How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease

by Michael Greger

in the United States, affecting 1,275 people.40

1 cup raw leafy vegetables ½ cup raw or cooked nonleafy vegetables ½ cup vegetable juice ¼ cup dried mushrooms

2 servings per day

inadequate vegetable intake as our fifth-leading dietary risk factor, nearly as bad as our consumption of processed meat.

when picking out canned tomato products, choose whole, crushed, or diced tomatoes

instead of tomato sauce, purée, or paste.

by eating the yellow and red pigments in fruits and vegetables, like beta-carotene in sweet potatoes and lycopene in tomatoes, men and

women may be able to naturally acquire more of a golden and rosy glow.

nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day was found to be significantly healthier and more attractive looking than that achieved by eating three daily servings.

The healthier you eat, the healthier you look.

higher intake of green and yellow vegetables was associated with decreased facial wrinkling.”

Ergothioneine concentrates

in parts of your body where there is a lot of oxidative stress—your liver and the lenses of your eyes, for example, as well as such sensitive tissues as bone marrow and semen.

Ergothioneine appears to function as a potent intramitochondrial antioxidant, meaning it can get inside the mitochondria—the microscopic power plants within your cells.

Depriving human cells of this amino acid leads to accelerated DNA damage and cell death. Unfortunately, the human body cannot make ergothioneine; you can only get it through food. “Because of its

What are the best dietary sources of ergothioneine? The highest levels by far have been reported in mushrooms.

Ergothioneine is heat stable, which means it’s not destroyed when mushrooms are cooked.29 This is good news, because it’s best not to eat mushrooms raw; there’s a toxin in edible mushrooms called agaritine to which you should minimize your exposure. Thankfully, the toxin is destroyed by cooking.

Morel mushrooms are a special case. The toxin levels appear higher and may react with alcohol even after cooking.31 I consider all other cooked edible mushrooms to be green-light foods and

all other edible raw mushrooms yellow-light foods. However, raw morel mushrooms, cooked morels served with alcohol, and all wild-foraged mushrooms should be on the red-light list in my opinion.

I know people tend to marinate portobellos first, but I just drizzle them with balsamic vinegar, grill until the juice starts dripping, and then add cracked pepper. They’re so good we eat them just like that.

White mushrooms are just baby ’bellos. Mushrooms can be stuffed, enjoyed in soups like mushroom barley, act as the star of a creamy risotto or pâté, serve as the base of a great gravy or as a flavorful addition to any pasta sauce, or simply be braised with crushed garlic in red wine.

My favorite way to eat raw veggies is to dip bell pepper strips, carrots, or snap peas in a hummus or bean dip, and my favorite way to eat them cooked is by roasting them.

roasted asparagus dipped in guacamole.

The consumption of one boiled purple potato a day for six weeks was found to significantly decrease inflammation, something neither white nor yellow potatoes were able to accomplish.40

purple potatoes increased the antioxidant capacity of study subjects’ bloodstream, whereas white potato starch appeared to actually have a pro-oxidant effect.41

Blue potatoes may have ten times more antioxidant power than regular white ones.42

The most excitin...

potato study to date had people with hypertension eat six to eight microwaved small purple potatoes a day, and they were able to significantly bring down th...

Purple sweet potatoes may offer the best of...

broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini can be added covertly to familiar entrées such that the appearance, flavor, and texture of the original recipes are maintained (like puréeing vegetables into a pasta sauce).54 Studies found the trick works for adults too.

cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts are associated with lower risk of colon cancer in the middle and right side of your body, whereas risk of colon cancer farther down on the left side appears to be lowered more by carrots, pumpkins, and apples.58

five veggies (cauliflower, brussels sprouts, green onion, leek, and garlic) “abolished” cancer growth completely, stopping breast tumor cells dead in their tracks.

“a diversified diet, containing several distinct classes of vegetables (and hence of phytochemicals) is essential for effective prevention of cancer.”

spinach beat out the others against breast cancer, brain tumors, kidney cancer, lung cancer, pediatric brain tumors, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.

The runner up? Radicchio.

beans, berries, and nuts.

If one of your choices was brussels sprouts, cabbage, curly cabbage, or kale, and the other choice was garlic, green onions, or leek, you get a gold star! Of all the vegetables tested, those had the most cancer-preventing potential.

cruciferous vegetables and

the allium veggie family, which includes garlic and onions.

vegetables are selective; they destroy cancer cells but leave normal cells alone.

Based on its elevated antioxidant levels, organic produce may be considered 20–40 percent healthier, the equivalent of adding one or two servings’ worth to a five-a-day regimen.

But organic produce may be 40 percent more expensive, so for the same money, you could just buy the extra servings’ worth of conventional produce.

1 tablespoon ground Daily Recommendation: 1 serving per day I have talked about the wonders of flaxseeds

You can buy flaxseeds in bulk at natural foods stores for just a few dollars per pound.

Ground flax is a light, nutty powder that can be sprinkled on oatmeal, salads, soups—frankly, just about anything you’re eating. You can even bake with flax without damaging the lignans2 or omega-3 fatty acids3 (unlike flaxseed oil).

After two months, despite the extra 340 calories a day from the bars, the fruit-and-nut bar group did not gain any weight.4 Dried fruits and nuts appear to be so satiating that people feel full and unintentionally offset the calories elsewhere throughout the day.

Studies on apple rings,5 figs,6 prunes,7 and raisins8 have found similar results. In

two apples’ worth of apple rings to their daily di...

the 7 percent of Americans who average a tablespoon or more of dried fruit per day tend to be less overweight and less obese, and they have slimmer waistlines and less abdominal obesity

flax bars, crackers, and snacks