For many people, the happiest, most emotionally stable, and most authentically lived years of their lives come after 65.

That probably sounds wrong. We’re surrounded by cultural messaging that treats aging as a slow subtraction of capacity, vitality, and relevance. And yes, bodies change and biology shifts. There are real challenges that come with the later decades of life, and some of them tend to be unwelcome.

But the research tells a more complicated and considerably more hopeful story. Studies show that life satisfaction may follow a U-shaped curve, dipping through the stressful middle decades and then rising again, often reaching its peak in the 70s and 80s. Many older adults report greater emotional stability, less reactivity to stress, and a clearer sense of what actually matters to them. Psychologists have identified what they call the “positivity effect,” which is a measurable shift in how older brains process experience, paying less attention to threats and more attention to what’s meaningful and good.

It turns out that the choices you make about how you eat, move, sleep, connect, and engage with the world have a profound influence on whether those later decades feel like diminishment or like the richest chapter yet.

There’s an old saying that a person with their health has a thousand dreams. A person without it has just one dream, which is to get it back. Maximizing your health can be key not only to living longer, but also to living better. So you can savor and make the most of your wisdom years.

That’s what this article is about. Let’s start with what’s actually happening in your body, and then get to what you can do about it.

How Can We Stay Healthy as We Age?

Over my career, I have taught courses that describe statistics about patterns of health, how long we live, and how these patterns have changed in remarkable ways since the mid-20^th century, when I was born. 

Two noteworthy patterns emerge from the data. Our lifespans – how long we live – have increased dramatically. At the same time, our healthspans – how long we live in good health – have not kept pace. World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2019 found that the average number of years that people live burdened by disease or disability was about 9.6 years globally, and 12.4 years in the United States. Four years later, this morbidity gap, as it’s known, had increased to 10.7 years globally and 14 years in the U.S. — the latter representing close to one-fifth of the average person’s life.

So while the average U.S. senior has gained extra years of life, they spend around a decade and a half managing chronic disease rather than living in good health. 

That’s the bad news. 

The good news is that many of the health conditions that are common as we age are preventable, and if they do develop, can be managed to reduce the impact they have on our lives. Sometimes, in fact, our lifestyle and diet choices can even put them into remission.

As I enter my 70s and move into retirement, I am transitioning to a new phase in my own life. I’ve stopped asking, “How do I live longer?” Now I’m exploring, “How do I make sure the years I have left are worth living?” 

Meaning, I have enough strength to get down on the floor and up again, enough clarity to learn new things, and enough energy to say yes to an invitation instead of staying home. In this article, I describe my understanding of how to do this, with a focus on the importance of the food choices we make.

Understanding the Changes that Come with Aging

Aging brings real physiologic changes in our bodies, but understanding them gives us an opportunity to adapt. Stomach acid production may decline, making it harder to absorb certain nutrients from food. 

Our muscles become less responsive to the protein we eat, so getting enough high-quality protein and spreading it throughout the day becomes increasingly important. 

And our sense of thirst can become less reliable, making dehydration easier to miss.

Starting as early as our 30s, we begin to lose muscle mass and strength, including some of the fast-twitch muscle fibers that help us respond quickly. For example, we may not be as quick to catch ourselves from a stumble. 

Bone remodeling also shifts with age, gradually tipping toward greater bone loss, particularly for women during and after menopause. 

Some changes mean we’ll need to pay more attention to various essential nutrients. Reduced stomach acid, which becomes more common with age, can interfere with our ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food; calcium absorption may also become less efficient; and aging skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D in response to sunlight. At the same time, changes in appetite, food intake, medications, and digestive health can make it more challenging to get all the nutrients we need.

These changes aren’t reasons to surrender to decline. They’re signals that some of the strategies that served us well at 40 may need adjusting at 70. In fact, many of these age-related changes are remarkably responsive to what we do next.

Once we understand what’s changing, we can respond in practical ways, with more attention to nutrient density, protein, hydration, movement, and other habits that help preserve health and function. 

Rather than fighting aging, you can learn how to work with your changing body and give it the support it needs.

The encouraging part is that many of these age-related changes are remarkably responsive to what we do next. That’s the whole premise of the rest of this article.

Feeding Your Changing Body: The Specifics That Actually Matter

A lot of the “eat healthy” advice basically consists of “eat more vegetables,” and while that’s true, it’s not nearly specific enough to be useful as we age. If you already know the basics of good nutrition, here’s what’s actually different about eating well after 60. (Since I don’t know anything about your exact situation, I need to emphasize that the following is a series of general guidelines, and not medical advice. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding your specific nutritional realities and needs.)

Protein: More than you think

For decades, the standard protein recommendation for adults was 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, a figure calculated from nitrogen-balance studies designed to prevent deficiency in generally healthy, younger adults. Interestingly, the January 2026 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans moved sharply away from that baseline, recommending 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram for the general adult population. This represented a striking 50–100% increase that has drawn considerable debate among nutrition scientists, some of whom argue the shift outpaces the underlying evidence.

Setting that broader debate aside, the case for older adults specifically has a clearer, more established foundation. As we age, our muscles become less responsive to the protein we eat (a phenomenon known as anabolic resistance), meaning the same meal that would efficiently build muscle in a 30-year-old produces a blunted response in a 70-year-old. This is why the international PROT-AGE Study Group, reviewing evidence specific to aging muscle, concluded that healthy adults over 65 should aim for 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with higher amounts recommended for those managing illness, recovering from injury, or already experiencing muscle loss. For a person whose healthy body weight is 150 pounds, that’s roughly 70–80 grams of protein daily.

How you distribute that protein across the day may matter, too

Rather than eating relatively little protein at breakfast and lunch and most of it at dinner, aim for roughly 20–30 grams at each meal. A protein-rich breakfast might be muesli made with fortified soy milk, hemp seeds, nuts, and berries. Lunch could be a hearty lentil soup alongside a salad topped with quinoa, chickpeas, and pumpkin seeds. For dinner, try tofu with whole grain pasta, peas, and plenty of colorful vegetables. Even dessert can contribute: A chia pudding made with soy milk and topped with nuts and berries can provide an additional protein boost. With a little planning, reaching protein targets on a plant-based diet can be surprisingly straightforward.

Note: For Food Revolution Network’s article on protein, including a calculator to determine your recommended daily intake, click here. 

Vitamin B12 needs special attention as we age

Adults over 50 should pay particular attention to vitamin B12. An estimated 10–30% of older adults may have difficulty absorbing food-bound B12, largely because reduced stomach acid can make it harder to release B12 from the protein in animal foods. For this reason, the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) recommends that adults older than 50 obtain most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements. 

People eating fully plant-based diets need a reliable source of B12 at any age, and VeganHealth.org makes the following recommendations. For adults ages 50–64, 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12 2 to 3 times per week may be sufficient, with periodic monitoring of B12 status. For adults 65 and older, a daily supplement providing 500–1,000 micrograms can help ensure adequate intake despite age-related declines in absorption.

Note: For FRN’s article on vitamin B12, click here.

Vitamin D deserves extra attention with age

As you age, our skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight, and many older adults don’t get enough sun exposure to maintain adequate levels year-round. The RDA is 600 International Units (equivalent to 15 micrograms) per day through age 70, increasing to 800 International Units (20 micrograms) after 70. 

Because these amounts assume some sun exposure, a daily supplement of up to 2,000 International Units (50 micrograms) is a practical choice for many older adults, particularly those with limited sun exposure, darker skin, or who live in latitudes farther from the equator. Individual needs vary, however, so you may want to check your vitamin D levels periodically to help guide your supplementation regimen.

Note: For FRN’s article on vitamin D, including how to get your levels tested, click here.

Calcium: food first

Food sources are generally preferred, with supplements used when needed to fill a gap between dietary intake and requirements. Aim for 1,000–1,200 milligrams daily from food such as fortified plant milks (about 300 milligrams per cup), tofu set with calcium sulfate (up to 400 milligrams per half-cup), tahini, almonds, and leafy greens like bok choy and collards. 

Food is a better source of calcium for most people, since large-dose calcium supplements have been linked to cardiovascular concerns in some research. If you choose to “top off” with a modest-dose calcium supplement, you may want to take it in doses of 500 milligrams or less to maximize absorption. This might mean twice a day instead of all at once. Some of the most effective calcium supplements also include vitamin D3 and vitamin K2, since these can help the calcium get absorbed and make its way to your bones, not your arteries. 

Note: For FRN’s article on calcium, click here.

Omega-3s: Don’t overlook them

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an essential omega-3 fat that we need to get from food. Ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts are excellent sources. We don’t need much: a tablespoon or two of ground flax or chia each day, with walnuts or hemp seeds regularly in the mix. 

Our bodies can convert ALA into two other essential omega-3s: the long-chain EPA and DHA. DHA is an important structural component of the brain and retina, while EPA and DHA have roles in cardiovascular and overall health.

We may need more of these long-chain fatty acids than we’re able to convert; that’s especially true of DHA. And that’s why it may be helpful to consume a direct source of these fats.

If you don’t eat fish, a daily microalgae-based supplement providing 200–300 milligrams of combined DHA and EPA is a practical option, with some people (e.g., those managing cardiovascular risk factors) needing more under clinical guidance. 

Given that most vegans have very low levels of preformed EPA and DHA in their diets and their Omega-3 Index measures tend to be low, a daily microalgae-based supplement providing a combination of 500–1,500 milligrams of DHA and EPA may be advisable, depending on initial omega-3 status, body size, and individual response. Microalgae are the original source of the DHA and EPA that ultimately accumulate in fish, so algae-based supplements provide these omega-3s directly, without the microplastics and heavy metals that can accumulate in fish.

Note: For FRN’s article on omega-3 fatty acids, click here.

These are the foundations on which seniors can build a healthy diet. In the largest study of diet and healthy aging to date, following more than 105,000 adults for up to 30 years, following all 8 of the above recommendations was associated with better odds of reaching 70 with cognitive, physical, and mental health intact. 

There was no single “winning” diet. What the successful diets shared was an abundance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and unsaturated fats, alongside low intakes of ultra-processed foods, sodium, trans fats, and red and processed meat. The plant-forward Planetary Health Diet showed the strongest association of all with cognitive preservation and with living to 70.

This doesn’t mean perfection or an all-or-nothing approach. But it does suggest that the more your plate is built around vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, the more you’re working with your biology rather than against it. Whatever your starting point, moving in that direction tends to have positive effects. Ideally, our food choices stack several of these nutrients into enjoyable dishes on a daily basis. If you’re a bit stumped, or looking for inspiration, check out the recipes and examples below.

The Other Foundations: Five More Places to Put Your Attention

Nutrition is one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, and it’s the one I’ve focused on most so far. But what we eat is only part of the picture. The other five pillars — physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connections, and avoidance of risky substances — also profoundly influence our health and how well we age. Together, these six pillars provide a powerful foundation for maintaining health, function, and quality of life in the years ahead.

Movement

Keep moving, and make some of it challenging. Walking and other aerobic activities support cardiovascular health, endurance, and mobility, while resistance training is especially important for preserving muscle, strength, and bone as we age. Balance and flexibility exercises can help us stay steady and capable. And it’s never too late to start: even previously sedentary adults in their 70s and 80s can make meaningful gains in strength and mobility.

Restorative sleep

Good sleep supports memory, immune function, emotional well-being, and physical recovery, and can become more challenging as we age. While the amount of sleep we need does not change, how we can get it does. Seniors tend to experience less deep sleep, more fragmented sleep, and earlier sleep and wake times. Recommendations for seniors focus on supporting our circadian rhythms by building on early light exposure, regular meal timing, and sleep/wake schedules. Staying physically active and maintaining a supportive sleeping environment can also help. 

Stress resilience

Some stress is part of a full and meaningful life, and challenges such as learning a new skill or taking on a worthwhile project can help keep us engaged and resilient. The greater concern is chronic, unrelieved stress. Regular movement, time in nature, mindfulness, relaxation, and connection with others can all help us manage it more effectively.

Social connection

Strong relationships are an important part of healthy aging. Research links strong social ties to slower functional decline and better-preserved cognitive health, and the effort of maintaining them pays back many times over. Staying connected with family, friends, neighbors, and community can support emotional well-being and help keep us mentally and socially engaged. 

So can having a sense of purpose: learning, creating, volunteering, caring for others, contributing to our communities, and pursuing activities that bring meaning and joy. Healthy aging isn’t simply about avoiding disease; it’s about continuing to have a life we want to participate in.

Reducing risky substances: Alcohol, tobacco, and substance misuse raise the risk of many chronic diseases. If this is part of your story, compassionate, evidence-based support genuinely works, at any age. 

Recipes to Help You Thrive

Knowing the names and functions of these critical nutrients is useful, but my favorite way to show people how easy it is to cook real food that delivers them in meaningful doses is to share recipes. Here are three examples of delicious recipes that can help you get them into your life on a daily basis.

Easy Overnight Oats (makes 2 cups)

This creamy, comforting breakfast is assembled the night before and ready to enjoy by morning, with no cooking required. Prepared overnight oats will keep for up to three days, refrigerated, though the texture will soften over time. Soaking the grains may enhance their digestibility and improve mineral absorption. This recipe delivers plant-based protein, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Customize with your favorite fruits, nuts, or spices, such as nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, or cloves. You can also replace some of the milk with unsweetened, plant-based yogurt for extra creaminess.

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or other rolled grains

2 tablespoons chopped prunes, raisins, or other dried fruit

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, almonds, or other nuts

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ cups unsweetened, fortified soy milk or other plant-based milk

1½–2 cups fresh fruit (e.g., sliced bananas, berries, chopped or grated apple, apricot, mango, peach, or pear)

Directions

1. Place the oats, dried fruit, hemp seeds, chia seeds, nuts, cinnamon, and plant-based milk in a bowl or container and stir well.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 6 hours).
3. Just before serving, stir in fresh fruit.

Optional toppings:

• Your favorite plant-based milk
• Ground flaxseeds

Nutritional Information:

Per half recipe: Calories: 444, Protein: 17 g, Fat: 18 g, Carbohydrate: 61 g, Fiber: 10 g

Minerals: Calcium: 307 mg, Iron: 4 mg, Magnesium: 189 mg, Potassium: 829 mg, Sodium: 67 mg, Zinc: 3 mg

Vitamins: A: 11 mcg, C: 11 mg, E: 1 mg, Folate: 30 mcg DFE

Percent of calories from: Protein 13%, Fat 32%, Carbohydrate 55% 

Easy Minestrone Soup (makes about 6 cups)

This soup comes together in under 30 minutes and delivers a nourishing and tasty meal. Use whole-grain pasta for a fiber boost or make it gluten-free with gluten-free pasta or potatoes. Marinara sauce and cannellini beans are sources of vitamin E. Leftover soup can be stored in mason jars and refrigerated or frozen.

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium or regular vegetable stock or broth

1 (14–15-oz) can marinara or pasta sauce

1 (14–15-oz) can beans (any type), drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups cooked beans)

½ cup uncooked pasta

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons onion flakes or 1 teaspoon onion powder

1½ cups mixed frozen vegetables or other chopped vegetables

1–2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the vegetable stock, marinara sauce, beans, uncooked pasta, garlic, onion flakes, frozen vegetables, and Italian seasoning.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pasta and vegetables are tender.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Optional add-ins and variations:

• Replace uncooked pasta with 1 cup cooked pasta or cooked, cubed potato
• Replace Italian seasoning with 2–3 tablespoons each of fresh basil and oregano
• Replace the vegetable stock and marinara sauce with 4 cups of tomato juice
• Add hot sauce or pepper to taste 

Nutritional Information:

Per cup: Calories: 211, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 3 g, Carbohydrate: 37 g, Fiber: 8 g

Minerals: Calcium: 97 mg, Iron: 3 mg, Magnesium: 69 mg, Potassium: 682 mg, Sodium: 624 mg, Zinc: 1 mg

Vitamins: A: 126 mcg, C: 6 mg, E: 3 mg, Folate: 115 mcg DFE

Percent of calories from: Protein 18%, Fat 12%, Carbohydrate 70%

Easy Chocolate Pudding (makes 2 cups or 4 servings)

Silky, rich, and deeply chocolatey, this effortless pudding comes together in minutes with just two or three core ingredients. It’s perfect as a quick dessert, snack, or even a wholesome sweet for guests. Thanks to soft or silken tofu, this treat offers a smooth, mousse-like texture along with flavonoid-rich dark chocolate. Leftovers (if there are any!) will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Ingredients

3½ ounces dark chocolate, chopped, or 2/3 cup of dark chocolate chips

1 (10–12-oz) package soft tofu or silken tofu at room temperature, drained

2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate:
   • STOVETOP METHOD: Place chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until fully melted.
   • MICROWAVE METHOD: Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with high sides. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
2. Blend the pudding: Add the tofu and maple syrup and blend.
3. Chill and serve: Spoon the pudding into 4 small bowls or ramekins. Chill for at least 30 minutes to set before serving.

Optional add-ins and variations:

• For added protein, blend or stir in some peanut butter (warmed slightly or at room temperature) and/or yogurt
• Add ¼ teaspoon salt
• Add ½ teaspoon vanilla
• For an even more chocolatey flavor, blend in 2–3 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Optional toppings:

• Chocolate shavings
• Berries
• Fresh mint
• Chopped toasted nuts (hazelnuts are divine)

Nutritional Information:

Per ½ cup: Calories: 188, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 11 g, Carbohydrate: 16 g, Fiber: 2 g

Minerals: Calcium: 109 mg, Iron: 3 mg, Magnesium: 61 mg, Potassium: 243 mg, Sodium: 13 mg, Zinc: 1 mg

Vitamins: A: 1 mcg, C: 0 mg, E: 0.1 mg, Folate: 37 mcg DFE

Percent of calories from: Protein 15%, Fat 52%, Carbohydrate 33%

Is It Too Late to Start?

Adopting health-promoting habits early in life is ideal, but what if you didn’t? If you’re 68 and only now thinking seriously about improving your diet, or 79 and wondering whether it’s worth the effort of dropping unhealthy habits you’ve had for decades, it’s fair to ask whether any of this will still make a difference.

The short answer: It will. 

Some of the clearest evidence comes from studies of people who are already older and already unwell. A 2018 meta-analysis of 9 separate studies found that older adults who adhered to a Mediterranean-style, plant-forward dietary pattern had lower risk of frailty and disability.

A 2024 study found that in two large cohorts of adults aged 60 and over, those living with 2 or more chronic conditions who followed a healthy lifestyle had a 22–42% lower risk of death over the next 5–12 years of follow-up than those who didn’t. 

The evidence in adults over 70 is thinner and less tidy. But a 2022 study may convince you that even if your diet has been far from ideal so far, changing now may make a big positive difference. Researchers followed more than 1,800 adults aged 70 and older for 3 years to see whether they would become frail. And it turned out that how well someone was eating at the start of the three-year period didn’t affect whether they grew more frail as they aged. Instead, what predicted lower odds of frailty was whether they improved their diet over those three years.

If that holds up, what matters most at 75 isn’t the diet you’ve had; it’s the direction you’re moving.

Our responsiveness to better habits does not appear to have an expiration date. Whether you’re starting at 42 or 82, real improvements in health and function are still available to you.

What I Hope You Will Do

More than nutrient targets or research statistics, I hope you will remember this: This decade, and the ones after it, are chapters that you still have the opportunity to write, with perhaps greater clarity about what actually matters. Taking positive steps can help give you strength, energy, and resilience to make the most of the years ahead, because the choices you make can influence how you experience those years.

“Use it or lose it” isn’t just true of muscle. It’s true of curiosity, connection, and your appetite for life itself. So, eat the protein. Take the walk. Call the friend. Try the recipe. Learn something new. Keep participating in your own life.

Not because you’re fighting aging, but because there is still so much to live for – people to love, things to learn. Contributions to make, experiences to savor, and stories still to tell.

Aging well is about giving ourselves the best opportunity to remain strong, engaged, and fully alive at any age. Let’s go for it!

Featured image: istock.com/Miljan Živković

Tell us in the comments: 

• What’s one change you’ve made that has made a real difference in your energy, strength, or daily life?
• What are your biggest challenges in adopting healthy lifestyle habits?
• What is your vision for healthy aging? 

Read Next:

• The Blue Zones: Longevity Secrets from Centenarians

The post The Wisdom Years: How to Optimize Diet and Lifestyle at 60+ appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

As the grandson of the co-founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain, that question resonated with me. As the son of John Robbins, who followed his own “rocky road” and became a plant-based advocate, I knew the answer that fit me.

“Yessir! I got soy milk!”

The “Got milk?” campaign, which ran from 1993 to 2014, made an effective and lasting impression on consumers. This is one reason why so many consumers, even today, strongly associate calcium with milk and dairy products.

But is this message valid? Are milk and dairy products the best places to get calcium? Or are other calcium-rich foods better for you? And is calcium really as important as we’ve been told it is?

What’s the Role of Calcium for Your Health?

Calcium is an essential mineral for human health. It’s primarily stored in your bones and teeth (it’s what makes your pearly whites so strong). And you have more calcium inside you than any other mineral. That works out well because your body needs calcium to perform several essential functions.

Calcium helps:

• Carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body
• Your nerves and muscles move
• Transport enzymes and hormones through your blood to where they need to go
• Keep your muscles, nerves, and blood vessels functioning well
• Maintain a healthy blood pressure 

Calcium also enables the most critical muscle in your body — your heart — to receive signals and contract. Without calcium, your heart would beat like the worst drummer in an elementary school battle of the bands!

How Much Calcium Do You Need? 

According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, the Recommended Dietary Allowance is as follows:

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says that older children and teens need the most calcium, at 1,300 mg per day. Pregnancy, lactation, and menopause can also increase calcium needs, as can reaching your older years when age-related bone loss often starts to occur. 

These numbers aren’t uniformly accepted, and may be higher than necessary. The National Health Service of Britain, for example, recommends considerably less daily calcium — only 700 mg — for non-lactating adults aged 19 to 64.

So, how much calcium you need may depend on which side of the pond you stand! (Or maybe, just possibly, it could also depend on how much food industry lobbyists influence your government’s bureaucrats.) What’s clear is that the target isn’t as settled as the “drink your milk” messaging implies, and that a number, on its own, doesn’t tell you much without looking at what else your bones need.

Calcium Myths and Controversies

There are a lot of #calcium posts on social media, and traditional health reporting also covers this nutrient a lot, but that doesn’t mean everything you hear is correct. Here’s a sad-but-generally-true safe bet: The more noise about a topic, the higher the likelihood that much of that information comes from those with a profit-driven agenda like trade organizations, food companies, and industry-manipulated governments.

So, what are some of the most widespread myths about calcium that are floating around?

