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All fruits are healthy to the human body in specific ways. A combination of fruits in your diet can help to keep you healthy, and cure certain diseases as well. There is a huge variety of fruits that can help you, including apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi fruit, lemon/limes and oranges. Other healing fruits include papaya, pears, pineapple, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. Here we take a look at a variety of the healing properties of a selection of fruits.

Amaranth is a food that not everyone is familiar with. While technically a fruit, amaranth is commonly used as a type of grain that is found in many different types of breads, muffins, pasta and other foods that are as an adjunct to flour. The seeds of amaranth are extremely high in protein that builds muscle. Amaranth is much richer in protein than most grains. Amaranth seeds are also excellent at building up the immune system because they are high in zinc, copper and magnesium.

Apricots are excellent antioxidants. They are chock-full of vitamin C and beta-carotene. Research studies have yielded the fact that beta carotene is beneficial at protecting the body against lung cancer. Apricots are great sources of fiber. Apricots are more nutritious if you buy them fresh as opposed to canned.

Bananas are full of potassium, and therefore great at reducing blood pressure. Bananas are full of vitamin B6, which is good for encouraging the strength of the immune system. Bananas are particularly good to start off the day. Eat a banana with a glass of low fat milk and a piece of whole wheat bread (or toast) with peanut butter for breakfast and it will give you plenty of energy. For a change of pace whip up a banana shake in the blender and drink your start to a good day!

Cantaloupe is full of plenty of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and fiber. Research studies have shown that beta-carotene is particularly helpful at fighting cancers that originate in the lungs but more recent studies have shown that it is also worthwhile for fighting other types of cancers such as cancer of the cervix, uterine cancer, stomach cancer and oral forms of cancers. Evidence also supports that vitamin C decreases the incidence of mouth cancers, throat cancers, pancreatic cancer and stomach cancer.

Figs are beneficial to health and that is the case regardless of whether you choose to eat figs fresh or in their dried form. Figs have plenty of vitamin C, fiber, magnesium and potassium in them. Figs contain a type of fruit fiber that is able to decrease blood pressure, and in particular, systolic blood pressure, which is the top number of the blood pressure reading which in turn, calculates the pressure of the contractions of the heart. Fiber in general is connected to decreasing the bottom number of the blood pressure equation, which is the diastolic blood pressure. The diastolic blood pressure stands for the pressure of the heart when it is resting between its contracting action.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Food Cures.

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Tags: antioxidants, beta carotene, blood pressure, blueberries, cranberries, Food Cures, grapes, immune system, kiwi fruit, limes, magnesium, prunes, strawberries, vitamins, vitamins minerals, whole wheat

As we continue in the Oscar ceremonies for healthiest foods, we have two awards for Best Supporting Actor: Berries and Whole Grains.

Berries are in a big category. They include strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries and blackberries. Berries are some of the most nutritious of all fruits. They are full of vitamin C, fiber, folate and phytonutrients.

Berries are excellent cancer fighting agents because they are full of antioxidants. Blueberries for example are believed to be higher in their antioxidant properties than are strawberries. Blueberries are useful in helping people as they age; short-term memory loss is lessened thanks to their healthy benefits.

Berries are very simple fruits to prepare. All you need to do is wash them thoroughly and either cut them up or eat them raw. Berries do not require peeling like other fruits, such as oranges and peaches.

Whole grains are full of B vitamins, as well as vitamin E, fiber, magnesium and iron. Whole grains are also very rich in antioxidants and contain some that are not found in fruits or vegetables.

According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Americans should eat plenty of grains on a daily basis. Half of all grains eaten should be whole grains, which works out to be three to five servings of whole grains on a daily basis. Always use whole-wheat flour when you bake as opposed to white flour. White flour is refined and is very bad for the body. When you buy such foods as breads, pasta, biscuits and cereal always look for the word “whole” on the packaging. Another way to add whole grains to your diet is to eat more brown rice, wild rice, barley or quinoa. Try experimenting with different ways to add these whole grain products to recipes, such as adding barley or quinoa to soups and casseroles.

