Fruit is a fantastic, versatile food choice that can serve as an integral part of any breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. Most fruits are high in dietary fiber, folate, and multiple vitamins. As such, they are able to improve digestion, lower cholesterol, combat free radicals, and keep the body hydrated. In the following article we discuss the many benefits of fruit. We also list the most healthy fruits. Read on to learn more about why you should include more fruit in your daily diet.
Fruits are excellent sources of essential minerals and vitamins. Many fruits are also high in fiber, a carbohydrate that helps keep hunger and blood sugar in check. The numerous benefits of fruit include maintaining heart health, decreasing blood pressure, improving bone health, and warding off diseases.
Multiple fruits, including apples, bananas, oranges, grapefruits, and blueberries are rich in fiber, carotenoids, potassium, and magnesium. All of these vitamins and minerals, especially fiber and magnesium, help to regulate cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can lead to the development of fat deposits on artery walls. These deposits can clog up arteries and make blood flow difficult, eventually leading to stroke.
Fruits are high in potassium, an essential mineral that relaxes the walls of the blood vessels, allowing blood to pass through more easily. Increasing your daily potassium intake by eating more fruit can drastically decrease your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
The abundance of micro and macro nutrients in fruits makes them key contributors to immune system health and disease protection. Daily consumption of fruit decreases your risk of stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic disease, and cancer. Fruits also contain high water and fiber content, which works to keep the digestive tract clean and free of infection.
Virtually all kinds of fruit are delicious, nutritious, and highly convenient. However, each fruit brings a different set of nutrients and benefits to the breakfast, lunch, or dinner table. Those fruits which are higher in fiber, antioxidants, and healthy vitamins are often considered the most nutritious. Some of the most healthy fruits include mangoes, apples, bananas, and blueberries.
Mangoes are recognized worldwide as one of the kings of the fruit variety. They are a tropical native to South America that come in as many as 1,000 different varieties. Mangoes provide a heap of essential vitamins and nutrients including vitamins A, B, C, and K, as well as antioxidants such as mangiferin. Like many other fruits, mangoes have been linked to a reduced risk for cancer, inflammation, heart disease, and diabetes. Mangoes are also thought to decrease one’s chances of developing Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
The peelable exterior of a banana makes it highly portable and a great option for a quick snack or meal supplement. Although they are most famous for their high potassium content, bananas are also high in other vitamins and nutrients. One banana contains 27% of the daily value of vitamin B6, 12% of the daily value of vitamin C, and 8% of the daily value of magnesium. In addition, bananas contain polyphenols and phytosterols, plant compounds that promote gut health.
Best known for their high vitamin C content, oranges are also fantastic sources of vitamin B, fiber, and potassium. Eating at least two oranges per day has been found to decrease blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol. Oranges can also be consumed as juice, though some juice brands come with added sugar.
Apples are the most popular fruit for good reason. They are portable, often cheap, and packed full of nutritious vitamins and minerals. Apples are rich in insoluble fiber, which promotes digestion and gut health. They also contain copious amounts of vitamin C and plant polyphenols, both of which help fight disease. Consuming at least 2 apples a day has been shown to reduce your risk of stroke, cancer, obesity, heart disease, and heart attack. One medium apple provides about 100 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 25 grams of carbohydrates.
Blueberries are considered by many to be one of the most nutritious fruits, and for good reason. They are especially high in anthocyanin, a nutrient that effectively fights off free radicals. Multiple studies have shown that increasing your intake of anthocyanin can lower your risk for heart disease, type 1 and 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and cognitive disease. One cup of blueberries contains just 84 calories and 21g of healthy carbohydrates.
Many people find it difficult to fit an adequate amount of fruit into their diet and lifestyle. In fact, studies have shown that as few as 1 in 10 adults consume enough fruit every day. Fortunately, it is usually quite easy to incorporate more fruit into your diet. Blending fruit together with water to make a smoothie can help you increase your fruit intake if you find eating individual pieces difficult. Adding fruit to your morning cereal, pancakes, or yogurt can also be a quick, convenient way to get some quick, healthy fiber. You can also freeze and dry your fruit to preserve it for long periods of time.
Nutrition professionals recommend that adults eat at least 400 grams of fruit every day. In general, fruit intake should account for at least 25% of your diet. It is recommended that children eat at least 1 cup of fruit every day.
The serving size for fruit depends on the kind of fruit, variety of fruit, and daily caloric intake. In general, however, one serving of fruit is approximately 150g. This is the equivalent of 1 apple, banana, orange, or pear. For smaller fruits, such as blackberries and blueberries, one cup is usually the recommended serving size.
Eating too much fruit is possible, but incredibly difficult. This is because most fruit is high in fiber, which works to keep you feeling satiated and full. Research has shown that eating even as much as 20 servings of fruit per day showed no adverse side effects in study participants. A healthy, well rounded diet contains beneficial proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in addition to fruit.
Infusing your water with fruit is another fun way to add fruit into your diet. Simply place a few pieces of fruit in your wait. You can wait a few minutes to let the fruit flavor soak in, or begin drinking the water right away. The benefits of fruit infused water include:
While infusing your water with fruit can provide myriad benefits, simply drinking more water can also do wonders. Check out our blog here where we discuss ten tips to start consuming more H2O every day!
The benefits of fruit smoothies are very similar to the benefits of consuming raw fruit. These perks include:
Fruits are versatile foods that work great as side dishes in meals or on-the-go snacks. They can help maintain heart health, ward off disease, and reduce blood pressure.
Diet experts recommend that most people consume at least two cups of fruit per day. Some of the most nutritious fruits include mangoes, oranges, blueberries, and bananas.
