Fruits have been proven to have a lot of health benefits. Those people who regularly include fresh fruits and vegetables into diet are able to reduce their risk of contracting some chronic diseases. Fruits contain nutrients that are essential for one’s overall well-being and maintenance of the body.
Listed below are some of the most top 10 health benefits of eating fruits daily.
- Most fruits don not contain cholesterol. They naturally have lower calories, sodium, and fat content.
- A lot of fruits are good sources of essential nutrients that are usually under-consumed, these include vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), and potassium.
- Dietary fiber which you can naturally get from fruits, help reduce blood cholesterol levels. It may also help lower the risk of developing heart disease. Fiber also helps promote proper bowel function. It aids in the prevention of constipation and diverticulosis. Eating fiber-rich fruits give you a feeling of fullness without unnecessary calories. Fresh fruits are rich in fiber, however, juicing them doesn’t yield the much needed fiber your body needs.
- You get vitamin C from a lot of fruits. Vitamin C is essential for the natural healing of all body tissues, thus aiding in faster wound healing. Vitamin C is also good for the teeth and gums. It also promotes growth.
- When you eat fruits (and vegetables) you are likely to reduce your risk of developing heart ailments like stroke and heart attack.
- Eating fruits and vegetables as part of your overall healthy diet may help protect you against certain types of illnesses, including some types of cancers.
- Fruits have lower calorie-count per serving.
- Fruit-rich diet may help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
- Fruits contain phytochemicals which are beneficial to your overall health.
- Fruits help in weight loss.
To help you get started on changing up your eating habits, here are just some of the healthiest fruits that you can add to your regular diet.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit is known as one of the healthiest citrus fruits. It is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals. It is popular with people who want to lose weight. It also helps reduce insulin resistance.
A serving of grapefruit gives you fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. The grapefruit also contains flavonoids which help protect you from certain cancers, obesity, and inflammation.
Lemon
Lemons are rich in vitamin C. They also contain antioxidants that help rid your body of free radicals that may damage body cells, which may lead to certain diseases like cancers. Aside from vitamin C, citrus fruits contain phytochemicals that are good for your overall health, these are folic acid, pectin, and potassium.
Lemons also have riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, niacin, and thiamin.
Strawberries
Strawberries are high in water content. The seeds are packed with a lot of dietary fiber. These fruits contain anthocyanins. These are flavonoids that are good for the heart. They also contain high amounts of potassium.
Strawberries, like all the other colorful berries, contain quercetin, a flavonoid – a natural anti-inflammatory compound. These red berries also contain riboflavin, folate, niacin, vitamins A, B6, & K, and thiamin.
Oranges
An orange is a sweet citrus food which is rich in vitamin C and other essential minerals. One medium orange may contain about 117% of your daily value of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant. It helps boost your immune system by ensuring that your body absorbs enough iron from plant-based sources. The body doesn’t have the ability to naturally make vitamin C, hence, you will have to get it from the food you eat.
Other nutrients and minerals an orange contains include fiber, magnesium, and potassium. Oranges also have high levels of pectin. It is a fiber that keeps the colon healthy by binding all the chemical-causing cancer and eliminating them from the body.
Aside from vitamin C, oranges also contain vitamin A which is essential in achieving healthy skin and eyesight. Also, oranges contain B-vitamins, including folate and thiamin, which keep the reproductive and nervous systems healthy and functioning well. B-vitamins also help in the production of red blood cells.
Limes
Lime is also an excellent source of vitamin C. It also has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. A single serving of the lime fruit gives you calcium, magnesium, potassium, and of course vitamin C.
Blackberries
Blackberries, like other berries, contain health-boosting anthocyanins. They have high levels of fiber because of their seeds. Fiber is good for your heart and keeps the gut healthy.
Every serving of blackberries give you calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fiber.
Apples
Apples have long been considered as beneficial to one’s overall health. Apples contain huge amounts of fiber, thus it helps promote weight loss. It contains pectin which keeps the gut healthy.
A medium apple may give you vitamin C, potassium, calcium, carbohydrate, and fiber. There are also high levels of quercetin in apples. It is a flavonoid that possess anti-cancer properties.
Pomegranate
A lot of people consider pomegranate as a “superfood”. Pomegranates contain high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols, which are effective in combating oxidative stress that may become a source of certain illnesses.
Pomegranate seeds have high fiber content.
Each serving of the pomegranate fruit is a good source of carbohydrates, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, and fiber.
There are studies that offer proof that pomegranates may effectively restrict the growth of human prostate cancer cells.
Pineapple
Pineapples are called exotic fruits. They help in reducing inflammation. Pineapples also promote healthy tissue growth.
This fruit also contains bromelain, an active compound that a lot of people use as dietary supplement because of its health benefits.
Every serving of pineapple provides you with the calories, carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C your body needs.
Bananas
Bananas have high amounts of potassium. In fact, one medium-sized banana may contain about 422mg of the adequate adult intake of potassium, which is 4,500mg. Potassium also aids in regulating blood pressure and heart rate.
A serving of banana may provide you with vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and protein.
There are lot of fruits out there that have excellent health benefits. To get the best results, you should include different varieties of fruits in your daily diet.
