Fruits you should Include in your Diet for Optimal health!

If you are looking for the healthiest and best fruits to add to your diet which can be used as snack options, it will be important to know the important facts

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 Pineapple

If you’re looking for a tropical fruit packed with excellent health benefits, look no further than the pineapple, rich in vitamin C and manganese. The best reason to eat pineapple, however,  is an enzyme called bromelain, which you can only get by eating this tasty fruit.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-895-bromelain.aspx?activeingredientid=895&activeingredientname=bromelain

Bromelain helps you absorb antibiotics, stops diarrhea, and may even fight diabetes, heart disease and cancer, according to a study by Biotechnology Research International. It also shortens the healing time after surgery and is used for treating inflammation and sports injuries.

If you’re looking for ways to incorporate more pineapple into your diet, look at adding in a smoothie or get snack size cubes.

Blueberries


All berries have incredible health benefits, but blueberries take it to another level. One cup of blueberries contains 4 grams of fiber and only 15 grams of carbohydrates. In that cup, you’ll also get 24 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C and 36 percent of the recommended dose of vitamin K. Due to their high fiber content, they’ll fill you up without adding much to your caloric intake.

Blueberries have more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable, so grab a handful if you want to stay young longer. Antioxidants may reduce the effects of aging by counteracting damage to your DNA.

Studies have also found that blueberries can improve your memory, have anti-diabetic effects, and may reduce muscle damage after a rigorous workout. In addition, blueberries prevent urinary tract infections.

 

Watermelon

There’s a good reason you can find watermelon at most barbecues — not only is it delicious, but it also helps you stay hydrated, as it’s 92 percent water. Watermelon boasts numerous other health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and helping with muscle soreness. Watermelon contains a wide variety of nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, copper, vitamin A, and vitamin B5.

Watermelon’s claim to fame, however, is the high level of citrulline you can find in the white part of the watermelon rind. In your body, citrulline turns into the amino acid arginine, which helps many of your internal organs, including your lungs and reproductive system. Arginine also helps prevent heart disease.

 

Apples

Apples are cheap, readily available, delicious, and healthy. They may be good for weight loss, as they contain a high percentage of water and are also high in fiber (there are 4 grams in a medium sized apple), so they fill you up without filling you with calories. One study found that subjects who had apple slices before a meal ate an average of 200 less calories during the meal.

Apples peels and flesh also contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease. There are five times more polyphenols in apple skin than in the rest of the apple, so don’t throw that part out!

If you’re wondering whether all apples have the same nutritional benefits, they don’t. Skip the green apples and go for the red ones, as most  of the polyphenols are found in red apple skin.

 

Grapefruit


You’ll be surprised to learn how many nutrients are packed into grapefruit. Just half of a grapefruit contains 64 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C, as well as small amounts of protein, vitamin A, manganese, thiamine, folate, and magnesium.

In a 2006 study, researchers found that when participants ate half a grapefruit before each meal, they lost an average of 3.5 lbs  in 12 weeks, most likely because of grapefruits’ high fiber and water content. Plus, half a grapefruit contains only 52 calories, making it one of the lowest-calorie fruits.

Grapefruit also contains a large variety of antioxidants. One of these is lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer in a number of studies. Grapefruit contains flavonenes as well, which have anti-inflammatory properties. https://draxe.com/lycopene/

 

Avocado


As if you needed another reason to love avocado, let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should be super excited about them. According to one study, an avocado not only contains high amounts of vitamin E, potassium, and iron, but they’re also high in fat. Why is that good, you ask? Because it’s monounsaturated fat, and it’s the kind that helps lower your cholesterol.

There’s more, too. The potassium in avocados helps manage blood pressure and fight fatigue, and they’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help you reduce the risk of heart disease. There’s vitamins B6, C, and D, too, which your immune system needs to keep you healthy. Some of the types of fat in avocados have even been shown to help protect against certain types of cancers.

 

Lemons

A single lemon gives you 139 percent of your daily vitamin C.

LiveScience says that’s not the only good thing there is about lemons, either. They’re low-calorie, fat-free, and full of folic acid that’s been shown to help protect against strokes and improve cardiovascular health. For anyone who’s prone to kidney stones, they’ll help you there, too. Half a cup of lemon juice a day has been shown to prevent the formation of stones, and studies have suggested, you’re also helping your body protect itself against high cholesterol and even cancer.

Some claim lemons help aid in digestion, and while nutritionists have debunked the idea lemons and lemon water help with weight loss, lemons are a great way to add flavor to water if you’re trying to keep hydrated, no sugar needed.

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