Myth #1 — Dairy Products Are the Best Sources of Calcium

It is true that dairy is high in calcium, and it’s a legitimate source for many people. If you enjoy dairy and it works for you and your ethics, calcium isn’t the reason to give dairy up. But here’s the myth part: The idea that dairy is uniquely necessary, and that you can’t build strong bones without it, doesn’t hold up. In fact, high dairy consumption, which is also linked to high animal protein consumption, doesn’t reliably correlate with better bone health.

Scientists have grappled with a seeming paradox for a long time. A 1992 ecological analysis (basically, a comparison of food habits and health stats across multiple groups to see what correlations exist) found that in industrialized countries, the more animal protein women consumed, the greater their risk of hip fracture. In fact, an ecological analysis published in Calcified Tissue International found that when female hip fracture rates from 34 studies across 16 countries were compared with dietary animal protein intake, industrialized countries — which also tend to have higher dairy consumption — showed a strong positive association between higher animal protein intake and higher hip fracture rates. 

It’s worth noting that this kind of country-level comparison can’t rule out other differences between nations, such as lifespan, physical activity, sun exposure, or how fractures are diagnosed and recorded. So it shows an association rather than proof that animal protein, or dairy, causes fractures. 

More recent research is mixed. Some large cohort studies have found dairy or milk consumption associated with lower hip fracture risk. A large Swedish cohort found that women drinking three or more glasses of milk a day had higher fracture and mortality rates — but interestingly, fermented dairy like yogurt and cheese showed the opposite, with lower risk. And the researchers themselves cautioned that their findings were preliminary and needed to be replicated before anyone drew dietary conclusions from them. So the honest summary is that the data doesn’t point in one clean direction.

Read more on osteoporosis prevention here.

Dairy’s relationship to other health outcomes is beyond the scope of a bone health article, but it’s worth a brief mention. Some studies have associated higher dairy intake with increased risk of certain cancers (especially prostate cancer), though the evidence varies by cancer type and is still an area of active research. Many people also have significant concerns about the ethical and environmental impact of bovine dairy production.

For our purposes here, the takeaway is simply that dairy isn’t the only path to strong bones, and for many people, as we will see, plant sources offer calcium alongside a broader package of health-supporting nutrients.

Myth #2 — Getting Enough Calcium Is the Main Thing You Need to Do for Bone Health 

Calcium is important for bone health, no question. But calcium isn’t the only thing your bones need to be strong. 

Exercise plays a critical role, too. Weight-bearing activities send signals to your bones, encouraging them to grow denser and stronger to handle the stress. Researchers have found that resistance and high-impact exercise can significantly improve bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. In other words, strength training is as essential as minerals for lifelong bone strength. 

Exercises to focus on for bone health include weight-bearing activities, such as walking, running, tennis, dancing, stair-climbing, and weight-lifting. (Note to self: invent a new sport that combines tennis, dancing, stair-climbing, and weight-lifting. On second thought, maybe not.)

And vitamin D also turns out to be pretty darn important.

Here’s a fact that’s perplexed researchers: People in many Asian, South American, and Sub-Saharan African countries consume around one-third the amount of calcium that Americans do, yet bone fractures are rare in these countries. 

How is this possible? One plausible theory is that, due to their geographic locations and lifestyles, they have much higher exposure to sunlight, which naturally increases vitamin D levels. And vitamin D turns out to be another critical nutrient for bone health.

While sun exposure helps your body produce vitamin D, factors like darker skin tone, older age, living at higher latitudes, and winter weather can severely limit production, making food sources or testing and supplementation essential for many.

For more on vitamin D, see our article here.

Vitamin K2 is another nutrient that helps regulate calcium balance in the body and is important for maintaining bone health. It may help regulate bone mineral density and reduce the risk of fracture, particularly in postmenopausal women, one of the most at-risk populations for osteoporosis.

For plant-based eaters, K2 can be tricky to get from food. The richest source by far is natto, a fermented soybean dish that’s an acquired taste for many. Smaller amounts show up in other fermented foods like tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Your body can also convert some of the vitamin K1 in leafy greens into K2, but that conversion varies a lot from person to person and isn’t always efficient. So if you don’t eat natto regularly, K2 is one of the nutrients worth paying particular attention to, and one reason it’s often included in a well-formulated bone health supplement.

For more on vitamin K2, see our article here.

Myth #3 — Everyone Should Take a Calcium-Containing Supplement

It’s a widely held assumption that a calcium supplement is simply something everyone should take to protect their bones as they age. And a substantial share of older adults do.

But the evidence tells a more selective story: The people who clearly benefit are a specific group, not the general population. Chief among them are postmenopausal women and older adults, who bear the greatest burden of osteoporosis, which affects over 10 million adults in the U.S. and more than 200 million people worldwide. In these groups, the risk of fractures in the spine, hips, and wrists rises sharply — and for postmenopausal women specifically, hormonal changes accelerate bone loss and heighten the risk of calcium deficiency.

For vegan postmenopausal women, the case may be even stronger. The Adventist Health Study 2 tracked more than 34,000 people for an average of 8 years, during which 679 hip fractures occurred. Vegan women had a 55% higher risk of hip fracture than nonvegetarians. This gap was not seen in vegan men, which points to an interaction between a plant-based diet and postmenopausal bone loss rather than veganism alone. Tellingly, among vegan women who supplemented with both calcium and vitamin D, the elevated risk disappeared.

Part of the challenge is dietary. While calcium-rich plant foods can contribute meaningfully, consistently reaching the recommended 1,200 mg per day through food alone is difficult, especially if much of your calcium comes from high-oxalate greens, which bind calcium and limit how much you actually absorb (more on this below). For people in this position, supplementation can help close the gap. 

If you do supplement, the details matter. The two main forms are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, and how much you need depends on what you already get from food and whether you have absorption issues. Calcium is best absorbed with food and in amounts under 600 mg at a time. The body isn’t built to handle a sudden deluge, so you’re generally better off taking only enough to complement your diet and spreading it across two daily doses. If you get 800 mg from food and want to reach 1,200 mg, for example, you might ideally take 200 mg twice a day.

But supplementation isn’t risk-free, and the benefit above is concentrated in specific groups, especially postmenopausal women and vegans. For people who aren’t at elevated risk of fracture, research suggests supplemental calcium may do more harm than good. The concern that has drawn the most scrutiny isn’t about bone at all; it’s about what all that supplemental calcium may be doing to the heart and blood vessels.

Calcium Supplements and Cardiovascular Disease 

Starting in 1995, the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study tracked almost 400,000 men and women aged 50–71 for an average of 12 years. More than half of the men and 70% of the women took supplemental calcium. The researchers found that high intake of supplemental calcium was linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease death in men (but not in women). 

That’s because while calcium supplements can raise blood calcium levels, not all of that calcium ends up where it’s needed. Some may deposit in your arteries, potentially leading to stiffened arteries and higher blood pressure. Both of these contribute to the development of heart disease.

To make calcium supplementation more effective and safer, it’s important to pair it with other key nutrients. Vitamin D increases calcium bioavailability, helping your body absorb and use it more efficiently. Meanwhile, vitamin K2 plays a critical role in directing calcium to where it’s needed — your bones — and away from places like your arteries. 

It’s also important to note that calcium supplementation can prevent certain medications from working. Specifically, it can reduce the absorption of certain antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and even, ironically enough, medications used to treat osteoporosis.

9 Plant-Based, Calcium-Rich Foods

So, if dairy products aren’t necessarily the best source of calcium, and if calcium supplementation can come with some drawbacks, the question is: Where should you ideally get your calcium?

Below are some of the most naturally calcium-rich plant foods. (All calcium amounts obtained from MyFoodData.)

Plant Foods High in Calcium #1 — Soy

• ½ cup of tofu (made with calcium sulfate) = 861 mg calcium
• 1 cup of unsweetened Edensoy organic soy milk = 40 mg calcium
• ½ cup of edamame = 102 mg calcium

Organic soy foods that are unprocessed, like soybeans or edamame, or lightly processed, like tofu and soy milk, are high in calcium and great for many recipes. And tofu, when it’s made with calcium sulfate, is something of a calcium superstar (1 cup can nearly meet your entire calcium RDA!). Use extra-firm tofu in stir-fries, pasta dishes, tofu scrambles, or even sliced on sandwiches. Try silken tofu in smoothies, dips, and sauces.

You can drink soy milk by itself or use it as you would cow’s milk — for example, in cereal, as a base for smoothies and sauces, or baking. 

Edamame, or green soybeans, can be purchased in the frozen section of many markets. They are available in pods or pre-shelled. Edamame can be added to salads, Buddha bowls, or homemade hummus. 

For more on soy, read our article, Soy Facts: Is Soy Healthy or Harmful?

Plant Foods High in Calcium #2 — Seeds

• 1 ounce sesame seeds = 280 mg calcium
• 1 ounce chia seeds = 180 mg calcium

I love to keep a variety of nuts and seeds in the pantry. I sprinkle sesame seeds on a salad or roasted veggies. Chia seeds are great in smoothies, oatmeal, or ground and sprinkled on almost everything. (Not on your dog or cat, however. That’s not what they mean by “chia pet.”)

If you prefer a spread, tahini (sesame seed butter) offers 130 mg of calcium in just 2 tablespoons. That’s about 10% of what your body will need in the U.S. and 20% in Britain. (At least, according to those official government recommendations, that is!)

For more on sesame, read our article, What Is Sesame? Explore the Benefits & Uses of Sesame Seeds and Tahini.

For more on chia seeds, read our article, 9 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds and How to Eat Them. 

Plant Foods High in Calcium #3 — Beans

• 1 cup navy beans = 125 mg calcium
• 1 cup baked beans = 154 mg calcium
• 1 cup red kidney beans = 116 mg calcium
• 1 cup pinto beans = 78 mg calcium

Beans are an incredibly versatile pantry staple (and you can use them in art projects and maracas). At under $2 per pound dry (or often less than $2 per can), they’re affordable, too. Add beans to soups, salads, burritos, pasta, casseroles, tacos, and pizzas. (Under no circumstances should you spread them on your dog or cat.)

For more on beans, read our article, The Benefits of Beans: Why They Deserve a Place in Your Diet.

Plant Foods High in Calcium #4 — Okra

• 1 cup cooked okra = 123 mg calcium

In addition to calcium, okra, also known as bhindi in India, is also a good source of magnesium, vitamin K, and folate — three nutrients that work synergistically with calcium to maintain strong bones. Its unique, slimy (or, if you are building your vocabulary, “mucilaginous”) texture can add thickness to soups and stews, making it a staple in many cuisines.

In addition to soups and stews, try roasting, baking, or air-frying okra for the most palatable (i.e., least mucilaginous) consistency.

For more on okra, read our article, What Is Okra & Is it Good for You?

Plant Foods High in Calcium #5 — Almonds

• 1 oz raw almonds = 76 mg calcium
• 1 Tbsp almond butter = 55 mg calcium

Almond butter is a great alternative to peanut butter. It’s easy to make with a high-speed blender or food processor. You can add raw almonds to smoothies, muffins, and pancakes or eat them as a snack. 

For more on almonds and other nuts, read our article, Nut Health Benefits: You Won’t Believe How Good They Are for You.

Plant Foods High in Calcium #6 — Low-Oxalate Leafy Greens

iStock.com/alice_dias_didszoleit

• 1 cup of cooked collard greens = 267 mg calcium
• 1 cup cooked bok choy = 158 mg calcium
• 1 cup cooked kale = 195 mg calcium

While pretty much all leafy greens are high in calcium, some contain high oxalate concentrations. These compounds (also found in other plant foods) can block calcium absorption. Oxalates can make otherwise highly nutritious vegetables — like spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens — not-so-great sources of calcium.

Collard greens, bok choy, and kale have lower oxalate content. Mix these into salads, or try them sauteed or steamed.

Learn more about leafy greens in our article, Leafy Greens: How to Source, Wash, Store, & Prepare Them.

For more on oxalates, read our article, Are Oxalates Bad for You? And Should You Avoid Foods that are High in Oxalates?

Plant Foods High in Calcium #7 — Oranges

• 1 medium navel orange = 52 mg calcium

Oranges are famous for their vitamin C content and are also high in calcium. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a juicy orange than to eat it raw.

For more on oranges, read our article, Are Oranges Good for You — or the Planet?

Plants High in Calcium #8 — Broccoli Raab (Rapini)

• 1 cup cooked broccoli raab (or “rabe”) = 185 mg calcium

Regular ol’ broccoli is a decent source of calcium, coming in at around 60 mg per cup — but its cruciferous cousin and semi-namesake broccoli raab (also known as rapini) has more. It can be boiled, sautéed, or seasoned and roasted.

Plant Foods High in Calcium #9 — Dried Figs

• 3 dried figs = 39 mg calcium

If you’re not a fan of eating dried figs plain, they’re great additions to baked goods, like muffins, breads, and scones. You can also use them to sweeten and add texture to smoothies. 

For more on figs, check out our article, Figs: Are They Good for You and the Planet?

What About Calcium-Fortified Plant Milk? 

Most plant milks are fortified with calcium, though some aren’t. Fortified milk can contain as much — if not more — calcium than a glass of cow’s milk.

If you drink plant milk, check the label, as the calcium content can vary between varieties and brands.

Of course, fortification is just a way of adding a supplement to food. The good news is that because it’s in food, it comes along with other nutrients, and it’s delivered in relatively small amounts that are typically spread out over time.

Do Any Factors Affect Calcium Absorption?

If you’re one of the people who struggles with your calcium levels, it could be that the problem doesn’t stem from not consuming enough calcium. It’s possible that you’re not absorbing it properly.

Several things can interfere with how much calcium you absorb:

• Eating too much sodium. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that post-menopausal women with high-sodium diets excreted a lot more calcium in their pee than other women — almost 30 mg/day more. So cutting down on salt can help protect bone health in older women.

Some ways to cut down on sodium include avoiding high-sodium processed and packaged foods, rinsing canned beans and vegetables (unless they are unsalted to begin with), and adding little or no salt when cooking. Many experts suggest keeping your sodium intake to under 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day, especially if you have heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

• Smoking and tobacco use. Tobacco can promote calcium loss by inhibiting absorption, reducing bone density, and increasing fracture risk. It’s worth noting that smokers also tend to share other bone-harming habits, like less physical activity, poorer diet, higher alcohol use, and earlier menopause, so tobacco is often one piece of a larger picture.
• Eating a lot of protein. You may have heard that protein is bad for your bones, because higher protein intake increases the amount of calcium you excrete in your urine. This is true, and it applies to plant protein as much as animal protein. A 2003 study found that protein from soy, corn, wheat, and rice raises urinary calcium about as much as eggs, milk, and meat do.

But more calcium in your urine doesn’t mean your bones are being depleted to supply it. Controlled studies using isotope tracing found that a high-protein diet actually increases how much calcium you absorb from food — and that less of the calcium in your urine is coming from bone, not more. That may be why so many studies link higher-protein diets to higher, not lower, bone density.

So protein isn’t the enemy. Quite the opposite: About half of your bone volume is protein, and getting enough is essential. What matters is the whole package. Pairing protein with calcium- and potassium-rich foods — the potassium in legumes and grains actually helps reduce calcium loss — helps you to maximize the bone health benefits of protein in your diet.

• Not getting enough of other nutrients. For your body to properly absorb and use calcium, you need other nutrients, including vitamins D, C, K, E, and B12, as well as magnesium, zinc, and boron.
• Getting your calcium only from oxalate-containing sources. Getting your calcium only from oxalate-rich sources. As we saw with leafy greens above, oxalates bind calcium in the digestive tract and block its absorption. A study directly measuring absorption found spinach and rhubarb at the bottom, while lower-oxalate options like Chinese mustard greens and cabbage absorbed several times better. The takeaway: Enjoy spinach and chard for their many other nutrients, but don’t count on them for calcium.

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Calcium?

Because your body treats blood calcium as a life-or-death priority, it will steal calcium from your bones to keep blood levels steady. This means your blood calcium level will usually test completely normal even if your diet is deficient and your bones are becoming brittle. True low blood calcium (hypocalcemia) is rare and typically caused by underlying medical issues like kidney or parathyroid conditions, not diet alone.

Calcium-Rich Recipes

Craving something delicious and nutrient-packed? These three recipes deliver big on flavor and calcium! From the creamy Silken Tofu Salad and the irresistible Almond Ricotta Pear Toast to the comforting Red Bean Gumbo With Okra, each dish is loaded with plant-based goodness that supports your bones and enhances your calcium intake. With nourishing ingredients like tofu, almonds, sesame seeds, red beans, and okra, these recipes make healthy eating feel like a true treat.

1. Almond Ricotta Pear Toast With Balsamic Fig Jam

Elevate your toast game with Almond Ricotta Pear Toast topped with a luscious Balsamic Fig Jam. Creamy almond ricotta pairs beautifully with sweet, tender pears and a tangy, herby fig jam for a flavor-packed bite. The almond ricotta and fig jam bring a boost of plant-based calcium, making this toast as wholesome as it is delicious. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a fancy snack, this dish is as nourishing as it is indulgent. Bonus: it’s so pretty you might want to snap a picture before diving in.

2. Silken Tofu Salad With Sweet and Savory Dressing

Silken Tofu Salad With Sweet and Savory Dressing is a creamy, vibrant dish packed with a refreshing crunch and bold flavors. The silken tofu melts in your mouth, while sesame seeds and a zesty dressing tie everything together for a satisfying bite. A good source of plant-based calcium from tofu and sesame seeds, this salad is as nourishing as it is delicious. Bright bell peppers, crisp cucumbers, and buttery avocado make it a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner, it’s a simple way to enjoy calcium-rich plants!

3. Red Bean Gumbo With Okra

Dive into a bowl of Red Bean Gumbo With Okra, a hearty, flavor-packed dish that brings the taste of Louisiana to your table. Bursting with spices, tender red beans, and the rich texture of okra, this gumbo is satisfying and a delicious way to boost your calcium intake. Red beans and okra are powerhouses of this essential mineral, making each spoonful as nourishing as it is tasty. Served over fluffy brown rice, it’s comfort food with a wholesome twist. Perfect for cozy evenings, this gumbo is a celebration of bold flavors and plant-based goodness!

The Bottom Line on Calcium

Calcium matters, for your bones, your heart, and dozens of functions happening in your body right now. But if there’s one idea to walk away with, it’s that calcium doesn’t work alone, and it was never only about dairy.

Your bones are living tissue, remodeling today and every day. The choices you make now are shaping the skeleton that will carry you for decades to come. And the good news is that you have real influence over how that story unfolds.

So here’s the strategy, distilled: Build your foundation on calcium-rich plant foods like low-oxalate greens, tofu, beans, and seeds, which deliver calcium alongside the magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K your bones also need. Move your body with weight-bearing and resistance exercise. Get your vitamin D. And if you’re a postmenopausal woman — especially if you’re plant-based and lean — take this seriously, because your risk is real and the gap between what you eat and what you need can be hard to close through food alone. That’s exactly where a well-formulated, appropriately-dosed supplement with D3 and K2 can help.

Your skeleton has carried you through every chapter of your life so far. Give it what it needs, and it will keep carrying you, strong, steady, and ready for whatever comes next.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite calcium-rich foods?
• What special precautions do you take to avoid osteoporosis?

Featured Image: iStock.com/ratmaner

Read Next:

• Plant-Based Milk: What to Consider When Choosing a Dairy Milk Alternative

• Plant-Based Protein: The Best Sources & How Much You Actually Need

The post Calcium: How Much Do You Need And What Are the Best Sources? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

A few years ago, a woman in her early 60s sat across from me, eyes brimming with worry. Her mother had Alzheimer’s. Her older sister was beginning to forget names.
“I feel like I’m just waiting for the same thing to happen to me,” she said quietly.

What struck me most was not her fear, but her sense of helplessness. And she’s not alone.

We live in a time when brain-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS loom large in our collective consciousness. Headlines promise breakthroughs, yet meaningful pharmaceutical solutions remain frustratingly elusive. There is no pill that restores memory, rewinds neurodegeneration, or guarantees protection.

The Scale of the Crisis

It’s no wonder so many of us are worried. More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, with that number projected to grow to 13.8 million by 2060. Parkinson’s affects over one million Americans, with a new diagnosis made every six minutes. And ALS, while less common, is fatally progressive.

The human toll extends far beyond the patients themselves. Nearly 13 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, and between 40% and 70% of those caregivers report clinical symptoms of depression.

The financial burden on the healthcare system is reaching a breaking point. The total economic burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias reached $781 billion in 2025 in the U.S., taking into account medical expenses, unpaid caregiving, lost earnings, and declines in quality of life. 

Perhaps most troubling is the trajectory. While deaths from heart disease, stroke, and HIV declined between 2000 and 2022, deaths from Alzheimer’s increased by more than 142% over the same period. Brain degeneration is not receding. It is accelerating.

A More Empowering Truth

It’s understandable if all of this feels overwhelming. But this is not a gloom-and-doom article. There’s a more empowering truth that puts much of the power back in your hands: Your lifestyle choices profoundly influence your brain’s destiny. You are not a passive observer of your future brain. You are its architect.

Neurodegenerative diseases don’t just “happen” one day when neurons start failing. They develop, under the radar, over decades, driven by chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and immune signaling — factors that are deeply influenced by how you eat, move, sleep, think, and connect.

Your brain contains immune cells called microglia. Think of them as the brain’s gardeners. When conditions are supportive, they prune, protect, and repair. But when the internal environment turns hostile — driven by inflammation, oxidative stress, or metabolic imbalance — microglia can shift into a destructive mode, causing brain tissue to inflame. This shift underlies every major neurodegenerative disease we know.

Here’s the hopeful part: Microglia are exquisitely responsive to lifestyle signals. In other words:

Your Brain Is Listening to Your Daily Choices

Every one of your daily habits communicates important information to your nervous system. What you eat today. How you sleep tonight. Whether you calm your nervous system or keep it on high alert.

These signals shape whether your brain moves toward resilience or vulnerability. This insight sits at the heart of my new book, Brain Defenders, and it’s where fear gives way to agency.

And food, it turns out, is one of the most significant sources of information. Every bite sends instructions that either calm inflammation or amplify it. And inflammation anywhere in the body can push microglia toward their destructive M1 state.

A plant-forward, nutrient-dense diet supports mitochondrial function, helps stabilize blood sugar, and nourishes the microbiome — all factors that may contribute to healthier microglial function in the brain.

Don’t panic: Optimizing your brain health does not require an all-or-nothing approach or a flawless plate. Rather than chasing perfection, focus on pattern and consistency.

So what are the foods that most powerfully contribute to happy, supportive microglia in the M2 state?

Leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and kale provide folate, magnesium, and polyphenols — compounds that help modulate inflammatory signaling. Cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli sprouts, activate detoxification pathways and support antioxidant defenses at the cellular level. 

Berries deliver powerful compounds that reduce oxidative stress. Extra-virgin olive oil stabilizes cell membranes and calms inflammatory cascades. Nuts, seeds, and legumes, including lentils, provide fiber, minerals, and plant-based fats that regulate metabolism and nourish the gut-brain axis.

These foods don’t merely “fuel” the body. They help create the conditions in which the brain can heal and defend itself.

Brain-Protective Recipes

These are not “diet recipes.” They are information-rich meals that speak directly to your brain’s biology, and these three recipes are sending the best kind of message. Each one leans on the very foods shown to support calm, resilient microglia and a thriving gut-brain connection, all while being simple enough for a busy weeknight.

Mediterranean Lentil Bowl Serves 2 | ~30 minutes

The Mediterranean Lentil Bowl brings together tender green lentils, peppery arugula, and juicy cherry tomatoes for a dish that’s as satisfying as it is nourishing. A scattering of walnuts adds richness and plant-based fats, while a bright lemon-garlic dressing ties it all together. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s a wonderful lunch or light dinner full of the kind of whole, simple ingredients your brain loves.

Ingredients

• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil*
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• Optional: kalamata olives, za’atar

*For oil-free, omit the oil or use 1 tablespoon tahini mixed with 2–4 tablespoons of water.

Directions 

Cook lentils in vegetable broth until just tender, about 20 minutes — you want them firm, not mushy. While still warm, toss with arugula, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, and parsley. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper, and drizzle generously over the bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Broccoli Sprout Pesto Makes ~1 cup | ~10 minutes

For something with a little more punch, the Broccoli Sprout Pesto puts one of the most powerful brain-supportive ingredients front and center. Broccoli sprouts blend beautifully with fresh basil, walnuts, and good olive oil to create a vibrant, versatile sauce. Spoon it over roasted vegetables, stir it into white beans, or toss it with farro. However you use it, you’re getting a concentrated boost of the compounds that help activate your body’s natural detoxification pathways.

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh broccoli sprouts
• 1 cup fresh basil
• ⅓ cup raw walnuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil*
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions 

Combine sprouts, basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until roughly combined, then stream in olive oil and blend to your preferred consistency. Spoon over roasted vegetables, stir into white beans, or serve over cooked farro. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days with a thin layer of olive oil on top to preserve color. 

* For oil-free, omit the oil or use one tablespoon of tahini mixed with 2–4 tablespoons of water.

Berry-Chia Breakfast Bowl Serves 1 | ~5 minutes (+ optional overnight soak)

When you want something sweet that still works hard for you, the Berry-Chia Breakfast Bowl is the answer. Creamy plant-based yogurt meets chia and flaxseed for a dose of fiber and omega-3s, while fresh berries add natural sweetness and antioxidant power. Make it in the morning for a quick breakfast, or prep it the night before for a thicker, pudding-like texture you can grab on your way out the door.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt (coconut or almond)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• ½ cup mixed berries, fresh or thawed
• A small handful of crushed walnuts
• Optional: drizzle of the sweetener of your choice, pinch of cinnamon

Directions 

Combine yogurt, chia seeds, and ground flaxseed in a bowl. Stir and let sit a few minutes to thicken — or prep the night before for a denser, pudding-like texture. Top with berries, crushed walnuts, and any optional add-ins. The chia and flax deliver omega-3s and fiber in every bite.

Genes Load the Gun, but Lifestyle Pulls the Trigger

Even genetic risk factors like the APOE4 allele — a common variant that can impair how your body transports lipids and is closely linked to the development of dementia — are not destiny. Carrying the E4 variant is a predisposition, not a diagnosis. Your genes are simply the starting point; your daily lifestyle choices are the primary drivers of how they are expressed. This is the power of epigenetics.

Here are a few small, consistent practices that can reshape your brain over time:

• Regular movement, especially walking outdoors, boosts blood flow, supports neuroplasticity, and reduces inflammatory signaling. 
• Sleep is not downtime; it is the brain’s most powerful repair window, when waste products are cleared and memory circuits are reinforced. 
• Slow breathing, meditation, and nervous-system regulation send a powerful signal of safety that directly influences immune balance in the brain. 
• Social connection is linked to reduced inflammatory stress responses, while lifelong learning may build cognitive resilience against age-related decline.

None of these require perfection, but they do require intention.

Intention is simply a decision made ahead of time. It looks like setting a water glass on your bedside table the night before so it’s the first thing you reach for in the morning. It means putting the berries into a bowl right when you bring them home from the grocery store so they are the easiest snack to grab when you are tired.

You generate intention by lowering the friction between yourself and the choice you want to make. You don’t have to reinvent your entire life tomorrow. You just have to look at your day and clear a slightly smoother path for your future self to walk.

And the payoff for these small, daily investments in your health can be huge. 

A calm nervous system, stable metabolism, restorative sleep, and meaningful connection reinforce microglia’s protective role, day after day.

We may not yet have the pharmaceutical answers we hope for. But we already possess something profoundly powerful: the ability to influence our brain’s future every single day.

This is not about fear. It’s about understanding that the brain is dynamic, responsive, and deeply shaped by how you live.

You do not have to wait around for your future to happen to you.

You can build it, one choice at a time.

And that may be the most hopeful message of all.

Tell us in the comments:

• What’s your biggest concern when it comes to brain health?
• Which of the brain-protective foods or habits in this article are you already practicing, and which would you most like to add?
• Have you tried any of these recipes, or do you have a favorite brain-friendly meal of your own?

Read Next:

• Exercise and Dementia: How Staying Active Can Protect Your Cognitive Health
• The NEURO 9: Top Brain-Healthy Foods and Recipes for Optimal Health

The post Be the Architect of Your Brain’s Future appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Technically, cherries aren’t berries, but stone fruits or drupes, which means they have an outer flesh that surrounds a single inner pit. They’re part of the genus Prunus in the rose family and are related to the apricot, peach, plum, and almond. (So that’s the family tree of this tree family.)

Cherries are in season in parts of the Northern Hemisphere between May and August, and in the Southern Hemisphere between November and February. 

Part of their popularity stems (ooh, a pun!) from their versatility. Cherries are delightful raw or cooked and are good in both sweet and savory dishes. 

Like other brightly colored fruits and vegetables, cherries are high in antioxidants and have a number of health benefits. So let’s take a look at the world of cherries and explore their types, health benefits, and uses. 

Sweet vs Sour Cherries

There are two main types of cherries: tart (or sour) and sweet. You can probably guess that the most obvious difference between them is flavor. The variation comes from their acidity levels and natural sugar content.

But the differences between tart and sweet cherries go deeper than their flavor profiles. Sweet cherries tend to have a darker pigmentation and can be almost purple or black, while tart cherries typically retain their bright red color from harvest. 

Most of the fresh cherries you can buy are sweet varieties, as tart cherries are more often processed into tart cherry juice, dried cherries, or sold frozen. As such, fresh sweet cherries are available during the summer months (you can also get canned or frozen sweet cherries any time), while you can find tart cherry products all year round.

Both sweet and tart cherries are rich in antioxidants, although they have slightly different profiles. Tart cherries have higher concentrations of phenolic antioxidants, while sweet cherries may have the edge when it comes to anthocyanins. But the tart ones are no slouches when it comes to anthocyanins either, so if it’s disease-fighting properties you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong whichever type you eat. 

Types of Cherries

There are more than 1,000 cherry varieties grown around the world. While varieties of cherries can differ in their size, color, and best uses, the main differences remain in their sweetness versus tartness. 

Some of the most popular types of sweet cherries include Bing, Rainier, Tulare, Lambert, Coral, Royal Ann, Chelan, Sweetheart, Utah Giant, Van, Stella, and Skeena. (That list makes me want to put them into the chorus of “Mambo Number Five”: “A little bit of Coral in my life, a little bit of Chelan by my side.”)

They range in color from yellow to bright red and have the perfect sweetness to eat on their own or to prepare in a variety of ways. 

The most prominent varieties of tart cherries include Montmorency and Morello (which, to me, sounds like a crime-fighting duo made up of a British Lord and an Italian circus clown). Both are known for being incredibly tart, so much so that they’re generally difficult to eat on their own. Tart cherries are more often used to make jam, tarts, or heavily sweetened cherry pie. 

Nutritional Profile of Cherries

Cherries are incredibly nutritious, no matter which type you choose to eat. Tart cherries and sweet cherries are similar in their overall nutritional profiles. 

One 100-gram serving of raw, pitted sweet red cherries offers the following: 

• Calories: 63
• Protein: 1.1 grams
• Fat: 0.2 grams
• Total Carbs: 16 grams
• Fiber: 2.1 grams
• Sugar: 12.8 grams
• Vitamin C: 8% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Copper: 7% of the DV
• Potassium: 5% of the DV
• Iron: 2% of the DV
• Vitamin B5: 4% of the DV

Both categories of cherries are good sources of fiber, antioxidants, and electrolytes like potassium. Their dark red color makes them an excellent source of ellagic acid and anthocyanins. 

6 Benefits of Cherries

The impressive nutrition of cherries has led to their being studied for a number of health-related uses. What are cherries good for, besides making us happy when we eat them? Here’s a summary of some of the research on the benefits of cherries for health (and no, I’m not — wait for it — cherry-picking).

What are cherries good for, besides making us happy when we eat them? Here’s a summary of some of the research on the benefits of cherries for health (and no, I’m not — wait for it — cherry-picking). 

1. Reduce Symptoms of Gout 

Sweet cherries have been shown to reduce inflammatory markers when consumed consistently and as part of a regular diet, which could benefit conditions like gout. 

In one study, healthy men and women ate 45 cherries a day for a month (that sounds like a fun month to me!) and experienced a 25% reduction in C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation). When a similar intervention was performed among adults with gout, eating around 16 cherries a day resulted in lower uric acid levels and a 35% lower risk of gout attacks. 

And to make sure it wasn’t just an effect of antioxidants like vitamin C, grapes, strawberries, and kiwi fruit were also studied, but found to have no such effect on uric acid levels. In fact, the efficacy of cherries is so convincing that adding them to traditional gout interventions, such as a low-purine diet and medications, seems worth trying. At worst, you get to enjoy around 1,350 cherries every month (fewer in February). 

2. Cherries Can Be Good for Your Metabolic Health

Cherries are especially high in antioxidant compounds called flavonoids, which have been shown to improve cardiovascular health markers. Flavonoids can help prevent endothelial dysfunction, which can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease. 

Researchers found that 12 weeks of drinking 2 cups of tart cherry juice daily reduced systolic blood pressure and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in adults and improved blood biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, particularly those related to heart health.

Tart cherries are increasingly being recognized for their metabolic health benefits. A 2026 review looked at studies involving both animals and people who are overweight or obese — groups that face higher risks of heart disease. ​​(Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

In animals, tart cherry supplements consistently reduced inflammation, mitigated oxidative stress, and improved metabolism. Though research in humans is still catching up, the evidence so far points to the powerful antioxidants and natural compounds in tart cherries as a promising way to support heart health, especially for people managing weight-related risk factors.

3. Cherries Can Improve Sleep Quality

Melatonin, an antioxidant compound that promotes sleep, is found in both sweet cherries and tart cherries. 

Given that, it makes sense that several studies have found that cherry consumption can improve both the quality and quantity of sleep. Tart cherry juice may help decrease insomnia severity. (There was no word on whether sweet cherries produced more sweet dreams.)

4. Cherries May Improve Exercise Recovery

Many runners, swimmers, and triathletes drink cherry juice before and after training and races, and some joke that it feels like they’re “doping” because the stuff is so powerful. For instance, a 2020 study found that tart cherry juice improved recovery of muscle function after a marathon by increasing antioxidant activity and reducing inflammation, compared with a placebo.

Tart cherry juice has also been found to improve recovery of isometric muscle strength after intensive exercise by preventing oxidative damage. In a 2016 study, endurance athletes who consumed 480 mg of tart cherry capsules once daily for 10 days experienced less muscle breakdown and immune and inflammatory stress, as well as better aerobic performance, compared to the placebo group. 

5. Cherries and Diabetes

Cherries may also offer benefits for blood sugar control. A 2008 study found that women with diabetes who consumed 40 milliliters per day of concentrated tart cherry juice for 6 weeks experienced a significant reduction in HbA1c, a long-term measure of blood sugar levels. Extracts from both sweet and tart cherries were able to prevent drug-induced diabetes in rats and mice. This appears likely to be related to the many antioxidant compounds in cherries, such as chlorogenic acid, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acid, and flavanols, which may work mechanistically to prevent blood sugar spikes and improve regulation. 

A groundbreaking 2025 pilot clinical study was the first to investigate the effects of eating whole cherries instead of just juice or supplements. It provided new insights into how cherries can help regulate blood sugar. In the study, 27 healthy adults ate 280 grams of sweet cherries every day for 6 weeks. (That’s somewhere around 40 cherries a day.)

Their glucose control improved, as shown by lower HbA1c and average glucose levels. On top of that, markers of inflammation also dropped noticeably. The researchers suggested that regularly eating sweet cherries could be a simple, natural way to ward off early metabolic problems. 

One reason cherries may be helpful for blood sugar management, despite their sweetness, is their glycemic profile. Sweet cherries have a glycemic index (GI) of 62, which is lower than brown rice (68) and the same as a boiled sweet potato. Tart cherries have a much lower GI, at just 22, making them a very low-impact food on blood sugar. And when you look at glycemic load, which many researchers consider an equally important indicator of real-world blood sugar impact, both sweet and sour cherries score just 9, putting them in the low glycemic load category.

That said, if you have diabetes and are uncertain how cherries may affect your blood sugar, it’s worth enjoying them in smaller, more controlled portions and monitoring your response. And choose fresh or frozen cherries over dried cherries, since dried cherries contain much higher sugar levels.

6. Cherries May Help with Alzheimer’s Symptoms

Emerging research suggests cherries may also support cognitive health. A randomized controlled trial found that older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia who drank 200 milliliters of cherry juice daily for 12 weeks showed improvements in verbal fluency, short-term memory, and long-term memory compared to a control group. 

A 2025 study from the University of Kent took the research a step further. Researchers developed an anthocyanin-rich powder from cherries that would otherwise have been discarded during fruit processing. They found it reduced markers associated with Alzheimer’s disease in a laboratory model, with greater biological activity than cherry juice or purified anthocyanin extracts alone. Now that’s what I call upcycling!

The researchers suggested that the interaction between multiple natural compounds in the whole cherry — rather than isolated anthocyanins — may be key to its neuroprotective potential. 

What About Maraschino Cherries?

All this talk about cherries may have you wondering about those oddly neon-colored varieties typically seen on top of desserts or on the rims of cocktails known as maraschino cherries.

Maraschinos are not a variety of cherries on their own. In the past, they were preserved in a liqueur made from the Marasca cherry. These days, they’re preserved with artificial preservatives and flavors, colored with artificial colorings, and typically bathed in high-fructose corn syrup to reach their over-the-top sweetness. 

That all makes sense for the red Maraschino cherries. What about the blue and green ones? They are made by bleaching regular sweet cherries (often the Royal Ann variety) until they are so white that they can be dyed any desired color. 

These cherries are not a health food. I don’t really consider them food at all, given the processing required to produce the end result.

Risks of Eating Cherries

Cherries offer a long list of health benefits, making them an excellent addition to most diets. However, there may be a few things to keep in mind when incorporating cherries into your regular diet.

Cherry Pits

First, because cherries are stone fruits, each contains a single pit in the middle, which can be harmful if eaten. 

The problematic chemical in cherry pits is called amygdalin. When you ingest amygdalin, particularly when the pit is crushed or chewed, your body converts it into cyanide, a dangerous poison. But don’t worry — while it’s definitely not recommended to grind cherry pits into your smoothie or swallow handfuls of them whole, Poison Control says that small ingestions (like a single sneaky cherry pit) generally don’t cause any harm. 

Accidental ingestion of poisonous compounds isn’t the only risk when it comes to cherry pits. The pits themselves are a choking hazard, especially for children. It’s a good idea to remove cherry pits before offering them to young kids and to teach kids to spit out the pits when they’re old enough to eat them on their own. (But not at each other.)

Are Cherries High in Sugar?

You may have noticed from the nutritional compositions listed above that cherries are naturally high in sugars. For reference, 1 cup of fresh raspberries contains around 7 grams of sugar, whereas the same serving of cherries has 13–20 grams, depending on the variety. Can a fruit that sweet really be healthy? 

Here’s the thing: Natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables come in tandem with healthy nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals. This is vastly different from the highly processed and refined sugar that might be added to a packaged cookie. So yes, sweet fruits like cherries are healthy for most people, thanks to the rich symphony of nutrients.

Gastrointestinal Effects of Cherries

The high natural sugar content of cherries, along with sugar alcohols and compounds called salicylates, can cause digestive problems for some people. 

If you find that cherries have this effect on you, it’s probably best not to eat too many all at once. Sticking to smaller servings, like half a cup at a time, may be a good approach. I found this out the hard way recently when I ate a pound of cherries at a single sitting. My tummy felt a little uncomfortable for the next few hours, which was a pretty good indication that I had overdone it. But the cherries tasted so good.

Pesticides in Cherries

Cherries are on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) annual Dirty Dozen list. This means they are among the top 12 most pesticide-laden crops when purchased conventionally (non-organic). In fact, according to the EWG, more than 90% of the cherry samples they tested contained residues from at least two pesticides. 

The USDA’s Pesticide Data Program has found bifenthrin residues on cherry samples in its testing cycles. Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide that works by paralyzing and killing insects and has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA.

Imported cherries may come with their own issues, given suspicions of loopholes in the oversight of organic standards in countries of origin like China and Turkey. Your best bet is probably homegrown or local, organic cherries, either fresh or frozen. Fresh organic cherries can be harder to find, so if you do choose to eat non-organic fresh cherries, it’s wise to wash them well (by soaking them in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes and then rinsing them) before consuming.

How To Choose and Store Cherries

As with any fresh produce, it’s important to know what to look for at the grocery store or market when choosing cherries. Here are some tips for choosing the best fresh cherries to optimize freshness, flavor, and shelf life:

• Choose cherries that are plump and firm.
• Choose cherries that are bright in color, but keep in mind that Bing and other purple cherry varieties have a darker appearance when ripe.
• Avoid cherries with visible bruising or soft spots, as these can indicate rot beneath the surface.

When you get your cherries home, be sure to store them in your refrigerator. Don’t wash your cherries until you’re ready to eat them, as moisture can cause spoilage and premature degradation. Fresh cherries should generally be eaten within 5–7 days of purchase (less if they are very ripe), but if you don’t think you’ll get to them by then, you can always freeze them for longer-term storage. (Pro tip: Remove the pits before you freeze cherries. Frozen pitted cherries can make a great treat-snack!)

How To Use Cherries

Like other fresh fruits, you can enjoy cherries in their most natural form. 

Of course, you can add cherries to many dishes. They work well in both sweet and savory dishes and impart unique flavors to both cold and warm recipes. Sweet cherries are generally used in desserts and sweeter dishes, whereas sour cherries are more often used in savory recipes — although tart cherry pie can be delicious, too!

Here are some ideas for using sweet or tart cherries: 

• Eat them straight (personally, this is my favorite option of all)
• Use them to make cherry preserves, jam, or jelly
• Chop them into sweet or tart chutneys and salsas
• Slice them in half and mix them into a fresh fruit salad
• Chop or slice them thinly and use them to top a leafy green salad
• Use them in a variety of desserts, like pies, cakes, and cobblers
• Use them to make cherry vanilla n’ice cream by blending frozen cherries, frozen bananas, soy or nut milk, and vanilla (yum!)
• Blend them into smoothies or homemade juices
• Blend them into homemade salad dressings and other sauces or marinades
• Use them to top plant-based yogurt, granola, or oatmeal bowls

3 Cherry Recipes

Cherries are a fun snack to enjoy on their own, especially when they’re fresh and in season. However, they can be enjoyed year-round when purchased frozen (and sometimes frozen has even more nutritional value, since they’re harvested at the peak of ripeness and frozen immediately!). 

Start the day with antioxidant-packed cherries with the Toasted Pistachio and Cherry Overnight Oats. The refreshing and crunchy Cherry Waldorf Salad will appeal to fans of the traditional Waldorf Salad, as well as those unfamiliar with the dish (give it a try!). Finally, Cherry Vanilla Crepes deserve their own category — heaven! They’re ridiculously delicious. 

1. Toasted Pistachio and Cherry Overnight Oats

Nothing beats waking up in the morning knowing that your breakfast is waiting for you. Cherries and pistachios are like a culinary match made in heaven, giving traditional oatmeal a flavor and texture lift. Not to mention, cherries and pistachios are packed with nutrients that help fight inflammation, thanks to their abundant phytonutrients. Use frozen cherries to enjoy this breakfast treat all year round!

2. Cherry Waldorf Salad

If you’re a fan of traditional Waldorf Salad, then we bet that you’ll love this version even more. If not, we’re confident we can convert you. Tart cherries with toasted walnuts and a creamy plant-based yogurt dressing make an incredible snack or side dish for your main meal. Plus, it’s packed with phytonutrients in the cherries, omega-3s in the walnuts, and probiotics in the dressing.

3. Cherry Vanilla Crepes

Whoa. Whoever thought of the combination of vanilla and cherries, thank you. We love you forever. Slightly sweet and tart cherries, combined with vanilla cashew cream, stuffed into a buckwheat crepe, might be the definition of heaven. The fact that this treat is also good for you is simply mind-blowing!

Cherries Are Sweet, Sour, and Good for You

Cherries are not only pleasing to the eye, but they can also be pleasing for your health. And the cherry on top (bet you didn’t see that pun coming!) has got to be their deliciousness. There are many varieties of sweet and sour cherries, all with a number of remarkable health benefits. Although there are a few things to look out for with cherries, including their high sugar content and the potential for pesticide contamination, with an awareness of these issues, cherries can be, for most people, an excellent addition to a healthy, whole food diet — with many ways to prepare and eat them.

Tell us in the comments:

• Are you a fan of cherries? Do you prefer tart or sweet cherries?
• What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate cherries into your diet?
• Do you live in an area where you can go cherry-picking and enjoy them right off the trees?

Feature image: iStock.com/Anna Pustynnikova

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The post Are Cherries Good for You? Health Benefits & How to Enjoy Them appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

In a 2015 retrospective, Supermarket Sweep host David Ruprecht revealed the secret to winning the game. While the hams and turkeys were more expensive than most of the other products in the store, they had a couple of significant drawbacks. First, they were heavy and required a lot of energy to lift and toss. Second, they took up a lot of space in the carts, which prevented the players from adding more items.

