The Four Fantastic Fruits You should be Eating Every Day

We might not like to think about it, but as we get older, the pounds can start to add up, particularly around the mid-section where it’s harder to get rid of unwanted fat. Unfortunately, small increases in weight can heighten your risk of cognitive decline, diabetes, heart disease, and various cancers.

However, the micronutrients contained within certain types of fruit could help to fight back against bad health, so you can make the most of your body for years to come, according to recent studies. Over twenty-four years, a Harvard-based collection of research experts got together to track the weight of over 124,000 people within a study.

They discovered that the participants of the test that ate more flavonoids – the antioxidants commonly found in fruits, were the ones least likely to gain weight, and more likely to shed pounds.

The participants who ate fruits rich in three specific types of flavonoids – flavonols, flavonoid polymers, and anthocyanins, got even better results – consuming fewer calories and burning more fat than anyone else – the perfect combination for a slimmer body. The results just go to show that simple changes like adding a handful of berries to your day could be enough to turn your long-term health onto the right track.

Here are the four fruits that you should be getting into your system.

Fantastic Fruits You should be Eating Every Day

1. Apples – Flavonoid Polymers

An apple a day really could keep the doctor away according to studies. The flavonoid polymers found in apples are brimming with enzymes that can be used to digest and remove simple sugars, which means that instead of stocking sugar up as fat, your body helps to flush more of it outside of your system. At the same time, the pectin in apples – otherwise known as a type of fiber – combines with the flavonoids present to reduce the amount of fat circulating within the blood.

Keep in mind, however, that not all apples are as great as the other. According to research published in Nutrition Journal, Fuji and red delicious apples have the highest concentration of flavonoids, followed by galas, then golden delicious.

If you can only eat apples that are cooked because they make you feel like you want to throw up, then you may have to just stick with other fruits. Apple pie is delicious too but eating apple pie as if was a healthy snack is not quite the smartest thing to do but it can be a choice desert.

2. Blueberries – Anthocyanins

Just about every food-related article you read with a connection to antioxidants is bound to mention blueberries at some point. The stunning blue shade of blueberries comes from the higher-than-normal concentration of a flavonoid known as anthocyanin – an antioxidant so powerful that it can actually assist in the prevention of inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Just a tiny increase in anthocyanin can be related to improved weight maintenance, and a single cup of blueberries adds up to hundreds of milligrams of anthocyanin.

Frozen blueberries actually have the highest amount of anthocyanin, followed by fresh ones. Dried blueberries, on the other hand, have about half as many anthocyanins to offer but that is better than nothing. So if you are going to have some pancakes, why not toss some blueberries in the mix? Nothing wrong with a blueberry muffin once in a while too but that is not nearly as healthy as blueberries in your cereal or eating them all by themselves.

3. Strawberries – Anthocyanins and Flavanols

Your average strawberry is absolutely brimming with various antioxidants. Not only does it contain anthocyanins ? though not as much as blueberries ? research has also shown that a few ounces of strawberries could be enough to reduce the blood sugar spikes and inflammation caused by carb-heavy meals.

Chowing on a few strawberries before you eat some sweets can make it more difficult for the body to absorb the sugar, which prevents it from adding extra pounds onto your caloric load. What’s more, a recent animal study showed that researchers could reverse type 2 diabetes in rats with strawberries.

4. Pears – Flavonols

Finally, just like apples, pears are a sagacious source of pectin, but they are also an ideal source of flavonols and flavan-3-ols – flavonoids that are particularly effective at preventing against type 2 diabetes and weight gain. In a recent study, eating more pears and apples has been linked to greater weight loss when compared to eating berries.

One of the reasons why pears are so effective in weight management could be that they provide about a quarter of your daily fiber needs – which is great news for beneficial gut flora. Just remember that if you really want to benefit from extra fruits in your diet, you need to eat the actual fruit and not rely on some juice bought store product. People who just drink fruit juice actually gain more weight because these juices are typically packed with added sugar.

Peaches are not as hard to digest for some people as well, compared to apples. Peach pie is amazing as well too but again, pie should not be eaten as a healthy snack.