Top 7 Black Foods With Powerful Health Benefits

5. Black Rice

With a robust, nutty flavor, this colored (also called purple or forbidden) rice is a good alternative to white rice. Black rice gets its moniker “forbidden” because:

“…during the Ming Dynasty the rice was called ‘tribute rice’ or ‘longevity rice’, exclusively reserved for the Emperors to ensure their good health and long life.”

With as many antioxidants as blueberries and blackberries, and six times more than white or brown rice, black rice bran has been shown to protect against inflammation[3].

6. Black Beans

The bioflavanoids (antioxidants that promote better eyesight, cardiac health, capillary strength, skin appearance, and immune system) in the skin raise these to the superfood level.

Packed with protein and fiber, they’re good for energy, maintaining blood sugar levels, and digestion.

You can add them to salads, soups, casseroles, and mash them for a healthful dip.

7. Black Garlic

Developed in South Korea, black garlic offers nearly twice the amount of antioxidants as its regular counterpart.

Unlike white garlic, which contains Allicin, which is only soluble in fat, black garlic contains S-Allycysteine, which is water soluble.

And in case you were wondering, the black color in this superfood is the result of the sugars being drawn out of the garlic cloves during the fermentation process.

Black Garlic vs. Raw Garlic Nutrient Comparison

Nature gives us a full palette of foods for good reason; a little of each contributes to our overall good health, well-being, and good eating.