Combine and Conquer

Use these winning food pairings to protect your health.
By Elizabeth Drake, Men's Health

What began as small talk at a holiday party ended in a revelation — only this one didn't involve the office copier. It all started 6 years ago, as Rutgers University scientists Allan Conney, Ph.D., and George C. Wagner, Ph.D., chatted at an office get-together. Both researchers were studying the health benefits of caffeine, but from different angles. "I was investigating the effects of caffeine on Parkinson's disease," says Wagner. "He was looking at green tea and skin-cancer protection."

From this conversation, the two decided to pool their knowledge and join forces. The result: The surprising discovery that the combination of caffeine and exercise may shield you from skin cancer.

This is just one of five dynamic duos we've unearthed. Read on to find out how simple nutrition additions can multiply your health benefits.

Fish + Broccoli

The benefit: You can sock it to cancer with this one-two punch.

The science: Tuna and halibut contain selenium, a mineral that raises your levels of a cancer-fighting enzyme called thioredoxin reductase (TR-1). Likewise, broccoli provides sulforaphane, a plant chemical that also boosts TR-1. When British researchers combined these two nutrients, they noticed that the tag team was 13 times more effective at slowing the growth of cancer cells than each was individually. The scientists believe that as selenium concentrations in your cells rise, the ability of sulforaphane to elevate TR-1 increases.

The take-home message: Eat meat with vegetables regularly. In addition to fish, foods such as beef, turkey, Brazil nuts, and mushrooms are excellent sources of selenium. And cruciferous vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage — are loaded with sulforaphane.

Salsa + Avocado

The benefit: Your idea of health food is about to become tastier.

The science: Bright and vividly colored vegetables — such as the ones used in salads and salsas — are rich in carotenoids, powerful plant pigments that reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and cataracts. But here's a little-known secret: To fully benefit from these disease-fighting compounds, you need to eat them with fat. In fact, Ohio State University researchers found that people who ate a salad topped with half an avocado absorbed five to 10 times more beta-carotene and lutein — carotenoids found in carrots and spinach, respectively — than those who had salads sans the fatty fruit. And eating avocado with salsa boosted the absorption of lycopene — a carotenoid in tomatoes — by almost five times.

"Fatty acids are needed to help carotenoids dissolve in the intestines," says lead study author Steve Schwartz, Ph.D. "These lipids are also an essential part of creating lipoproteins, which transport the carotenoids in the bloodstream."

The take-home message: Any time you eat colorful vegetables — whether raw or cooked — have some fat, too. And it doesn't have to be an avocado: One ounce of cheese, two pats of butter, or two tablespoons of full-fat ranch dressing will have the same effect, says Schwartz.

Nuts + Beer

The benefit: These two pub staples can decrease your risk of a heart attack.

The science: Numerous studies have shown that nuts boost HDL (good) cholesterol levels while reducing the "bad" LDL. And it's thought that alcohol acts as a blood thinner, helping prevent the formation of clots that can block bloodflow to your heart. What's more, Swedish researchers found that the fat and fiber in nuts slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. This can help smooth out the effects of moderate alcohol consumption. For best results, try to eat about 15 minutes before taking your first libation.

The take-home message: Moderation is the key here. Up to 3 ounces of nuts and one or two glasses of beer or wine a day have been shown to reduce heart-disease risk without leading to weight gain.

Garlic + Fennel

The benefit: These foods fight disease, but without the need for an after-dinner mint.

The science: Both garlic and fennel contain active compounds that help prevent cancer, according to University of Texas researchers. In fact, these chemicals target cancer in different ways, so they complement each other. But the active compound in fennel — anethol — provides another perk: It helps neutralize garlic breath. Japanese researchers found that anethol speeds the rate at which you produce saliva. Saliva inhibits microbial overgrowth, and also clears the bad-breath-causing sulfur compounds that garlic releases.

The take-home message: To make any dish healthier, try mixing garlic with fennel seeds, which contain more anethol than the leaves do. Here's a garlic-fennel seed rub you can use to season beef, chicken, or pork:

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Place the seeds on a flat surface, and use the bottom of a heavy pot to crush them. Mix the crushed seeds with the remaining ingredients and rub liberally on meat before grilling or roasting.

Caffeine + Exercise

The benefit: A daily Starbucks run may protect your skin.

The science: Researchers from Rutgers University found that when sunburned mice guzzled caffeinated water and then hit the running wheel, their risk of developing skin cancer plummeted. Turns out both caffeine and cardio trigger damaged skin cells to self-destruct before they can turn cancerous. And when the two are combined, this effect isn't just cumulative; it's exponential. Case in point: The rodents that drank and ran had one-third as many damaged skin cells as mice that did only one or the other.

The take-home message: To realize the same effect yourself, try one or two cups of coffee after your exercise session, say the scientists.

Double Trouble
Some couples were just never meant to be together. Divorce these dangerous combos:

Swiss Chard + Warfarin
If you take the blood thinner warfarin — typically prescribed to prevent the clots associated with deep-vein thrombosis — you'll want to avoid leafy greens such as Swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, and watercress. The high levels of vitamin K in these vegetables can negate the anticoagulant effect of the drug.

Grapefruit juice + Allegra
Compounds in grapefruit render sneeze- and sniffle-fighting fexofenadine — the active ingredient in allergy medicines such as Allegra and Telfast — nearly powerless. In fact, a recent study found that 1 cup of this citrus juice can act for 24 hours to block the intestinal enzymes needed to digest the drug.

Kava + Alcohol
Kava, an extract from a South Pacific plant, is marketed as a stress-reducing supplement. However, its active ingredients — kavalactones — act on the same receptor in the brain as alcohol. Combining the two increases the impact of alcohol intoxication, and results in lower scores on both cognition and balance tests.