, its absorption is usually poor and it seems to vary widely between people. The quercetin found primarily in onions , apples , green peppers , tomatoes and asparagus appears to be best absorbed when eaten as part of a meal and combined with a little oil.
Once absorbed, other plant compounds called catechins, found in broad beans, green tea , black grapes , grape juice , strawberries and apricots , appear to enhance its ability to stop platelets from clumping in the blood and reduce the risk of heart attacks .
To protect against heart disease and macular degeneration
Pairing monounsaturated fats with alpha-carotene and luetin may help prevent heart disease .
For example , adding a monounsaturated fat -rich avocado to a lettuce and spinach salad has been shown to help people increase absorption of the antioxidant alpha-carotene by 8.3-fold and lutein , a yellow pigment in the blood. spinach, by just over four times, compared to those who do not experience this combination.
These antioxidants appear to play a role in helping protect heart health.
Monounsaturated fats are found in avocados, olive and canola oils , nuts and seeds; while lutein in lettuce, spinach, kale, red peppers , dark cabbage and sweet corn .
For the health of nerves and blood vessels
It is important to combine vitamin B12 and folate for nerve and blood vessel health .
Indeed, folate needs vitamin B12 for its absorption, storage and metabolism , but these two elements also act together on the processes involved in cell division and replication and are vital for metabolizing homocysteine , which, like bad LDL cholesterol , it can damage blood vessel walls and lead to both heart attacks and strokes when levels are too high.
Vitamin B12 is found in eggs, lean red meat , fish, milk, chicken and game while folate is found in orange juice, oranges , fortified breakfast cereals , beets, black eyed beans and dark green leafy vegetables .
To increase UV protection for the skin
In this case, the perfect match is made up of beta-carotene and monounsaturated fats .
Beta-carotene is an orange antioxidant pigment found in carrots and is unlocked and made available to the body when mixed with certain vegetable oils .
A small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that two tablespoons of oil in addition to a food containing beta-carotene, such as carrots, would be enough to increase its benefits.
In addition to carrots , beta-carotene is found in dark green vegetables such as spinach and kale, sweet potatoes , apricots and mangoes . Monounsaturated fats instead in olive and canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Food pairs that should be kept separate
Just as there are elements that are compatible with each other, there are others which, if combined, can decrease the beneficial properties .
It is therefore good to be careful not to eat these foods at the same time.
Wine and vegetables
The vitamin B folate present in dark green leafy vegetables, as well as in legumes , is likely to be poorly absorbed if it is ingested by drinking too much alcohol , because the latter directly interferes with the absorption process.
Spinach and cheese
Spinach contains a good deal of the mineral calcium , which is essential for building bones . With a portion of 80 g of cooked spinach, 17% of the daily requirement is obtained. However, this vegetable also contains oxalates , which bind with calcium, making it poorly absorbed by the body.
Therefore, it is better to avoid combining calcium-rich foods such as goat cheese with spinach, for example, and to fill up on calcium from dairy products or fortified dairy alternatives at a separate time from the spinach-containing meal .
Broccoli and seafood
Broccoli , Brussels sprouts , cabbage and cauliflower are high in glucosinolates , plant compounds that can prevent the body from taking up the iodine- containing in many fish such as cod .
