Eat this! And this!

Get out your grocery lists, fellow fitness nerds, a couple studies came out this week featuring grub that might become this season's hot new "miracle food" as soon as manufacturers can alter their packaging and launch new ad campaigns. Pencils ready? Here we go!

• A study in Cancer Prevention Research shows that men with prostate cancer managed to slow the progression by consuming the active compounds in green tea.

The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72 years, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for radical prostatectomy. Patients consumed four capsules containing Polyphenon E until the day before surgery — four capsules are equivalent to about 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea, according to Cardelli. The time of study for 25 of the 26 patients ranged from 12 days to 73 days, with a median time of 34.5 days.

Findings showed a significant reduction in serum levels of HGF, VEGF and PSA after treatment, with some patients demonstrating reductions in levels of greater than 30 percent, according to the researchers.

• At Tufts University, researchers have discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like the ones found in tuna, salmon and other cold water fish, can fight the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

Eating two to three servings of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, shellfish, and herring every week would achieve the recommended daily intake of DHA and EPA. However, the majority of AREDS participants and Americans eat a much lower level than recommended. "If changing dietary habits is not easy, supplementation is an option," says corresponding author Chung-Jung Chiu, DDS, PhD, a scientist in the LNVR and an assistant professor at TUSM.

So add these two to the endless list of things you need to eat to avoid pain and/or death. It seems like a new "must eat" food comes out every day. Last I checked, I'm not suffering from prostate cancer or AMD so I don't need to consume tea and fish so much, but still, how are we going to consume all these miracle cures?

Fortunately, the answer comes thanks to The New York Times (doesn't it always?) with this coverage of a study from the journal Obesity. Apparently, people with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 -- I believe the scientific term is "pleasingly plump" -- are less likely to die than their skinnier and heavier contemporaries.

So work your way through that superfood list with gusto, bro. You're eating for good health.