Those who won the $5,000 grand prize generally avoided the meat section entirely and instead headed for the personal care aisle, where they grabbed dozens of cartons and bottles of beauty products. They were light and small, easy to hold and maneuver, and they cost much more per weight and volume than items in the meat or deli sections.

Without even knowing it, you play your own version of Supermarket Sweep whenever you eat. Instead of a cart, you have a stomach that can hold only so much food. And you have a bewildering array of options for what to put in that stomach. The question is: What’s your strategy for deciding what to chew and swallow, and what to leave alone?

There’s no single right answer. For some people, cost per calorie is the most important factor. For others, taste matters most. Habit also plays a large role, as do convenience, family tradition, and cultural identity.

But if you want your best shot at living a long and healthy life, there’s another metric to take into account as you design your diet — nutrient density. In other words, the foods that give you the most nutritional value per weight, volume, and energy (calories) are the ones that warrant your attention.

Maximizing Nutrition

Frequent Food Revolution Summit presenter (and the author of the foreword to my book, 31-Day Food Revolution), Joel Fuhrman, MD, bases his dietary philosophy on maximizing nutritional value. That’s how he formulated his Nutritarian Diet and how he came up with the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) score, which rates common supermarket foods based on how much nutrition they deliver per calorie.

But I don’t expect you to memorize the ANDI ranking of every SKU in your local grocery store, nor do you need to pull up an app every time you go shopping. Instead, Dr. Fuhrman came up with a simple acronym to help you remember what types of foods to prioritize if you want to win the Nutritarian Supermarket Sweep: GBOMBS.

Dropping GBOMBS

Dr. Fuhrman came up with the acronym GBOMBS to help you remember the healthiest, most cancer-fighting foods you can eat. All GBOMBS are whole, plant-based foods high in nutritional value.

Sometimes I like to imagine a young Dr. Fuhrman in a lab coat, pacing in the basement of a castle in Transylvania, struggling to invent a memorable acronym: “SMOBGBS? GBMBOS? SOBGBM? I am so close!”

So what are these GBOMBS? 

The GBOMBS acronym stands for Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds. You may be familiar with GBOMBS already if you know Dr. Fuhrman’s work or have heard of or seen them on our website. You may even have a sense of why these foods are such powerful allies in the quest to keep your body cancer-free. (If not, I’ll recap some of their health benefits below — for details, check out Dr. Fuhrman’s full-length GBOMBS article here.)

In this article, we’ll explore the math and science behind GBOMBS and review the nutritional profiles of each. Then we’ll explore how to get your GBOMBS every day — at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and even in between). You’ll discover how to take these simple, plant-based foods and turn them into whole meals or base an entire meal around one, some, or all of them.

The GBOMBS Formula: Nutritional Density Over Calories

GBOMBS are six types of whole, plant-based foods that deliver off-the-charts nutritional value (off the high end of the charts, just to be clear). Thanks to their high antioxidant content, these foods can help your body to heal, achieve optimal weight, and even slow the aging process. These are clean, whole foods that, in general, lack the disease-promoting, inflammatory components found in packaged foods, such as dairy, “natural” flavors, additives, high-omega-6 oils, excessive sodium, and artificial ingredients.

If you enjoy algebra, here’s Dr. Fuhrman’s longevity formula for estimating the quality of your diet: 

H = N/C (Health = Nutrients/Calories)

By nutrients, Fuhrman is referring to micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals that your body requires to function optimally. Calories are the macronutrients — carbohydrates, fats, and protein (plus alcohol, which technically gets included since it provides calories, even though it has no real nutritional value). 

Nutritarian philosophy holds that the more nutrients in a given amount of calories, the healthier the diet. This high nutrient intake also helps prevent overeating and addictive behaviors. 

GBOMBS could be considered the Olympic champions of health. They contain not only essential vitamins and minerals, but also hundreds of naturally occurring phytonutrients that may protect against cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and other chronic health conditions.

GBOMBS and Weight Loss

They are also hugely important if you’re interested in losing weight or maintaining a lean body. By focusing on nutrient density over calories, you may not need to count calories but can instead depend on your body’s innate satiety signals to let you know when to stop eating. Indeed, most GBOMBS are naturally low in calories, and since you aren’t consuming “empty calories” (the ones that are largely devoid of nutritional value), every calorie counts.

The only whole plant foods you may need to eat in moderation, if your specific goal is to lose weight, are nuts, seeds, coconuts, and avocados, because they’re high in fat and therefore high in calories. And among these foods, only seeds are represented in the GBOMBS list because they have the most well-documented anti-cancer benefits.

Benefits of GBOMBS

Pretty much all plant foods deliver healthy nutrition, so let’s take a moment to see why these particular food categories are extra good for you.

Greens

Greens are a GBOMBS food with a wealth of antioxidants like chlorophyll, isothiocyanates, and isoflavones, all of which contribute to the rich hues found in leafy greens. (I know they’re called greens, but just to keep things interesting, some of them are more purple or red, like purple cabbage and red lettuce).

The isothiocyanates in cruciferous greens such as cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, and chard are precursors to the powerful antioxidant sulforaphane, which is one of the most potent cancer-fighters ever studied. Many are also high in folate and vitamin K, which can help protect your brain, bones, blood, and even DNA.

Beans

Beans are the food group most associated with longevity around the world. High in fiber, protein, B vitamins, and minerals like iron, magnesium, and phosphorus, beans not only help prevent cancer but also support heart health, weight loss, and blood sugar management. They deliver the lowest glycemic load of any carbohydrate-rich food. 

A bonus is that they’re relatively inexpensive, so they can help you get more from your food budget. When you look at that balance of health benefits and value, it’s easy to see why they’re a nutritional mainstay all around the world.

Onions

Onions and their cousins in the allium family, including garlic, chives, and leeks, have been used both culinarily and as medicine for thousands of years. Their strong odors arise from organosulfur compounds (based on the element sulfur), which serve to protect the plants from predators. In a remarkable twist, those compounds also seem to protect the health of those predators (that is, us).

Onions and the other alliums have antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune-supporting, and potentially anti-aging properties.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms, which are technically fungi, not plants, are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Being from a different kingdom, they provide some valuable nutrients that aren’t so common in many plants. These include the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, which appear to boost our mood, as well as beta-glucan fiber, which fights inflammation in the gut-brain axis.

Mushrooms are also one of the few foods that may provide vitamin D if they’re exposed to sunlight while growing. All told, mushrooms are a powerful GBOMBS food that can benefit your heart, brain, gut, immune system, and cells.

While white button mushrooms are among the most nutritionally potent cancer fighters, a group of mushrooms known as medicinal mushrooms is now being studied, with great interest, for their potential as immune modulators. These include maitake, reishi, himematsutake, turkey tail, shiitake, lion’s mane, zhu ling, meshimakobu, and Chaga. 

Berries

Berries, with their rich reds, blues, purples, and yellows, are among the most colorful and healthy foods you can eat.

In addition to being great sources of vitamin C, folate, and potassium, berries are high in antioxidants and polyphenols such as anthocyanins and resveratrol. These compounds help fight oxidative stress in the body, which is often responsible for inflammation and chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. 

Seeds

Seeds are phytonutrient powerhouses containing tocopherols, phytosterols, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, and phenolic compounds. They’re also high in fiber and minerals like magnesium and manganese.

Some seeds, such as chia and flax, also contain omega-3 essential fatty acids, which aren’t always easy to come by on a plant-based diet. Seeds offer many health benefits, including helping fight cancer and stabilize blood sugar, and can also improve mood and athletic performance.

How To Incorporate GBOMBS Into Daily Meals

Incorporating GBOMBS into your daily meals can be as simple or complicated as you like. If you’re just starting, one way to get into the GBOMBS habit is to make sure to eat from one category each day. Get on a roll and work your way up from there.

If you’re more ambitious or already familiar with GBOMBS in your diet, you can up your game by choosing one to include at each meal. Once you’re a GBOMBS pro, see if you can incorporate all six into each day. And if you’re an overachiever, try to get all six into a single meal!

GBOMBS Meal Plan & Shopping List

To make eating GBOMBS daily even easier, we’ve put together a three-day meal plan for you to try! In it, you’ll find GBOMBS recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, along with a GBOMBS shopping list of all the ingredients you’ll need to make each recipe. You can download and print the PDFs of the meal plan and shopping list below.

Download our 3-Day GBOMBS Meal Guide and Shopping List here:

GBOMBS 3-Day Meal Plan Guide

GBOMBS Shopping List

GBOMBS for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner!

Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds are some of the healthiest foods on the planet. Their nutritional profiles rank them at the top of the ANDI score, with the most nutrients for the fewest calories. And even though, with the exception of seeds, they’re low in calories, their water and fiber content make them filling, so eating them can help you lose weight and keep it off without needing to count calories or worry about portion sizes.

Incorporating GBOMBS regularly into your diet and planning meals around them can help you get the most out of these incredible superfoods. I hope this meal guide and shopping list will help you keep GBOMBS at the forefront of your diet.

Tell us in the comments:

• Which of the GBOMBS do you like the most?
• Which of the GBOMBS do you want to eat more of?
• Have you ever eaten a meal that included all six GBOMBS?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Minadezhda

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The post How to Use GBOMBS: A Meal Plan & Recipes to Supercharge Your Diet appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The court physician to King Louis XIV, an ambitious experimenter named Jean-Baptiste Denis, tried in 1668 to cure an infamous Paris “madman” by giving him serial transfusions. When the second procedure proved fatal, with the subject shaking in a violent fit and dying the next day, Denis was arrested. After a trial and inquiry, the practice of transfusion — even human-to-human — was prohibited, and it remained a rare occurrence for the next 150 years.

Although the reasons for the man’s death were not understood until the late 19th century, it’s pretty clear that the problem was what’s known as a hemolytic transfusion reaction. Which is to say, the man’s immune system rejected the infused blood, killing the red blood cells as if they were dangerous foreign invaders.

In 1901, biologist Karl Landsteiner found the mechanism behind this potentially deadly reaction. He discovered different kinds of antibodies in human blood, which gave rise to different blood types. He named these types A, B, and O (and a fourth, AB, was identified a year later).

This discovery has saved a lot of lives, making possible the safe transfusion of blood for people in a wide variety of dire circumstances: serious injuries, surgeries, some cancer treatments, high-risk childbirths, and blood disorders.

It’s also given rise to a movement that claims your blood type is a key factor in determining what kind of diet you should eat, how you should move, and even what baseline personality you will exhibit.

The Blood Type Diet has been around since the 1980s. Its core thesis is that each blood type requires a distinct diet and lifestyle to achieve optimal health. It even claims that blood types are linked to distinct personality profiles, and that learning about and embracing your “type” can lead to the best possible life.

Millions of people have adopted the Blood Type Diet in the hopes of losing weight and improving their overall well-being. But does your blood type really have anything to do with customized nutrition recommendations, or is this just another fad diet? Is there any scientific basis for eating for your blood type? Or is the Blood Type Diet as unproven as (although far less hazardous than) trying to cure insanity with lambs’ blood?

What Is the Blood Type Diet?

The Blood Type Diet was created by Dr. James D’Adamo, a naturopathic doctor, in the 1980s and then popularized by his son and fellow naturopathic doctor, Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo. It continues to garner attention today, although its popularity has been declining over the past decade.

Based on your blood type — A, B, AB, or O — the program provides guidelines for the best types of foods to eat, what foods to avoid, stress management tips, and the most beneficial types of exercise for you. In other words, the optimal way of eating for someone with type A blood differs markedly from that of someone with blood type B. And so too for ABs and Os.

The Blood Type Diet became wildly popular after Dr. Peter D’Adamo published his book Eat Right 4 Your Type in 1996. It’s been followed by many other volumes, including blood type cookbooks and supplement guides. But the original book remains a best seller, with over 7 million copies sold. And in addition to books, Dr. D’Adamo built his version of the Blood Type Diet into a major business enterprise, selling a long list of branded dietary supplements, teas, nutrition programs, and even a skincare line.

Clearly, a lot of people are buying it (figuratively and literally). But what are they buying? A key to health and longevity, or distracting nonsense? Let’s take a look at D’Adamo’s claims and the evidence for or against them.

Blood Types and Their Diet and Lifestyle Claims

The Blood Type Diet claims that by following your tailored recommendations based on your blood type, you can learn how to handle stress most effectively, manage your weight, avoid disease, and eat better. Let’s take a closer look.

Below are the basics of what the program says you should eat, how you should exercise, and what other lifestyle traits you should adopt, according to which of the four blood types you have.

Important disclaimer

The details shared below are simply intended to clarify what the Blood Type Diet recommends for its users, rather than what health professionals recommend or what we at Food Revolution Network advocate.

Blood Types: A Summary

Type A: Those with type A blood, according to D’Adamo, have an extra-sensitive immune system and need to avoid stress triggers and eat a mostly vegetarian diet to “enjoy the innately settled, creative state” characteristic of type As.

Type B: According to D’Adamo, people with Blood Type B are innately adaptable and open. They have a strong immune system and “balanced” nervous system, and will benefit from a mix of meditative activities and more intense physical exercise. Type Bs are prescribed a very meat-heavy, omnivorous diet that excludes some grains and chicken.

Type AB: Blood Type ABs are told to address their highly sensitive digestive tract through a mixed diet: tofu, seafood, greens, and kelp are in, while no-nos include chicken, corn, kidney beans, and buckwheat. They should also keep their nervous system calm through centering physical activity and moderate exercise.

Type O: According to the program, Blood Type Os have a hardy digestive tract and a strong immune system. On the flip side, they can overreact to novel conditions with anger and manic episodes. They are supposed to eat a high-protein diet and avoid most grains, legumes, and dairy products (leaving red meat as a staple) so they can be the “strong, self-reliant leader” their blood type predicts.

What the Blood Type Diet Gets Right

Before we get to the problems with the Blood Type Diet, let’s acknowledge some of the positives.

Some Blood Type Diets Limit Animal Products

First, some blood types are encouraged to limit consumption of animal products and eat “healthier.” In fact, Dr. James D’Adamo originally tried prescribing a low-fat, vegetarian diet to all his patients. But when they didn’t all consistently do well on that diet, he theorized that individual blood types might have something to do with it. So, the origins of the diet did come from prioritizing plant foods over animal foods for optimal health.

Even though a plant-based diet isn’t at the forefront of this program anymore, the Blood Type A diet is still primarily vegetarian, with the additions of turkey and seafood.

Dr. D’Adamo also recommends eating organically grown food, which can help reduce exposure to pesticides and contribute to a healthier, more ethical world.

The Blood Type Diet Encourages Lifestyle Adjustments

Fortunately, the Blood Type Diet recognizes that diet and lifestyle affect health and the development of disease. Ultimately, it does focus on diet and lifestyle factors to improve health and prevent disease. And it encourages people to think about these things as interconnected.

Incorporating lifestyle is an important approach to take with diet programs, as global research shows that “The combination of four key factors — maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, following a healthy diet, and not smoking — seems to be associated with as much as an 80% reduction in the risk of developing the most common and deadly chronic diseases.”

Blood Type Diets Are a Form of Personalized Nutrition

Lastly, the program is a positive example that a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition just doesn’t work. Instead, it’s a type of personalized nutrition that at least attempts to take into account an individual’s genetic, phenotypic (i.e., blood type), medical, and nutritional factors to determine the best guidance.

Research has validated the benefits of personalized nutrition. In a 2015 randomized controlled trial published in the journal Cell, researchers monitored the blood glucose trends of 800 people over 1 week, measuring responses to 46,898 meals. They found high variability in the glucose response to identical meals, suggesting that universal dietary recommendations may not benefit everyone. (You have to admire the researchers’ self-control; I would have a hard time not insisting that they reach an even 50,000.)

There’s certainly precedent for personalized nutrition. But the best approach likely has more to do with multiple factors like blood markers, dietary habits, body measurements, physical activity, and gut microbiota than blood type on its own.

Other factors, like age and stage of life, also influence someone’s nutritional needs. A perfect example of this is the difference in recommended nutritional needs among children, teens, adults, pregnant and lactating women, and seniors. (As I was editing this article, I misread the last word of that sentence as “sailors,” and got seriously confused for a second.)

Problems with the Blood Type Diet

Although the Blood Type Diet gets some things right, it also presents several significant problems. The overarching issues are a lack of any coherent explanation for why blood type should determine so much about a person’s dietary choices and virtually no credible supporting evidence. Let’s dive deeper.

A Focus on Genetics

Whether you’re an A, B, AB, or O, genetics determines your blood type. But research suggests that genes are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to your health and rarely determine your destiny by themselves.

After all, your genetics don’t account for behavior, environmental influences, or even current health conditions that may need to be taken into consideration when looking at diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices. You don’t have a gene for going for a walk, or ordering a salad instead of a cheeseburger, or whether you live in a food desert.

(Tangent alert: That last sentence reminded me of a joke by Jonathan Katz: “Scientists have found the gene for shyness. They would have found it years ago, but it was hiding behind a couple of other genes.”)

Furthermore, while specific genetic variants can influence how you respond to certain foods and nutrients, the dynamic also works in reverse — the foods you eat can change how your genes are expressed. A person genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes can often avoid the disease by eating a high-fiber, plant-based diet composed mostly of whole foods. But another person without those genes can develop a galloping case of type 2 diabetes by eating the standard American diet (SAD).

Glosses Over Health Impacts of Animal Products

Next, the Blood Type Diet doesn’t address the numerous health issues associated with eating animal products, outside of whether doing so aligns with a particular blood type.

While it emphasizes whole foods and encourages buying organic, most of the recommended eating patterns still prioritize animal products. The type A diet is mainly vegetarian because these individuals are purportedly unable to metabolize animal protein well, not because animal protein is generally problematic for humans.

Decades of research show that eating more plants and fewer animal products tends to be better for your health. And this research includes people of all blood types, all ages and life stages, and countless other factors that make us unique individuals.

For example, eating a diet high in meat and dairy products is associated with the development of an array of chronic diseases. Meat is known to promote inflammation and can trigger the production of a metabolite called TMAO, which has been associated with the development of inflammatory conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and liver disease.

Animal products are naturally high in saturated fat, which can promote the buildup of fat in your arteries and raise your LDL cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease. Also, because animals are high up the ecological food chain, their bodies become concentrated repositories of hormones, antibiotics, and harmful environmental contaminants, such as persistent organic pollutants. No blood type can protect you from the high toxic load you’ll encounter when you consistently eat that high on the industrial food chain.

When you zoom out a little, large-scale animal agriculture harms not just the individuals who consume its products but all humans (and most other species) through its considerable greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, if the growth of the global meat and dairy industry continues as projected, the livestock sector as a whole could contribute 80% of the planet’s annual greenhouse gas budget by 2050. I don’t care how much kale you eat; it’s hard to be a truly healthy person on a sick planet.

Emphasizes Supplements

The Blood Type Diet heavily promotes its own line of supplements for each blood type and for specific health goals, such as weight loss, immune support, increased energy, or stress management.

They also have a supplement advisor program designed to “enhance your quality of life and well-being.” It weighs factors such as age, gender, blood type, and perceived areas of improvement, and lacks input from an actual health care advisor.

While there are certainly scenarios where supplements are helpful or even necessary, in general, most nutrition experts are in agreement that you should be getting most of your nutrients from food, especially whole foods. It’s right there in the word: They’re supplementary, not primary.

Advises Against Lectins

The Blood Type Diet advises against consuming lectins, a type of protein found in certain plants, including legumes, tomatoes, potatoes, soy, barley, eggplant, wheat, rice, and fruit. Thanks to the popularity of the anti-lectin diet in the 2017 book The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry, many people have become convinced that lectins damage their gut microbiome and overall health.

The Blood Type Diet goes even further, claiming that lectins can specifically target different blood types and that eating the “wrong” types can lead to agglutination — or clumping together — of red blood cells, releasing toxins into the blood. Upon closer examination, though, lectins largely trigger the same reactions across blood types.

There’s some evidence that certain plants may have blood group antigens. But most of the testing was done on seed extracts, not the plant itself, and this theory hasn’t been tested with the impact of these lectins on actual people, only on blood cells. Also, most of the foods to be avoided, such as beans and lentils, are typically eaten well-cooked (which significantly decreases lectin activity), while the studies have been done on raw beans. This is a little like arguing that beans are bad because you can break your teeth trying to eat them raw.

Overall, concerns about lectins are largely overblown, and most people can consume them safely. Just remember — and you heard it here first — to cook your red beans before chowing down.

The main problem with avoiding lectin-containing foods is that they’re some of the healthiest things you can eat: full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting plant compounds. In fact, in small amounts (the amounts you’re likely to get when you eat a variety of plant foods daily), lectins themselves appear to be beneficial. Avoiding them, as the Blood Type Diet dictates, could actually put you at risk for developing nutrient deficiencies. For more on lectins, read our article here.

Lacks Scientific Evidence

One major systematic review evaluated the claim that adherence to blood type diets provides health benefits. The researchers scoured the scientific literature and found 16 relevant studies. Only 1 of them made it past the inclusion criteria; the other 15 were excluded because they either didn’t study people following a specific blood type diet, didn’t test a diet designed to improve health, or didn’t measure clear health results.

And that one study that did satisfy those criteria? It found no evidence validating any purported health benefits associated with blood type diets.

Another study specifically tried “…to determine the association between blood type diets and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health and whether an individual’s ABO genotype modifies any associations.” The authors found that following certain blood type diets — but not all — reduced cardiometabolic risk factors. However, these associations were independent of an individual’s blood type, so the findings do not support the blood type diet hypothesis.

A diet based predominantly on whole plant foods, on the other hand, has been shown time and time again to reduce risk for chronic diseases and even reverse conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes in a great many people. And this is true regardless of blood type.

For example, a 16-week randomized clinical trial published in 2021 looked at the benefits of a plant-based diet compared with a control (omnivorous) diet. It also included a secondary analysis to see if blood type had any effect on the outcomes, since, according to Dr. D’Adamo, only type A is supposed to thrive on a mostly plant-based diet. The researchers found that blood type did not affect patient outcomes. They also found that all blood types experienced improved weight loss, and overweight adults experienced improvements in cardiometabolic health, from the diet change alone.

Unlike the Blood Type Diet, there’s evidence — an overwhelming amount, actually — suggesting that a plant-based diet is beneficial for you, regardless of your blood type.

(Which gives me an idea: maybe I should write four identical books about the health benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet, and market each one to a different blood type. Maybe that’s one way to sell tons of books and provide science-based guidance at the same time!)

