Most people love fruit. They are sweet packets of nutritional goodness that you can get even your pickiest child to eat. If you asked someone what they were getting (other than dessert) out of the fruit, he or she would probably say 'vitamins,' but be hard-pressed to name which ones.
Well, now you can munch your fruit with confidence, because here's the specific benefits of eating fruit, deriving from 3 essential vitamins that your body needs.
Vitamin C
This powerhouse of an antioxidant, also called ascorbic acid, heals wounds, helps make important bodily tissues, and maintains teeth. Without it, you develop scurvy, which will cause your teeth to fall out. You can't develop a storehouse of the stuff, because vitamin C is water-soluble. Anything your body doesn't immediately need gets flushed out of the system. Fortunately, you can get loads of vitamin C from citrus fruit. But, did you know - the following fruits have MORE vitamin C than oranges?
- Papaya
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Kiwi
Vitamin A
This one is also an antioxidant. It is best known for promoting good vision. It also plays a role in reproductive and skin health. Without it, your skin gets dry and scaly, and you will be more susceptible to infections because it helps your immune system. It's fat-soluble, so you can store it, but of course the body will use it. You can replenish this vitamin with:
- Apricots
- Cantaloupe
- Grapefruit
- Mango
- Watermelon
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another fat-soluble antioxidant. It contributes to your immune system and metabolic processes. A deficiency of this vitamin ends in nerve and muscle damage, with severe cases leading to people losing feeling in their limbs. Happily, vitamin E comes from:
- Avocado (yes, it's a fruit!)
- Papaya
- Mang
- Kiwi
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
Bonus: you can also get vitamins B2 and B6 from bananas, which are important vitamins for making antibodies and getting iron to your blood so you won't get anemic.
Contact us at Progressive Nutritional to obtain more information about optimal nutrition and choices for living a longer, healthier life.