From apples to chocolate: Food combinations that improve health

When it comes to diets, a lot of people have certain foods they like to team together. For some, it simply comes down to taste, while for others, combining certain foods and drinks is all about a health boost.

For example, turmeric has long been considered a superfood, but experts have recently suggested it should be mixed with oil and black pepper for your body to truly benefit from it.

A recent article published in Men’s Health suggested there are actually a number of food combinations people should eat to improve their health. Furthermore, the article hints that humans are known to live longer when they pair certain foods together.

So what exactly should you be eating with what to reap the rewards?

Yogurt and almonds

Sometimes there’s nothing more delicious than some crunchy nuts in a smooth yogurt. While it tastes amazing, it could also be a powerful food combination. We’re often told fats are bad for us, but our bodies still require certain types of fat for a healthy diet.

The fat and probiotics from yogurt react well with the vitamins found in almonds. Ones to look out for that are fat-soluble include A, D, and E. This means you can still enjoy certain fatty foods, as long as you eat them in moderation and with the right vitamins so your body can process them correctly.

Tomatoes and avocados

While a lot of people love nothing more than smashed avo on toast, researchers at the California Polytechnic State University suggest that eating avocados with tomato is a great way to reduce the risk of cancer.

Tomatoes naturally contain an antioxidant known as carotenoid that has the potential to reduce the risks associated with cancer and cardiovascular disease, but it needs certain fats to work properly. As such, mixing it with avocado gives it the kick it needs to become more bioavailable.

Chocolate and apples

It sounds like a strange combination, but eating chocolate with apples could help when it comes to improving an array of health issues including heart attacks, allergies and even cancer.

Men’s Health cites a study by Barry Halliwell, Ph.D. from the National University of Singapore that suggests eating the two foods together has the ability to loosen clumpy blood platelets. What this actually does is improves cardiovascular health, which in turn, can reduce the impacts of the health issues.

When in doubt, always opt for red apples and try to pick organic fruits and chocolates where possible.

Rock melon and eggs

Fruit and eggs usually don’t sound very appetising together, but rock melon and eggs together could actually be a powerful combination. Eggs are high in protein and rock melon is a good source of carbohydrate.

In simple terms, eating the two together or close together could prompt your body to regulate insulin in the body and keep sugar levels low.

Read more: Food and drug combinations you should avoid

Garlic and fish

Neither are particularly pleasant on the nose, but both garlic and fish can have an array of benefits on your health. Cooking fish with garlic has the potential to lower your cholesterol than if you were to eat fish or a clove of garlic by itself.

Orange juice and porridge

Most people would happily tuck into their morning porridge and orange juice without thinking anything of it, but you could actually be preventing a heart attack by doing so.

Studies suggest that consuming the pair together has the potential to clean your arteries. While there certainly isn’t anything wrong with drinking juice alone or eating porridge by itself, combining the two can help stabilise bad cholesterol in your body.

What do you think? What two foods do you like to combine together?