We’ve all been hearing about how important fruits are for our bodies since we were kids. But, according to the Centers for Disease Control, only 12% of people are eating the required amount of fruits as part of their diet every day. As per Lisa McAnulty, a professor of nutrition at Appalachian State University, these are the healthiest fruits that should be included in your diet.
Which Are the Healthiest Fruits?
Although every fruit has its own benefits, one should try to include them all in their diet. Based on the data collected from USDA Nutrients, some of the healthiest fruits which are rich in nutrients and vitamins are raspberries for fiber, passion fruit for protein, blackberries for zinc, guava for potassium, and dates for calcium.
Sugar in Fruit: Is it Harmful?
Some people say that the sugar found in fruits may have an effect on our blood sugar levels. But, one should note that the sugar found in fruits is not the same as the one found in processed foods. Robert Lustig, M.D., professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, says that fruits that have high natural sugar are also high in soluble and insoluble fiber. The presence of those fibers helps in slowing down the absorption process of sugar which prevents the spike in glucose levels. But, blending fruits to make fruit drinks like smoothies breaks down those insoluble fibers and allows our bodies to absorb more sugar.
The Must-Have Superfruit
It’s obvious that every fruit has its own role to play in our diet, but there is one type of fruit that should be a part of everyone’s diet — berries. All kinds of berries, be it cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, goji berries, bilberries, or black currants, are excellent sources of minerals. They are rich in anthocyanins and anthocyanidins, which help in improving brain and heart health. They have low fat and help with lowering inflammation. As per USDA reports, among all berries, raspberry is the best as it has more fiber than sugar.
Fruits to Eat Daily
Again, all of them are equally important for health. Therefore, one should include assorted fruits in one’s daily consumption. McAnulty says every fruit has different phytochemicals that have a wide variety of benefits for the body, and therefore one should not stick to only one type of food. Assorted fruits can include apples, bananas, papaya, grapes, dates, mangoes, or any other fruit of your choice.