Forget acai and goji berries — some of the most potent superfoods are already in your kitchen cupboard.
These simple foods have secret superpowers that can guard against depression, reduce blood pressure and even help prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Apple juice: According to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, two glasses a day reduced production of beta amyloid, a protein which causes 'senile plaques' to form in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers.
Celery: The University of Chicago Medical Center has shown that just eating four stalks a day for one week resulted in a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
Olive oil: Its heart health benefits are already well known — now a study from Spain's University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has shown that people who ate it regularly were significantly less likely to suffer from depression.
Strawberries: A study from the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Ageing says eating them triggers autophagy, a 'housekeeping' process which removes the biochemical brain debris that interferes with memory.
Tea: A study presented to the American Academy of Neurology has shown that people who regularly drank black tea were up to 35 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
Blueberries: After tracking peoples' dietary habits for 14 years, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that those who ate at least one serving a week cut their risk of hypertension by almost 10 percent.
Canned tuna: Eating fish — especially those high in the omega-3 fat eicosapentaenoic acid, like tuna — is associated with a 31 percent reduction in symptoms of depression in boys aged 12-15 years old, say Japanese researchers in a Pediatrics study.
Carrots: A Journal of Nutrition study pinpoints luteolin — a nutrient found in carrots, as well as capsicums and rosemary — as being able to protect brain cell neurons and slow brain inflammation, which is a precursor to memory loss.
Grapes: According to a British Journal of Nutrition study, resveratrol — an anti-ageing compound found in grapes — improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics. Researchers say it could be due to resveratrol's potent antioxidant activity, and also because it stimulates a protein that helps sugar uptake into cells.
Muesli: Starting the day with wholegrain cereal or muesli reduces your risk of pre-diabetes and heart disease, with an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study showing breakfast skippers — both children and adults — had higher fasting levels of insulin (a sign of insulin resistance) and higher total and LDL ('bad') cholesterol.
Oranges: says eating citrus fruit daily is linked to an 11 and 14 percent reduction in incidence of all cancers for men and women, respectively. The compounds hesperidin, flavonoids and limonoids provide the benefit.
Nuts: A Sydney University study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that eating nuts is associated with a 32-51 percent decrease in inflammatory diseases, including infections, and immune and digestive problems.
Video: Super-cheap superfoods
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