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HOW THEY FIGHT FOR YOU: Fish are the highest food source of two types of omega-3s: EPA and DHA. The American diet is woefully low in these fats, which not only prevent the formation of
inflammatory compounds but also help destroy them. While scientists can't say for sure why fish eaters tend to be healthier, omega-3s get at least some of the credit. WHAT TO EAT:
Follow the American Heart Association's recommendation to have at least two 3.5-ounce (cooked) servings of fish weekly. Your best bets are high in omega-3s but low in mercury: Arctic
char, mackerel (Atlantic), rainbow trout, salmon and sardines. AND GET THIS: Large-scale nutrition surveys find that fish eaters have a lower risk of developing heart disease, dementia and
depression. Some, but not all, studies detected lower levels of inflammatory compounds in their blood. One well-known Italian study that tracked more than 20,000 men and women age 35-plus
for four years found that people who ate fatty fish at least four times a week were 40 percent less likely to develop heart disease. Fatty fish was particularly protective. Averaging just
1.76 ounces of fish daily was linked to a 16 percent lower likelihood of having depression, according to a 2016 meta-analysis of 16 studies. GETTY IMAGES WHOLE GRAINS HOW THEY FIGHT FOR YOU:
Whole grains have all three components intact: the outer bran layer, the middle starchy endosperm and the little germ filled with vitamins and healthy fats. Refining gets rid of the most
nutritious parts — the bran and germ — which offer a wealth of antioxidants. Whole grain's fiber is fuel for our gut bacteria, which in turn produce anti-inflammatory substances. WHAT
TO EAT: Brown rice, barley, bulgur wheat, millet and whole rye are all healthy — as are many other whole grains. (Buckwheat and quinoa, while technically not grains, are nutritionally close
enough.) A serving of whole grain is about a half cup of cooked grains (such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa), a slice of bread or about half a cup to three-quarters of a cup of a flaky
whole-grain cereal. While the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that half your grains should be whole, other research indicates that an even higher proportion is better. AND GET
THIS: Compared with those who eat the least amount of whole grains, people who eat the most cut their risk of heart disease (by 21 percent), cancer (by 11 percent) and death (by 18 percent)
over the course of the study period, according to a meta-analysis of 45 studies by researchers at Norwegian University of Science and Technology and other institutions. In a separate study
from Denmark, 50 overweight or obese men and women ate diets either rich in whole grains or devoid of them for eight weeks. Whole-grain eaters lost a little weight, and blood tests showed
reduced levels of inflammation. GETTY IMAGES LEGUMES HOW THEY FIGHT FOR YOU: Legumes are rich in B vitamins, minerals and fiber. And like fruits and vegetables, they're rich in
phytonutrients, which act as antioxidants. Soy foods are particularly high in isoflavones, which have anti-inflammatory effects. WHAT TO EAT: All legumes are nutritious — black beans,
chickpeas (garbanzo), kidney beans, lentils and the others. The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests eating 1 1/2 cups per week, although more is certainly
healthy. AND GET THIS: Eating legumes can help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancer, and doing so can also help to quell appetite, according
to a review of the research by scientists at the University of Leeds, in the U.K., and other institutions. A study that tracked 785 men and women age 70 and up for seven years — in four
countries — found that of all the foods studied, legumes were most closely linked to longevity. Every 20 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of legumes eaten corresponded to an 8 percent reduced
risk of death during the study period. GETTY IMAGES COFFEE, TEA, DARK CHOCOLATE HOW THEY FIGHT FOR YOU: Like fruits, vegetables and other healthy plant foods, coffee tea and cocoa beans (the
basis of chocolate) are rich in phytonutrients. Just to name a few: Dark chocolate and tea are particularly rich in flavanols, while coffee is high in chlorogenic acid and diterpenes. All
three contain caffeine, which appears to offer anti-inflammatory benefits for your brain. (Although in excess, it can make you jittery, induce heartburn and mess with your sleep!) Coffee has
the most caffeine, followed by black tea, then green tea, which has about as much caffeine as an ounce of dark chocolate (70 to 85 percent cocoa). WHAT TO EAT (OR DRINK): While major health
authorities have not weighed in on ideal amounts, some research studies indicate that the following may offer protection. * Coffee: 1 to 3 cups (or espresso cups) of brewed coffee daily,
ideally unfiltered (such as French press or espresso) as to not lose beneficial compounds. * Tea: White (unfermented), green (lightly fermented), oolong (medium fermentation) or black
(fermented) are all beneficial. Studies vary in their recommended doses, but 1 to 5 cups seem to impart benefits. * Chocolate: In general, the darker the chocolate (70 percent or higher),
the healthier — you get less sugar and more flavanols. However, the cocoa bean growing region and the way chocolate is processed has a big impact on flavanols. A Consumer Lab analysis found
that some dark chocolates have four times the flavanols as others. About an ounce a day of dark chocolate is probably the sweet spot — not too high in calories, and, hopefully, rich in
flavanols. AND GET THIS: Compared with abstainers, coffee drinkers were 15 percent less likely to die over the course of three large studies. These Harvard University studies tracked about
208,000 men and women for 21 to 28 years, recording diet and health outcomes. Drinking coffee appeared to help ward off killer diseases such as heart disease, a number of cancer types,
neurological disorders such as Parkinson's, and it was also linked to a lower risk of suicide. Both regular and decaffeinated coffee appear to be protective. These findings mesh with
other similar epidemiological research. Tea drinkers tend to have a lower risk of heart disease. Why? A study by reseachers at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan, of 19 healthy men might
help explain. An hour after taking a green tea supplement in pill form, their LDL ("bad") cholesterol was significantly less prone to oxidation than before taking the capsule (or
compared with when they returned to the lab and took a placebo). Oxidized LDL becomes inflamed and can lead to artery-clogging plaque — a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Cocoa
flavanols can relax arteries, improving blood flow to the heart and brain. They also can protect arteries from free radical damage and inflammation. That may be why some studies indicate
that people who eat chocolate have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Chocolate may also make us smarter, according to a Columbia University research study of 37 men and women in
their 50s and 60s. Half of them added to their daily diet a daily chocolate drink that was high in cocoa flavanols, while the other group added a flavanol-poor chocolate beverage. Three
months later, the high flavanol group's scores on memory tests were equivalent to those of people 30 years younger. Brain scans showed improved blood flow to a region of the hippocampus
— a part of the brain involved in memory. _Editor's note: This article was original published on May 9, 2019 and updated on January 17, 2020 with the AARP Top Tips video. _