10 Surprising Superfoods That Can Help You Fight Cancer, Obesity, and Heart Disease

Sometimes, it can feel like you’re in a vicious loop when it comes to your health. For example, your doctor probably doesn’t waste any time suggesting that you lose a little weight to improve your overall health. But so much healthy food ranges from bland to just bad, leading us back to the sweet treats that added those extra pounds in the first place.

But what if you could have your cake and eat it…literally? It turns out there are many awesome superfoods that, in addition to being very tasty, can also help you fight obesity and cancer. As an added bonus, these foods are also great for your heart, and we promise some of your biggest faves are on the list. 

Don’t believe it? Keep reading to discover the superfoods that can help you fight cancer, obesity, heart disease, and so much more!

Chocolate

When you’re trying to watch your waistline, it’s easy to look at tempting chocolate like it’s the enemy. As usual, though, the secret is moderation. If you mostly stick with dark chocolate and don’t eat too much at one time, you won’t have to worry about obesity, and you may be surprised at the other health benefits you experience.

For one thing, chocolate can improve your mood (which is one reason why so many turn to it after a long and stressful day). And if you consume dark chocolate, the special antioxidants inside of it can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Unfortunately, you’ll get the best results from high-content cocoa with little to no white sugar, which is why you can’t just grab a candy bar off the shelf and call it healthy eating.

RELATED: The Weirdest Side Effects of Foods You Eat Every Day

Almonds

Almonds are one of our favorite snacks, especially when we don’t want to eat anything too heavy. And that’s why we were pleasantly surprised to discover that every handful of almonds we tossed into our mouths was helping both body and mind.

In terms of bodily health, almonds keep us from absorbing the kind of bad cholesterol that can lead to heart problems such as cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, almonds can help to strengthen your memory and boost your intelligence. We can all become that much healthier and smarter, one almond at a time.

Blueberries

The phrase “big things can come in small packages” might as well have been coined to describe blueberries. Each individual berry is obviously very tiny, but each bite is full of flavor. These tasty berries are also full of so many health benefits they soon became a staple of our house.

Consuming blueberries can help prevent certain types of cancer, which is already a pretty good reason to chow down on them. Mostly, though, blueberries are known for keeping your heart healthy. This sumptuous superfood can reduce plaque in your arteries, lower your cholesterol level, and even reduce your blood pressure. Think of this as the “all in one” heart health package!

RELATED: 25 Best Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss

Garlic

Everybody knows two things about garlic: it makes whatever you’re cooking taste so much better and it helps to ward off unwanted vampire attacks. Now, we’re going to give you another fun fact about garlic…it’s one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

For starters, garlic is very effective at lowering your blood pressure, and it also reduces the artery-clogging plaque in your body that can lead to many different heart problems. It even keeps your blood vessels from constricting, which means that, unlike vampires, you should never run away from the chance to get more garlic into your system.

Oranges

It’s an open secret that oranges are chock full of Vitamin C, and that alone makes them a healthy choice for everyday snacking. But what you likely don’t know is that every bite into an orange is helping to rid your body of unwanted sodium and cholesterol!

How does this work, exactly? The soluble fiber pectin helps flush out the cholesterol, and the high potassium count of the orange helps get rid of sodium, which can help with your blood pressure. If that’s not enough, the potassium in oranges can also help to reduce your chances of heart failure.

RELATED: The Most Surprising Things That Happen To Your Body When You Eat Oranges Each Day

Red wine

Most of the debates about whether alcohol can possibly be healthy for us center around what you should (and should not) be drinking and how much of it you should consume. Right now, the scientific consensus is that drinking red wine in moderate amounts (meaning no more than two glasses per day) can provide major health benefits to your body.

For example, drinking red wine can keep an excess of cholesterol from building up in your body. And thanks to the high antioxidant count, this wine also helps prevent blood clots and even coronary heart disease. Just think: the next time you open a bottle and toast someone’s health, you really will be helping them live a longer and healthier life!

Apples

We all grew up hearing that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But it wasn’t until we were all grown up that we appreciated how true this phrase is on a number of different levels.

For example, all the antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins in apples can have a profound effect on your health. This tasty superfood can help control your blood pressure and prevent the development of coronary heart disease. And since these benefits are uniform across different kinds of apples (we’re big Granny Smith fans over here), you can simply pick whichever one you like best.

RELATED: 9 Things That Happen To Your Body When You Eat An Apple Every Day

Coffee

Nope, that’s not a typo, and we’re not pranking you. Recent studies have discovered that coffee, taken in moderate doses, is good for your heart. And that means your afternoon cup of pick-me-up could actually be helping you live longer!

Coffee helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and strokes. The trick is to drink no more than two cups a day, and each sip will be healthier if you cut back on sugar, creamer, or other tasty mixtures. Now if anybody needs us, we’re going to go get a pot started!