Apples got the Oscar nomination, but not the Oscar itself. They nevertheless turn in an excellent performance and should be counted in the top ten. Apples are rich in vitamin C, which helps the body to absorb other types of nutrients such as folate and iron. Apples contain a substance called pectin, which is used in jams and jellies and as a thickener for sauces. Pectin is similar to fiber in that it helps to decrease cholesterol and moderate the level of glucose in the blood.

Wheat germ is the “heart of the wheat seed” and it is filled with nutrients. Wheat does not have much taste, so you might want to sprinkle it on cereal, porridge or yogurt. Wheat germ can also be added to batter when you are baking cookies, muffins, biscuits or pancakes. Wheat germ is rich in folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, thiamine and zinc. Two tablespoons a day is enough to optimize its health benefits. Thiamine is particularly beneficial for the proper functioning of the nerves while phosphorous encourages the development of strong teeth and bones. Iron, folate magnesium and zinc are all minerals that support healing in the body and are essential fro the growth of children.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Food Cures.

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Tags: 2005 dietary guidelines for americans, antioxidants, blueberries, cholesterol, cranberries, Fiber, folate, Food Cures, magnesium, phytonutrients, strawberries, vitamins, whole grains, wild rice

Plants are just as prone to viruses, bacteria and diseases as people are. We have an immune system to fight diseases while plants have developed their own form of immune system which consists of a protective substances called phytochemicals.

Studies are showing that the same phytochemicals that protect plants can also help to protect people from a variety of cancers as well as other diseases. Some of the foods containing this chemical include whole grains, dark and leafy green colored fruits and vegetables, legumes, orange, yellow, and red colored fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables and anti-bacterial vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables that are dark in color something known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in a variety of different fruits and vegetables which include blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bilberries, cranberries, red grapes, red grapes, apples, onions, broccoli, peppers and eggplant. There are estimated to be well over 4,000 flavonoids in existence and they are then broken down into a variety of subcategories which include anthocyanidins, polyphenolic acid, proanthocyanidins, ellagic acid, tannins and quercetic.

Research studies into dark colored fruits and vegetables have shown that they are all very powerful when it comes to anti-oxidant properties and some are believed to have 50 times the anti-oxidant capability of both vitamin E as well as vitamin C. Other studies have shown that flavonoids found in both fruits and vegetables are helpful in decreasing the risk of a variety of cancers as well as diabetes, arthritis and atherosclerosis. Flavonoids are beneficial when it comes to protecting the collagen protein found in blood vessels and joints from the damage that can be done by free radicals in the body. By protecting the collagen protein this is a way to reduce the incidence of hemorrhoids, edema and varicose veins.

A study done at Cornell University yielded the result that the flavonoids found in apples known as quercetin, was effective at protecting the brain against the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease which are both classified as being neuro-generative diseases. This study was a follow-up to another study that was conducted at the same university by Professor Lee. Professor Lee discovered that the phytochemical found in both a variety of berries as well as apples had a greater “antioxidant protective effect” than did vitamin C when it came to fighting liver cancer cells and colon cancer cells. While blueberries and strawberries both have excellent anti-oxidant properties, blueberries have an estimated 40 percent more power to fight off diseases and t o heal. In a study done by neuroscientist James Joseph from Tufts University it was found that blueberries are excellent when it comes to fighting cancer and a multitude of diseases but they are also helpful in preventing or slowing short-term memory loss which can affect individuals as they age.

So, the next time you make a trip to the grocery store, be sure to stock up on healing fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is the best to buy, with frozen being the second best. Canned fruits and vegetables tend to have a great deal of salt in them so opt for fresh if possible. For a change of pace whip up a salad with a variety of vegetables (and some fruits thrown in to add some tang) or whip up a delectable fruit salad for yourself and your family to enjoy.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Food Cures.

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Tags: antioxidants, blueberries, broccoli, cranberries, flavonoids, Food Cures, free radicals, fruits and vegetables, grapes, immune system, strawberries, vitamin C, vitamin E, whole grains