Combo #5: Apples and Chocolate
Apples, particularly red ones, are well known to be high in an anti-inflammatory flavonoid called quercetin, especially in their skins. However, you should consider buying organic because pesticides concentrate in the skins of conventionally grown apples.
By itself, the anti-inflammatory flavonoid called quercetin has been shown to minimize the risk of allergies, heart attack, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and prostate and lung cancers. Chocolate, grapes, red wine, and tea, on the other hand, contain the flavonoid catechin, an antioxidant that minimizes the risks for atherosclerosis and cancer.
Consumed together, according to a study done by Barry Halliwell, PhD, a leading food science professor at the National University of Singapore, catechins and quercetin loosen clumpy blood platelets, improving cardiovascular health and providing anticoagulant activity.
You can find quercetin in buckwheat, onions, and raspberries. Susan Kraus, a clinical dietitian at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, suggests the following food combos:
- sangria with cut-up apples
- green tea with buckwheat pancakes and raspberries
- kasha with cooked with onions
