Incredibly Healthy Foods #4

See our posts from earlier this week for Incredibly Healthy Foods #1-15. Make sure to check back tomorrow for the last 5 foods to charge up your nutrition!

Incredibly Healthy Foods #16-20

16. Sweet Potatoes

One of the best ways to get vitamin A - an essential nutrient that protects and maintains eyes, skin and the linings of our respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts - is from foods containing beta-carotene, which your body converts into the vitamin. Beta carotene-rich foods include carrots, squash, kale and cantaloupe, but sweet potatoes have among the most. A half-cup serving of these sweet spuds delivers only 130 calories but 80% of the DV of vitamin A. Replace tonight's fries with one medium bakes sweet potato (1,096 mcg) and you're good to go - and then some!

17. Garlic

Garlic is a flavor essential and a health superstar in its own right. The onion relative contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which studies show may decrease high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. High consumption of garlic lowered rates of ovarian, colorectal and other cancers, according to a research review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Allicin also fights infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.

The key to healthier garlic: Crush the cloves and let them stand for up to 30 minutes before heating them, which activates and preserves the heart-protecting compounds, according to a 2007 study from Argentina.

18. Red Peppers

Citrus fruits get all the credit for vitamin C, but red peppers are actually the best source. Vitamin C may be best known for skin and immunity benefits. Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at vitamin C intake in 4,025 women and found that those who ate more had less wrinkling and dryness. And although getting enough vitamin C won't prevent you from catching a cold or flu, studies show that it could help you recover faster.

Vitamin C has other important credentials too. Finnish researchers found that men with low levels were 2.4 times likelier to have a stroke. Australian scientists recently discovered that the antioxidant reduces knee pain by protecting your knees against arthritis.

19. Figs

When you think of potassium-rich products, figs probably don't come to mind, but you may be surprised to learn that six fresh figs have 891 mg of the blood pressure-lowering mineral, nearly 20% of your daily need - and about double what you'd find in one large banana. In a recent 5-year study from the Netherlands, high-potassium diets were linked with lower rates of death from all causes in healthy adults ages 55 and older. Figs are one of the best fruit sources of calcium, with nearly as much per serving (6 figs) as 1/2 cup of fat-free milk.

Serve by chopping and adding to yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal or green salads. Or enjoy them as a savory snack; cut a slit in the side and stuff with 1/2 teaspoon of a low-fat version of a soft cheese, such as chevre or Brie.

20. Asian Pears

One large Asian pear has a whopping 10g of cholesterol-lowering fiber, about 40% of your daily need. People who ate the most fiber had the lowest total and LDL cholesterol levels, according to a recent study of Baltimore adults. The same researchers found that people who ate the most fiber also weighed the least and had the lowest body mass index and waist circumference.

Serve by dicing it into a salad of Boston lettuce, crumbled goat cheese, walnuts and mandarin oranges. Or make it a dessert: Add peeled and cored pears to a saucepan with 1 cup white wine, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger and enough water to cover the pears. Cover and simmer 40 minutes or until pears are soft.