What's funny is that most of us believe only medicines can fight diseases. When you think about what the father of natural medicine said, you realise that the wisdom of preventing illnesses with the right foods is not new age. We spoke to various experts to understand what foods are good enough to fight illness, and what's available, to bring you this advice.

To zero in on the best disease-fighting foods we went through piles of information and shortlisted 10 that are on the brink of superstardom. Another 20 are getting there. They are all good sources of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. High in phytonutrients and anti-oxidant compounds, they keep you healthy. Load them on your plate and reap the benefits.

Protect your heart
Grapes are not just nutrition powerhouses, they contain a lot of boron, good amounts of vitamin C and A, potassium and some calcium too. The anti-oxidants make it a cardio-protective fruit. In fact, the flavonoids in grape juice, like those in wine, help prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL) that leads to formation of plaque in artery walls.

Get this much
When in season, have at least twice a week (about a small bowl each time).

Try these too
Lychees have a very high level of heart-healthy polyphenols- nearly 15% more than the amount found in grapes. Have Indian gooseberry (amla) too. It contains gallic acid, a potent polyphenol.

Quick tips
Have grape juice for breakfast; serve grapes Mediterranean style, as an after-dinner dessert with a slice of low-fat cheese; add grapes to salads; or whirl them with honey and yogurt to make a breakfast smoothie.

Lose weight
Yogurt is not just a low-cal dessert for dieters. Adding yogurt to your diet may actually rev up your body's fat-burning engines, help you lose weight faster, and trim your tummy, according to a study done by researcher Michael Zemel, PhD, professor of nutrition at the University of Tennessee.

Get this much
1 cup daily.

Try these too
Replace white bread with 100% whole-wheat bread. Rich in fibre, it satisfies hunger, keeping excess kilos away.

Quick tips
Mix yogurt with fruit or any flavouring and freeze it for a few hours; have low-fat shakes by blending yogurt with fresh, or frozen fruit.

Beat back cancers
Mushroom is a fungi that offers a hearty flavour and meaty texture. It helps beef up the body's defences too. It suppresses breast and prostate cancers. Penn State researchers say that mushroom is the only food that contains L-ergothioneine, a powerful anti-oxidant.

Get this much
100 g, twice a week.

Try these too
Papayas protect against lung, stomach, endometrial, and prostate cancer, and pomegranates help kill breast and prostate cancer cells.

Quick tips
Saute and add fresh mushroom to soups, sauces and salads.

Sharpen memory
Fish helps strengthen memory performance and decreases the slowing down of mental faculties as we grow older. So include fatty fish- salmon, mackerel and surmai-in your diet to get a mega dose of Omega-3s. Vegetarian? Sprinkle flaxseeds over salads and cereals.

Get this much
Twice a week; or have 2 capsules of cod liver oil/salmon oil daily.

Try these too
Include olive oil and almonds, to reduce age-related brain disorders.

Quick tips
Take 100 g of fatty fish twice a week, or 25 g of flaxseed or fenugreek seeds, 5 times a week.

Stop eye disease
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which acts as an anti-oxidant and experts say that it can prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Cooked tomatoes are preferable, since heat allows more desirable anti-oxidants in tomatoes to be made available to the body. And because lycopene is fat-soluble, eating tomatoes with oil can improve absorption.

Get this much
Have freely every day, both in raw and cooked form.

Try these too
The much maligned egg yolk is among the very best sources of lutein, an anti-oxidant that may help prevent age-related macular degeneration. Another good eye food is lutein-rich raspberry.

Quick tips
Add to bean and vegetable soups; enjoy classic Italian salad (sliced onions, tomatoes and a dash of mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil); combine chopped onions, tomatoes and chilli peppers, for an easy-to-make salsa dip.

Block hypertension
Bananas contain a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, making it the perfect food for keeping blood pressure under control, says a study carried in Current Science. Blood pressure fell by 10% in people who ate two bananas daily for a week. Banana, the study added, contains calcium to strengthen the bones and fibre to beat constipation.

Get this much
Aim for one banana every day.

Try these too
Coconut water and orange juice for their high potassium content: a good way to lower your blood pressure and keep hypertension away.

Quick tips
Add sliced bananas to cold cereal or fruit salads; have a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Banish UTI
Cranberries are a traditional remedy for preventing UTIs, and now experts too agree that they work. Cranberry juice is rich in proanthocyanidins, chemical compounds that help prevent bacteria from sticking to cells in the urinary tract. It also makes it difficult for bacteria to grow.

Get this much
One glass, 3-4 times a week.

Try these too
Eating 3 servings a week of Vitamin C-rich foods made women 80% less prone to UTI, said a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. So have guavas. And probiotics regularly for friendly bacteria.

Quick tips
Have a glass of cranberry juice every day at breakfast.

Fight cholestrol
Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a fibre known as beta-glucan which acts like nature's broom, literally whisking excess cholesterol out of the system. A bowl of freshly cooked oatmeal is a perfect way to start your day, especially if you are trying to prevent bad cholesterol build-up.

Get this much
At least four times a week.

Try these too
Barley, full of beta-glucan fibre, helps lower bad cholesterol. Brown rice which will keep your LDL in check. Quick tips Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast; sprinkle oat bran on your cereals; try cooked oatmeal, topped with sliced banana, walnuts and honey.

Prevent osteoporosis
Spinach is full of Vitamin K-a vitamin that falls short in many diets according to a survey conducted by Tufts University. The Vitamin K provided by spinach-almost 200% of the daily value in one cup of fresh spinach leaves and over 1000% of the daily value in one cup of boiled spinach-is great for maintaining bone health.

Get this much
At least 3 times a week; every day is even better.

Try these too
Research published in the Nutrition Journal Penn State (January 2007) suggests that walnuts are rich in the essential fatty acid Omega-3, good for the skeletal system. Seaweeds are very rich in calcium-much more than dairy products.

Quick tips
Add some tender spinach leaves to your salads and steamed spinach to your dal/pasta; spinach soup, of course, is an evergreen way to get its goodness.

Power up your lungs
Apples contain high levels of an anti-oxidant flavonoid called quercetin, which helps in protecting the lungs from the harmful effects of atmospheric pollutants and cigarette smoke. Research has revealed that eating more than five apples a week betters lung function and lowers risk of respiratory diseases.

Get this much
One apple every day.

Try these too
The astringent qualities of pineapple help clear your lungs. And garlic rids the lungs of phlegm; it protects against cancer-causing agents.

Quick tips
Munch on it at breakfast; add diced apples to fruit or green salads; have sliced apples and cheese.

Also Add to Your Plate

Bok Choy
Bok choy, also known as Chinese white cabbage, aids in healthy digestion; a cup will give you 158 mg of calcium to help beat osteoporosis.

Figs
Fresh figs are not so easily available in our country, so snack on dried ones. Figs are an excellent source of potassium, fibre and Vitamin B6 (good for production of mood-boosting serotonin, lowering cholesterol and preventing water retention). They also offer a sweet way to lose weight because of their high fibre content.

Wheatgerm
A tablespoon gives you about 7% of your daily magnesium, which helps prevent muscle cramps; it is also a good source of Vitamin E, plus folate and a phytonutrient called L-ergothioneine, a powerful anti-oxidant.

Kiwis
This one is bursting with anti-oxidants and is full of fibre. It protects against free radical damage and has an exceptional amount of Vitamin E and vision-saving lutein.

Experts: Pratima Kaushik, senior nutritionist, and Dr Karun Makhija, specialist, nutrition and obesity management.

Courtesy:Prevention