Good-for-Your-Body Foods

by FamilyEducation Staff

According to folklore, the following foods are good for you. Now scientists agree.

• Cranberry juice is good for urinary tract infections. Why? Because the juice inhibits a type of bacteria that clings to the wall of the bladder and causes infection.
• Carrots are good for your eyes. Carrots and some other fruits and vegetables contain beta carotene, which can reduce the chance of eye disease. One carrot a day can help prevent macular degeneration, which eventually leads to blindness.
• Chicken soup fights congestion that comes with a cold. Chicken has an amino acid that thins the mucous lining of the sinuses, thus relieving stuffiness.
• Garlic and onions kill flu and cold viruses.
• Fish is good for your brain. The mineral zinc is found in fish and shellfish. Studies show that even a minimal deficiency of zinc impairs thinking and memory.
• Blueberries fight the bacteria that causes diarrhea.
• Bananas are a natural antacid. They soothe heartburn or gastric distress.
• Spinach is good for your spirits. It contains lots of folic acid. If your body doesn't have enough folic acid, you may feel depressed.
• Ginger root fights nausea caused by motion sickness and relieves migraine headaches. Make a tea of fresh ginger root by simmering it in water for ten minutes.
• Eat onions to fight insomnia. Onions contain a mild natural sedative called quercetin.
• Yogurt with acidophilus fights the bacteria that causes vaginal yeast infections.