Real nutrition is a complicated, individual science, and there's no magic bullet, but some foods do complement each other in odd ways that can help you get the most nutritional benefit from both. The trick is figuring out how to get both of them in your diet at the same time. Broccoli, for example, is great for you, but cooking it can inhibit your body's ability to absorb some of its benefits. Add a dollop of mustard, which contains the enzyme you need (and that cooking destroyed) to maximize its health benefits.


Skeptical? Here's the science behind it. Broccoli—and other dark green vegetables—are high in a compound called sulforaphane, which shows antidiabetic and anticancer properties. Trouble is, cooking broccoli destroys an enzyme called myrosinase, which we need (in moderate quantities, since it's actually part of a plant's natural defenses against being eaten) to fully absorb the sulforaphane. A 2011 study in the British Journal of Nutrition indicated that if you must eat your broccoli cooked, add a dollop of mustard, since the condiment is actually high in myrosinase, and will help your body get the full benefit from the broccoli.

Eating Well magazine shared this tip, and they present a few other unusual-but-healthy flavor combinations as well: pairing salmon with tumeric as a way to bolster the body's defenses against specific types of cancer, according to a study in the journal BMC Cancer, and pairing beans (high in iron) with leafy greens (high in vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron), for example. For even more interesting pairings, hit the link below. What do you think? Thinking of some new dinner recipes already, or still skeptical? Let us know what you think in the comments below.


Foods That Are Healthier Together | Eating Well

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