That’s not to say blood type is irrelevant and we should stop caring about it at all. Certain blood types have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, and are at increased risk of problematic outcomes when they do get it. These findings tell us that blood type may influence susceptibility to certain diseases. What they do not suggest is that people of different blood types should eat differently. Blood type is not destiny — and regardless of your type, healthy diet and lifestyle choices remain beneficial for just about everyone.

The Verdict on Diets Based on Blood Type

Though flashy and intriguing, the Blood Type Diet is not supported by meaningful scientific data. There are currently no studies showing that choosing foods based on your blood type is good for you. Aspects of the protocol can be helpful, such as eating more whole organic foods, exercising more, and practicing stress management.

But restricting foods because of lectins or other perceived threats related to blood type, or eating an abundance of animal products, may, in fact, contribute to nutritional deficiencies or the development of disease. Thousands of studies show that the vast majority of people, of all blood types, are better off choosing a whole foods, plant-based diet — one that is rich in a diversity of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and with minimal or no animal products. 

The best reason to know your blood type is to give or receive blood safely, and not to decide what to put on your plate.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you or anyone you know tried the Blood Type Diet? What was your experience?
• What is your blood type, and how does what you actually eat compare to what you “should” eat (and not eat) according to this program?
• What are some of your takeaways from reading this perspective on the Blood Type Diet?

Feature Image: iStock.com/GoodLifeStudio

Read Next:

• The Keto Diet Explained: What the Science Really Says
• 7 Things the Paleo Diet Gets Right: A Plant-Based Cardiologist Explains

The post Does Science Support the Blood Type Diet? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Am I a fan of infrared saunas? Or of chelation to remove heavy metals? What about fasting, coffee enemas, or cleansing programs? Or Epsom salt baths and megadoses of vitamin C?

Some of these ideas can have value. But before you spend a lot of money and effort detoxing your body, the first thing to do is stop bringing toxins into it in the first place. And the place to start is with the food on your plate.

What? We’re getting toxins in our food? 

Oh my goodness, yes. As I write this, we’re consuming the most chemical-laden food in the history of humanity. (And, not by coincidence, the most addictive.)

The sheer number of food additives in use today is staggering. And the disturbing reality is that many of them have been declared safe only by the companies that make them — without any testing or oversight by government agencies.

How Your Body Detoxes Naturally (and Brilliantly)

The good news is that your body can already deal with toxins. Its detoxification system is constantly hard at work eliminating dangerous toxins and invaders before they can harm you. 

Six organs, in particular, have critical roles.

The Liver

Your liver is your body’s most powerful weapon against toxins. 

It performs some 500 functions — such as filtering the blood and deactivating toxins, including food additives, medications, and excess hormones. 

It also shuttles nutrients into your bloodstream. And it transforms the rest into waste material that exits your body via your kidneys or intestines.

The Kidneys

Kidneys are also workhorse organs. Their tasks include regulating fluid and electrolyte balance in your body, controlling your blood pressure, and dealing with hormone secretion.

Think of your kidneys as the ultimate quality assurance team for your blood. They filter it to excrete waste from muscle metabolism and urea from protein breakdown. 

They also eliminate excess fluid, bacteria, medications, and other chemicals through your urine. 

The Gastrointestinal System

From your mouth to your colon, your intestinal tract both digests food and helps to eliminate toxins. 

Intestinal microflora breaks down nutrients, which are absorbed into your bloodstream, while toxins are routed to your small intestine and removed from your body through excrement. 

The Respiratory Tract

Your respiratory tract (lungs and bronchi) removes toxins mainly as CO2 and phlegm. 

Your lungs are busy. They breathe in and out approximately 11,000 liters of air every day. And unlike the filters in vacuum cleaners and HVAC systems, you don’t need to replace them regularly! (Thank goodness! Just imagine the confusion at Home Depot if you had to remember the model number for everyone’s lungs.)

The Skin

Skin is an organ, even if we don’t usually categorize it like that. (Let’s give skin its due: It’s actually the heaviest organ you’ve got, weighing up to 15% of your body mass.) Skin plays an important role in eliminating toxins. 

Sweating has been found to help eliminate BPA, phthalates, and heavy metals. 

And while it can be porous (absorbing skin cream, for example), skin keeps out all sorts of bad things — from dangerous bacteria to poisonous chemicals. It’s your body’s first line of defense against a broad array of toxins. 

The Lymphatic System

Your lymphatic system includes fluid-filled nodes, vessels, glands, and organs. 

Its main purpose is to cleanse toxins, protect against invaders, and carry waste away from your tissues and into your bloodstream, where it can be processed and removed.

Why We’re Overloaded with Toxins 

Your body’s detoxification system is powerful. But in our modern age, it’s also likely under considerable pressure. 

Pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, heavy metals, chemicals, and stress can all strain your natural detoxification systems. It’s like one person is mopping the floor while another is stomping around the kitchen in muddy boots. 

And toxin exposure starts early. Before we’re even born, in fact. Testing of the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies has revealed an average of over 200 synthetic chemicals, some of them with carcinogenic potential.

The effects many of these chemicals have on our bodies still aren’t fully understood. Yet evidence ties many of them to health problems.

And drinking water can be a source of toxins, too. Studies have found an array of chemicals in public water supplies, including chlorine, lead, chromium-6, and drug residues from antibiotics, antidepressants, hormones from birth control pills, and painkillers, among others.

(For an overview of the problems with our drinking water and a review of some of the top water treatment options, click here.)

Stress can also play a part. It diverts energy and other resources from the detoxification process. 

The physiology of stress is rooted in the “fight or flight” response, which the body interprets as signaling a clear and present danger to your continued existence. 

Detoxing when all the energy in the body is needed to escape from a predator would be like insisting on mopping the floor while a tornado is tearing your roof off.

But because most of our stressors are mental and emotional (traffic jams, financial worries, annoying emails), the body can under-prioritize detoxification even when it’s the most useful thing it could be doing. Like, “I can’t mop the kitchen floor while The Wizard of Oz is on TV; that tornado is too dangerous.”

Given the prevalence of toxins in our environment — and often also in our bodies — many people want to know what they can do to protect themselves. 

Can you remove these harmful substances if they get into you? Or must they stay with you for life?

Does “Detoxing” Help?

The term “detox” is used in many different ways. 

The most common type of “detox” is a program used to wean people off alcohol and drugs. That makes sense — when someone is under the influence of these substances, they’re “intoxicated.” That is, they are suffering the effects of toxins in their bodies.

In natural health circles, detoxes are typically used to address environmental toxin exposure, gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune diseases — as well as for general cleansing and prevention. 

Practitioners who offer detoxes often claim they can aid in weight loss, support digestion, and fight inflammation, allergies, bloating, chronic fatigue, candida overgrowth, heavy metal accumulation, and parasites.

Because “detox” has become such a massive health buzzword, the term is, unfortunately, used to sell a lot of products and services with little or no basis in science.

Some detox programs recommend using laxatives or diuretics, going into “starvation mode,” going overboard with unsustainable exercise routines, popping unproven (and expensive) supplements, drinking diet sodas that are sweetened with dangerous chemicals, or even eating nothing but grapefruit. (Yes, that really is a thing.) None of these approaches has been proven to be helpful in the long run. 

Key Questions to Ask

Before trying any detox program, it’s worth asking a few specific questions, since most detox products have research, testimonials, and before-and-after photos. The question is whether any of it holds up.

Who is selling this, and what do they gain? If the person recommending the detox is also selling it, that’s worth noting. Financial incentives don’t automatically invalidate a product, but they’re a reason to look more carefully.

What does the evidence actually show? Testimonials and transformation photos are not evidence; they’re marketing. Look for peer-reviewed studies in independent journals, not just anecdotal endorsements. Studies funded by the company making the product can be useful to a point. If no such studies exist, proceed with a little more caution.

What specifically is being “detoxed”? A credible program should be able to name the toxins it targets and explain the mechanism by which it removes them. Vague claims about “cleansing” or “resetting” your system without specifics are a red flag.

Does it require you to buy proprietary products? Your liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, and skin are already continuously detoxifying your body. Any program that claims these organs need expensive outside help to function should be approached with some skepticism.

What does a doctor or registered dietitian say? Does a doctor or a dietitian (not a wellness influencer, but an actual clinician) with no financial stake in the product endorse it? 

The truth is that most of what legitimate detox programs achieve can be attributed to the elimination of processed food, alcohol, and excess sugar — not to any special supplement or protocol. Eating more whole plants, drinking more water, sleeping well, and moving your body will probably support your body’s natural detoxification systems more reliably than just about any cleanse on the market.

How Detoxifying Foods Can Boost Your Detox Ability

Several specific foods and beverages have been shown to help your body boost its detox power, in addition to providing many other health benefits.

Here are eleven of the top ones.

1. Cruciferous Vegetables and Leafy Greens

Members of the cruciferous family belong on every list of the world’s healthiest foods. They include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy, among others. 

A 2015 study published in the journal Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine reported that cruciferous veggies boost liver health through anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects. They’re also high in fiber, which encourages the excretion of toxins through bile and stool.

Two leafy greens that aren’t members of the cruciferous family, spinach and dandelion greens, are also excellent sources of chlorophyll, which is considered the top detoxifying plant pigment.

Broccoli, in particular, has been linked to protection against air pollution. Broccoli sprouts have also been found to contain enzymes that protect against cancer-causing chemicals. 

One reason broccoli is so powerful is its effect on glutathione — often called the body’s “master antioxidant.” Think of glutathione as your internal cleanup crew: It grabs onto toxins and escorts them out. Sulforaphane from broccoli and broccoli sprouts directly stimulates your liver to ramp up glutathione production. Garlic, green tea, and turmeric do the same, which is one more reason variety across these foods matters more than loading up on just one. 

For more on sulforaphane, see our article here.

2. Lemon 

Lemons are one of the best detox fruits. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that the citric acid in lemons can protect liver function and prevent oxidative (stress-related) damage.

Another 2014 study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that daily lemon ingestion, combined with daily walking, helps regulate blood pressure.

Lemon water is an easy way to get more lemon into your life. Squeeze fresh, organic lemon into a glass of water for an amped-up version of H20. If you drink this a lot, you may want to use a straw and rinse your mouth with water right away to prevent damage to the enamel coating on your teeth. Also, wait at least 30 minutes after drinking lemon water and other acidic beverages before brushing your teeth, for the same reason.

For our article on how to use lemon in recipes, click here.

3. Avocado

This creamy green fruit provides a wealth of antioxidants and other nutrients. 

A 2001 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the fatty acids in avocados help protect rats’ livers against damage caused by a powerful liver toxin. ​​(Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

For more on avocado, see our article here.

4. Green Tea

Green tea is one of those good-for-you beverages that has been used as a medicinal aid for thousands of years.

High in antioxidants, it helps keep your body in balance and protects against free radicals that can cause aging and degenerative diseases.

Green tea has also frequently been shown to have a protective effect against certain types of cancer. 

A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that a green tea concentrate boosted production of detoxification enzymes, which play a key role in cancer prevention. 

For more on tea and its remarkable health benefits, see our article here.

5. Apples

An apple a day really might keep the doctor away! These popular snacks are rich in the soluble fiber pectin. The pectin in apples helps purge toxins from the bloodstream and lower LDL cholesterol.

A 2006 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that pectin can aid in the excretion of toxins, such as mercury and lead. 

For more on apples, see our article here.

6. Garlic

A 2014 research review of studies on garlic published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine found that this pungent veggie has a whole host of health benefits. Researchers found that garlic can inhibit carcinogen activation, enhance detoxification, and even protect DNA. 

For more on the health benefits of garlic and other allium vegetables, see our article here.

7. Turmeric

Also known as “Indian saffron,” this gorgeous yellow spice has been used medicinally for nearly 4,000 years.

In 2011, the editors of Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects reviewed the evidence on this ancient spice and found it to have “antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antiseptic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, radioprotective, and digestive activities.” 

The primary active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which gives it its bright yellow color. But if you just eat turmeric straight, you may not absorb much of it. I love mixing fresh and dried turmeric into all sorts of foods, and I always try to include black pepper because studies show that piperine (found in black pepper) helps to increase curcumin absorption substantially. 

For more on turmeric, see our article here.

8. Beets

These bright-red veggies have long been touted for their high levels of antioxidants and other health-promoting properties.

But beets are also a detox tool. A 2015 study published in the journal Nutrients found that beet juice can amplify specific enzymes that support the liver and aid in detoxification.

For more on beets, see our article here.

9. Blueberries

Besides being delicious, blueberries are nutrient-dense and are an abundant source of antioxidants.

They’ve been shown to lower blood pressure, boost vascular health, fight cancer, protect lungs, and prevent Alzheimer’s, among other effects.

As far as fighting toxins, a 2011 study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that the berries enhanced the activity of the body’s natural killer cells, which fight against cancer cells.

For more on blueberries, see our article here.

10. Cilantro

Some plants are actually considered “chelators” — meaning they can bind to heavy metals and help your body excrete them. This flavorful herb is one of them! 

A 2013 study published in the Scientific World Journal found that cilantro can enhance mercury excretion and decrease lead absorption. Put that in your guacamole and eat it!

11. Ginger

Rich in phytochemicals — the healthy compounds found in plants — ginger is widely used as a gastrointestinal aid.

Since the intestines perform so much detoxification work, ginger can help boost your body’s ability to process food and eliminate waste.

A 2013 research review published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that ginger protects against oxidative stress, has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, and offers a wealth of antioxidants. 

For more on ginger, see our article here.

Foods To Avoid When Cleaning Out Your Body

As you learn how to get rid of toxins from your body naturally, the first step is to avoid foods and drinks that are sources of toxins. Back to our mopping-the-kitchen analogy: Before you get out the mop and bucket, stop stomping around in muddy boots. Avoid these foods.

Most Fish

Most fish flesh contains high levels of chemical residues, including mercury and synthetic chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Seafood poisoning from marine toxins is an underrecognized hazard for travelers, particularly in the tropics and subtropics.”

And because of plastic pollution in the ocean, almost all fish consume microplastics that end up in your stomach when you eat them. 

If you choose to eat fish, the least dangerous options for humans (all fish consumption, of course, is lethal for the fish) are low-mercury fish, such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring. Read our full article about eating fish here.

Meat 

Processed meats (bacon, lunchmeat, hot dogs, etc.) have been classified as carcinogenic (cancer-causing) by the World Health Organization, so it’s likely best to avoid them altogether. 

Even unprocessed meats are often contaminated with bacteria due to the processes, equipment, and conditions of many farms and slaughterhouses. 

Dairy

Cow’s milk contains a whole host of substances, including powerful growth hormones, that can cause health issues in humans. 

Dairy consumption has been linked to acne, asthma, heart disease, and many types of cancer. 

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found up to 20 different chemicals in cow’s milk. These included the anti-inflammatory drugs niflumic acid, mefenamic acid, and ketoprofen (all used as painkillers in animals and people). 

If you want to ditch the dairy, you can opt for plant-based milk, such as cashew, almond, soy, or oat instead. (See a doctor’s thoughts on the healthiest plant-based milk here.) 

Bioengineered Foods (Also Known as GMOs)

Bioengineered food ingredients, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), first hit U.S. grocery store shelves in 1994, and widespread commercial cultivation of GMO crops took hold in the mid-to-late 1990s. Despite industry claims, studies have found that they have led to higher pesticide use and no meaningful improvement in flavor, nutrition, yield, or water consumption. 

Instead, what they’ve created are plants that are engineered to withstand massive dosing of toxic herbicides — and plants that function as living pesticide factories. Bayer’s Bt corn, for example, is actually registered with the EPA as a pesticide.

Many credible scientists have significant concerns about the safety of these crops for human and animal consumption. 

And GMO crops are typically contaminated with glyphosate, which is a probable carcinogen, a suspected endocrine disruptor, and has been patented as an antibiotic. 

The primary GMO foods available in the U.S. are corn, soybeans, canola, sugar beets, papaya, and cottonseed oil. Many processed foods also contain genetically modified corn and soy.

You can avoid GMOs by steering clear of these ingredients unless they are organic or certified non-GMO. 

For more on Bioengineered foods, see our article here.

Take Care of Your Body So Your Body Will Take Care of You

Cleansing your body of toxins doesn’t require an expensive program, a proprietary supplement, or a week of eating nothing but grapefruit. Your liver, kidneys, skin, and lymphatic system are already working hard on your behalf every day. The most powerful thing you can do is make their job easier.

That means reducing what comes in by eating less processed food, less alcohol, fewer pesticide residues, and less plastic contact with your food and water. And it means supporting what’s already working with cruciferous vegetables, garlic, green tea, fiber-rich whole plants, and plenty of clean water.

Start with one or two of the foods on this list if you’re not already eating them regularly. Add a second pair the following week. Small, consistent changes to what’s on your plate will probably do more for your body’s natural detoxification capacity over the long run than any cleanse you could buy.

Tell us in the comments below:

• Have you tried any detox diets?
• What are your favorite ways to eat these detoxifying foods?
• Did this article teach you what you wanted to know about food and detoxification?

Read Next:

• How to Do a Natural Detoxification with 5 Types of Nutrient-Rich Foods

The post 11 Detoxifying Foods To Help Cleanse Your Body Naturally appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

I’m not saying those questions aren’t important, but they all miss the one nutrient critical to a healthy life that almost everyone is deficient in: fiber

Are you getting enough fiber? It depends on what you eat, of course. But in the words of Toy Story’s Magic 8 Ball, “don’t count on it.” Fewer than 10% of U.S. women and 3% of U.S. men get the recommended amount of fiber. In the U.K., more than 9 out of 10 adults fall short.

In places where people still eat relatively traditional diets, like many of the Blue Zones that are home to some of the planet’s longest-lived peoples, eating fiber-rich foods is par for the course. In fact, it may well be that fiber is a major factor in the longevity of Blue Zone residents.

A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who consumed the most fiber were 16% less likely to die during the following ten years, compared to those who ate the least.

Researchers analyzed 17 studies that included nearly a million participants and found that every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day cut mortality risk by 10%. To put that amount in perspective, one small cherry tomato weighs roughly 10 grams, according to my kitchen scale. 

But why is fiber good for you? How can it benefit your health? How much fiber do you need daily? And how can you ensure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet?

What Is Fiber, Exactly?

Fiber provides structure to plant cell walls, functioning kind of like a skeleton. When you eat plants, your body does a great job of extracting macro and micronutrients, but it doesn’t manufacture the digestive enzymes needed to break down fiber. So that fiber passes through your digestive system intact.

That might sound like an argument for fiber being unnecessary, or even a problem. But wait — there’s more to the story. A lot more.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Each performs a different job in your body. 

Soluble fiber dissolves into a gel in your digestive tract with the addition of water. It slows down digestion, which helps with blood sugar balance and cholesterol levels, as well as nutrient absorption. Good amounts of soluble fiber are found in foods like whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, as well as some fruits and vegetables. 

Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools and acts like a broom, cleaning out your digestive tract. It promotes healthy bowel movements and also helps with insulin sensitivity. You can find good amounts of insoluble fiber in whole grains, vegetables, and wheat bran.

Both soluble and insoluble fiber are found naturally, to varying degrees, in all unrefined plant foods. Meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, added sugars, and oils, however, don’t contain any fiber. And processed foods made with refined flour generally contain very little, if any, because natural fiber is lost or removed in their manufacture.

Prebiotics and Resistant Starch

Soluble fiber does more than regulate the traffic in your digestive tract. While your body doesn’t have the digestive enzymes that can break it down into useful compounds, it “knows a guy.” Specifically, your gut is host to a veritable universe of bacteria, collectively known as your microbiome.

Like any universe, your microbiome includes many different characters; some helpful, some neutral, and some downright dangerous. Beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, have the tools to metabolize fiber for energy. In that process, they also produce a wide range of compounds that are crucial to your health that you can’t make without them.

Prebiotics fall under the umbrella of soluble fiber and also serve as food for those beneficial “probiotic” gut bacteria. Prebiotic-rich foods include things like jicama, allium vegetables, legumes, and leafy greens.

Resistant starch is a type of indigestible, fermentable carbohydrate that also serves as a prebiotic. Whole grains, potatoes cooled after cooking (hello, potato salad!), and green bananas are all good sources of resistant starch. This type of starch improves insulin sensitivity and promotes the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut, which keep your gut and immune system healthy. These fatty acids also circulate throughout your body, communicating with your cells and tissues to help regulate inflammation and promote healing.

Benefits of Fiber

The evidence for the health benefits of fiber is overwhelming. Let’s explore some of it here.

Fiber and Gut Health 

Does fiber help you poop? Yes, it does! And being able to do so daily is more important than you might think. Constipation is not only uncomfortable, but it may also increase your risk for chronic diseases like cancer, hormonal imbalances, and even cardiovascular disease.

By speeding things along, fiber helps eliminate toxins from your digestive tract. The longer those toxins hang around, the more likely they are to be reabsorbed into your body through your intestines and wreak havoc on your health.

Fiber also benefits your digestive system by improving the composition of your microbiome. As we saw, certain fiber-filled foods are also prebiotics that feed your population of good gut bacteria. Increasing your fiber intake can alter your microbiota in as little as two weeks, enabling those beneficial bacteria to crowd out any “bad guys“ that could be causing gastrointestinal and other health issues.

Does Fiber Help You Lose Weight?

Consuming more fiber can indeed support weight loss. A 2019 study, the POUNDS Lost Study, asked overweight and obese participants to follow a reduced-calorie diet that provided at least 20 grams of fiber per day.

That number is worth putting in context. It’s well below the 25–40 grams per day recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (the range depending on age and sex), but it’s significantly more than most Americans currently eat. So even that modest target represented a meaningful dietary shift for most participants.

Fewer than half of the participants consistently hit the 20-gram mark — those who did lost about 3 more pounds than those who fell short. One likely reason is that adequate fiber helped them more easily stick to their calorie targets.

So why does fiber help with weight management? A big part of the answer is satiety. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the gut and forms a gel-like substance that slows the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream and activates stretch receptors in your stomach. This is the physical signal that tells your brain you’ve eaten enough.

Fiber-rich whole foods reinforce this effect in another way. Compared to animal products and processed foods, whole plant foods tend to be higher in water and lower in fat, which means they deliver fewer calories per bite. You end up eating a satisfying volume of food while taking in fewer calories overall — and your stretch receptors do the rest, sending the message to your brain that it’s time to stop.

Fiber and Cancer Prevention

Fiber is an essential part of your waste removal system, constantly eliminating carcinogens before they become a problem. For instance, fiber works to prevent colorectal cancer by improving intestinal transit time — literally sweeping away carcinogens.

In a study at the National Cancer Institute called the Polyp Prevention Trial (PPT), published in the Journal of Nutrition, participants were put on a low-fat, high-fiber diet high in fruits and vegetables. Researchers focused on the recurrence of colorectal adenomas (polyps), viewing them as precursors or early warning signs of cancers that might take years or decades to show up clinically. 

