Is Fruit a Healthy Food?

Fruits contain a number of substances that promote health, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, phenols and saponins. They are also low in calories and fat, making fruits good choices for people who are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and they may lower your risk for certain health conditions.

Health Benefits

Consuming at least the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables may lower your risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, diverticulosis, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts and macular degeneration, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney stones, and osteoporosis. Consuming fruits containing folate, such as oranges, can also lower your risk of having a child with neural tube defects.

Recommended Intake

The exact amount of fruit you should consume depends on your overall caloric intake. Most adults should consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables combined per day, and some need as many as 13 servings per day. If you consume a 2,000-calorie diet, you need to eat approximately 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables to meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendations.

Types

For the most health benefits, vary the fruits that you eat. Eat fruits of all different colors, as the color of fruits tends to indicate the different nutrients contained in the fruit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Eating a variety of fruits can also help keep you from getting tired of any one fruit and lowering your fruit consumption.

Increasing Your Fruit Intake

Try new fruits to expand the variety of fruit you eat. Leaving fruit out where you can see it, using fruit for snacks and desserts, and including fruit in every meal can all help you increase your fruit intake. You can add it to cereals or main dishes, and use it to make smoothies or fruit juice.