To slow aging, an apple a day is not enough to keep the doctor away. You need to eat “a wide variety of healthy foods … to make sure that [organs] are all optimally nourished,” says Karen Ansel, MS, RDN. In her new book “Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging” (Hearst; out now), Ansel highlights wholesome foods that can turn back the biological clock and help you live a longer, happier life. Here are seven.

Rich in soluble fiber, these legumes help combat high cholesterol. They’re also packed with potassium, which helps keep blood pressure low. “Lima beans are a much better source [of potassium], with one cup delivering more than twice [what] you’d get from one banana,” says Ansel.

Flavonoids — plant compounds with antioxidant qualities — are abundant in oranges and can help keep veins and arteries healthy and defend against clots. According to Ansel, “Keeping blood vessels in tip-top shape so they stay relaxed and pliable so that blood can flow easily” is just as important as having low cholesterol.

Slow-digesting carbs, such as bran, whole-wheat tortillas and popcorn, are a crucial source of the glucose your brain needs to keep synapses firing and stay sharp. In her book, Ansel reports it may also help you live longer: “A 2019 ‘Circulation’ study found that women who ate the most bran were 28 percent less likely to die an early death than those who ate the least.”

“If I had to pick one [super]food it would be yogurt,” says Ansel. Not only is the dairy product Jasminbet packed with good-for-your-gut probiotics, it also has high-quality protein, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It “multitasks” to benefit the heart, strengthen bones and muscles, boost the brain, reduce risk of diabetes, and even keep hair and nails strong, says Ansel. To get the most benefits, look for yogurt that says it contains “live and active cultures” on the label.

Your digestive system produces a surprising 95 percent of your body’s serotonin, a chemical that, among other things, is considered responsible for balancing your mood. Eating a combination of probiotics and pre-biotics, a non-digestible carb found in vegetables such as canlı casino oyunları asparagus, nurtures the beneficial bacteria that help create the crucial neurotransmitter. “Having a healthy gut directly impacts brain health,” says Ansel. Bonus: Asparagus is packed with the antioxidants that lower blood sugar.

Calcium is essential to bone strength, but dairy isn’t the only major player. Certain green vegetables such as bok choy are both high in calcium and low in the oxalates, a compound found in some foods that hinders calcium from being absorbed by the body. “Just one cup of cooked bok choy packs as much calcium as half a glass of milk,” writes Ansel.

Chocoholics, rejoice! The sweet stuff has flavonoids, a family of antioxidant plant compounds that help fight skin cancer. There are also cosmetic benefits. Studies have shown that consuming cocoa flavonoids yielded skin that was smoother, more plump and less sun-damaged. Not up for a candy bar? “One super healthy way to get your chocolate and flavonol fix is by stirring a teaspoon of [natural] cocoa powder into a cup of hot coffee,” says Ansel.

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.