Eight foods to always have in your refrigerator.

Introduction: Summer is hot, and due to various pathogens and large temperature differences in the environment, people can easily get sick if they are not careful. A website of Taiwan's "Health" magazine published an article suggesting keeping the following 7 foods in the refrigerator to help you get through the hot summer.

1. Milk, for supplementing calcium. 1 ml of milk contains 1 mg of calcium, and the calcium content in milk is very rich. Before the age of 35, we should seriously and actively store "bone capital," especially for women. Because after menopause, estrogen levels drop rapidly, which reduces calcium absorption in the body and increases the rate of bone calcium loss. It is recommended to drink 1-2 cups (240-480 ml) of milk daily.

2. Cilantro, to prevent dementia. Cilantro is rich in folic acid. When DNA is damaged, folic acid participates in repair to prevent cells from becoming cancerous. Other studies have found that a lack of folic acid can lead to a decrease in serotonin in the brain, causing insomnia and depression; adequate folic acid can protect the nervous system and slow the onset of dementia. It is recommended to eat cilantro raw or sprinkle it on dishes at the end of cooking to preserve folic acid to the greatest extent.

3. Tomatoes, for sun protection and skin whitening. Lycopene has the effect of sun protection and skin whitening, and its content in tomatoes is the highest among various fruits and vegetables. The redder the tomato, the higher the lycopene content. Eating 3 tomatoes a day can reduce the risk of sunburn by 40%. A plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes can release more lycopene from the cooked tomatoes.

Lemon Tomato Juice

4. Green tea, for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Catechins in green tea have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and can reduce the absorption of triglycerides and cholesterol and their concentrations in the plasma. Drinking green tea before moderate-intensity exercise can increase fat burning by 17%. However, after green tea has been on the shelf for 6 months, its catechin content will decrease by 32%, so try to choose the most recent date when purchasing.

5. Brown rice, for preventing high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. Brown rice is a whole grain, rich in dietary fiber, which helps lower the concentration of cholesterol and blood sugar. A study in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" pointed out that consuming dietary fiber, especially fiber from whole grains, can reduce the risk of death from heart disease, infection, and respiratory diseases. You can eat brown rice, or if you have poor digestion, you can also blend it into a drink.

Seafood Black Fungus and Brown Rice Porridge

6. Dark chocolate, to protect the heart. Chocolate contains healthy antioxidants—flavonoids, which can increase the body's production of nitric oxide, promote blood pressure and blood flow improvement, and can improve abnormal cholesterol. It is recommended to choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of over 70%, and consume about 45 grams per week.

7. Mango, to enhance immunity. Summer is the season for mangoes. Mangoes are rich in beta-carotene, which is a natural antioxidant that can eliminate free radicals and enhance human immunity.

8. Chicken breast, to reduce infections. Chicken breast is low in fat and rich in vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is involved in the metabolic reactions of glycogen and fatty acids, helping to maintain normal blood sugar; it also promotes normal hemoglobin synthesis to avoid anemia; maintains normal nerve function, protects lymphatic tissue, promotes the proliferation of immune cells, etc., to prevent infections.

Grilled Bacon Chicken Breast