Health Boosting: 5 Super Fruits To Add To Your Diet Today
Fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plant compounds called phytonutrients. As such, it’s one of the healthiest foods you can eat.
Some fruits are even considered “superfoods” due to their numerous benefits. Even though there’s no exact definition of what constitutes a superfood, they’re often rich in health-boosting compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Many fruits have been studied for their health effects. Although it’s clear that total fresh fruit intake is an important factor in disease prevention, certain fruits stand out due to their robust nutrient content and associated benefits.
Here are 5 super fruits to add to your diet today.
1. Avocados
Avocados are not only creamy and delicious but also packed with nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins C and K1.
In fact, studies suggest that these fatty fruits may help reduce weight, blood sugar levels, and heart disease risk factors like LDL (bad) cholesterol.
2. Mangos
Mangos are a popular tropical fruit full of antioxidants, including gallic acid, quercetin, and ellagic acid, as well as the carotenoids lutein, alpha carotene, and beta carotene, which give the fruit its yellowish hue.
Mangos are also rich in fiber and may help promote healthy bowel movements.
In a 4-week study in 36 people with chronic constipation, eating 10.5 ounces (300 grams) of mango daily significantly improved stool frequency and consistency and reduced markers of intestinal inflammation, compared with an equivalent dose of a fiber supplement.
3. Lemons
Lemons are commonly used to flavor foods and beverages.
This citrus fruit is rich in vitamin C, essential oils, and polyphenol antioxidants.
Human studies show that daily lemon intake may help reduce blood pressure when combined with walking. What’s more, test-tube and animal research indicates that this fruit has strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetes properties.
4. Papayas
Packed with tropical flavor, papayas are rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, folate, and potassium. They also contain many antioxidants but are especially rich in lycopene.
Eating lycopene-rich fruits like papaya may protect against heart disease and certain cancers. Interestingly, lower lycopene levels are associated with an increased risk of death from all causes.
5. Watermelons
Watermelon is a hydrating fruit that’s loaded with fiber, vitamin C, provitamin A, and many antioxidants. Animal studies demonstrate that it has powerful anti-inflammatory, brain-protective, and liver-supportive properties.
What’s more, watermelon is the richest food source of the amino acid l-citrulline. L-citrulline is needed for the synthesis of nitric oxide, a molecule that’s essential for blood vessel dilation and other bodily functions.
This may be why human studies associate watermelon intake with lower blood pressure levels.