After adjusting for variables, it was found that the one food that made a difference in whether or not participants had a recurrence of adenomas was the amount of beans they consumed. The researchers note that for most study participants, beans were their primary source of dietary fiber. 

Fiber’s anticancer benefits don’t stop at colorectal cancer. It also reduces the risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, mouth, and throat. A meta-analysis published in the BMJ found that every 10 grams of fiber consumed daily is associated with a 10% reduced risk of colorectal cancer, and a separate meta-analysis in the Annals of Oncology found the same 10-gram increase linked to a 5% reduction in breast cancer risk.

But perhaps the most striking finding comes from a long-term study published in Pediatrics that followed over 90,000 women for 20 years. It found that what you eat as a teenager and young adult may shape your breast cancer risk for the rest of your life. Women who consumed the most fiber during adolescence and early adulthood — around 20 grams or more per day — had a 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause. Every additional 10 grams of daily fiber in early adulthood was associated with a 13% further reduction in risk. And the women with the highest overall fiber intake reduced their lifetime breast cancer risk by 16%.

In other words, this isn’t just advice for adults trying to course-correct. If you have daughters, nieces, or young women in your life, or you are a young woman yourself, this is worth sharing and taking to heart.

Is Fiber Good for Your Heart?

Many cardiologists recommend eating oatmeal for breakfast. Their #1 reason? Oatmeal is a rich source of soluble fiber, and studies have found that it has a positive impact on cholesterol.

In fact, a review and meta-analysis of 22 different studies found that the more fiber people ate, the lower their risk of both cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease. 

One possible way dietary fiber achieves these effects might be its ability to reduce systemic inflammation markers associated with cardiovascular disease and other diseases. Its impact on inflammation is important for heart health because inflammation may be a risk factor for high blood pressure.

Fiber and Blood Sugar

Fiber helps regulate blood sugar. This is one of the reasons that many dietitians and other lifestyle medicine practitioners recommend that people with type 2 diabetes consume beans and other legumes. These high-fiber powerhouses help slow glucose absorption while regulating blood sugar over time.

In a study published in Nutrition Journal, researchers compared the glycemic response of traditional bean-and-rice meals with rice alone.

Seventeen men and women with diabetes were given either plain white rice, white rice with black beans, white rice with pinto beans, or white rice with red kidney beans. Then, researchers measured their blood glucose at 90, 120, and 150 minutes.

When they ate beans with their rice, the participants exhibited better blood sugar control. This makes sense, considering that beans and other legumes are good sources of resistant starch, which can improve insulin sensitivity and prime the body to move glucose from the blood into cells, where it can be stored or used.

So, whether you have type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or just want to have a steadier blood sugar balance and improved insulin sensitivity, a high-fiber, plant-powered diet that includes beans may help you feel your best.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Dietary guidelines for fiber vary, but most countries and professional health agencies recommend intakes between 25 and 35 grams per day for adults. Although the U.S. updated its daily fiber reference value in 2016 from 25 to 28 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet — based on the long-standing standard of 14 grams per 1,000 calories — most adults are still getting only about half that amount daily.

While 28 grams of fiber would obviously be a step in the right direction, some experts believe we should aim much higher. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) fiber recommendation, for example, is 40 grams per day. 

Even that goal falls short of the 100-gram-a-day average that some researchers believe our ancestors may have been eating. They weren’t tracking their fiber intake on an app or hunting it down at a health food store. It was simply the tax they paid for eating wild plants. In those days, undomesticated fruits, veggies, and tubers were much tougher and woodier than the tender, sugary versions we find in modern supermarkets. 

And in the absence of fancy kitchen gadgets, our progenitors often consumed the skin, seeds, and stems of these plants. Long story short: To get enough calories from plants, they had to eat massive volumes, which naturally brought a tidal wave of fiber into their digestive tract.

I don’t necessarily recommend eating twigs and banana peels to achieve those 100 grams a day. But if you’re eating the way most people do in the industrialized world, you could probably do with more fiber in your diet. 

What Are the Best High Fiber Foods?

Now that you know the health benefits of getting enough fiber, what are some of the best fiber-rich foods you should be eating?  

Given that fiber is best found in its natural state and fiber is found only in plant foods, fill your plate with fiber-rich foods, such as:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans and other legumes
• Whole grains
• Nuts and seeds

You can buy fiber supplements, which are probably better than nothing if your diet is largely devoid of fiber. That said, in most cases, they’re likely to be of limited value compared to whole plant foods, since they’re missing the beneficial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals also found in those foods.

This infographic, which is by no means comprehensive, can help you start your quest to find high-fiber foods.

How to Get Enough Fiber in Your Diet 

Here are some easy ways to add more fiber to your diet:

• Choose whole grains instead of white bread and white flour products
• Choose beans over beef (or any other animal product)
• Double your veggie sides: Pile vegetables on your plate before you add anything else
• Start your day with oatmeal and berries instead of eggs, bacon, or commercial breakfast cereals 
• Snack on fiber-rich foods, such as pears, sliced apples with peanut butter, or veggies and hummus
• Skip or reduce your consumption of meat, dairy, and processed foods like cookies, crackers, chips, and sodas

Specific foods vary in fiber content, but to gauge how much fiber to eat, it can be helpful to estimate the number of grams of fiber in different food groups.

The PCRM offers this information in a handy chart.

To understand how much fiber you’re getting, here’s what you can do: Write down everything you eat and drink for one day and jot down your fiber score according to this chart.  

You’ll notice that if your diet is made primarily from whole plant foods and includes plenty of beans, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, you’re probably getting a good amount of fiber.

However, if you’re eating meat, dairy, and processed foods — like white bread, cookies, crackers, chips, and soda — it can be challenging to achieve the goal of 40 grams, or even 28 grams, of fiber per day.

How to Understand What Your Fiber Score Means

Less than 20 grams of fiber per day

Your score is pretty typical for most modern industrialized nations, but it’s not doing your health any favors.

With less than 20 grams of fiber per day, you may be hungry often and have trouble with constipation and other digestive issues. At this level, the risk for certain chronic diseases, including heart disease and some forms of cancer, is also increased.

But the good news is, it’s easy to change all this by incorporating more fiber-rich foods into your diet!

20–39 grams of fiber per day

You’re getting more than many people eating the standard American diet, but you may still have room for improvement.

Focus on crowding out foods that contain little to no fiber by adding more fiber superstars to your meals — like beans and lentils. By doing so, you’ll probably find that you feel more satisfied and that maintaining a healthy weight becomes easier. Plus, you’ll further reduce your risk of chronic diseases and early mortality.

40+ grams of fiber per day

Your diet is loaded with fiber-rich whole plant foods. You’re in the tiny fraction of the population that is actually getting PCRM’s recommended amount of fiber. Way to go!

A Fiber-Rich Meal Plan

What does high-fiber eating look like?

If most people eat less than the recommended amount of fiber per day, you may be thinking, “How am I going to eat 40 or more grams of fiber (or even 28 grams) per day?” 

It’s easier than you think. Here’s what a typical day might look like:

Breakfast: Buckwheat Chia Pancakes: 13 grams from the buckwheat + 2 grams from the chia + 1 gram from the mashed banana = 16 grams 

Lunch: Avocado Salad: 4 ½ grams from the avocado + 4 grams from the black beans + 2 grams from the arugula, tomato, onion and cilantro = 10.5 grams 

Snack: Moroccan Baked Chickpeas: = 7 grams 

Dinner: Vegan Mince Lettuce Tacos: 6 grams from the lentils + 3 grams from the veggies, including romaine lettuce shells = 9 grams

Total Fiber: 42.5 (Ding ding ding, we have a winner!)

Take Action for Your Health: Fiber Challenge

Now that you know why fiber is so good for you and how to get enough fiber in your diet, team up with a friend or family member and challenge yourself and each other to reach 40 grams of fiber per day consistently. 

If you’re new to eating a lot of fiber, be sure to add it to your diet slowly, because increasing your fiber intake too quickly can cause bloating and gas or other negative side effects. It’s also important to drink plenty of water while increasing your consumption of fiber-rich foods. When you increase gradually and allow your body to become used to the increase in fiber, you probably won’t experience any discomfort.

Fiber may be the least glamorous nutrient in the conversation about healthy eating. No one (except maybe yours truly!) is writing breathless headlines about their high-fiber diet. But the evidence is hard to argue with. Better digestion, lower cancer risk, a healthier heart, steadier blood sugar, and a longer life. All from eating more plants. Take the 40-gram challenge, add it gradually, drink plenty of water, and see how you feel. The results might surprise you.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you get enough fiber?
• What’s one simple change can you make today to start incorporating more fiber into your diet?
• What benefits have you noticed from adding more fiber to your diet?

Featured Image: iStock.com/apomares

Read Next:

• Are Starches Good or Bad?
• 5 Common Mistakes Plant-Based Eaters Make and How to Avoid Them
• Plant-Based Protein: The Best Sources & How Much You Actually Need

The post Why Is Fiber Good For You? (And How To Get Enough Fiber!) appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Mine is. I love peanut butter, whether I slather it onto a slice of whole-grain bread, mix it into a curry sauce, or meld it into a warm, satisfying soup.

One of my secret late-night snacks is a banana dipped in peanut butter. (Oops, the secret’s out.) I also smear it into the grooves of celery sticks. And my dad used sometimes to spread peanut butter on a slice of cantaloupe!

There are endless ways to enjoy peanut butter, but that leads me to an important question. Can a food that tasty and creamy actually be good for you?

If you’re in the 2% of people who have a peanut allergy, the answer is clearly no — cases of anaphylactic shock that can arise from peanut exposure can be life-threatening. And if you suffer from arachibutyrophobia (the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth, which is a real thing that’s probably related to a more generalized fear of choking), the nutritional profile of peanut butter may also be beside the point. But for the rest of us, let’s explore the humble peanut and see what’s what.

Peanut Butter Basics

Did you know that peanuts aren’t nuts? Botanically speaking, they’re actually legumes, in the same family as beans, peas, and lentils. But from culinary and nutritional perspectives, they are indeed very much like nuts.

Grind roasted peanuts into a paste and voila! You’ve got peanut butter.

Who came up with the idea of mashing up peanuts, anyway? 

George Washington Carver, an American botanist and inventor, is often erroneously credited with inventing peanut butter. Carver did find a lot of uses for peanuts — over 300 to be exact — but (mythbusting alert!) peanut butter wasn’t one of them.

There’s evidence that, long before Carver, roasted peanuts were being ground up by the Aztecs and Incas.

In the 19th century, peanut butter turned into a commercially available product thanks to several enterprising businesspeople. Marcellus Gilmore Edson patented peanut paste in 1884. In 1895, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (the corn flake fellow) patented a new process for making peanut butter and then advertised it as a protein for people without teeth.

You can now find peanut butter-flavored everything, from cookies to snack bars to cereals. Peanut butter itself comes blended with many flavors now, too — chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, maple, and even cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Nutrition

People love peanut butter because it’s affordable, simple, versatile, and (to most people, though definitely not everyone), delicious. Is it also nutritious? Let’s see what it has to offer. 

1) Peanuts Provide Healthy Plant Protein

Around 25% of the calories in peanuts come from protein, making them a great plant-based protein source. For you number-crunchers, that comes out to about 8 grams of protein per 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter. (And for those of us who’ve been known to eat it straight from the jar with a spoon, two tablespoons sure feels like a serving.)

Peanuts offer more protein than any actual nuts. They also contain all 20 amino acids used by the human body, including arginine, which is important for heart health.

2) Peanuts Have Complex Carbohydrates and Fiber

Peanut butter contains complex carbohydrates. And if you’re eating one of the natural varieties with no added sugar, it’s low on the glycemic index scale, so it won’t spike your blood sugar.

Peanut butter also provides fiber (about 1 gram per tablespoon), which will help you feel fuller longer. That fiber feeds not only you; it also nourishes the beneficial bacteria in your microbiome so they have enough energy to do their important work on your behalf.

3) Peanuts Contain Important Vitamins, Minerals, and Are Nutrient-Dense

Peanuts are a rich source of manganese, niacin, vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus. They also provide a wide range of antioxidants, boasting as many antioxidants as strawberries. (That was unfair; I’ve never heard a peanut boast about anything. For all their goodness, they’re quite humble.) Despite their humble demeanor, peanuts are both energy- and nutrient-dense. They’re also a highly filling food. 

Because they’re so filling, peanuts have been used as an important source of nutrition for people on difficult expeditions to remote areas and under challenging conditions. Peanuts have helped people travel to Antarctica, fly into space, and trek all over the world. Peanuts have also played a crucial role in confronting malnutrition in several African countries. 

The downside of peanut butter’s energy density is that it’s possible to eat too much. Those 2 innocent tablespoons I (I mean someone) just scooped out of the jar contain 194 calories, including over 15 grams of fat. While the role of fat in weight gain is hotly debated, it’s reasonable to think that, if used as a staple food and eaten in large quantities, peanut butter might not help you lose weight.

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

With all those nutrients, you might suspect that peanut butter confers health benefits. And you might be right, too!

1) Peanuts Can Decrease Cell Damage and Inflammation

All those antioxidants in peanuts help your body counteract oxidative stress that can lead to chronic disease. 

Peanuts contain one particularly potent antioxidant, resveratrol, which may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

2) Peanuts Can Be Good for Your Heart 

A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the impacts of nut consumption on mortality risk among just under 72,000 European and African Americans of low socioeconomic status.

They found that those individuals who ate the most nuts — especially peanuts (which they considered a “nut for the purposes of the study”) — had the lowest risk of death overall and from cardiovascular disease, in particular. 

3) Peanuts Can Help Prevent Cancer 

A 2018 study in the Nutrition Journal looked at peanut, pine nut, and almond consumption among 923 colorectal cancer patients and 1,846 controls in Korea. For both men and women, a higher intake of nuts (at least 3 servings per week) was strongly associated with a reduced risk for colorectal cancer. 

A 2013 study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment followed 9,000 preteen girls for 15 years and found that those who ate peanut butter regularly had a 39% lower risk of developing benign breast disease as young women. This matters because certain forms of benign breast disease are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer later in life.

4) Peanuts Can Help Keep Your Brain Healthy 

Peanuts are rich in unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and B vitamins, all of which are important for brain health. 

Some studies have shown that eating nuts can help improve cognition, memory, and recall. The 2020 ARISTOTLE study and related lab findings suggest that peanut and peanut butter consumption may benefit brain function and reduce stress in healthy adults, possibly due to bioactive compounds like polyphenols and antioxidants.

Other studies have found that peanuts, in particular, produce a specific brainwave associated with better sleep, improved immunity, and the body’s natural healing ability. 

And the niacin in peanuts has been found to be beneficial in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. 

5) Peanuts Can Help Fight Stress 

No, I’m not talking about feeling better after stress-eating a few tablespoons straight from the jar. Peanut butter contains a phytosterol called beta-sitosterol, which has been shown to help normalize high cortisol levels in studies of endurance athletes.

Cortisol is also known as the body’s stress hormone, so eating peanut butter may help manage feelings of anxiety. 

The Controversial Side of Peanut Butter

The ingredient list for peanut butter can be as simple as: peanuts.

Some manufacturers, though, add ingredients to change the flavor and texture, and even alter the nutritional profile. Some of these additives can be downright dangerous.

Where and how peanuts used to make peanut butter are grown can also affect the healthfulness of the end product.

6 Things to Consider Avoiding in Your Peanut Butter

While peanut butter requires only “ground peanuts,” some commercial varieties contain problematic substances. In addition, even some “peanut-only” brands may raise health concerns. 

1. Sugar 

Sugar is used to add sweetness to peanut butter. I was recently at the store looking for a new brand of peanut butter to try, and was appalled by how many of them (even varieties labeled “natural”) contained added sugar. 

I’m sure you don’t need another lecture on the health problems that are caused by added sugar. It’s a primary culprit behind obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and practically every other major chronic disease of our times. And it’s not just in donuts and candy. A surprising amount of the sugar in the modern diet is snuck in as an additive to foods (like peanut butter!). 

(If you would like to explore the problems with refined sugar, and discover some healthier alternatives, without a lecture, check out our comprehensive article here: “Exploring the Healthiest Sugar Alternatives: A Comprehensive Guide to Types of Sweeteners.”)

Both Skippy and Jif regular peanut butters feature sugar as the second ingredient, with Skippy adding 4 grams per 2-tablespoon serving and Jif slightly less.

2. Salt 

Salted peanut butter can contain 50 to 75 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. 

If you use peanut butter frequently and want to minimize your sodium intake, look for unsalted versions. Relatedly, if you make your own peanut butter at home, purchase unsalted peanuts. 

3. Oil

As if 15 grams of fat in every 2 tablespoons wasn’t enough, many peanut butters also contain added oils. 

Some of the biggest peanut butter brands, like Skippy, use fully hydrogenated oil, which has been linked to many health problems, including heart disease. 

Many of the more natural brands of “no-stir” peanut butter contain added palm oil. In addition to being a source of saturated fat, this comes with ethical concerns. Palm oil plantations are a major driver of deforestation in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Bulldozing old-growth forests to plant rows of oil palms destroys the homes of Native people and already endangered species, like orangutans. 

There are also reports of palm oil corporations violating human rights. Farmland and forests are cleared without permission, and the companies involved provide unsafe working conditions and inadequate pay to their workers. If you’re going to eat palm oil and you don’t want to contribute to these major problems, look for a “fair trade” certification as a step in the right direction.

4. Aflatoxins 

You may be surprised to learn that peanuts don’t grow on trees or bushes. They grow underground. And since they grow best in hot climates, they’re susceptible to fungal infections. When it’s humid as well as hot, some of these fungi produce a class of toxins known as aflatoxins. They’re concerning because they have been known to increase cancer risk in humans. 

Peanuts are not the only potential culprit here; other foods at risk for containing aflatoxins include corn, figs, cereals, cottonseed, and tree nuts. 

How do you choose peanut butter with the lowest amount of aflatoxins? 

DrWeil.com reports that when Consumers Union tested a variety of peanut butter brands, the lowest aflatoxin concentrations were found in the best-known brands, while the highest levels occurred in fresh ground peanut butter at supermarkets. The National Cancer Institute of the U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends buying only “major commercial brands of nuts and nut butters” to avoid this contaminant.

In general, I’m a fan of fresh foods and local production. But due to the aflatoxin concern, when it comes to peanut butter, it seems wise to opt for a variety produced by a well-known company that contains only peanuts (and maybe salt) as ingredients. 

This is one food where it’s best to steer clear of the bulk bins and “fresh ground” found in many natural foods stores.

If you choose to purchase your own peanuts and grind your own butter at home, be sure to examine and throw out any nuts that don’t look right. Moldy, shriveled, or discolored peanuts belong in the compost pile, not in your peanut butter. 

And as a side note, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found some evidence that certain plant compounds may counteract the negative effects of aflatoxins. These include chlorophyll in green vegetables like spinach and phytochemicals in root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips. (Here at Food Revolution Network, we can’t resist praising fresh produce, even in an article about peanut butter!)

5. Pesticides 

Unless you buy organic peanut butter, the jar likely contains pesticides. 

According to the USDA Pesticide Data Program, 13 pesticides are commonly found in peanut butter. 

The most common is called piperonyl butoxide, a known endocrine disruptor, a possible carcinogen, and a threat to honeybees. 

When consuming peanut butter, the best way to reduce your exposure to pesticides is to purchase a certified organic brand.

6. Genetically Modified Ingredients

Another reason to avoid peanut butters with added hydrogenated oil is that the oil used usually comes from a genetically modified crop. 

Rapeseed, soybean, or cottonseed oil are some of the most commonly used. The majority of these crops are genetically modified in the United States and Canada.

There’s been talk of another genetically modified component that may eventually reach jars of peanut butter everywhere: allergy-free peanuts.

Researchers can edit peanut genes in experimental settings and are actively working to reduce allergenic proteins, but this hasn’t yet produced peanut products that are safe for people with peanut allergies to eat or are available to consumers. Extensive additional research, testing, and regulatory approval are still required. And there are some doubts about whether the result would be as rosy as promised, but it is something to keep in mind for the future if you want to avoid GMOs, or on the flip side, if you or someone in your household has a peanut allergy. (For more on GMOs, also known as bioengineered foods, see our article here.)

A Note on Peanut Allergies

Odds are you know someone with a peanut allergy. 

What’s interesting is that there’s evidence that suggests we might not be as allergic to food itself as we are to what’s being done to food. 

For instance, in the United States, our food system is teeming with GMOs, artificial flavorings and ingredients, fillers, chemicals, and dyes. Peanut butter is no exception. 

Peanut allergies have seen a dramatic increase in the last generation. Around 2.5% of children are now allergic to peanuts, which is a 21% increase since 2010. 

The good news is that we’re more aware of this as a society, medical professionals are better equipped to diagnose and treat them, and parents have more ways to help prevent their kids from developing peanut allergies. 

In 2017, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released new guidelines recommending that high-risk infants — those with severe eczema or egg allergy — be introduced to peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months of age to reduce their risk of developing peanut allergy.

And it goes without saying, but it’s worth saying again: If you have a peanut allergy, don’t eat peanuts.

How to Choose the Healthiest Peanut Butter

To select the best quality, healthiest peanut butter, here are some guidelines:

• Choose organic to reduce pesticide and GMO exposure
• Make sure it contains only peanuts, without unnecessary extras like sugar and oils
• Avoid the bulk bins and little-known brands due to aflatoxin risk
• Choose kinds that separate; healthy peanut butter needs stirring

Making your own peanut butter is also incredibly easy. 

In a high-speed blender or food processor, simply add peanuts and blend until a paste forms. You can even add a little cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, or dates to give it a different flavor. 

The Verdict: (The Right) Peanut Butter Can Be Healthy

Most of the peanut butter eaten today is loaded with added sugars, salt, and genetically engineered hydrogenated oil. Then it’s often paired with sugary jam and smeared on white flour bread. 

Unless you work for the Skippy PR department, you’ll probably agree with me that this is not a healthy way to eat.

But it’s not the peanut’s fault! 

A healthy peanut butter made with nothing more than peanuts can be a fabulous addition to most people’s diets. It’s a remarkably affordable source of abundant protein and fiber, as well as many other nutrients. And it tastes pretty good, too!

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you eat peanut butter? Why or why not?

• If you do, what are your favorite ways to enjoy it?

• Now that you know the answer to the question “Is peanut butter good for you?”, do you have any other questions about peanut butter?

