Five great foods you should be eating now

CARDIOLOGIST Dr Ross Walker wants us to start now adding these five foods to our diet as each has shown to increase in nutritional value as we age.

Kimchi

Take better care of your gut by including fermented foods such as Kimchi in your diet. It's rich in vitamin A and C which have gut-boosting lactobacilli bacteria, and antioxidant and immune boosting abilities

It's important to have a good dose of prebiotics which feed high-quality nutrients to healthy gut bacteria.

Cabbage, peppers, ginger, spring onions and spices are fermented for a period of time. During this stage microorganisms, such as bacteria, convert sugars into other compounds to produce energy.

Matcha

It can take some time to produce matcha leaves suitable for drinking: the leaves are covered with shade cloths before harvesting to trigger better flavour and texture.

The leaves are then handpicked, steamed to prevent fermentation, then dried and aged in a cold room to deepen the flavour further.

The result is a tea packed full of health-giving properties, including antioxidants such as polyphenols, which have been linked to protecting the body against heart disease and cancer, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure and even anti-ageing.

Miso

Miso isn't just about soup. In its paste form it's also ideal for salad dressings, sauces, marinades, and adding to chicken, fish or vegetable dishes.

Made from fermented soybeans and grains, it contains millions of beneficial bacteria, which means that it releases probiotics, great for balancing your gut health.

Wine

Drinking wine has been given the seal of approval by researchers who say that the resveratrol, which is present in grapes, may help to lower cardiovascular risk and reduction of some cancers.

Wine is also loaded with a variety of other polyphenols which have broad and profound health effects.

Aged garlic

A study published in Frontiers of Nutrition found that aged garlic extract has several health benefits, including reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients, improved the age of arterial stiffness by around five years, inflammation and gut health.

The study found that patients who took two capsules a day of Kyolic Aged Garlic reported fewer adverse side effects, and an increase in Lactobacillus and Clostridia, which are also known as the good bacteria in the gut.

Good gut health has also been linked with improved cardiovascular health.