Don't you just love fruit? But do you know what makes it good for you? Here are a list of your top ten favourite picks. Find out what is available, what makes it healthy and the nutrition content of each one.
- 1. Apple
- 2. Strawberries
- 3. Banana
What's available: a large number of dessert varieties are available, such as Cox's Pippin, Empire, Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Egremount Russet, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Spartan and Braeburn.
Cooking apples tend to be larger and have a lower sugar content than the eating varieties. Apples contain traces of starch (carbohydrate), especially when they're still growing. Apples are rich in pectin (a type of fibre) and some varieties are used to make cider.
Healthy highlights: apples contain flavonols called quercetin, which has been shown in numerous studies to have anti-cancer properties. A long-term study carried out in Finland found that eating lots of apples was strongly linked to a reduction in the risk of developing lung cancer. Quercetins have also been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, so may be useful in conditions such as arthritis. In traditional medicine, raw apples have been used to treat constipation, whilst cooked apples have been used to help stop diarrhoea.
Nutritional content: apples contain vitamin C, but not as much as citrus fruits.
What's available: cultivated strawberries come in many different shapes, from small, to large, conical and globular, and some have more seeds and hairs than others.
Healthy highlights: strawberries contain ellagic acid, which is a potent antioxidant. Studies carried out under laboratory conditions have shown that ellagic acid can halt the growth of tumours in the lungs, oesophagus, breast, cervix and the tongue. A study in the USA showed that strawberries reduced the effects of carcinogens in tobacco smoke. In traditional medicine, strawberries are thought to have anti-bacterial properties and were used to cleanse and detoxify the digestive system.
Nutritional content: strawberry seeds are almost indigestible, but have a high vitamin C content. They are highly perishable, which means that loss of vitamin C due to storage will be minimal because they are usually eaten on the same day as they are bought. Just eight strawberries a day provide a fifth of the folate requirement for an adult woman.
What's available: bananas are cultivated throughout the tropics, harvested whilst green and transported under controlled temperatures. Ripening is usually done in the importing country.
Healthy highlights: Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6, which is needed to make a neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain. Serotonin has been shown to reduce pain, depress appetite and make you feel relaxed and less stressed. In traditional medicine, bananas have been used to treat stomach ulcers.
Nutritional content: unlike other fruits, the banana is rich in carbohydrate. Bananas contain low levels of carotene and vitamin C, but are rich in potassium.
- 4. Melon
- 5. Orange
What's available: these are grown in subtropical climates and so contain higher levels of sugars. Many varieties are available at different times of the year. They also vary in shape and size, for example, Cantaloupe has a pale green or orange flesh; Charentais has an orange flesh; Galia has a green flesh; Honeydew has a pale yellow-green flesh; Piel de Sapo is a type of Honeydew which has a toad-like skin; and then there's the most popular variety - watermelon, which has a brilliant, pink-red flesh dotted with black seeds.
Healthy highlights: watermelons contain lycopene, which has been shown to act as a anti-cancer agent. Red- or orange-fleshed melons also contain carotenoids, which, besides being able to protect body cells against damage from free radicals, can also be converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is needed to maintain a healthy immune system, healthy skin and good vision in dim light.
Nutritional content: melons have a high water content. A slice of watermelon is equivalent to a glass of water. Melons with coloured flesh provide a significant source of carotenoids and all melons contain some vitamin C.
What's available: oranges are imported from Spain, Morocco, Cyprus, Florida and Israel. Navel oranges tend to be large, sweet and almost seedless, whilst blood red oranges are excellent for juicing, as is Valencia. Seville oranges are used for making marmalade.
Healthy highlights: oranges contain phytochemicals called hesperidin, which act as powerful antioxidants, protecting the body against damage from free radicals. They are also a good source of pectin, which has the ability to lower blood cholesterol.
Nutritional content: fibre content is low in the flesh of oranges, but they are a rich source of vitamin C and folate.
- 6. Mango
- 7. Kiwi fruit
- 8. Plum
What's available: this is native to the Far East, but it also grows in East and West Africa. Amazingly, there are over 2,000 varieties of mango. Some are ripe when the skin is still green or green with tinges of red, whilst others are ripe only when they are reddish gold or pale yellow.
Healthy highlights: mango contains a carotenoid called beta crytoxanthin which exhibits antioxidant properties and so may protect against some cancers, such as colon and cervical. A long-term study looking at the diets of a large group of women showed a link between those eating a carotenoid-rich diet and a reduced risk of cervical cancer.
Nutritional content: mangos are rich in carotenoids, fibre and vitamin C.
What's available: kiwis are available all year round and are imported from New Zealand, Brazil, Italy and France.
Healthy highlights: kiwi fruit contains a pigment called chlorophyll, which gives the fruit its green colour. Chlorophyll has been shown under laboratory conditions to be converted into compounds which have the ability to bind cancer-causing agents.
Nutritional content: one fruit has more than the adult's daily requirement of vitamin C.
What's available: many varieties of plums are available. Most are grown in the UK, but some are imported from the US, France, Italy and Spain. Different-coloured types are available all year around: for example, purple varietes, such as Monarch, red varieties, such as Opal and yellow and green varieties, such as Early Laxtons.
Healthy highlights: plums contain a phytochemical called ferulic acid, which has anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that high intakes of ferulic acid are linked with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
Nutritional content: plums are rich in fibre and potassium.
- 9. Grapes
- 10. Pineapple
What's available: although most are grown for use in making wine, some are also used as dessert fruits. Many varieties are available, for example, Italia (black and white), Flame (red seedless), Alphonse Lavallee (black).
Healthy highlights: the skin of grapes contain a phytochemical called resveratrol, which has been shown to have heart-health boosting, anti-cancer, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Nutritional content: fibre content is low, as is the vitamin C level.
What's available: this is a tropical fruit, which originated in South America.
Healthy highlights: pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which has the ability to break down proteins. It is often used as a meat tenderiser. Bromelain nutritional supplements are available and claims have been made for their usefulness in relieving joint pain, helping with digestion, breaking up blood clots, combating sinusitis and urinary tract infections.
Nutritional content: the fruit has a high sugar content and is a fairly good source of vitamin C and fibre.