Read Next:

• You won’t believe how healthy nuts are for you

The post Is Peanut Butter Healthy? Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Chocolate and chocolate-containing desserts are among the most popular in the world. Over the last few centuries, chocolate was simply a flavoring, like vanilla or cinnamon. Then, with the invention of the candy bar, chocolate turned into a food. And I know people who swear that chocolate is an entire food group! Just think of all the desserts you’ve encountered that contain chocolate, either as a flavoring or a major ingredient:

• Brownies
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Chocolate cakes and tarts
• Chocolate pudding 
• Chocolate ice cream
• Truffles

And the list goes on; in a CNN article on the 50 best desserts from around the world, one-fifth of them contained chocolate, from Italian tiramisu to Argentinian alfajores to German Black Forest cake to Hungarian Eszterhazy torta.

The good news is, not only is chocolate delicious and a powerful mood enhancer, but it can also be good for your health. Scientists are learning that chocolate is a plentiful source of antioxidants, including some of the same polyphenols renowned in red wine and green tea. These substances reduce the ongoing cellular and arterial damage caused by oxidative reactions. In layman’s terms, they help fight cancer and heart disease.

In a study of 1,000 heart attack survivors, published by Stockholm’s Karolinska Institutet in 2009, patients who ate dark chocolate several times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease threefold compared to those who didn’t eat chocolate at all.

The science supporting dark chocolate’s health benefits has grown considerably. A large study published in the British Medical Journal, analyzing data from around 192,000 adults, found that people who ate a small daily serving of dark chocolate had a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. At the same time, people who ate milk chocolate saw no such benefit and actually tended to gain weight over the study period.

A clinical trial from Japan found that participants who ate 72% dark chocolate daily for 4 weeks reported less fatigue and showed improvements in executive functioning, memory, and gray matter, compared to those who ate no chocolate.

In 2026, researchers at King’s College London identified theobromine — a naturally occurring compound in dark chocolate — as linked to slower biological aging, based on DNA methylation patterns and telomere length analysis.

Sometimes I really love science!

When Chocolate Desserts Become Unhealthy

But although pure dark chocolate or cocoa powder may be healthy, many chocolate desserts contain additional ingredients that make them not so good for you. Chief among these seem to be dairy and refined sugar.

The Trouble With Dairy

I don’t want to spoil the mood of this happy dessert article with a long essay about what’s wrong with consuming dairy, so here’s a full article on the topic that you can check out when you’re in the mood.

But until you get to it, know that chocolate desserts that add copious amounts of milk, butterfat, and cheese are no friend of your health, the health of the planet, or the well-being of animals.

First of all, most humans lack the enzyme that digests lactose, the main sugar found in cow’s milk. Lactose intolerance, as this condition is called, is especially prevalent among Asian, Black, and Native American populations. Symptoms include digestive distress, including gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.

Sadly, because dairy is so common in the North American and European diet, many people suffer their whole lives without realizing that their diet is the culprit. Almost 65% of the human population has difficulty digesting lactose.

Many people, even those who can digest lactose, still suffer from milk allergies. Unlike lactose intolerance, which is an inability to digest milk sugars, allergies result from an over-the-top immune response to milk proteins. While some milk allergies are obvious, causing hives, swelling of the face and lips, skin rashes, and anaphylactic symptoms such as shortness of breath and tightening of the throat, others are far more low-grade and just add to the immune load on the body.

Many people report that when they eliminate dairy from their diets, they experience the disappearance of allergic symptoms such as asthma, acne, eczema, and seasonal allergies.

Dairy is high in saturated fat, which is associated with our most common and deadly chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

Many dairy products produced by our industrial farming system have historically contained residues of bovine growth hormones and antibiotics. While the use of rBGH has declined significantly in recent years due to consumer pressure, it remains permitted in the U.S. and undetectable without labeling.

Of greater concern is that rBGH raises levels of IGF-1 in milk, a growth factor linked in some studies to increased risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, as well as prostate and colorectal cancers — though research on this remains ongoing and mixed. Antibiotic use in industrial dairy also persists, contributing to broader concerns about antimicrobial resistance.

And despite ice cream and milk cartoon images of happy cows grazing in bucolic pastures, dairy is no friend to the environment. The dairy industry contributes to greenhouse gases in the air that accelerate the pace and severity of global warming (yes, at Food Revolution Network, we do believe that’s a thing), and its practices of scale and confinement provide ideal breeding grounds for mega-viruses that could become future pandemics.

Well, it looks like I did go on a mini-rant about the many problems with dairy, after all. As the grandson of one of the founders of Baskin-Robbins, I guess the topic is still close to my heart!

Refined Sugar

If you grew up on Hershey’s bars and M&Ms, you might have been surprised to discover as an adult that chocolate is quite bitter. While the ancient Aztecs may have prized that bitterness in their cacao-based drinks, most moderns tend to prefer sweet. The chocolate industry has obliged us by adding copious amounts of sugar to its products. And that’s on top of all the sugar we get from other foods; American adults consume, on average, a whopping 60 pounds of added sugar per year. And the numbers are even worse for children; they consume an average of 65 pounds of added sugar each year. As the American Heart Association colorfully points out, that’s the equivalent of 6 or more bowling balls.

Now, there’s a big difference between the natural sugars found in fruits and the refined sugar added to chocolate, soda, cookies, breads, sauces, and just about anything else that’s sold in a plastic package. With no water or fiber to buffer it, that refined sugar arrives all at once in your system. Your body has to deal with it quickly to keep your blood sugar at a safe level, and the easiest way to do that is to convert it to fat and store it in your muscles.

Some of the health problems caused by excess refined sugar include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.

Plant-Based Alternatives to Dairy and Sugar

So we’ve got a conundrum: chocolate is a healthy substance, but the ways we often consume it are not. Are there alternatives that can let us have our (healthy) chocolate cake and eat it too? Knowing about the detrimental effects of dairy and sugar, what can you replace them with in plant-based desserts?

Ten years ago, my answer would have been much shorter and far less satisfactory. But in the last decade, the world of plant-based dairy alternatives has undergone a practical revolution. Production methods have become more sophisticated, quality has increased, and the market has exploded. Even mainstream supermarkets are starting to carry plant-based milks made from soy, oat, hemp, coconut, rice, and almond. Heck, there’s even pea milk!

If your recipe calls for butter, you can get the same creaminess from an avocado, or from unrefined coconut or olive oil. Nuts and nut butters can also add healthy fats to chocolate desserts. Coconut cream replaces heavy cream, and plant-based yogurts or a simple preparation of silken tofu with lemon juice can substitute for sour cream or yogurt.

The world of sweet and healthy sugar substitutes has also grown in the last few years. While fruit (fresh, frozen, and defrosted) remains the best option to sweeten desserts naturally, you can also use:

• dried dates
• date paste and date sugar
• yacon syrup (which comes from a sweet Andean root that resembles a sweet potato)
• sugar alcohols like xylitol (which can be good for dental health)
• Stevia (a calorie-free sweetener that may have some downsides for your health).

An Important New Concern: Heavy Metals

Consumer Reports testing found that cadmium and lead were detected in all 28 dark chocolate bars tested, with 23 exceeding levels that public health authorities consider potentially harmful for at least 1 of those metals when consumed at 1 ounce per day.

The geographic origin of cacao also matters: Dark chocolates sourced from West Africa and Asia had significantly lower levels of cadmium and lead than those from South America.

Surprisingly, a multi-year George Washington University/ConsumerLab study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that organic dark chocolates were significantly more likely to have higher levels of both heavy metals than conventional options — likely because gentler processing may remove fewer contaminants. So chocolate could be a very rare case in which choosing conventionally grown brands (or brands that publish third-party heavy metal testing results on their website) brings you less toxin exposure.

However, the picture is more nuanced. A 2024 Tulane University study of 155 chocolate products found that for adults, eating up to an ounce of dark chocolate per day poses no adverse health risk, and that the high levels of essential minerals like copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium in dark chocolate may actually compete with toxic metals for absorption in the gut, reducing their bioavailability. It seems that the main concern is for young children and pregnant women, where the risk threshold is lower.

So where does that leave the chocolate lover? Right where you’ve always been — just a little wiser. The science is pretty clear that moderate consumption of quality dark chocolate is safe and genuinely good for you. With that in mind, here are seven indulgent, dairy-free desserts that prove healthy eating doesn’t have to mean deprivation.

Sugar- and Dairy-Free Chocolate Recipes

Who needs sugar and dairy when you have dates, bananas, and nuts to create sweetness, and avocado, tofu, and coconut to create creaminess? Your taste buds will not complain one bit when you introduce them to any of the chocolate goodness below. Several of the recipes call for date paste, so we’re including our Super Simple Homemade Date Paste recipe (our most popular recipe in 2025) as a bonus!

Before getting busy in the kitchen, be sure to read our article, “The Truth About Chocolate,” so that you can choose ethical ingredients you can enjoy eating without guilt. (Spoiler alert: Go for fair trade or Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate so you can say “no” to child slavery and help to build a more equitable and sustainable world with every bite!)

1. Banana Split Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

The chocolate base alone might be enough to call it a day in terms of flavor! But if you’re looking to optimize nutrition while feeling indulgent without being indulgent, then add some extra nourishment with organic cherries, your favorite nut or seed butter, and some extra banana slices. 

2. Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Ice Cream 

Stay cool and energized this summer with dark chocolate and sea salt ice cream, which gets its creaminess from coconut milk and natural sweetness from dates. Bananas act as a double agent, giving this irresistible treat some of both. One thing that’s awesome about homemade ice cream is that you can adjust the sweetness to your liking.

3. Chocolate and Almond Butter Avocado Mousse

Be prepared to feel decadent when enjoying this creamy mousse. Decadent without the downside that is. There are four stars in this show — fiber-rich avocado, phytonutrient-rich cacao powder, protein-packed almond butter, and iron-rich dates. See what we mean?

4. Spicy Aztecan Sipping Chocolate

Turn up the heat with this coveted beverage, “xocolatl,” that was symbolic of strength and health in Mesoamerica over 3,000 years ago. Cacao was found to be an energy booster and mood enhancer — now there’s some research to back up that claim! Enjoy this as an afternoon snack or as a replacement for your morning cup of joe.

5. Raw Dark Chocolate Bar with Pistachios and Sea Salt

Are you the most ardent of dark chocolate enthusiasts? Then this raw dark chocolate bar is for you! Enjoy it with crunchy pistachios or add a little dried fruit for natural sweetness.

6. Chocolate Cream Dream Pie

Heavenly. Dreamy. Delectable. These are just a few words to describe this dessert that will definitely please the crowd. Your non-vegan guests won’t even know that the chocolate cream is made with tofu!

7. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Enjoy this healthy version of the old childhood friend, famous for its chocolate-hazelnut flavor, knowing that it’s chock-full of fiber, magnesium, and iron. Standing in for refined sugar? Dates, of course!

Conclusion

If you’re a chocolate lover, you may be worried that choosing to eat healthy could deprive you of some of your favorite culinary delights. Or maybe you gave them all up, and are still dealing with the fallout.

Rejoice: The time for pouting and feeling left out is over. It’s time to reclaim your healthy enjoyment of one of nature’s most amazing foods, the food the ancient Greeks dubbed “Theobroma,” the food of the gods. You can still get inspired by decadent treats. But now you can make them healthier with a few simple plant-based substitutions.

Tell us in the comments:

• What was your favorite chocolate dessert as a child?
• What are your favorite healthy ways to enjoy chocolate?
• Which sugar and dairy free chocolate recipe will you try next?

Read Next:

• The Truth About Chocolate: How to Choose Healthy and Ethically Produced Cacao Products
• Sweeten the End of a Plant-Powered Meal with These 8 Healthy Summer Dessert Recipes
• Does a Good Sweetener Exist? A Review of 15 Popular Sugar Substitutes
• Is Dairy’s Reign Over? (Problems with Dairy and The Dairy Industry)

The post 7 Sugar-Free and Dairy-Free Chocolate Desserts appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Do you love to cook soup? If so, you might be a genius, at least according to someone who should know. Abraham Maslow, architect of the famous “Hierarchy of Needs,” once said that “a first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.”

And vegan soups get especially creative as we experiment and discover how to swap out meat stocks and creams — and add healthy, plant-based texture, flavor, and creamy yumminess to the soups we make.

Whether you’re a dedicated vegan, veg-curious, or just someone who likes to explore new tastes and cuisines, you can find much to love in vegan soup-land. (I just checked my atlas, and sadly, like Candyland, this is not a real place. But I’m pretty sure I could convince my kids to play a board game called “Vegan Soup Land” with me at least once.)

Of course, many of the world’s great soups are already vegan or vegan-friendly. Italian minestrone, Indian dal, Canadian split pea, and Japanese miso can all be easily made without animal products. And for many of the rest, a few simple substitutions will produce vegan soups that are indistinguishable from, or even tastier than, their meat-based counterparts. 

One of the best things about soups is how versatile they are; they’re welcome as part of just about any meal and in any season. They’re a great way to use up produce that would otherwise go to waste, and can offer tremendous health benefits. So let’s dive deeper into why soup is a culinary marvel, and I’ll share some of my favorite recipes to prime the soup-pump of inspiration. 

Soup and Weather

Soups are delicious any time of year, but many of them have a special place in our hearts when it’s cold out. Something about the steam rising from our place settings, the way our hands can cradle a bowl or cup, and the chunky, grounding root vegetables that often appear in winter soups. They all combine to warm us up, body and soul. 

And some tasty soups can also help cool us down in the summer, thanks to spicy ingredients that open our pores and encourage sweating. 

Not all soups are served hot, of course. Gazpacho and borscht are two famous examples of soups served cold. Sometimes a cold soup is as simple as blending ripe fruit with water, then adding spices and chunks of other stuff. Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than, say, a chilled watermelon soup. You can even save on washing up by using the rind as a serving dish.

Versatile Vegan Soups

While pancakes are a morning food and sandwiches are typically lunch fare, soups are appropriate any time of day, and for just about any meal. You can reheat a veggie or bean soup in the office microwave for a filling and nutritious lunch. Or start a soup in the slow cooker or electric pressure cooker in the morning and come home to a fragrant kitchen and hearty dinner after work. You can even eat soup for breakfast, as Japanese miso soup, Chinese congee, and Vietnamese pho all demonstrate.

A filling soup can be a meal all by itself. Think of pasta e fagioli, an Italian peasant soup meaning “pasta and beans,” which features lots of veggies and herbs alongside the very satisfying pasta and beans themselves. Or combine a thick bowl of pea soup with a chunk of organic peasant bread and a side salad for a hearty meal.

Soup can also be an appetizer or side dish as part of a larger meal. Tomato soup, corn chowder, and creamy squash soup are all lighter soups that can add flavor and variety to start a multi-course meal on a warm, satisfying note.

Simple Swaps

Many soups are naturally vegan or plant-based, but it’s also really easy to swap in beans or lentils in soups that feature meat. Since soup was traditionally cooked over low heat for hours and used up the lowest-quality cuts of meat that weren’t ideal as main courses, the main purpose of the meat in many soups was for flavor rather than texture. You can approximate the body of a meat soup by varying how long you cook the legumes. You can cook black beans so they retain their individuality in a Mexican bean-and-sweet-potato soup. Or cook them much longer for a creamy, Cuban black bean soup in which each legume merges into the unified consciousness of the whole. (Who says cooking can’t be a spiritual experience?)

If you or your dining companions will miss chunks of sausage in your minestrone or pasta e fagioli, you can always toss in some vegan sausage. The nice thing about having these plant-based meat analogs in soup is that you don’t need much; even two or three bites of Field Roast or Beyond Sausage per bowl will provide a rich mouthfeel and flavor.

Using Veggie Stock Instead of Meat for Flavor

You can buy bouillon cubes, powder, or paste to impart the same hearty, umami flavor that meat stock provides. However, you’ll want to check the ingredients carefully to avoid excess sodium and hydrogenated oils. It’s actually very easy to make your own DIY bouillon with common spices, nutritional yeast, and powdered mushrooms. And you can also cook up a vegetable stock from onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, spinach, and leeks, along with any herbs you like. To save money, use kitchen scraps like carrot tops, onion peels, and celery ends. You can freeze the scraps as you generate them, then pull them out to cook with when you’ve collected enough. 

Here’s a primer on oil-free, vegan soup stock from Simple Vegan Blog. And for oil- and salt-free vegan bouillon that you can freeze in ice cube trays and pull out whenever you want to jumpstart a soup, check out this recipe courtesy of Plant Based Instant Pot.

The Light and Heavy of Soup

Soups can be light or heavy. A light soup can be an easy and pleasant way to hydrate. These are mostly clear, with the water flavored by veggies, herbs, and spices. 

Soups can also be so thick that your spoon stands straight up in it. You can make your soup thicker by cooking it long enough to evaporate some of the liquid, by pureeing grains and starchy vegetables, or by using legumes such as lentils or split peas, which naturally thicken as they cook and cool.

The Benefits of Eating Soup

There are more good reasons to include soup in your diet than you can shake a ladle at. First, hot soups warm you up and give you that nice, cozy feeling. Many of us have happy childhood memories of a family member demonstrating their love for us through soup. 

1. Fight the Common Cold

Especially when you’re sick, soups can be wonderful sources of nourishment. They’re a great way to get lots of nutrients when you don’t feel like eating all that much. All that water helps to hydrate you almost without your noticing. And the steam and heat can relieve sore throats and decongest clogged sinuses and nasal passages. Add a little grated ginger to the soup to boost its nose-clearing power.

2. Get Your Veggies In

Soups are also a great way to get your veggies. For veggie-phobes, soup can be an elegant and tasty way to hide carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, beans, lentils, and whole grains. Many folks who “don’t like” vegetables enjoy consuming them in this stealth manner.

3. Easy To Make

You don’t have to be an amazing chef to make amazing soup. Soups are among the most flexible and forgiving of meals. Unlike baking a loaf of bread or a casserole, which you can’t really mess with once you’ve stuck it in the oven, you can keep tasting the soup and adding ingredients until you get something you like. They’re easy to make and can be very filling without costing much.

4. May Aid Weight Loss

Soups can also be helpful with weight loss. Because of their high water content, they can fill you up without necessarily providing many calories. Unlike smoothies, which are less filling than eating the smoothie’s ingredients whole and can therefore lead to overconsumption, soups are actually more filling than eating the ingredients not in soup form. The critical factor appears to be that soups are generally hot, so we take our time eating them. That gives our bodies time to send “I’m full” signals to the brain before too much food has gone down the hatch.

5. High in Nutrients

Soups can be extremely nutrient-dense, depending on the ingredients you add. Greens, veggies, herbs, and spices can pack a nutritional punch in quantities that would be hard to consume in their raw or simply cooked form.

6. Use Up Produce

Also, soup can be the last stop on the produce train for veggies that have, not to put too fine a point on it, seen better days. Humans have been stretching their produce through soup for millennia. (Soup, archeologists suspect, was invented at least 20,000 years ago, soon after the invention of waterproof and fireproof cookware. Unfortunately, it probably took a couple thousand more years to invent the spoon.) 

Droopy carrots and celery, older potatoes, wrinkly bell peppers, and wilted greens can revive in soup like nothing was ever amiss. As Russ Cooper wrote in MAD magazine, “Soup is food’s last chance to be eaten.” 

5 Vegan Soup Recipes To Warm You From the Inside Out

Whether it’s the warming spices or the soup temperature, or perhaps a combination of the two, you’re certainly going to feel the warmth from these hearty and nourishing soups. Enjoy Thai Curry Butternut Soup or Fragrant Kidney Bean Lentil Dal when you’re craving Asian cuisine, or the Wild Rice and Mushroom Stew when you’re looking for something earthy with umami flavors. 

Love intoxicating Moroccan spices? Then the Moroccan Bean Stew is for you. Finally, if you enjoy getting creative in the kitchen, you’ll have fun making a coriander-and-star-anise tea ball infusion to flavor the Orange Lentil Soup with Anise and Coriander. If you like, you could try one each day of the week and freeze leftovers, so you have warming soup for weeks ahead. 

1. Moroccan Bean Stew

This stew offers a heaping serving of black beans, chickpeas, and lentils, along with yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes that simmer in a fragrant, intoxicating broth infused with cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ginger, fennel, and garlic. (Is your mouth watering?) Even though the ingredient list seems long, the stew is actually simple to make and well worth the effort. The Moroccan spices will warm your body throughout, from your head to your toes and everything in between!

2. Thai Curry Butternut Soup

Delicious, comforting, and bursting with flavor, this soup will leave you wanting more! Not only is it simple to make, but it’s also packed with nutrition from the onion, garlic, ginger, and butternut squash. Enjoy it during the fall and winter when butternut squash is at its nutritional peak. 

3. Fragrant Kidney Bean Lentil Dal 

Allowing the lentils and spices to cook together for a bit results in a soup that is fragrant and flavorful. If you love soups that are delicious and nourishing while creating the most beautiful aromas throughout your home then this dal is for you!

4. Orange Lentil Soup with Anise and Coriander

Coriander and star anise, the stars of this soup, are infused in a tea ball to create beautiful flavors and aromas. The soup has the lingering essence of these enchanting spices, and the tea ball can be left in or removed earlier in the cooking, depending on how much flavor you’d like to impart. Herbs and spices are often heroes in the nutrition world and this soup is no exception.

5. Wild Rice and Mushroom Stew 

Simply thinking about wild rice and mushrooms in a stew is mouth-watering, don’t you agree? Not only is this earthy soup warm and comforting, but it’s also super nourishing and healing with the nutrient-packed mushrooms, herbs (oregano, parsley, and  thyme) and spices (clove).

Give Us Our Daily Soup

Soup is one of the greatest gifts bequeathed to us by our ancestors, holding its own right up there with fire, stick figure drawing, and the phrase “Yabba Dabba Doo.” A good pot of soup is practically alchemical, transforming singular and ordinary ingredients into something entirely new. Soup has saved many items of produce from the compost or garbage bin and allows us to nourish our families and communities inexpensively and lavishly. And now that the modern era of plant-based innovation has blossomed, soups are being reinvented yet again to be healthier and more delicious than ever.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite plant-based soups?
• When and how do you like to eat soup?

Featured image: iStock.com/Foxys_forest_manufacture

Read Next:

• Power Bowls: 10 Easy & Nutritious All-in-One Meals
• How to Eat More Vegetables (And Like It!)

The post 5 Fabulous Vegan Soups You’ll Want to Whip Up Straight Away appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The goal of building resilience isn’t to stop paying attention or to “fix” ourselves. It’s to protect our nervous systems so we can stay present, stay engaged. And yes, sometimes constructively outraged. The good news is that many validated self-care strategies can help you respond to whatever challenges life brings you with as much resourcefulness as possible.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are the most common category of mental illness, affecting, even in the best of times, about 1 out of every 5 adults in the United States, and about 1 in 13 worldwide. In general, women tend to suffer from anxiety more than men. But it can affect anybody at one time or another.

