Every superhero needs a sidekick, right? So does every superfood.
There are certain foods, vitamins, and nutrients that we know have real health benefits. We've also found that many of them work better when paired with something else.
Some nutrients are fat soluble while others are water soluble. Vitamin D3 is absorbed more easily when paired with K2.
There are countless examples of powerhouse nutritional duos. The following 5 combinations are our favorites and easy to get started today.
Why not start getting the most from your superfoods?
Top 5 Superfood Combinations
1. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2
D3 is the sunlight vitamin. We can absorb it naturally from the sun, through the skin. The amount of time needed to get a quality amount of vitamin D3 varies from one person to another. The place you live will have a huge impact on whether you become vitamin D deficient.
Vitamin D3 supports your muscles. It also ensures that you maintain a healthy immune system.
Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin. It's very important for our bone health and blood sugar. Beyond that it has countless smaller benefits to our health.
Vitamin K2 is a naturally occurring vitamin found in both plant and animal sources. Since it's discovery, it has been important in preventing tooth decay. It has also become essential in promoting healthy blood clotting.
Vitamin K2's largest benefit is to improve bone density. It does this by activating proteins within the bones. These proteins regulate calcium absorption into the bone, keeping your heart and bones healthy.
Vitamin K2 and D3work alongside calcium to maintain optimal bone strength. D3 and K2 work in tandem to ensure that calcium is absorbed and reaches your bones.
2. Black Pepper and Turmeric
Tumeric has gained attention for its superfood status over recent years. Turmeric is a golden yellow spice, sometimes referred to as "Indian saffron." It is an ingredient in many curry spices.
Turmeric can play a huge role in managing health conditions. Some of the conditions include:
- Arthritis
- Ingestion
- Irritable bowel syndrome
Black pepper is also a potent spice. It is derived from peppercorns, which are fruits of the pepper plant. The small fruits are dried to get the pepper spice.
The spice is used to add flavor to your food. In hospitals, it can be used as a medical reagent. In other industries, it is used as a preservative and in other cases used in perfume manufacturing.
Black pepper and turmeric when combined have many advantages to the human body. Piperine is the main ingredient in black pepper. Piperine helps your body to absorb more curcumin. Curcumin is abundant in turmeric.
To put it simply; turmeric is great for you, and black pepper helps you get the most from it.
Both of the spices also add flavor to our food. Besides the great taste, they both carry anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
People with these conditions should be more cautious and consult a physician:
- Prone to kidney stones
- If you have iron deficiency
- Pregnant women
- If you're on medications
3. Grapes and Blueberries
According to research, eating grapes and blueberries can benefit your brain. When you supplement your diet with fruits and veggies, you are actually fighting back against age-related diseases.
Research was done on mice with fascinating results. The scientists found out that the beneficial effects of rich extract from grapes were aided by pairing it with a rich extract from blueberries.
The combination of the two had a stronger effect. There was a noticeable difference when compared to each fruit's effects alone.
The results of the findings were very exciting. The consumption of grape and blueberry extract had an impact on the rats brain function and improved their memories.
4.Fat and fat-soluble vitamins
Your intestine can absorb certain vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin D. These vitamins are absorbed more easily when paired with a fat source.
Getting enough of these vitamins is crucial to human health. Deficiencies in these vitamins come with high risks. These risks can include serious ailments such as cancer or diabetes.
For optimal health, pairing these vitamins with a fat source is the way to go.
If possible, always make the fat source a largely unsaturated one. This can be from:
- Olive oil or olives
- Nuts
- Avocado
- Seeds
For example, if you pair a sun butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk, your body will use the healthy fat from the sunflower butter. That fat will help absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A and D from the milk.
There are many also other sources of vitamins. You can find vitamin A and vitamin K in leafy dark green vegetables. Vitamin A is abundant in orange and yellow vegetables, and tomatoes. Vitamin E is found in a variety of nuts and seeds.
5. Apples and Chocolates
You have likely heard the expression. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Here is the surprising part; an apple with chocolate is even better.
Applesare rich in antioxidants known as quercetin, especially red apples.
Quercetin has a lot of benefits for our bodies including:
- Reduces risk of contracting certain variants of cancer
- Suppresses allergies
- Reduces the risks of heart attacks
- Reduces the risk for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
- Improves lung function
- Anti-inflammatory effects
Due to a compound in cacao called catechin, chocolate has its benefits, particularly pure dark chocolate. Those benefits include:
- Reduced risk of hardening of the heart's arteries
- Reduced risk of cancer
The two superfoods work even better together. The combination of quercetin and catechin works in unison to loosen the blood platelets.
This has significant benefits since it improves blood circulation. It also fights blood clots and prevents clogging of the arteries. This reduces the risks of heart diseases.
Ultimately this combo is fantastic for your cardiovascular health.
It's important to remember that most of the quercetin is in the peels of apples. It's also important to remember that moderation is key. Reasonable portions of pure dark chocolate high in cacao can be healthy, but large amounts of overly processed milk chocolate is not.
Conclusion
There are a lot of fantastic combinations of superfoods which work better together than alone. Knowing these combinations brings tremendous value to your health, as it allows you to get the most from your diet.
Why work harder when you can just work smarter?
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