Amazing Health Benefits of Swiss Chad And Nutritional Value

What is Swiss Chard?

Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable that is scientifically classified as Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla, and it belongs to the family Chenopodiaceae. It is closely related to beets,but beets are usually cultivated for the roots, while Swiss chard is grown for its leaves.Swiss chard is usually eaten raw in salads, cooked, or sauteed. The bitterness of the raw leaves dissipates when cooked, leaving a soft, delicious flavor, more subtle than spinach, which chard is often mistaken for.

Chard has many vitamins, nutrients and organic compounds, which include vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A, as well as vitamin E, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. In terms of minerals, Swiss chard has a wealth of magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, sodium, and copper. Furthermore, in addition to dietary fiber, Swiss chard has a significant amount of polyphenolic antioxidants, phytonutrients, and enzymes that are unique and highly beneficial to the health.

The health benefits of swiss chard include the ability to regulate blood sugar levels, prevent various types of cancer, improve digestion, boost the immune system, reduce fever and combat inflammation, lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, increase bone strength and development, detoxify the body, and strengthen the functioning of the brain.

History Of Swiss Chard

Chard was first described in 1753 by Carl von Linné as Beta vulgaris var. cicla.[5] Its taxonomic rank has changed many times, so it was treated as a subspecies, convariety or variety of Beta vulgaris. (Some of the numerous synonyms are Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Cicla Group), B. vulgaris subsp. cicla (L.) W.D.J. Koch var. cicla L., B. vulgaris var. cycla (L.) Ulrich, B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Leaf Beet Group), B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Spinach Beet Group), B. vulgaris subsp. cicla (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Flavescens Group), B. vulgaris subsp. cicla (L.) W.D.J. Koch var. flavescens (Lam.) DC., B. vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris (Leaf Beet Group), B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Swiss Chard Group)). The accepted name for all beet cultivars, like chard, sugar beet and beetroot, is Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. They are cultivated descendants of the sea beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. Chard belongs to the chenopods, which are now mostly included in the family Amaranthaceae (sensu lato).

There are two rankless cultivar groups for chard: the Cicla-Group for the leafy spinach beet, and the Flavescens-Group for the stalky Swiss chard. Chard is also known by many common names, such as Swiss chard, silver beet, perpetual spinach, beet spinach, sea-kale beet, or leaf beet. The word “chard” descends from the fourteenth-century French carde, from Latin carduus meaning artichoke thistle (or cardoon, including the artichoke).

The origin of the adjective “Swiss” is unclear, since the Mediterranean plant is not native to Switzerland. Some attribute the name to it having been first described by a Swiss botanist, either Gaspard Bauhin or Karl Heinrich Emil Koch (although the latter was German, not Swiss).

Types of chard

There are three types of Swiss chard (Beta Vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens):

• rainbow chard a mix of different types of coloured chard
• ruby, red or rhubarb chard – with red stems
• white-stemmed chard

There is also another type of chard (not the ‘Swiss’ type) known as perpetual spinach, which has slightly thinner stems, and, not surprisingly, is even more like spinach.

Nutrition Value Of Swiss Chard

The many health benefits attributed to chard are due to its impressive list of vitamins, nutrients, and organic compounds, which include vitamin k , vitamin C, and vitamin A, as well as vitamin E, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. In terms of minerals, Swiss chard has a wealth of magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, sodium, and copper. Furthermore, in addition to dietary fiber, chard has a significant amount of polyphenolic antioxidants, phytonutrients, and enzymes that are unique and highly beneficial to your health.

Amount Per 100 grams

• Calories 19
• Total Fat 0.2 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg
• Sodium 213 mg – 8% RDA
• Potassium 379 mg – 10% RDA
• Total Carbohydrate 3.7 g – 1% RDA
• Dietary fiber 1.6 g – 6% RDA
• Sugar 1.1 g
• Protein 1.8 g – 3% RDA
• Vitamin A 122% RDA
• Vitamin C 50% RDA
• Calcium 5% RDA
• Iron 9% RDA
• Vitamin B-6 5% RDA
• Magnesium 20% RDA

Excellent Source of Dietary Fiber

Rainbow chard has 7.23 grams of carbohydrates per cooked cup. Of this amount, 3.7 grams are dietary fiber. Consuming a cooked cup of rainbow chard supplies 19- to 30-year-old men with almost 11 percent of their daily fiber requirements, 31- to 50-year-old men with 12 percent of their needs and men over 51 with 13 percent of their recommended daily allowance. Women 19 to 30 years old would receive 13 percent of their RDA from a serving of rainbow chard, whereas women between 31 and 50 would get 15 percent of theirs. Older women would receive 17 percent of their RDA. Simple sugars contribute about 1.9 grams of carbohydrates to rainbow chard’s total per serving.

