Healthy fruits and berries: what to prefer?

Healthy fruits and berries: what to prefer?

Even those who do not lead a healthy lifestyle know about the benefits of fruits and berries. But people who include fruits and berries in their daily diet may receive little benefit from them. This is due to the fact that we can eat a lot of those fruits whose beneficial qualities are greatly exaggerated, and at the same time neglect those that contain much more nutrients.

For example, papaya has 15 times more beta-cryptoxanthin than 1 glass of orange juice. The same can be said for the phytonutrients found in papaya, sweet potatoes, and cabbage—components that improve eye, bone, heart, and brain health, boost immunity, and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

It is also worth noting that what is important for health is not so much the quantity of fruits and berries consumed, but rather their variety and quality. This view is supported by experts such as Dr Emma Williams from the British Nutrition Organization and Dr Keith Randolph from the multivitamin company Nutriline.

The main vitamins that we get from fruits are vitamin C, which protects us from infections and all kinds of stress, beta-carotene and folic acid, which fight cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Berries

Berries contain many vitamins and minerals. For example, blueberries and raspberries contain a lot of vitamin P, which strengthens the walls of capillaries, and currants, strawberries, rose hips and sea buckthorn contain a large amount of vitamin C. Raspberries also contain pectin, which is useful for intestinal microflora; bananas have a lot of potassium, which prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases, and in pomegranates - iron, which is responsible for stimulating hematopoietic activity.

Comparing fruits and berries, the conclusion arises that berries are absorbed by the body faster than fruits, and when frozen they almost do not lose their beneficial properties.

In general, it is worth noting that the most organic acids and minerals (iron, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and potassium) are found in summer fruits and berries. However, there will be no benefit from overeating; it is better to eat regularly, but in small portions. Moreover, the required amount of fruit is absolutely individual, depending on a person’s lifestyle.

And finally, a few words about calories. The calorie content of fruits depends on their fructose and glucose content. The most high-calorie foods are bananas (89 kcal per 100 g), followed by grapes (67 kcal per 100 g) and persimmons (70 kcal per 100 g).