Patricia Aleckzandra | Vigorbuddy
Aside from the variety of colors, flavors, and texture that fruits bring to your everyday meals and snacks, it is also known to be good for the body. Yes, I know you know that it provides you with extra vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients needed by the body to have a healthy growth. Let’s just point it out that fruits help you to fight against diseases and lessen your risk of chronic diseases.
And because of a wide range of fruits, we tend to ask ourselves the question which fruits we really need to include in our diet. Here are eight fruits that would be good for your everyday diet:
Banana. These yellow hand-shaped fruit is probably one of the healthiest fruit there is. Growing in clusters, it has varieties with different names and grows in tropical or warm subtropical climate. In the Philippines, bananas are usually the perfect pair for each meal. Bananas are usually good in reducing depression because it has nutrients that can help fight against depressive symptoms. It is also an energy booster, and is great for the brain.
Cherries. Low in calories but a rich source of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals, these small reddish pink fruits have very short growing season and can grow in most temperate latitudes. Cherries are good for losing weight because it contains a lot of fibers. Cherries also contain anthocyanins which helps to control glucose levels hence it is good for diabetic people. Anthocyanins are also antioxidants making cherry an antioxidant fruit.
Grapes. Not only is it use for good wine, grapes can also be a special between-meal snack as well as refreshing addition to both fruit and vegetable salads. These small round berries can have seeds or can be seedless as well. Grapes are high in fiber which is a very good aid for constipation. Studies also show that grapes are good in improving cholesterol levels because of the flavonoids in grape juices which lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) while raising HDL (good cholesterol). The fruit also has an anti-aging component known as resveratrol which is an anti-inflammatory that keeps the skin looking good.
Oranges. Juicy and sweet and is well known for providing vitamin C, oranges are round citrus fruits which is a hybrid between pomelo and mandarin. Oranges are great as fruit juices and remedy for coughs and colds. Recent studies also show that eating an orange or drinking a glass of orange juice each day may help lower chances of infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) which causes peptic ulcers. Not only that, it also makes your skin look younger because it rehydrates your skin and your cells.
Peaches. China is the world’s largest producer of peaches. They are fuzzy fruits and have one large middle seed. This fruit is low-calorie, cholesterol-free and has an 88% water content which makes it perfect to take as between meal snacks and great for people who want to lose weight. One good benefit we get from peaches is the phenolic compounds present in peaches which gives it excellent anti-inflammatory properties. It is also high in vitamin A which helps treat rheumatism.
Pineapple. Widely cultivated in tropical American plant, it is a large juicy fruit consisting of aromatic edible yellow flesh which is scientifically known as Ananas comosus. Because it is also rich in vitamin C, it is good as an anti-aging and boost healthy immune system helping the body fight against colds and flu.
Soursop. Commonly known as Guyabano in the Philippines, this fruit comes from the Graviola tree which grows in warm tropical areas such as the Philippines and South America. Throughout history, each part of the Garviola tree has medicinal purposes and uses. It is rich in both Vitamin C and B, iron, Riboflavin, Phosphorus, Thiamine, Calcium, Carbohydrates and Niacin. Studies shows that it can actually help in curing insomnia.
Mangoes. Also known as the “King of the Fruits”, mango fruits is one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavor, fragrance, taste and health promoting qualities. It is one of the most delicious seasonal fruits growing in the tropics. Eating mangoes improves brain health and memory because of its abundance to Vitamin-B6 which helps in brain function. Due to the tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit, it is very good for the alkalization of the body.