Outstanding Way to Get Vitamins A and K

The recommended daily allowance of vitamin A is 900 micrograms for a man and 700 micrograms for a woman. With 536 micrograms of vitamin A in every cooked cup, a serving of chard can supply about 60 percent of a man’s RDA and 76 percent of a woman’s. Rainbow chard is even richer in vitamin K: Each 1-cup serving has 573 micrograms of vitamin K, over 100 percent of the required daily intake of the vitamin for both men and women. Vitamin C and vitamin E are also present in high concentrations in rainbow chard.

Packed With Iron

Each 1-cup serving of cooked rainbow chard contains approximately 4 grams of iron, or 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance for women and 50 percent of the requirement per day for men. You can increase the amount of iron you absorb from rainbow chard by combining it with a rich source of vitamin C. Try stirring sliced rainbow chard into vegetable soups containing carrots and tomatoes or topping a salad containing chard leaves with orange segments. Magnesium, manganese and copper are other minerals that rainbow chard provides in high concentrations.

Full of Phytochemicals

A 2009 study published in “Food, Agriculture and Environment” reported that chard is a rich source of polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that may help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and degenerative neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. To get the highest amount of polyphenols, don’t discard rainbow chard’s bright stems when you’re preparing the vegetable. A 2013 study found that the most deeply colored parts of green leafy vegetables like chard have the highest polyphenol and antioxidant activity.

Virtually Fat-Free

A 1-cup serving of cooked rainbow chard contains 35 calories. Only about 1.3 of these calories — just 3.7 percent of the total caloric content in a serving — are contributed by the vegetable’s 0.14 grams of fat. Cooked rainbow chard has a trace amount of saturated fat — approximately 0.02 grams per serving — and contains no cholesterol. It also has a small amount of heart-healthy poly- and monounsaturated fats.

Amazing Health Benefits of Swiss Chad

1. Regulates Blood Sugar

Swiss chard contains syringic acid which is a flavonoid and helps regulate the blood sugar levels in the body.It inhibits the activity of a specific enzyme named alpha-glucosidase. This means that less cards are broken down to simple sugars, which allows the blood sugar levels in the body to remain stable, and prevent the plunges and peaks that are so dangerous for diabetic patients, or for those people who are at a high risk of developing diabetes. Swiss chad help pancreatic beta cells to regenerate, beta cells in the pancreas are responsible for producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar. This helps to control insulin production more effectively.

2. Strengthens Bones

Swiss chard has a significant amount of calcium, magnesium and vitamin K which help to stimulate bone growth and development. Calcium is stored within the bones where it is needed to help maintain bone strength, mineral density, and to prevent weak bones that can lead to fractures. Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for bone health — and reduces fracture rates because it activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein that helps form bones.

3. Brain Health

Chard has both potassium and vitamin K, both of which are found in significant amounts in the brain, and are integral parts of boosting cognitive development and abilities. Swiss Chad has high betalain levels which provides significant protection against certain oxidative stress-related disorders, which includes neuro-degenerative diseases. Betalains and the other antioxidants found in Swiss chard defend brain cells from mutation, protect from DNA damage, reduce free radicals, and lower the risk of disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

4. Prevents Anemia

Chard contains iron and copper which are essential elements of red blood cells formation which helps prevent anemia. Anemia maniufests itself through signs of weakness, fatigue, stomach disorders, and lack of concentration.

5. Regulates Blood Pressure

Chard contains potasssium which acts as a vasodilator and prevents stress on the blood vessels. They also has anti-inflammatory and phytonutrient antioxidants which all contribute to reducing blood pressure and stress on the cardiovascular system. Some hypertension is due to pro-inflammatory enzymes within the body, which the organic compounds in Swiss chard are able to neutralize.

6. Improves Vision

Swiss chard has a huge amount of beta-carotene, which has been linked in many ways to optimal eye health and a reduction in macular degeneration, glaucoma, night blindness, and other vision-related conditions. Betalains found in Swiss chard also protect the health of the nervous system, including specialized nerve signaling which is crucial for the communication between the eyes and brain.

Nutrition Health Benefits of Swiss Chad

7. Reduces Cancer Risk

swiss chard has anti-cancer properties due to the huge amounts of antioxidants found in it. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause healthy cells to become cancerous. Swiss chard contains significant amounts of vitamin E, C, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, kaempferol, beta-carotene, and quercetin. Many of these have been connected to preventing a wide variety of cancers, specifically colon cancer.

