Benefits of Fruits and Seeds
What are the health benefits of fruits? Why are fruits good for you?
Your body requires lots of water. But how many glasses of water can you drink in a day? And it needs fresh vegetables too. Too little water rich food, having too much food consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and high fat food and eating beyond moderation are among the causes of weight problem and low energy.
And this is why eating fruits is good for you. All fresh fruits provide nutrients, enzymes and are water rich and contain the natural sugar, fructose. And almost all of them contain fiber, protein and vitamins. They act as your body-cleansing agent to eliminate waste. Dried fruits like figs, prunes and raisins are equally healthy and provide medicinal benefits.
Fresh fruits come in various colors. There are blue, purple, green, white, yellow, orange, and red fruits. There is power in these colorful fruits in promoting good health. Blue and purple fruits for example contain varying amounts of phytochemicals, the non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties. These properties are believed to have anti oxidants and anti-aging benefits.
"One of the best defenses against ageing and disease is to eat a diet containing many colorful foods because they are high in antioxidants." - Dr Nicholas Perricone
Here is a list of some of the fruits with the highest antioxidant punch, according to the oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC scale. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. ORAC is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities. Food with high antioxidant capacity is believed to play an important role in the free-radical theory of aging.
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Kiwifruit
- Oranges
- Prunes
- Plums
- Pink grapefruit
- Red grapes
- Raisins
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
Each fruit has its own health and nutritional value. Here are some fruit facts and the benefits of fruits:
- Apples contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, Beta carotene and pectin. They act as an astringent or a tonic. Eating apples help relieve constipation and reduce cholesterol level.
- There are copper, calcium, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, Vitamin C, beta carotene, boron and iron in apricots. All these properties combined make apricots a laxative, improving bowel movements and the nutrients are potent antioxidants.
- Avocados contain iron, copper, phosphorous, potassium, folic acid, beta carotene, vitamins B3, B5. This fruit is high in vitamin E. The acid alkaline content is balanced and avocados are good for the blood and help prevent anemia.
- Blueberries contain vitamin C and beta carotene, function as a laxative, is an antioxidant and blood cleanser and they help improve circulation and benefits eyesight.
- Cherries are natural antiseptic and antispasmodic. A diet of cherries helps relieve headaches and cherry juice can help fights gout. Cherries contain calcium, phosphorous and vitamin C.
- Papaya is excellent for aiding digestion. It is anti parasitic and helps soothes intestinal inflammation. Among the contents of a papaya fruit are calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and beta carotene.
- The Kiwi fruit is an excellent source of digestive enzymes. It contains magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin C. Among the major benefits of kiwi fruit is it helps remove excess sodium from the body.
- Lemons are good for fighting infection. With the right amount, lemons can also treat tooth ache and skin problems such as acne and blackheads.
- Mangoes contain beta carotene, Vitamin C, fiber and quercetin. These properties present in mangoes help relieve bowel movement discomfort, removes excess acid in the stomach and prevent indigestion. Drinking fresh mango juice when you have a fever will help lower down your body temperature.
This information on the benefits of fruits is educational and it is not intended to replace standard medical care or advice. If you have a medical condition, please consult a physician.
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