Everybody knows that fruits are good for your health, but why? Not only fruits are full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, but also antioxidants which has anti-aging and anti-cancer effect. Most fruits are low in calories, free of saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber which can assist weight loss and lower your blood cholesterol. According to the Food Pyramid, adult should consume 2 serves of fresh fruit everyday. It is best to eat fruits as snack or to use fruits to make healthy low fat desserts to satisfy your sweet cravings, but not making you fat.

 

A for Apple
You've heard of "An apple a day keeps the doctor away!" Apple is low in calorie and full of dietary fiber. Soluble fiber helps lower bad cholesterol in your blood while insoluble fiber helps provides bulk in the intestinal tract, and move waste quickly through the digestive system to maintain bowel health. Apple also contains a potent antioxidant called quercetin which reduces cancer risk. In addition, tannins in raw apples are good for keeping teeth and gums healthy and can freshen your breath.

B for Blueberry
Anthocyanin, the pigment that makes the blueberries blue, is a very strong antioxidant. By scavenging "free radicals" which attacks our body, anthocyanin can reduce risk of cancer and other age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. Another compound found in blueberries named pterostilbene are also recently been discovered to have cholesterol-reducing benefits.

C for Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits such as orange, grapefruit, and tangerines are well-known to be rich in vitamin C. According to the Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Sciences) 2000, the Recommended Daily Intake (RDA) of vitamin C for adult is 75 - 95 mg. A medium orange that has 83 mg of vitamin C already satisfies the daily requirement of vitamin C. However, smokers should consume 35 mg more per day because their metabolic turnover of vitamin C is more rapid. Citrus fruits are also rich in folate, in which women need extras during pregnancy for normal fetus growth.

G for Grapes
Grapes contain 2 major phyto-chemicals, flavonoids and resveratrol that offer health benefits. Flavonoids reduce blood clots and plaque build-up in the arteries that lead to stroke. And resveratrol which mainly found in grape skin and seeds can raise good cholesterol in the blood to reduce risk of heart disease. So next time when you eat grapes, eat it in whole to consume the best nutrients for health.