Red fruits,
including watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apples are packed with vitamin
C, vitamin A, potassium and antioxidants. These colorful and tasty foods are gifts from nature. They
offer many health benefits because they have some of the following nutrients;
lycopene, quercetin, hesperidin, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Some of those benefits include:
- Reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
- Protecting the body from prostate, cervical and lung
cancer.
- Reducing tumor growth.
- Protecting the body from harmful free radicals.
- Protecting the body against heart disease.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Lowering LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol
in the body.
- Supporting joint tissue for those with arthritis.
- Keeping one regular by aiding in gastrointestinal
health.
Red Apples
“An apple a day keeps the doctor
away.” They are healthy, nutritious fruit with numerous studies to
support their benefits. Apples are high in fiber (4.4g which is 17% of the RDV) and
water which can aid weight loss.
Specifically, apples contain a high
content of soluble fiber which can help in lowering the “bad” blood cholesterol
levels. Due to their polyphenol antioxidant content, eating apples is linked to
a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The apple skin contains quercetin,
a flavonoid which can help keep the immune system strong and reduce
inflammation.
Blood Oranges
Besides the fact that blood oranges
are so darn tasty, they are also rich in essential nutrients, Vitamin A and
dietary fiber.
The red pigmentation of oranges is
due to anthocyanin, a molecule found in many red fruits and vegetables.
Elementary evidence suggests that
some anthocyanins have anti-oxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties.
Blood oranges also are rich in folic
acid (Vitamin B9) which helps the body to produce new cells or more
specifically, the formation of red cells depends on the appropriate levels of
this vitamin.
Cherries
The intake of cherry juice before
intense physical exercise may reduce muscle strength loss and could speed up
muscle recovery.
Also, the consumption of tart cherry
juice resulted in increased melatonin levels which helped people to improve
sleep quality. Research also links cherries with reduced inflammatory and
oxidative stress due to their high content of anthocyanin.
Cranberries
The antioxidants found in
cranberries make them one of the healthiest fruits. Studies indicate that
consuming cranberries may reduce urinary tract infections, decrease
inflammation and improve immune function.
Because of the fruit’s ability to
balance bacteria in the body, the cranberries are good for digestive health,
and they also aid in the absorption of the nutrients.
Red
Grapes
In addition to good genes, longevity
is also linked to your diet and lifestyle choices. Resveratrol, found
in grapes researchers connect it with increased longevity.
On the other side, due to the high
amount of phytonutrients in grapes, they offer better blood insulin regulation.
Grape flavonoids can improve
memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment by
preventing neurodegenerative processes.
Red Grapefruit
This fruit is incredibly nutritious.
One medium-sized grapefruit contains 64% of the RDV for Vitamin C, and 28% of
the RDV for Vitamin A.
Because of the high content of
Vitamin C grapefruits can aid in improving or maintaining your immune system strong.
Also, studies show that eating grapefruit before a meal could help weight loss.
Red Pears
Pears are high in fiber,
particularly pectin fiber which is water soluble and helps in lowering
cholesterol. Pectin attaches to fatty substances in the digestive system,
including cholesterol
and leads to their elimination.
This process helps the body to detox
and improves the digestive health. Like all other red fruits, they contain a
high amount of antioxidants.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates could be one of the
most powerful superfoods. They contain punicic acid and punicalagin which
are responsible for their health benefits.
The punicalagin’s have been shown to reduce inflammation
which is one of the leading causes of many life-threatening diseases. Also,
researchers link pomegranate with boosting cognitive function.
Raspberries
The phytonutrients in raspberries
are what makes their nutrition extraordinary.
The anthocyanins with their
anti-inflammatory properties and the polyphenols with their
ability to narrow the peripheral arteries make them immensely efficient for
boosting heart health.
Besides the high fiber content (8g
or 32% of the RDV in just one cup), the raspberry ketones and specific
nutrients rheosmin could help in managing
weight.
The high Vitamin C content (53% of
the RDV) and the presence of the antioxidant carotenoids and quercetin can help
reduce the signs of aging by fighting free radicals.
Strawberries
Strawberries are super tasty, but
they are also incredibly nourishing. They are a great source of
manganese, Vitamin C, potassium and Vitamin B9 (folate). The bright red color
is due to pelargonidin, the major anthocyanin in strawberries.
Because of their high content of
antioxidants they can help in lowering blood pressure and reducing oxidative stress.
Watermelon
The watermelon is packed with great
nutrients including citrulline and lycopene. These two nutrients have been linked
to improved metabolic health, lowered blood pressure and
decreased muscle soreness
after exercise.
The high content of water makes the
watermelon great for maintaining hydration.
Schizandra
The Schizandra berry most often
people use it as extract or powder form which you can add to smoothies. This
fruit has been used in Chinese medicine for a wide range of health-related
issues.
According to a recent study, Schisandrin B, a bioactive
compound present in the Schizandra could have a positive effect on Alzheimer’s.
Another research shows that Schizandra extract helped ease the menopausal symptoms in
women.
Goji Berries
They have a high content of
antioxidants, especially zeaxanthin which makes them fantastic for eye and skin
health.
Goji berries tend to be more
expensive than other berries, but the recent studies show that they are
fantastic superfood which could help increase your quality of sleep, focus,
calmness, energy, and athletic performance.