A fruit by its color is more than just a fruit
Time and again I have heard and read health and nutrition professionals speak and write about the health benefits provided by fresh fruits. No doubt about that. But, are some fruits better than others? "Fruits are the ripened ovaries or carpels that contain the seeds". That is the botanical definition of a fruit. Accordingly it can be classified as 'simple, aggregate or multiple'.
Wow! I didn't realize that it's mere classification is not really that simple. Anyway, some examples of common simple fruits are legumes, nuts, carrots, radish, and beets. There are also those known as fleshy, simple fruits like, tomatoes, avocado, plums, cherries, peaches, apricot, olive, banana, cranberries, apple, and pears.
Aggregate or fruits that develop from a flower are raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. On the other hand, examples of multiple fruits or those that come from a cluster of flowers are pineapple, edible fig, mulberry, osage-orange, and breadfruit. Orange I am familiar with, but osage-orange?
The more important fact is that the more colorful the fruit, the more health benefit can be derived from it. Numerous scientific studies have shown that color in fact, tell us some deeper about their nature. So what does a fruit's color indicate? Read on:
1. Blue or purple usually contains anthocyanins and quercetin
2. Red gives lycopene and capsanthin
3. Yellow or orange provide beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthan
4. White contains allicin and flavonol
5. Green provide chlorophyll and lutein
And don't we all know that:
1. anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants
2. quercetin is a flavonol which is said to be good for the heart and at the same time a good anti-cancer agent
3. lycopenes provide protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even male infertility
4. capsathins are plant lipids that provide the color red
5. beta-carotene is a plant carotenoid is the the world's number one source of Vitamin A
6. beta-cryptoxanthan is essentially retinol and said to be good at helping prevent free radical damage to cells and DNA
7. allicin is a compund obtained from garlic and proven to possess anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties (garlic is it)
8. chlorophyll has no nutritional value but may have small amounts of magnesium
9. lutein is a carotenoid and is an anti-oxidant
I learn newer and better things everyday.
If only for that, thank you web :-)
Wow! I didn't realize that it's mere classification is not really that simple. Anyway, some examples of common simple fruits are legumes, nuts, carrots, radish, and beets. There are also those known as fleshy, simple fruits like, tomatoes, avocado, plums, cherries, peaches, apricot, olive, banana, cranberries, apple, and pears.
Aggregate or fruits that develop from a flower are raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. On the other hand, examples of multiple fruits or those that come from a cluster of flowers are pineapple, edible fig, mulberry, osage-orange, and breadfruit. Orange I am familiar with, but osage-orange?
The more important fact is that the more colorful the fruit, the more health benefit can be derived from it. Numerous scientific studies have shown that color in fact, tell us some deeper about their nature. So what does a fruit's color indicate? Read on:
1. Blue or purple usually contains anthocyanins and quercetin
2. Red gives lycopene and capsanthin
3. Yellow or orange provide beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthan
4. White contains allicin and flavonol
5. Green provide chlorophyll and lutein
And don't we all know that:
1. anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants
2. quercetin is a flavonol which is said to be good for the heart and at the same time a good anti-cancer agent
3. lycopenes provide protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even male infertility
4. capsathins are plant lipids that provide the color red
5. beta-carotene is a plant carotenoid is the the world's number one source of Vitamin A
6. beta-cryptoxanthan is essentially retinol and said to be good at helping prevent free radical damage to cells and DNA
7. allicin is a compund obtained from garlic and proven to possess anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties (garlic is it)
8. chlorophyll has no nutritional value but may have small amounts of magnesium
9. lutein is a carotenoid and is an anti-oxidant
I learn newer and better things everyday.
If only for that, thank you web :-)