Throughout history fruits have been highly prized, both for their flavor and health benefits. Sailors prevented scurvy by eating oranges and lemons while apples sparked the adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Although eating an apple a day won't really keep the doctor away, including fruits in your diet does provide a sweet snack loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and fiber. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends eating fruit to help prevent certain diseases.
Vitamins and Minerals
Eating fruits make it simple to take in a variety of important vitamins and minerals. Your body relies on these substances to perform almost all of its physiological processes, from digestion to bone and muscle growth. Vitamin C -- which is found in fruits like oranges, strawberries and pomegranates -- is essential for growth and repair of cells and tissues, wound healing and keeping teeth and gums healthy. Your body uses potassium to move muscles, transmit signals along your nervous pathways and to breakdown protein and carbohydrates -- potassium is found in fruits like bananas, raisins, prunes and peaches.
Flavonoids
Eating fruits, as opposed to just taking a vitamin supplement, provides you with more than just vitamins and minerals -- other substances like flavonoids and polyphenols can also positively impact your health and are not available in most nutritional supplements. According to the USDA, flavonoids are biologically active compounds found in plants that are associated with lower risk of certain age related conditions and chronic diseases, like cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Fruits like blackberries, cranberries, plums, grapefruit and elderberries contain high amounts of specific flavonoids called anthocyanidins, which are being studied for their potential to fight breast cancer.
Dietary Fiber
Eating enough fiber helps move food through your digestive system, ridding your body of waste. Soluble fiber is also important because it lowers your cholesterol level. Many fruits, like apples, are rich in the fiber you need to stay healthy -- apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber. Eating an apple a day can improve your elimination, reducing constipation. High fiber foods will also provide a feeling of fullness, reducing food cravings and potentially helping manage your weight.
Disease Prevention
With all the vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and fiber found in fruits, eating them daily can keep you healthier for longer. Consuming low calorie fruits instead of sugar-laden snacks can help you manage your weight more effectively -- cutting out processed sugar and reducing your weight reduces your risk for type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits may also protect against certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach and colorectal cancer. The nutrients in fruits may also help prevent arthritis, osteoporosis and improve your memory.
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