2. BLACK BEANS Researchers have known for decades that beans, in addition to their high fiber and protein content, are a rich source of antioxidants. In fact, a study published in the

_Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry_ in 2003 reported that, gram for gram, black beans had more antioxidant power than any of a dozen other common varieties of dry beans tested. In

general, darker seed coats were associated with higher levels of flavonoids, and therefore higher antioxidant activity, according to the researchers. The most active antioxidants in the

beans were anthocyanins, which the researchers found at levels similar to what are contained in an equivalent serving size of grapes, apples or cranberries. The researchers noted that the

The researchers noted that the Grande and El Dorido hybrids had significantly higher levels of carotenoids, vitamin C and capsaicinoids than the other jalapeños they tested. 4. TOMATILLOS

Tomatillos, which look like green, unripe tomatoes that have been wrapped in a dry husk, are the star ingredient of green salsa verde. And, it turns out, the slightly acidic fruit may have

some anti-inflammatory qualities, according to a study published in the _Journal of Food Chemistry_ in 2016. The study found that the sticky material (sucrose esters) on the surface of the

tomatillo fruit may inhibit inflammation much as aspirin and ibuprofen do. 5. CILANTRO Cilantro, a leafy green herb, has been valued for centuries for its medicinal properties — although

those benefits appear primarily to be found it its dried seeds, known as coriander. It contains “bioactive phytochemicals that are accounted for a wide range of biological activities

including antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, migraine-relieving, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory

activities,” according to a 2018 report published in _Food Research International_. _Peter Urban is a contributing writer and editor who focuses on health news. Urban spent two decades

working as a correspondent in Washington, D.C., for daily newspapers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, California and Arkansas, including a stint as Washington bureau chief for the _Las

Vegas Review Journal_. His freelance work has appeared in _Scientific American, Bloomberg Government_ and CTNewsJunkie.com._