Live Healthier, Eat Super Fruits

There's no question that eating fruit is good for your health. Incorporating a variety of fruits in your diet provides many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. However, there are some "exotic" choices that pack a bit more punch when it's compared to the more common selections (e.g. apples, bananas, oranges).

A nutritional study at the Colorado State University demonstrated that mixing up your choices of fruit as opposed to sticking to the common selections is better for you. In the two month study, 106 women were asked to eat 8 to 10 servings of produce daily. The women were divided into two groups one that consumed the same five fruits daily and the other group chose from 18 fruit varieties. Blood tests revealed that the rate of DNA oxidation was less in the high-variety group. Here is a comparative review of various fruits. It will help to explain why some common fruits are good for you but the super fruits are better.

Bust Bad Cholesterol
Apples help to lower cholesterol. People with a fiber-rich diet have lower cholesterol levels. To help prevent cholesterol clogging blood vessels Asian pears may be a better option. This super fruit has 40% of your daily intake of fiber lowering cholesterol. Increasing your fiber intake is good for your health as researchers found that it helps to lower your BMI and waist circumference because it keeps weight gain at bay.

Keep That Blood Pressure Down
While bananas are known for their blood pressure lowering abilities figs are a better alternative. Six fresh figs contain just about 20% of potassium. The amount of potassium in six figs is twice the amount found in one large banana. Eating figs will not only keep your blood pressure from rising but they are also a great source of calcium.

Be Good to Your Heart
We all know the benefits that red foods can provide. Red grapes are cardioprotective. However, lychee is an even better substitute. The Journal of Nutrition published a French study which found that lychee has 15% more polyphenols than grapes. Polyphenols act as antioxidants and protect the body from the damage of free radicals. It protects the heart from the damaging effects of oxidized LDLs (bad cholesterol). Lychee plays an important part in shielding the body from degenerative diseases.

Get Glowing
Peel an orange as a snack and you're on step closer to beautiful, healthy skin. Oranges are packed with vitamin C which is the necessary ingredient for collagen production. A study tracking over 4,000 American women showed that those who had a vitamin C rich diet had better skin and fewer wrinkles. The super alternative to oranges is guava. Just one cup of guava has five times more vitamin C than an orange. Besides being a powerhouse for vitamin C guava also protects against pathogens such as Staph and Listeria.

Fight Off Cancer
Watermelons are good summer treats that have ample lycopene which research has shown to be protective against many forms of cancer. However, papaya is a better choice because it is not only rich in lycopene but also a great source of beta-crypozanthin. Studies show that beta-crypozanthin protects against lung cancer. Another useful finding is that papaya contains an enzyme called papain which when applied topically helps to speed the recovery from a burn.

So, next time you're out shopping for produce pick up some super fruits instead and unleash their health benefits on your body.

Source: http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/the-new-superfruits/4346d1043f9c8110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/nutrition.recipes/nutrition.basics/fruits.vegetables?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-4282008-_-Nutrition%20and%20Recipes-_-The%20New%20Superfruits