Prime
The health benefits of a fruit salad
What you need to know:
- Since each fruit used is packed with various nutrients, a bowl of fruit salad a day has a lot of health benefits, including boosting one’s immunity.
In a world where our lifestyles are becoming increasingly fast-paced and convenience-driven, it is crucial to find ways to incorporate healthy habits into our daily routines. One such delicious and nutritious solution is the fruit salad.
A fruit salad is not just a refreshing treat for your taste buds; it is a powerhouse of essential nutrients that can contribute significantly to your overall health and well-being.
Fruits contain a number of vitamins and minerals which are essential for maintaining optimal bodily functions. Different fruits bring their unique nutritional profiles to the mix. Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits contain vitamin C, which boosts the immune system and aids in collagen production. Bananas provide potassium, a mineral crucial for maintaining healthy blood pressure and muscle function. The more colorful the fruit, according to Twebaze, the higher it's antioxidant content.
Energy
Fruits contain a better version of sugar, which according to Twebaze gives us more sustained energy for our body to carry out its needed tasks both inside the body and physically.
“It is not a special type of sugar, but because it comes embedded in fiber in fruits, this sugar, is released into our bodies gradually unlike the, the high sugar spikes caused by many processed foods,” Twebaze explains.
Fibre
Fruit are rich in dietary fibre, which plays a major role in promoting regular bowel movements, cleansing of the colon and preventing constipation. Fibre, according to Twebaze also helps to carry unnecessary waste, such as cholesterol out of body through excretion. A combination of soluble and insoluble fibre from various fruits provides food for good bacteria to grow in our colons allowing us to have a healthier microbiome and therefore a healthy digestive system and aids in maintaining a balanced gut microbiome.
Additionally, fibre in fruits helps to control blood sugar levels, making fruit salad a good choice for people with diabetes. It also slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, including natural sugars, leading to a gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream, which helps stabilise blood sugar levels.
Phytonutrients
Fruits also contain Phytonutrients, natural compounds found in plants that have been linked to numerous health benefits. Phytonutrients in fruits are primarily found in the vibrant pigments that give fruits their distinctive colours.
Phytonutrients include flavonoids, carotenoids, and antioxidants. These compounds have been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and certain types of cancer. The vibrant colors of different fruits signify the presence of diverse phytonutrients, which makes your fruit salad a colorful and nutritious experience.
Hydration
Fruit salads are not only delicious but also incredibly hydrating. Fruits like watermelon, cucumber, and strawberries have high water content, contributing to overall hydration and aiding in maintaining healthy skin.
“Eating one whole fruit is great, however, eating a fruit salad has the advantage that it allows you to have more variety of different fruits in one serving. The more variety of fruits especially if the colourful types, the more likely you are to get a bigger catch of different antioxidants, pigments, phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins in your body as each fruit offers its own specific nutrient profile,” Twebaze explains.
How much?
According to Amanda Twebaze, a nutritionist, one must eat at least five servings of fruit every day.
“If you can, have at least two servings of fruit per day and then cover the other three required servings with vegetables. However, there is no harm in having more,” she says.
If you do not eat fruits as often you are likely to suffer from constipation, slow metabolism, piles or hemorrhoids, faster aging, poor blood sugar control, hormonal imbalances, micronutrient deficiencies, which is also a type of malnutrition.
