Today's post is about number 12 on the list of healthiest fruits and it is a favorite of many. Grapes are some of the most popular fruits of all ages. No more words are necessary from me so let's get to what the health journal has to say.
"Grapes are high in polyphenol compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and resveratrol, all of which can help increase heart health and defend against cardiovascular disease. (It's thought that resveratrol may even help prevent skin aging and protect against age-related health conditions.) Grapes are full of nutrients vital to health, such as copper, vitamin K, and B vitamins."
As we continue looking at the healthiest fruits list, we come to number seven, grapefruits. For most people, you either love or hate grapefruits. However you feel about them, read the information below which is directly from the healthiest fruits list from a health journal I picked up in my oncologist office.
"Adding a cup of grapefruit segments to your breakfast will cover nearly 100 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin C, and support the health of your skin, heart, and immune system. Grapefruits are also rich in flavonoids such as naringin and naringenin, which may have anticancer properties."
Something as simple as eating an apple a day may help to prevent cancer. Apples contain at least two kinds of cancer-inhibiting compounds, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Together these two compounds may protect against damage to cells that can trigger malignancies. They may also prevent emerging cancer cells from further dividing. What a tasty way to perhaps protect yourself from cancer. I think it is worth eating an apple a day!
If you follow this blog, you know I am a diabetic. As a diabetic, even though my diabetes is under very good control, I strive to eat only foods that will heal and not hinder my body. As all diabetics know, we have to take good care of our kidneys. Diabetes can be hard on the kidneys and that is a problem we don't need. I do a lot of research on health and one thing I have found repeatedly is that onions are very good for the kidneys. Thankfully I like onions and use them in some way almost every day. If you are a diabetic and onions are not currently a part of your diet, perhaps it is time to add them. From raw onion slices on burgers to creamed pearl onions, to chopped or diced onions in soups, stews, casseroles, etc, they are easy to work onto the diet.
Here are a couple of facts I have discovered in my research that I found interesting. I imagine this is news to you, too. Most of us who want orange juice, etc, go to the store and buy a bottle, carton, or even a can. That is very convenient but not the best way to get the benefits of drinking citrus juice. To get the full health benefits of citrus juices it is best to buy the fruits and squeeze them yourself. Studies have shown that due to light and oxygen during processing and storage, citrus juices may lose up to 50% of their important flavonoids!
Would you believe citrus fruits are good for your cholesterol levels? Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, etc are rich in flavonoids. The predominate flavonoid in citrus is hesperidin with is credited with boosting levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. What a tasty way to improve your cholesterol levels!
What a great thought that something so tasty may help keep our minds sharp longer! Researchers have discovered that both blueberries and strawberries reduce cognitive decline in us older adults. The results of their research suggest that cognitive aging could be delayed by up to 2.5 years in elderly people who consume greater amounts of the flavonoid-rich berries. Credit is given to the high amount of flavonoids, natural chemicals that exert powerful effects in our bodies, that are found in these berries.
You may be surprised to know that those on chemo should eat chocolate. Chocolate, because of the butter, sugar, etc that is added to make candy, is often thought of something to stay away from. That is so untrue! We have heard a lot recently of the benefits of eating small amounts of dark chocolate on a regular basis. One thing we haven't heard much about is the positive effects for patients taking chemotherapy treatments. One of the great things about chocolate is that it is an anti-inflammatory, good for us for so many reasons. Chemically speaking, the human body literally sucks in the nutrients in chocolate. This is especially true for the flavonoids (the proanthcyanidins) which have chemo-protective effects. Eat dark chocolate, often mentioned on this blog, because it has 4 times the antioxidants found in tea - a well-known source of antioxidants.
