Some foods “work” better when they’re eaten together. Try these pairings to absorb more nutrients and avoid common health issues
PAIR: YOGHURT AND HONEY
TO: keep your bones strong
When you eat some honey alongside yoghurt, you’ll absorb up to 33 per cent more of the dairy food’s calcium. Honey contains a unique combination of carbohydrates, including glucose and one called raffinose, which may alter the large intestine’s population of gut microflora to make it more efficient at absorbing calcium, say researchers.
PAIR: TOFU AND RED CAPSICUM
TO: lower your risk of heart attack
Tofu delivers a hit of phytoestrogens that can mimic the action of oestrogen, and capsicum is a rich source of vitamin C. On their own, phytoestrogens inhibit the oxidation of LDL (“bad" cholesterol), but the effect is significantly greater when they’re eaten with a source of vitamin C. That’s good news for your heart health, because when LDL cholesterol becomes oxidised it contributes to hardening of the arteries, one of the biggest risk factors for heart attack.
PAIR: EGGS AND SPINACH
TO: help maintain your vision
Egg yolks and spinach are both rich sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that play a key role in protecting the health of the eye’s macula. But when you eat them together, you’ll absorb up to eight times the amount of spinach’s carotenoids. Because carotenoids are fatsoluble nutrients, they’re much more easily absorbed when they’re digested at the same time as a healthy fat, like the unsaturated fatty acids eggs contain.
PAIR: ONION AND BROWN RICE
TO: improve your immunity
This story is from the September 2017 edition of The Malaysian Women\'s Weekly.
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This story is from the September 2017 edition of The Malaysian Women\'s Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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