Some foods have increased health benefits when eaten together
Some foods not only taste better when paired, they have increased health benefits if eaten together, writes Bhavna Sakhrani
Conventional wisdom champions a balanced diet, filled with whole, natural foods that contribute to our overall health and well-being.
Your granny's recipes, passed down through generations, have withstood the test of time because the ingredients naturally taste better together.
According to Miles Price, a nutritionist at Life Clinic, "For generations people were eating locally produced foods that kept them healthy, so there is a genetic and even regional aspect to our dietary needs."
Health experts now suggest that we have always enjoyed certain foods in combination with each other because they are more nutritious together than when eaten on their own.
There are fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K that are always best absorbed with a small amount of fat, and a number of foods that just work better in pairs.
In fact, knowing that nutrients can actively work together to increase their bioavailability - that is, the amount of nutrients absorbed and utilised by the body - can lead to claimed benefits such as faster metabolism, prevention of chronic disease and healthier cell growth.