Magical Health Benefits Of Fruits!

Fruits Are A Fountain Of Health, Eat them Amply!

Few people in India eat enough fruits, most do not eat them at all, even amongst those who can afford them! Few people realize that fruits are not only a treasure of nutrition giving you excellent health but they actually prevent or reverse numerous severe and chronic diseases. Thus very few people have fruits as an integral part of their daily food intake.

Bananas, mangoes, papaya, apples, pears, guavas, pomegranates, oranges, sweet limes, sapota or chikkoo, grapes,  cherries and berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, in fact all fruits are wonderfully nutritious.

All fruits and vegetables are rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants along with carbohydrates and some amino acids. They are also rich in dietary fibre.

They provide us with beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins, folate, vitamin E, minerals like iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese and potassium.

They also provide us with a group of vital nutrients called antioxidants. These include phenolic flavonoids, lycopene, carotenoids and glucosinolates.

Vitamins and minerals are essential to every sphere of our health. They have a vital role to play in the health and functioning of every organ and component of our body, from the water content of our body to the blood and the blood pressure, from the skin to the hair, from the teeth to the bones, from the eyes to the the kidneys, from the brain to the nerves, from the muscles to the joints, from the heart to the lungs, from the liver to the stomach and the intestines, from the hormonal system to the reproductive system; nothing in your body can function normally without them.

Antioxidants are essential to neutralize the destructive effect of the free radicals that are formed in our body during oxidative processes. These free radicals are atoms or group of atoms that have odd or unpaired electrons. They attach themselves to healthy cells of different tissues and react with vital elements of the cells like the DNA or cell membrane. The cell dies or starts malfunctioning.

Our body has several enzyme systems to neutralize the destructive chain reaction unleashed by these free radicals. Vitamins C and E also are included in the list of antioxidants along with the above compounds.

The destruction triggered by these free radicals leads to many diseases like hypertension, raised cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, strokes, many cancers, cataract, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and obstructive pulmonary disease.

Antioxidants help us prevent or fight these diseases. They also slow down ageing and boost our immune system.

Fruits are also a rich source of potassium. Potassium helps relax arterial walls, excretes sodium, thus helping lower blood pressure and preventing heart disease.

Thus adequate consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables helps keep us healthy and prevent the above disease.

Fruits and vegetables are also rich in fibre. The insoluble fibre in fruits helps in keeping our bowel movement regular while the soluble fibre helps lower the bad low density cholesterol. It also helps stabilize blood sugar and decreases the need to keep snacking.

Digestive enzymes like papain, bromelain, esters and terpenes present in fruits like papaya, pineapple and mango help us digest our food better.

You must consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Even more servings are beneficial.

Many people complain of an irresistible desire to eat sweets after each meal, or any time they see sweets, which prevents them from losing weight. Such people can easily become obese and diabetic. Eating fruits daily also helps eliminate this irresistible desire to eat sweets, helping you lose weight easier and protects you against diabetes.

If fruits are not a part of your food culture, include them now!

Every one who has done it after consulting me, including those who were avowed fruit haters, will vouch for dramatic improvement in their sense of well being, improved digestion and bowel movement, freedom from the symptoms of hyperacidity and improved skin and complexion!

People who consume ample fruits and vegetables have a much lower risk of developing the  above diseases than those who don’t.

People who are looking to lose weight also can easily eat ample fruits, without worrying about gaining weight. Replacing the rubbish, high fat, high sugar snacks from your food culture with fruits will immensely help you lose weight healthily!

We can get the widest possible range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. So don’t limit yourself to a few fruits and vegetables, eat all fresh fruits and vegetables available. And choose them from the widest range of colours, to ensure that you get the widest range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Always eat fruits with the skin intact, as the antioxidants usually sit under the skin and they are lost when the skin is peeled off.

Read the article ‘Basics Of Nutrition‘, ‘Diseases Associated With Obesity‘, ‘Obesity, Diabetes And Heart Disease‘ and ‘Healthy Fruits For Diabetics And Weight Losers’ on this website.