Some food pairings do not just taste well together, some superfoods can boost your health. Food synergy is the idea of combining certain food items to give the maximum health benefit possible such as the following examples:
1. Black beans and red bell pepper
"Just 2 percent to 20 percent of iron in plant food makes its way into your blood, compared to 15 percent to 35 percent from heme animal-based iron," according to Cynthia Sass Health's contributing nutrition editor. Red bell peppers then help increase the absorption of iron-rich black beans by six times.
2. Black beans and corn tortillas
Although plant-based protein foods are healthy, they do not always offer all the amino acids needed for an efficient protein synthesis. Fortunately, the vitamin C present in a pico de gallo dish will help unlock some good plant protein, according to Livestrong.
3. Tomatoes and olive oil
Olive oil is popularly known as a heart-healthy fat that boosts good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. A study revealed that olive oil also raises the antioxidant levels of the lycopene in tomatoes, which is especially good for the heart.
4. Broccoli and tomatoes
A 2007 study for Cancer Research reveals that diets that contain 10 percent tomato and 10 percent broccoli caused a 52 percent decrease in tumor weights. According to the study, this impressive cancer-fighting combination works better together in slowing down the growth of prostate tumor implants.
5. Spinach, eggs and tomatoes
Perhaps one of the yummiest superfood combinations, the mixtures of these three items work well to provide doses of Vitamin C, Vitamin D and calcium. The vitamins present in eggs and tomatoes help provide a healthy source of calcium from the spinach.
6. Turmeric and black pepper
Turmeric, known as the healing spice, is packed with a powerful antioxidant called curcumin with anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial agents. Unfortunately, curcumin metabolizes quickly which is why pairing turmeric with black pepper will improve its benefits by 1000 times.
7. Kale and almonds
The vitamin E in kale is fat-soluble which means a nutritious amount of fat is needed to help absorption. Almonds make a great partner for Kale since it's packed with mono-unsaturated fat, according to Health.
8. Pistachios and goat cheese
Goat cheese is already known to be low on the cholesterol scale but the phytosterols present in pistachios will help block cholesterol absorption even further. Since phytosterols are plants that are chemically similar to cholesterol, they compete with cholesterol for absorption in the body.
9. Red grapefruit and hot grill
While the hot grill may not exactly be an ingredient, the heat makes the lycopene present in red grapefruit more readily absorbed. Red grapefruit contains lycopene, which is a cancer-fighting antioxidant also present in tomatoes.
10. Dark chocolate and apples
Aside from satisfying your sweet tooth, the combination of dark chocolate and apples help improve cardiovascular health by breaking up blood clots. Apples contain anti-inflammatory properties while dark chocolate contains antioxidant properties, which make this pairing quite impressive.
