6 Superfoods in Disguise

Full-Fat Cheese

This dairy product is an excellent source of casein protein—one of the best muscle-building nutrients you can eat. Danish researchers found that even when men ate 10 ounces of full-fat cheese daily for 3 weeks, their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol didn’t budge.

Iceberg Lettuce

Conventional wisdom suggests this salad staple is nutritionally bankrupt. But as it turns out, half a head of iceberg lettuce has significantly more alpha-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant, than either romaine lettuce or spinach.

Mushrooms

This fungi’s metabolites—­by-products ­created when mushrooms are broken down during digestion—have been shown to boost immunity and prevent cancer growth, report researchers in the Netherlands.

Pork Chops

Pork contains almost five times the selenium—a mineral linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer—of beef and twice that of chicken. And Purdue University researchers found that a 6-ounce serving daily helped people preserve muscle while losing weight.

Red-Pepper Flakes

A Dutch study found that consuming a gram of red-pepper flakes—about half a teaspoon—30 minutes prior to a meal reduced calorie intake by 16 percent. Plus, new research suggests its active ingredient, capsaicin, may help kill cancer cells.

Vinegar

Scientists in ­Sweden discovered that when people consumed 2 tablespoons of vinegar with a high-carb meal, their blood sugar was 23 percent lower than when they skipped the antioxidant-loaded liquid. They also felt fuller.