Anxiety is the mind and body’s initial reaction to stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. Think of it this way: The fight-or-flight response to threat activates our body, while the anxiety reaction immobilizes it. Anxiety is a very useful response to an unknown or surprising threat, unlike fight-or-flight. When you hear the twig snap, or smell the odor of a predator upon the breeze, running away screaming, or pounding your chest and roaring, may bring you to the attention of the very thing you’re hoping to avoid. 

Anxiety, on the other hand, makes you still, watchful, and quiet. It induces involuntary freezing and triggers risk-assessment behaviors. Once you’ve established that there is a threat, where it’s located, and what sort it is, you can then shift to whatever response is most likely to ensure survival.

Anxiety, like all physiological responses, is a useful thing in the right circumstance. In the right dose, in response to the right stimulus, a certain level of anxiety can help you to pay attention and stay vigilant in the presence of danger. When anxiety becomes a chronic trait rather than a short-term state, however, things go awry. When chronic anxiety lives in your nervous system, you can start perceiving your world as one never-ending threat. 

Studies show that about 90% of the information traveling between the brain and the body is going to the brain from the body. If a body is sending anxiety signals to its brain, the brain interprets those signals as evidence of real and present danger. This is one of the effects of trauma in a person’s history; they keep experiencing present anxiety over events that happened a long time ago. This makes it hard to digest, relax, or even respond effectively when a serious threat emerges.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Symptoms of anxiety vary from person to person. But the most common ones include:

• Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
• Having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
• Having an increased heart rate
• Tightness in the chest and trouble breathing
• Sweating or trembling
• Feeling weak or tired
• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
• Having trouble sleeping
• Experiencing gastrointestinal problems

These symptoms, though distressing, make sense when you consider the evolutionary purpose of anxiety: to increase the odds that you will prevent or survive a surprise attack. Weakness or fatigue can keep you still, while an increased heart rate prepares you to run or fight. Trouble concentrating on anything other than the present worry keeps you focused on risk mitigation. 

Some of the symptoms, such as insomnia or digestive problems, are not the direct result of momentary anxiety, but rather the toll you pay when anxiety becomes chronic.

Causes of Anxiety

There are many things that can cause anxiety. And for some people, there are multiple causes. Some of the most common ones may include:

Traumatic event(s)

Some body-based therapists define trauma as an “unresolved autonomic nervous system response.” Meaning, something happened to you that caused a survival response — whether anxiety-induced freezing or the beginning of a fight-or-flight reaction — that wasn’t allowed to run to completion because it wasn’t safe, or wasn’t possible. 

For example, someone is in a car crash, watches their engine burst into flames, and cannot undo their seat belt. Their natural “fight-or-flight” reaction is prevented and becomes locked in the nervous system, triggered by any situation that reminds the person of their immobility at the time: standing in an elevator, going to a theater, etc. 

Other traumatic events, such as childhood abuse, similarly prevent a full nervous system response because fighting back is physically impossible, or because the child has to rely on the abusive adult for survival, and therefore must inhibit their instinct for self-defense. 

We tend to think of trauma as mainly stemming from major accidents, violence, or abuse, like the above examples. But trauma can also be more subtle, the result of a lack of key emotional or psychological needs being met.

Stress due to an illness or major life event

Anxiety and anxiety disorders may also be triggered by overwhelmingly stressful life events, such as an illness, a financial disaster, the dissolution of a close relationship, or the death of a loved one. 

Some research suggests that close social ties may buffer the negative psychological and physical effects of stressful events. Seeking out community and social support can be a powerful strategy for managing anxiety produced by unfortunate occurrences.

Stress buildup

Stress doesn’t have to be sudden, huge, and acute to trigger anxiety. It can build up over time, remaining low-grade in its symptoms until eventually it maxes out above a physiological threshold. Just like driving a car with misaligned wheels can seem “fine” until the imbalance leads to damage, the constantly growing “allostatic load” of the stress in our everyday lives can tip over into anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Hormonal imbalances and changes

Hormones and neurotransmitters mediate our moods and attitudes. If these are unbalanced or depleted, we’re also more prone to mood disorders such as anxiety.

Other mental health disorders

Having another mental health disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia, makes it more likely that a person will also experience anxiety.

Having blood relatives with an anxiety disorder

There also appears to be a genetic component to anxiety. It’s probably not that some people have specific “anxiety genes,” but rather that some people are genetically or socially predisposed to caution and risk-aversion. When triggered by life experiences, those tendencies can slip into chronic anxiety. Of course, families tend to adopt similar diet and lifestyle habits, too. (More on that below!)

Drugs (including alcohol)

Both drug abuse and withdrawal from drugs can trigger the symptoms of anxiety attacks. Many people with anxiety also use drugs in an attempt to ameliorate the symptoms and eventually become addicted, so the causal mechanism can go in both directions. 

Medical conditions

Several medical conditions can trigger or worsen symptoms of anxiety. Heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, and respiratory disorders can all send signals to the brain that “there’s danger present.” And certain rare tumors produce fight-or-flight hormones that the body and brain interpret as extreme stress. Many medications prescribed for medical conditions themselves can trigger anxiety. And in some cases, nutritional deficiencies can cause anxiety or panic attack-like symptoms as well.

Foods that Trigger Anxiety

Ultra-Processed Foods

A growing body of research suggests that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) — industrially formulated products made largely from refined ingredients plus additives — are associated with poorer mental health. One large U.K. study found that people who ate more UPFs had a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety over time. A 2025 study went a step further, identifying a metabolic signature in the blood tied to UPF consumption — and that signature was associated with a higher risk of mental disorders. In other words, these foods may affect your mood in part by disrupting how your body processes nutrients at a fundamental level.

Many of the foods that may worsen anxiety fall into the ultra-processed category.

Refined carbohydrates & sugar 

When mice are fed a diet of refined carbohydrates and sugars (think cookies, crackers, rolls, pastries, candy, etc.), they exhibit increased anxiety and inflammation in their brains and nervous systems. (For FRN’s stance on the use of animals in medical research, click here.)

In humans, there’s strong evidence that poor glucose regulation — blood sugar rising and falling precipitously due to consuming refined carbohydrates and not enough fiber — causes the body to go into emergency mode regularly. 

Hypoglycemia (when blood sugar plummets) in particular triggers an aggressive stress response.

Fried foods and trans fats

Fried foods and trans fats appear to directly affect brain health in ways that can worsen anxiety. Trans fats, which are found in partially hydrogenated oils and many fried and packaged foods, promote inflammation throughout the body, including in the brain. Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as a driver of anxiety and depression, and research has found that higher trans fat consumption is associated with greater irritability and aggression, as well as increased risk of depression. Fried foods add another layer of concern: The high-heat cooking process generates compounds like aldehydes and acrylamide that are toxic to nerve cells. Over time, a diet high in these foods may impair the brain’s ability to regulate mood and stress responses, which is the last thing you need when the world already feels like a lot.

Food additives, preservatives, and colorings 

There are hundreds of food additives deemed GRAS (“generally regarded as safe”) by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. But the truth is, very few of them have been studied individually. And even fewer are looked at for potentially harmful interactions with others. One example is monosodium glutamate, a common flavor enhancer that has been shown to produce anxious adult rats when injected into them as newborns. Many artificial colors may also affect mood, including Yellow No. 5, one of the most commonly used food colors in the world. 

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are closely correlated with anxiety. The obvious connection is that alcohol, as a sedative, is often used by people seeking temporary relief from anxiety. But in the long run, alcohol abuse can create anxiety as well, especially increasing the frequency and severity of panic attacks. 

Caffeine 

Caffeine is a stimulant, and as such, can keep you awake and feeling full of energy. It has been shown to have mood-boosting benefits for some people. But for others, it can easily tip into anxiety — especially at high levels. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain — the chemical signals that make you feel tired — while also increasing the release of stimulating neurotransmitters that raise heart rate and energy. 

At moderate amounts, this can improve alertness and focus, but at higher doses, these same effects can become too strong, contributing to jitteriness, nervousness, and even caffeine-induced anxiety in sensitive people or when consumed in large quantities.

Nutrition for Anxiety

Just as some foods can worsen anxiety, others can actively support a calmer nervous system. 

Your brain requires a constant supply of fuel to function optimally; actually, to function at all. That “fuel” comes from the foods you eat, and what’s in the food makes all the difference. What you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. When it comes to addressing mental health, it’s important to examine “your brain on food.” It turns out that the adage “you are what you eat” extends to your mental and emotional experience, and not just your physical body.

There’s plenty of research showing that nutrition and mental health are linked. Patients suffering from mental disorders often turn out to have a severe deficiency of important vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Some of the best-researched nutrients important for addressing mental health issues include the following.

B Vitamins

B vitamins, such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and vitamin B9 (folate), are especially important for anxiety. These vitamins help produce and control brain chemicals and influence mood and other mental functions. Vitamin B6, known as pyridoxine, is necessary for the formation of two neurotransmitters, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid, both of which can reduce anxiety and restore calm. 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a critical role in optimal brain development and is a key ingredient in the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with motivation, reward-seeking, and pleasure. A 2019 placebo-controlled study of vitamin-D-deficient women with type 2 diabetes found that 16 weeks of vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced their self-reported symptoms of anxiety. 

Iron

Iron is necessary for the brain and nervous system, and a deficiency can cause and exacerbate many psychiatric symptoms. Sometimes iron deficiency presents as anxiety, depression, irritability, and even poor concentration and general restlessness. Iron deficiency is much more common among children with ADHD, and the symptoms may improve with iron supplementation or consumption of iron-rich foods. However, too much iron — especially heme iron from animal foods — can also be a problem. 

Selenium

The element selenium is crucial for brain health and mood. Interventional studies have shown that adequate selenium may improve mood and diminish anxiety. Way back in 1991, a study of healthy volunteers found that five weeks of selenium supplementation reduced their self-reported anxiety, and the impact was especially significant in those who had low levels to begin with. 

Zinc

A 2011 study showed that people with anxiety had lower levels of zinc in their bodies than matched controls who did not suffer from anxiety. In addition, the anxious group reported fewer symptoms after a course of zinc and antioxidant supplementation. 

Magnesium

Magnesium may also play a role in regulating the nervous system to reduce symptoms of anxiety. While not conclusive, a 2017 meta-analysis showed a correlation between low magnesium levels and increased anxiety, as well as some data suggesting that supplementation could help. 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Several studies have shown that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids can reduce symptoms of anxiety. Researchers theorize that an imbalanced omega-3-to-omega-6 fatty acid ratio (specifically, too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s) can negatively affect brain function, heightening the risk of several mental and psychological issues. 

Probiotics

The jury is still out on whether probiotics can help with anxiety. There’s some evidence that a particular strain of probiotic, Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus, is associated with less anxiety. Twenty-two separate rodent studies showed a clear connection between L. rhamnosus supplementation and lowered anxiety, or to be precise, behaviors that scientists associate with lower anxiety in rats and mice. At the same time, the results of 14 clinical trials in humans were inconclusive. 

While there are plenty of differences between people and rodents, one reason for the discrepancy might be poor-quality human diets. Probiotics survive only if they have enough prebiotics — mostly fiber from plants — to feed on. So, giving humans probiotics and not seeing positive results may simply mean that the probiotics died of starvation before they could work.

Top Foods & Beverages for Fighting Anxiety

Since we know certain nutrients help prevent or even reverse anxiety, the next obvious question is: Where do you get them? You can get them in supplemental form, but since we’re Food Revolution Network and not Supplement Revolution Network, here are some of the top foods to feature in your anti-anxiety diet.

Nuts & seeds

These are rich in magnesium and tryptophan, an amino acid the body converts into the neurotransmitter serotonin. Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds, in particular, are high in selenium. 

For more on nuts and seeds, see our article here.

Berries

Berries are fiber-rich. And they’re also antioxidant powerhouses, which can help protect against stress and anxiety. The antioxidant flavonoids found in blueberries and other fruits are associated with a decreased risk of developing depression in young adults and children. Plus, I like to imagine that merely thinking about blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries could lift your mood. After all, they’re not just good for you; they’re pretty to look at too! And while fresh berries can get pricey when they’re out of season, frozen berries are just as good for you, and a lot more economical.

For more on berries and some great berry recipes, see our article here.

Tea

Green tea is a rich source of the amino acid L-theanine, which has been linked to lower levels of anxiety. A 2017 study gave green tea or a placebo to a small group of students. The study found that students who drank green tea reported lower subjective stress. Many herbal teas have been found to help with anxiety, and may also fight stress — including chamomile, peppermint, lavender, and passionflower. 

For more on tea, see our article here.

Beans & other legumes

Both beans and legumes are great sources of magnesium, as well as prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. They’re also a healthy source of plant-based, non-heme iron.

For more on legumes, see our article here.

Dark chocolate

Here’s some good news for chocolate lovers! Dark chocolate, with minimal added sugar, can improve mood and lower cortisol levels. This is important because cortisol, the body’s chief energy-regulation hormone, surges under stress. Chocolate also contains magnesium and non-heme iron. 

For more on chocolate, see our article here.

Mushrooms

Several types of edible mushrooms can strengthen the immune system and increase resistance to stress. These include medicinal mushrooms like reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps. Lion’s mane, in particular, has anti-inflammatory properties that may contribute to reduced anxiety symptoms. 

For more on mushrooms, see our article here.

Adaptogens 

Adaptogens are herbs and plants used to help the body adapt to many of the problems of modern living: low mood, stress, anxiety, depression, and a compromised immune system. These include ginseng, goji berry, astragalus, ashwagandha, certain mushrooms, and others.

For more on adaptogens, see our article here.

Leafy greens

I’ll never tire of saying it: Leafy greens are good for just about everything, and anxiety is no exception. Dark greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard, are high in magnesium and antioxidants, both of which may be beneficial in fighting anxiety.

For more on leafy greens, see our article here.

Asparagus

While all vegetables are welcome additions to a healthy diet, asparagus, in particular, appears to have specific anti-anxiety effects, so much so that the Chinese government has approved the use of asparagus extract as a natural food supplement to relieve anxiety.

For more on asparagus, see our article here.

Avocado

Avocados are rich in B vitamins, healthy fats, and lots of antioxidants. The antioxidants in avocados help reduce oxidative stress. Although oxidative stress may naturally occur as part of the aging process, chronic psychological stress can exacerbate and increase oxidative damage. So add some avocado into your diet to neutralize anxiety!

For more on avocado, see our article here.

Fermented foods

Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, kefir, miso, and kombucha, are rich in probiotics and may improve gut health by feeding good gut bacteria. Researchers are discovering more every year about the gut-brain connection and how big a role your gut plays in your overall health and well-being, including mental health. Emerging research suggests fermented foods may support mental health by influencing the gut-brain axis through beneficial microbes and bioactive compounds.

For more on fermented foods, see our article here.

Other Lifestyle Strategies for Anxiety Self-Help

The strategies in this article can make a real difference. And for some people, especially those dealing with trauma, severe or chronic anxiety, or anxiety that’s significantly interfering with daily life, working with a therapist, psychiatrist, or your primary care doctor is not just helpful — it may be essential. Self-care and professional care aren’t either/or. They often work best together.

Since anxiety is characterized by worry about things that aren’t usually a real and present threat, engaging in mindfulness practices that train your attention on the here and now can reduce anxiety. 

Mindfulness meditation

A 2013 study of 93 subjects found that eight weeks of mindfulness meditation was more effective in reducing generalized anxiety disorder symptoms than a cognitive approach to stress management. Staying mindful during symptoms of anxiety can also help mitigate them. Rather than fighting with anxiety, mindfulness allows you just to notice what you’re feeling and thinking without focusing on or reacting to anxious thoughts.

Yoga

Yoga and other mindful movement practices are proven ways to expand a sense of safety in your body. In a 2018 study, 12 weeks of guided yoga practice reduced anxiety, depression, and stress in a group of 53 women in their 30s. A broader 2016 meta-analysis of 17 studies found similar results: Hatha yoga showed a moderate positive effect on anxiety, with greater benefits for those who practiced more and for those with higher baseline anxiety levels.

Spirituality

For many people, spiritual practice is a powerful way to manage anxiety. Whether that means prayer and faith rooted in a religious tradition, time in nature, meditation, a sense of connection to something larger than yourself, or simply deep belonging within a community, the research suggests that regularly engaging in practices that ground you in meaning and connection can reduce anxiety. It can help to feel that your life is part of something larger than your immediate worries.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be as helpful in treating anxiety as cognitive behavioral therapy, and was rated more relaxing and less stressful than psychotherapy in a 2011 review. In Chinese Medicine, acupuncture needles on specific pressure points throughout the body can calm down the central nervous system and activate the relaxation response via the parasympathetic nervous system. In several studies, acupuncture reduced the severity of anxiety, as well as related symptoms like elevated heart rate and panic attacks.

Breathwork

Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” counterpart to the fight-or-flight response), signaling to your brain that you are safe. A simple technique with solid research support is box breathing: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. A 2023 study found that just five minutes of slow-paced breathing significantly reduced self-reported anxiety and lowered physiological stress markers. Longer exhales relative to inhales, such as inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six or eight, appear particularly effective at activating the calming response.

Exercise

Exercise in general is one of the very best things you can do for your physical and mental health. In nature, the “cure” for anxiety — the very temporary freezing that allows the organism to make an informed choice in the face of sudden danger — is to shift into a successful fight-or-flight strategy. Going for a run, taking a spin class, or simply engaging in vigorous gardening or housecleaning mimics the fight-or-flight reaction. Engaging in exercise can help use up the stress hormones released in an anxious state and restore physical and mental equilibrium. A 2018 meta-analysis of 15 studies, including 675 patients, found that while all exercise was effective in reducing anxiety, more vigorous exercise was most effective. 

Time in nature

Large population studies suggest that living in greener areas is associated with a lower risk of developing depression and anxiety over time. Access to natural environments may support mental well-being through reduced exposure to pollution, increased physical activity, and stress-buffering effects.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy, or the use of scents (typically essential oils sourced from plants), has also proven useful in dealing with anxiety. Several clinical trials from Germany showed that lavender oil was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Other oils that show promise include bergamot, lemon, chamomile, clary sage, and neroli. 

Sleep

Sleep is a two-way street connected to anxiety. Poor sleep can trigger anxiety, and anxiety can lead to bedtime rumination and insomnia. Helpful approaches to improving sleep include stress management, improved eating (both quality and timing), cognitive-behavioral therapy to establish sleep routines and create sleep triggers in the bedroom, and exercise to increase sleep drive when it’s shut-eye time. 

For more on what to eat and drink to improve sleep, see our article here.

Mindful media habits

Constant exposure to distressing news and social media — ominously known as “doomscrolling” — may also take a toll on mental health. Research suggests that problematic or excessive social media use is associated with higher levels of anxiety and stress, although most studies show correlation rather than direct causation. Setting gentle boundaries around screen time, curating your feeds, and taking regular digital breaks may help protect your emotional well-being.

Social connection

Social connection is one of the most important buffers against mental health problems, including anxiety. Feeling connected to others can decrease rates of depression and anxiety. In fact, receiving hugs is scientifically proven to reduce negative moods such as anxiety. While not everyone is a hugger, you can also hug your pet, a stuffed animal, or even a tree if you feel so inclined.

Anti-Anxiety Recipes

Want to get rolling with your anti-anxiety menu? We’ve got you covered! Start the day with the 4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies alongside a Soothing Matcha Turmeric Tea for a boost in digestion and sustainable energy. Follow that with the Ginger Carrot Edamame Noodles for lunch and the Coconut Lime Quinoa and Asparagus for dinner. End the day with a sweet treat by enjoying the antioxidant and omega-3-rich Blueberry Chia Oat Crumble. And sleep soundly after a full day of mood-supporting and stress-relieving meals. 

1. 4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Starting the day with these four-ingredient breakfast cookies will help to lay the groundwork for healthy digestion thanks to the prebiotics and fiber in the oats and banana. You’re also getting a nice dose of B vitamins and zinc to help calm any anxiety you may be feeling. Enjoy the cookies in the morning or throughout the day as a high-fiber, nutrient-dense snack!

2. Ginger Carrot Edamame Noodles

This dish has all of the elements to optimize gut health (and, therefore, mood): fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and phytonutrients — not to mention, lots of other stress-fighting nutrients. Find probiotics and B-vitamins in the miso, protein and zinc in the edamame, gingerol (a phytonutrient) in the ginger, and adaptogenic compounds in the mushrooms. Bonus: this dish also tastes exquisite!

3. Coconut Lime Quinoa and Asparagus

Sure, this dish is super satisfying to your taste buds, but that’s not all it’s good for! It’s also powered with anti-anxiety nutrients. The B vitamins, iron, and zinc in the quinoa and pistachios help to support mood. While the fiber-rich, plant-based ingredients and prebiotic-rich asparagus and onions foster good gut health.

4. Blueberry Chia Oat Crumble

It’s no secret that blueberries are chock-full of antioxidants. Enjoy this fun way to boost your blueberry intake, while getting a hefty dose of mood-supporting omega-3s from the chia seeds. This crumble is delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or as a sweet treat after a meal. 

5. Soothing Spiced Matcha Tea

Matcha and turmeric are the superstars here. Start your day with this Soothing Spiced Matcha Tea for a calm, sustainable energy boost and a gentle sense of awareness and focus. Give it a try in place of a cup of coffee. And let us know how it makes you feel!

Embracing Self-Help Strategies and Resources for Anxiety

Anxiety can seem daunting, especially when you’re in its grip. Some of the factors that cause it are beyond your control, such as external events and your own genetics and life history. But the good news is, your diet and lifestyle choices can have an enormously positive impact, both short- and long-term. 

If you’re suffering from anxiety, remember, you’re not alone. There are many organizations and resources you can turn to to make it through a tough time. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Anxiety Canada, and Anxiety U.K. are charities and patient advocacy groups that also offer anxiety resources based on your region. And Psychology Tools also offers a global anxiety guide. 

Anxiety can be a signal that you care deeply about your life, your people, and your world. The goal isn’t to silence that signal; it’s to make sure it doesn’t drown out everything else. With the right nourishment, habits, and support, most people can find their way to steadier ground. And from steadier ground, you can show up more fully for the things and the people that matter most to you.

Tell us in the comments

• Have you ever struggled with anxiety?
• What’s worked for you in dealing with anxiety?
• Are there any new self-help approaches to anxiety you want to try?

Read Next:

• Good Food = Good Mood: The Nutrition and Mental Health Connection

The post Anxiety Self Help Strategies Using Diet & Lifestyle appeared first on Food Revolution Network.