8. Hair Health

Swiss chard has significant amounts of biotin which has been directly linked to healthy hair, the stimulation of follicles, and as a way to increase luster and texture.

9. Heart Health

Swiss chard has a range of antioxidants which is beneficial for the heart health. It helps lower levels of inflammation as it helps turn off pro-inflammatory reactions. These reactions can worsen high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and increase the risk of suffering from a heart attack, stroke, or another form of cardiovascular disease.

10. Aids in Digestion

Swiss chard benefits digestive health by helping to reduce inflammation within the digestive tract and by regulating bowel movements that draw toxins out of the body. Swiss chard’s phytonutrient betalains are excellent for supporting detoxification by acting as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants within the gut. It also contains dietary fiber which adds bulk to the digestive material and helps with the pelvic movement and prevents constipation and diarrhea.

11. High in Antioxidants

Swiss chard is packed with antioxidants that help reduce free radical damage within the body and literally slow the aging process. In fact Swiss chard is thought to contain up to 13 different types of polyphenol antioxidants alone. In 2004, researchers were also able to identify nineteen different types of betaxanthin antioxidants in Swiss chard, as well as nine types of betacyanins among the different varieties of chard.

One of the primary flavonoid antioxidants found in the leaves of chard is a flavonoid called syringic acid. Syringic acid is known for regulating blood sugar levels, making it the object of much research over recent years as diabetes diagnosis rates have continued to increase. Something else noteworthy about Swiss chard nutrition? It’s anti-aging antioxidants also help to prevent cancer, heart disease, eye and skin disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and much more.

12. Helps Prevent Diabetes

Swiss chard nutrition has been praised for making the leafy green a powerful blood sugar regulator. Swiss chard has nutrient properties that are believed to be one of the best vegetables for people with pre-diabetes, diabetes, or other forms of metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance. Certain flavonoids found in Swiss chard help to inhibit activity of an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase which breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars, therefore it makes it easier to maintain a steadier blood sugar level. This makes Swiss chard an antihypoglycemic vegetable and one of the best foods to incorporate into a blood sugar-stabilizing diet.

Another unique benefit of Swiss chard is its effect on pancreatic beta cells. Beta cells in the pancreas are responsible for producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar. It’s believed that Swiss chard may help pancreatic beta cells to regenerate and therefore helps to control insulin production more effectively.

In addition to its special phytonutrient abilities, Swiss chard contains a very good amount of dietary fiber, with almost 4 grams per one-cup serving of cooked chard. Fiber helps to slow down the release of sugar in the blood stream following a meal, in addition to having heart health and digestive health benefits.

13. Benefits Nerve and Muscle Function

Swiss chard provides a high amount of magnesium, potassium, calcium and other minerals that are crucial for muscle health and nervous system health. Swiss chard contains an impressive 38% about of your daily magnesium needs for every one-cup serving of cooked chard, which helps improve circulation and reduce muscle cramps and pain that can result from a magnesium deficiency. Swiss chard’s high level of magnesium can also help prevent stress related symptoms that take a toll on the nervous system, including insomnia, mood disturbances, headaches, high blood pressure, and an increased risk for diabetes.

14. Preventing osteoporosis

Adequate vitamin K consumption can improve bone health. Vitamin K modifies bone matrix proteins, improves calcium absorption, and reduces urinary excretion of calcium. Low intakes of vitamin K have been associated with a higher risk of bone fracture. One way to increase vitamin K intake is by consuming leafy greens such as Swiss chard, arugula, and spinach. These also add extra calcium to the diet. One 36-gram cup of raw Swiss chard contains 298 micrograms (mcg), of vitamin K. The recommended daily allowance in the United States is 120 mcg for men and 90 mcg for women.

15. Improving athletic performance

Dietary nitrates have been shown to improve muscle oxygenation during exercise. This suggests that a higher intake of nitrates may enhance exercise tolerance during long-term endurance exercise. In one study, beetroot juice, also high in dietary nitrates, improved performance by 2.8 percent over 11 seconds in a 4-kilometer (km) bicycle time trial. It improved it by 2.7 percent over 45 seconds in a 16.1-km time trial. Swiss chard has a similar nitrate content to beetroot.

A review published in 2015 suggests that an additional intake of nitrates probably has little or no effect on exercise performance, especially in trained athletes. However, the beneficial effects of nitrates on the cardiovascular system may mean it can improve quality of life for those with cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases. These conditions can make daily living difficult because of a lack of oxygenation.

