Superfruits such as guava, mangosteen and acai have high vitamins and antioxidants. It’s not surprising that food marketers call them “super” because of their unique nutrient profiles, as noted by the University of California, Davis. However, there is a lot of evidence that ordinary, grapes and other fruits that we buy week after week have some impressive health benefits.
You may also find it easier to eat ordinary fruits. “One of the best things about fruit that is easy to find, is that consumers are more familiar what they are and how it tastes, and they feel more comfortable using them in the kitchen, allowing for them to be used in a variety different ways,” says Jessica Levinson RDN, culinary-nutrition specialist in New Rochelle.
Yes, it is good to eat fruits whole for snacking, but also incorporate them into your meals in unexpected ways. Malkani adds that she is a mom of three and a dietitian. She has seen the impact it can have on helping children to appreciate all fruits, including the most common ones.
There’s nothing wrong in buying imported power fruits. But the best produce finds are those you’ve been eating for years. Continue reading to discover how great these shopping-cart staples can be for your health. Keep in mind that the majority of the research described here is not yet complete. This is primarily because nutrition research in humans presents a variety of challenges. According to an article published March 2020 in Science,
Grapefruit may help prevent diabetes and other chronic diseases
According to past research, adding grapefruit into your diet could lower your risk for insulin resistance. This is a precursor to type2 diabetes. Overweight adults were given a half-grapefruit and asked to eat grapefruit juice. They also had to take a grapefruit pill or a placebo once per day for 12 weeks. Those who ate grapefruit in any form had lower levels of insulin (higher levels are a indicator of type 2 diabetes). The study also showed that fresh grapefruit-eaters lost on average 3.5 pounds more than those who ate placebo. (However, if you are taking any medication, consult your doctor as grapefruit can interact with other drugs.
Blueberries Can Help Support Healthy Weight Loss
Blueberries can keep you healthy in many ways. A previous study showed that a compound called “pterostilbene” worked in combination with Vitamin D cells to fight infections and boost the immune system. This research is still preliminary, so it’s not clear if this effect could be observed in humans.
The bright purple color of blueberries may help keep your mind sharp. Past research has shown that blueberries can improve memory and learning. This is due in part to the anti-inflammatory effects of anthocyanin, the antioxidants that give the fruit its bright purple color. A second study was published in February 2017 in Nutritional Neuroscience. It showed that blueberry supplementation provided neurocognitive benefits for older adults suffering from cognitive decline.
High Cholesterol Can be Zapped by Apples
“The old saying that an apple a day keeps a doctor away” might be true, says Maggie Michalczyk RD, founder and CEO of Once Upon a Pumpkin. She is based in Chicago.
Another past research found that apples may also help protect against chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD), possibly due to the high levels of flavonoid antioxidants.
Apples make a delicious snack. However, you can bake with them or make your own homemade applesauce.
Tangerines can support metabolic health
According to animal research, a flavonoid found in this citrus fruit may protect the body from metabolic syndrome. This is a group of risk factors that includes high fasting sugar and high cholesterol levels as well as high blood pressure. Researchers fed mice a standard “western” diet that included high levels of saturated fat and added sugar. However, mice who did not receive the nobiletin saw an increase in blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Anti-Cancer Diet Should Include Strawberries
According to a small study, incorporating strawberries in your morning cereal or yogurt could reduce your risk of developing esophageal carcinoma. For six months, 36 patients with precancerous esophageal lesion saw an 80 percent decrease in their severity. Researchers aren’t certain which vitamins, minerals or other nutrients contained in the strawberries caused the lesions to become more severe, but they intend to explore the possibility that strawberries could be useful as an alternative or add-on treatment for cancer-treating drugs. The current study was funded by the California Strawberry Commission and is therefore small. This could lead to a bias in the results.
