The 10 healthiest ethnic cuisines

6. Italian
    star ingredients: tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, and basil.
    "Studies have shown that the lycopene in tomatoes may help protect women from breast cancer,"
    One of the best ways to get cancer-fighting lycopene is in cooked tomato products: a half-cup of tomato sauce has more than 20 milligrams. Plus, garlic and traditional Italian herbs provide vitamins A and C. And olive oil helps lower cholesterol, fight heart disease, and burn belly fat.
       Notice that melted cheese isn't on that list of power Italian staples: Italians typically use Parmesan or another hard cheese instead, grated in small amounts for a big flavor boost.
7. Spanish
      The Spanish eat tons of fresh seafood, vegetables, and olive oil
8. Mexican
       Authentic Mexican cuisine can be heart-healthy and even slimming,  In fact, a Mexican diet of beans, soups, and tomato-based sauces helped lower women's risk of breast cancer
     And the cuisine's emphasis on slowly digested foods like beans and fresh ground corn may provide protection from type 2 diabetes.
     "Slow-release carbohydrates have been shown to lower blood sugar and even help reverse diabetes,"
9. South American
    The continent's traditional diet of fresh fruits and vegetables (including legumes) along with high-protein grains like quinoa. In fact, a typical South American meal of rice and beans creates a perfect protein
10. Thai
      Can a soup fight cancer?
     If it's a Thai favorite called Tom Yung Gung, the answer just might be yes.
Made with shrimp, coriander, lemongrass, ginger, and other herbs and spices used in Thai cooking, the soup was found to possess properties 100 times more effective than other antioxidants in inhibiting cancerous-tumor growth.
     Researchers at Thailand's Kasetsart University and Japan's Kyoto and Kinki Universities became interested in the soup's immune-boosting qualities after noticing that the incidence of digestive tract and other cancers was lower in Thailand than in other countries.
Many common Thai spices have feel-great benefits, our judges point out. Ginger aids in digestion, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and lemongrass has long been used in Asian medicine to help treat colds and ease tummy troubles.