Enjoy The Health Benefits Of These Delicious Summer Fruits

Eaten fresh off the vine or tossed in a salad or refreshing smoothie, delicious summer fruits are nature’s candy packed full of important nutrients

Cherries These beauties help reduce inflammation and contain powerful antioxidants including cyanidin, melatonin and anthocyanins. Research done at the University of Michigan Health System uncovered cardiovascular benefits of tart cherries. They suspect that the anthocyanins help reduce risk factors for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes by potentially activating PPAR found in the body’s tissues which regulate fat and glucose levels.

Apricots One of my very favorite fruits is high in fiber and vitamin A which is great for your skin. It’s a good source of iron which is not always easy to find in foods, especially for vegans and vegetarians. Eat them with a fruit containing vitamin C and your body will have even better absorption of the iron.

Pineapple The fantastic enzymes in pineapple such as bromelain help fight inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a precursor to many diseases. Pineapple is packed with collagen boosting vitamin C and manganese which is important for bone health.

Papaya The beta-carotene, vitamins C & E in this yummy fruit also help fight inflammation. Our bodies convert beta-carotene as well as other carotenoids to vitamin A which is fabulous for your skin so eat up, glamour girls!

Watermelon The citrulline in watermelon helps keep your heart healthy by boosting levels of arginine in the body which increases blood flow to the heart and the lycopene helps ward off cancer.The high water content aids digestion and helps flush out toxins.  It’s high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.

Kiwi These guys are actually large berries! They are very high in fiber, potassium, vitamin E and even more vitamin C than oranges (not knocking oranges, they are fantastic too. Very healthy and have always been one of my favorite fruits ?)

Blueberries They score a whopping 9,621 on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity [ORAC] test which is a lab test designed to quantify the approximate “total antioxidant capacity” (TAC). These little antioxidants super stars fight a bevy of diseases from cancer to heart disease.

A votre sante!