16. Blood Circulation

Iron and copper are both essential elements of red blood cells, and without those two minerals, people can develop anemia, which shows itself as weakness, fatigue, stomach disorders, and lack of concentration. By ensuring a proper amount of red blood cells by eating food like Swiss chard, you can increase blood circulation and oxygenation to essential organs within the body.

How to Select and Store

Choose chard that is held in a chilled display as this will help to ensure that it has a crunchier texture and sweeter taste. Look for leaves that are vivid green in color and that do not display any browning or yellowing. The leaves should not be wilted nor should they have tiny holes. The stalks should look crisp and be unblemished.

I encourage the purchase of certified organically grown foods, and Swiss chard is no exception. Repeated research studies on organic foods as a group show that your likelihood of exposure to contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals can be greatly reduced through the purchased of certified organic foods, including Swiss chard. In many cases, you may be able to find a local organic grower who sells Swiss chard but has not applied for formal organic certification either through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or through a state agency. (Examples of states offering state-certified organic foods include California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.) However, if you are shopping in a large supermarket, your most reliable source of organically grown Swiss chard is very likely to be Swiss chard that displays the USDA organic logo.

Do not wash Swiss chard before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place chard in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the chard, squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days. If you have large batches of chard, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze them.

Here is some background on why we recommend refrigerating Swiss chard. Whenever food is stored, four basic factors affect its nutrient composition: exposure to air, exposure to light, exposure to heat, and length of time in storage. Vitamin C, vitamin B6, and carotenoids are good examples of nutrients highly susceptible to heat, and for this reason, their loss from food is very likely to be slowed down through refrigeration.

Tips for Preparing and Cooking Swiss Chard

Rinse Swiss chard under cold running water. Do not soak chard as this will result in the loss of water-soluble nutrients to the water. Remove any area of the leaves that may be brown, slimy, or have holes. Stack the leaves and slice into 1-inch slices until you reach the stems. Only the white stems of the Fordhook variety of chard are tender enough to eat. Cut stems into 1/2-inch slices discarding the bottom 1 inch portion. We don’t recommend cooking the stems of the varieties with colored stems.

The Nutrient-Rich Way of Cooking Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is only one of three vegetables we recommend boiling to free up acids and allowing them to leach into the boiling water; this brings out a sweeter taste from the chard. Discard the boiling water after cooking.

Quick Boiling—similar to Healthy Sautéand Quick Steaming, our other recommended cooking methods—follows three basic cooking guidelines that are generally associated in food science research with improved nutrient retention. These three guidelines are:minimal necessary heat exposure; minimal necessary cooking duration; minimal necessary food surface contact with cooking liquid.

Use a large pot (3 quart) with lots of water and bring to a rapid boil. Add chard to the boiling water. If stems are more than 1-inch wide, cook them for 2 minutes before adding the leaves. If less than 1 inch in width you can boil the leaves and stems together for 3 minutes. Begin timing as soon as you place the chard in the pot if you are using 1 pound or less of chard. If you are cooking large quantities of chard bring the water back to a boil before beginning timing the 3 minutes. Do not cover the pot when cooking chard. Leaving the pot uncovered helps to release more of the acids with the rising steam.

Remove Swiss chard from pot, press out liquid with a fork, place in a bowl, toss with our Mediterranean Dressing, and top with your favorite optional ingredients. For details see 3-Minute Swiss Chard.

Quick Serving Ideas For Swiss Chard

• Toss penne pasta with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cooked Swiss chard.
• Add zest to omelets and frittatas by adding some boiled Swiss chard.
• Use chard in place of or in addition to spinach when preparing vegetarian lasagna

How to Buy Swiss Chard

How to Cook Swiss Chard

You can take advantage of the benefits of Swiss chard nutrition by using it in recipes the same way many other greens are used- like kale, spinach, collard greens, or mustard greens. Cooking Swiss chard brings out a natural sweetness and decreases bitterness, making Swiss chard a great addition to a variety of hearty and savory recipes.

Swiss Chard Recipes

Chard Greens Recipe

• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 cup chicken broth
• 5 bunches chard, trimmed and chopped
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes covered.
2. Add the chard greens to the pot and turn the heat to medium high. Let the greens cook down for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat to medium and season with salt and pepper. Cook until greens are tender. Drain greens and add in red pepper flakes.

Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe

Try adding Swiss chard to this creamy broccoli soup, which is absolutely delicious and full of healthy fats from coconut oil, which help you to better absorb some of Swiss chard’s fat-soluble nutrients better. Coconut oil has many health benefits and even aids in weight loss and helps to stimulate the metabolism, making this a nutrient-packed meal or side dish.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 medium green onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large head fresh broccoli, washed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon basil leaves, dried
• 2 cups chopped spinach, kale, turnip greens, collards or Swiss chard
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon curry

Directions

1. In large soup pan, melt coconut oil and sauté green onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add chopped broccoli and stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until broccoli turns bright green.
3. Add basil and additional chopped greens. Cover and steam-sauté for 3-4 more minutes.
4. Transfer vegetables to food processor or blender. If using blender process in two batches. Add a little coconut milk and process until smooth.
5. Transfer vegetables and stock to pot and add remaining ingredients. Reheat gently and stir, then serve.

Roasted Swiss chard and feta

Ingredients:

• Rainbow chard: 1 bunch (stems and leaves are separated, chopped)
• Chopped onion: 1 teaspoon
• Olive oil: 3 tablespoons
• Feta cheese: 4 ounces
• Black pepper and salt

Directions:

1. Set the oven to 350F
2. Grease the baking sheet with a layer of olive oil
3. Toss chopped onion and Swiss chard stems in a medium bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add salt and black pepper for taste. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Combine Swiss chard leaves with salt, pepper, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Then sprinkle the Swiss chard leaves over the mixture and scatter cheese over top
5. Next, bake for another 20 minutes to make sure feta cheese is melted and golden
6. Enjoy your dish

Pan Fried Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• Swiss chard: 1 bunch (remove stems, cut leaves into one-inch pieces)
• Bacon: 4 slices (chopped)
• Butter: 2 teaspoons
• Garlic paste: half a teaspoon
• Raw lemon juice: 3 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper

Direction:

1. Take a skillet and heat over medium heat
2. First, add chopped bacon to the skillet and fried in a few minutes
3. Melt butter and stir in raw lemon juice. Combine with garlic paste as well.
4. Then add chopped chard leaves to the skillet
5. After leaves are wilt, cover up and increase heat.
6. Maintain for 4 minutes and then stir leaves to coat evenly
7. Season salt and pepper for taste
8. It is very easy to cook Swiss chard in such a way. Just spend only 25 minutes to prepare and cook, you have a nutritious dish for your family’s dinner. Regularly adding it to your diet is a good way to get the bone benefits of Swiss chard.

How To Grow And Harvest Swiss Chard

Swiss chard—or simply “chard”—is a member of the beet family that does well in both cool and warm temperatures. Here’s how to grow Swiss chard in your garden! Swiss chard can be cooked or used raw in salads and is high in vitamins A and C.

Planting Swiss Chard

• Plant Swiss chard seeds 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost date. Continue planting seeds at 10-day intervals for a month.
• For a fall harvest, plant chard seeds again about 40 days before the first fall frost date.
• Before planting, mix 1 cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer into the soil for every 20 feet of single row.
• Plant the seeds ½ to ¾ of inch deep in well-drained, rich, light soil. Space the seeds about 18 inches apart in single rows or 10 to 18 inches apart in wide rows. Sow eight to ten seeds per foot of row.

Care for Swiss Chard

• When the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, thin them out so that they are 4 to 6 inches apart or 9 to 12 inches apart if the plants are larger.
• Water Swiss chard evenly to help it grow better. Water often during dry spells in the summer. You can also mulch the plants to help conserve moisture.
• For the best quality, cut the plants back when they are about 1 foot tall. If the chard plants become overgrown, they lose their flavor.

Pests/ Diseases that may attack your crop

• Leaf miner
• Slugs
• Aphids

Harvest/ Storage of Swiss Chard

• You can start harvesting when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Cut off the outer leaves 1-½ inches above the ground with a sharp knife.
• If you harvest the leaves carefully, new leaves will grow and provide another harvest.
• You can cut the ribs off the chard leaves and cook them like asparagus.
• The rest of the leaves are eaten as greens. You can cook them like spinach or eat them raw.
• You can store Swiss chard in the refrigerator in ventilated plastic bags.

Recommended Varieties Of Swiss Chard

• ‘Lucullus’, which is heat tolerant.
• ‘Ruby’, which can be a beautiful addition to your garden due to its bright red stems.
• ‘Bright Lights’, which has multicolored stems.

Negative Effects Of Swiss Chard

People who are taking blood-thinners such as Coumadin, or warfarin, should not suddenly change the number of foods they eat that contain vitamin K. Vitamin K plays a large role in blood clotting so it could interfere with the effectiveness of blood thinners. It is important to remember that it is the total diet or overall eating pattern that is most important in disease prevention and achieving good health. It is better to eat a diet with a variety than to concentrate on individual foods as the key to good health.