Sensible Shopper: Top Foods for Good Health

April 23, 2005 — -- Dr. Joy Bauer joined "Good Morning America" to talk about several "superfoods" with extraordinary health benefits. Try adding these foods to your diet to boost the nutritional value of meals, snacks -- even drinking water.

Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and have been recently shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which makes the peppers hot but has also been shown to prevent cancer, specifically pancreatic cancer.

Green tea has potent antioxidant activity and has been shown to possibly reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Yogurt, low-fat and non-fat, is loaded with calcium so it's great for your bones, and one of the only foods naturally containing probiotic (in the form of acidophilus). Thus, yogurt can place healthy bacteria back into your gut to prevent H-pylori and diarrhea. Also, the calcium and vitamin D have been shown to protect against colon cancer -- double bonus.

Wild Salmon is loaded with Omega 3s, which act as an anti-inflammatory in the body. It helps thin the blood, lower triglycerides, and may also alleviate pain associated with arthritis. Furthermore, this type of fatty acid helps brainpower!

Nuts and peanut butter have been shown to reduce the risk of both diabetes and heart disease. They contains large amounts of heart healthy fat (monounsaturated) and also help to lower glycemic load and stabilize blood sugars.