KOCHI: When it comes to eating healthy, fruits are often on the top of the list for their natural sweetness, vibrant colours, and impressive nutrient profiles. Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants, fruits offer a multitude of health benefits that make them an integral part of any balanced diet.
Whether you’re looking to boost your immune system, improve digestion, or simply satisfy your sweet tooth, incorporating the right fruits into your daily routine can make all the difference. From tropical favourites to seasonal staples, these fruits are not just delicious — they’re powerhouses of nutrition that deserve a daily place in your diet.
Here are three fruits that should be your top choices for the day:
Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit is a nutrient-dense fruit and the health benefits of kiwifruit have linked their regular consumption to improvements not only in nutritional status but also benefits to digestive, immune and metabolic health. Kiwifruits are exceptionally high in vitamin C and contain an array of other nutrients, notably nutritionally relevant levels of dietary fibre, potassium, vitamin E and folate, as well as various bioactive components, including a wide range of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and enzymes that act to provide functional and metabolic benefits.
High levels of vitamin C in kiwifruit can improve iron bioavailability. It contains relatively high levels of vitamin E, noting that its radical scavenging and antioxidant capacity contributed to the total antioxidant activity of kiwifruit.
It is often referred to as being a good source of dietary folate. As folate is extremely labile and its presence in green leafy vegetables is easily destroyed by cooking, fresh kiwifruit can make a useful contribution to the total diet, especially during pregnancy when it is difficult to meet folate requirements. During pregnancy, folate requirements are 600 µg/day, which can be safely achieved.
Blueberries
Blueberries contain a large number of phytochemicals, including abundant anthocyanin pigments. Of their various phytochemicals, anthocyanins make the greatest impact on blueberry health functionality. They contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions and have beneficial effects on vascular and glucoregulatory function. Blueberry phytochemicals may affect gastrointestinal microflora and contribute to host health. They are also cardioprotective, which helps improving markets related to heart health and function. As blueberries help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, they are a wonderful choice for cognitive health.
Pomegranate
Different parts of pomegranate like seeds, peel, juice, and leaves are rich in potential bioactive compounds. These plants have found application in traditional medicine such as in the treatment of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and endocrine diseases, etc. It is a flavonoid-rich fruit with antioxidant properties. Pomegranate juice is a rich source of soluble polyphenols, including anthocyanins and tannins. These compounds have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-hypertensive properties
The consumption of pomegranate juice is shown to have preventive roles on obesity, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease (which is believed to be due to its potent antioxidant properties). The beneficial effects of pomegranate mouthwash or gel on periodontitis, gingivitis, and stomatitis are likely related to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities.
Best way to consume fruits
Keep in mind that fruits are always better to be consumed as whole fruits rather than juicing them.
In case of juicing them, never add excess sugar as the fruit itself would contain its natural sweetness.
Always pair it up with fat-containing source such as seeds (chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, etc). This helps in better fat-soluble vitamins absorption (Vitamin A, D, E, and K) and also balances the glycemic index of the fruit, preventing rapid glucose spikes.
Combining fruits and Greek yoghurt post activity or exercise would be a great way to get protein for muscle development and growth while also replenishing carbohydrates with the fruit.