Something that promotes good health or is beneficial for physical and mental well-being.
Compound of 'health' (from Old English 'hælth') and the suffix '-ful' (meaning full of or characterized by). The term became standardized in the 16th century as people developed vocabulary to describe health-promoting activities and foods.
There's actually a subtle difference: 'healthful' means it promotes health, while 'healthy' means something already has health or is in good condition. 'Kale is healthful (promotes health) but your dog is healthy (already in good condition)'—a distinction many people blur together.
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