Get to Know your Superfruits
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Or so they say. Apples really are pretty healthy, but some superstar fruits are getting a lot of attention these days. I've been giving some thought to fruits and which ones would really be a good addition to our diet, and while doing that, I've actually been eating an apple each day for many years.
Since I have a kapha body type, apple is a good choice for me, because it's not too sweet and it's a bit astringent. Speaking of Ayurvedic body types, I'll blog more on this soon.
Have you noticed the fruit consumption has been falling in the US for years? That's sad, because they are nutritional powerhouses. Turns out the pigments in fruits and vegetables are very potent antioxidants. Those are the plant chemicals that give fruits their blue, purple, red and yellow colors.
The term "superfruit" is really just a marketing term. Basically, it refers to a fruit that contains exceptional nutrient content and antioxidant quality. Pomegranate and blueberry started the trend. Now they range from the everyday to the exotic, from cherry and raspberry to acai and goji berry. There is no specific definition for what it takes to become a superfruit, and there are some glaring omissions from the discussion- strawberries, blackberries and oranges are not usually mentioned as superfruits despite their strong nutritional properties.
Scientific research has ID'd a bunch of fruit superstars, but the bottom line is that any fruit is better than none. Strawberry shortcake season coming up soon...
Here are some outstanding superfruits and their properties:
• Cranberry. Reduce urinary tract infections
• Blueberry. Prevent cognitive decline and dementia, improve memory, lower cholesterol
• Pomegranate. Increase immune function, heart health
• Bilberry. Improve eyesight
• Raspberry. Increase immune function
• Apple. Reduce oxidative brain stress
• Cherry. Joint health
Have any of you folks had an experience with using a superfruit to improve your health? Which ones do you eat? Favorites?
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Hey, Ursula, you have good taste in fruit.
Cherries and watermelon are among the “superest” of superfruits. Here where I live, in the Pacific Northwest, cherries are a big crop, and this area produces some of the world’s finest cherries and numerous delicious varieties.
In natural healing, cherries have always been thought to reduce joint inflammation, and have historically been used for gout. And they are getting a reseugence of interest, with many more people discovering their healing effects for joint disorders. Many people find that even a few cherries a day can be the difference between discomfort and being able to stand and walk pain free all day. I’ve seen this work many times.
Watermelon is a long time favorite food in Ayurveda, where it is thought of as a kidney herb and a major detoxifier. There are many versions of famous detox fasts based on watermelon.
Watermelon is also very rich in lycopene, a carotene antioxidant that has shown great benefit for prodtate health.
Interestingly, melon is the only category of food that Ayurveda says not to mix with any other type of food at all. When you eat a melon meal (watermelon or any other melon), you should eat only melon for that meal. So it makes a great lunch on a hot summer day.
I think watermelon is a great diuretic food to treat water retention. Because it is drying and cold, it is not a good match for vata. And- it is a huge gas producer- the reason not to mix it with other foods, and another reason for people with high vata to stay away!
It was on the TV that the retiring jusdge of the U.S. Supreme Court ate an apple a day. It also stated he ate the entire thing and left nothing. I have never eaten the seeds and all of it but he seems in excellent health.
Thanks for the info, Jane.
Apples seem common and ordinary to us, but they actually pack a nutritional punch.
Maybe not the superest of superfruits, but recent scientific research has found a lot of benefits for apples, just in the last couple of years:
Balance cholesterol
Prevent cancer
Protect memory in old age
Protect athletes from flu
Support heart health
Karta Purkh
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I enjoy eating cherries and watermelon. In these months when it’s so hot outside there very refreshing. I know the health benefits of these fruits and the pomegranate i get from the yogi tea grean tea. I dont like the fruit eats bitter. I enjoy strawberries and peaches. I love it!