Grapefruit is so good and has so many amazing health benefits.
Research has found that other phytochemicals (plant nutrients) it contains may protect against colon cancer.
Blueberries: Fat Blasters
Blueberries are what keep us healthy, according to a new study in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. Researchers found that a compound called pterostilbene worked with vitamin D in the body of mice to boost your immune system and fight off infections. However, it is unclear if the same effect will be seen in humans.
Apples: Cholesterol Zappers
An apple a day may in fact keep the doctor away — especially the cardiologist. When women ages 45 to 65 ate around a cup of dried apples each day for a year, they experienced on average a 23 per cent drop in “bad” LDL cholesterol, according to a Florida State University study. What’s more, the women’s “good” HDL cholesterol increased by about 4 percent, and they also lost an average of 3.3 pounds. The heart-healthy benefit may stem from the apples’ pectin (a type of fibre) and polyphenols (a group of antioxidants). Other research has found that apples also protect against asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), possibly due to their high level of flavonoid antioxidants.
Tangerine
Tangerines may also help cancer-proof your body — if you eat the peel. A compound in the peel called salvestrol Q40 halts the activity of an enzyme that incites the growth of cancer cells, a British study found. Try some tangerine zest in your tea or sprinkle on a salad for a citrusy twist.
Strawberries
Most of us don’t know that this fruit is the best to fight cancer.
Slicing strawberries into your morning cereal or yoghurt may cut your risk of oesophagal cancer, strawberries may be valuable as an add-on or alternative treatment to cancer-treating drugs. Strawberries also take care of your ticker. A recent study from the University of California, Davis, found that regular strawberry consumption can counteract the inflammatory and blood clotting effects of a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal, potentially decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dried Plums
This one here helps with the bone.
The fruit formerly known as prunes may help keep bones strong. When postmenopausal women ate about half a cup’s worth of dried plums for three months, they had increased levels of hormones associated with bone formation, according to research from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. And in a 2010 Journal of Nutrition study, adult and elderly mice who were fed a diet that contained dried plums not only experienced a drop in loss of bone density, they actually gained bone mass. Researchers say dried plums may have an effect on hormones that prevent bone breakdown due to a dip in estrogen levels. Most famous for their digestive health benefits — and ability to, um, get things moving — dried plums are also good sources of blood pressure-lowering potassium and cholesterol-friendly fiber, making them a heart-healthy snack.
Cranberries: Smile Savers
Think out of the can when it comes to these tart fruits. Antioxidants called proanthocyanidins in cranberries halt the activity of bacteria that cause dental cavities (but beware of overly sugary jellied cranberry sauce that can do more harm than good to your teeth — look for fresh cranberries and simmer up your own subtly sweet relish instead). And the same antimicrobial properties of cranberries that prevent bacteria from clinging to your teeth also work on your bladder, helping to prevent urinary tract infections. Cranberries may even protect your stomach from ulcers by acting on the H. pylori bacteria that cause them.
Grapes: Inflammation Squelchers
Eating polyphenol-rich grapes — especially red ones — can reduce inflammation that contributes to a variety of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, hardening of the arteries, and high blood pressure, according to scientists from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
