Favorite Fruit Nutrition Facts

“Fruit can do that?” you may ask. Well it depends how you use it, of course. But yes, it could. Keep in mind that throughout this article, I’m referring to fresh fruit, ideally organic. Most non-organic fruits are heavily sprayed with pesticides and are raised in soils with the same. Besides clinging to the skins, pesticides can also be absorbed through the roots right into the cells themselves. The skin can be washed or peeled, but many toxins remain inside. So eating the cleanest fruit possible is important. Otherwise, accumulating toxins in our system through fruit could add to the problem, not help.

Now let’s look at some basics, and why fruit is so fabulous. First of all, I’m going to direct you to a really great page from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) with their official fruit nutrition facts. So we’re on the same page, so to speak, as we go. Just click here - to get the FDA Fruit Nutrition Chart.

Some people may look at this chart and think, So what? The what is – this is a treasure chest of information that tells us how we can make the right fruits do us a few favors. What favors? As we age we need plenty. Consider this…

Attributes of Fruits:

• Cholesterol lowering -- Got high cholesterol? One of the foremost fruit nutrition facts is that fruit’s got fiber and fiber helps reduce cholesterol. Which is really good for preventing heart disease and stroke. Many fruits, such as the apple, also contain flavonoid antioxidants, which reduce heart disease as well.
• Your plumbing -- Speaking of fiber, have you by chance got…problems with plumbing? Good fiber helps keep things moving right on through. And also keeps things from moving through…too fast. Another reason why the old saying, “an apple a day…” Bananas are high in fiber too.
• Detoxing -- Major fruit nutrition fact: fruit fiber does such a fantastic cleaning job it can practically vacuum you out. It’s a detox. Not just for the colon itself, but also at the cellular level. Toxins can be stored in the colon, our cells, and also in our fat. Fruits encourage the cells to eliminate toxins within them, even lead and mercury. It’s so effective that if you’re not used to eating fresh fruit, start slowly. If we’re been taking in refined sugars, caffeine, a lot of red meat, drugs and medications, tobacco, junk food, and chemicals from the environment, we’ve got toxins. And if they don’t come out, they wreak havoc with our innards and cause all kinds of disease. Including colon cancer.
  Fruit can help get these toxins out. Lemons and citrus are very good, because of the acids in them help detox. Typically, we detoxify over night while we sleep, so having a little fresh fruit in the evening and morning can get things…going.
• Digestion -- Another fruit fiber favorite. Since fruit fiber and fructose are so easy to digest, they don’t stay in the stomach very long so have little chance to sit around and ferment. Many fruits can pass through the stomach in as little as a half an hour. Compare that to meats, which may sit 6 to 8 hours in the stomach, releasing toxic waste. The question is, does it all come out.
• Blood sugar -- Other fruit nutrition facts are related to sugar content. Got blood sugar problems? Fruit’s got fructose. The well-known Glycemic Index (GI) ranks carbohydrates and how they raise blood sugar on a scale from 0 to 100 (the higher, the worse it is) compared to glucose. There are a lot of complicated factors to this, but of the sugars, fructose rates the lowest, coming in at about 20. Sucrose (table sugar) is around 60 to 80. Honey is around 65 to 85.
  All fruits each have individual ratings as well. Per serving, an apple is about 40, blueberries are 53, oranges are 40, bananas 47 to 70, cherries 63. These may seem high, but part of the factoring in is how much air, water and carb content they contain as well. The point is to choose carbs that are low on the GI scale, because they slowly release glucose sugar into the blood, with a minimum amount of fluctuation in levels. If you’d like more GI fruit nutrition facts straight from the horse’s mouth, just visit the official GI web site.


• Energy -- By the way, this slower release and breakdown of sugars into the blood is not only good for blood sugar levels, but also assists with maintaining energy levels as well.


• Antioxidants -- Worried about cancer? Then for sure eat good antioxidant fruits. Top fruit nutrition facts relate to antioxidants vs. free radicals. You’ve probably heard of free radicals – but what are they exactly? To put it simply, free radicals are a by-product of normal atom and electron cell function, but can get out of hand, attack and “oxidize” healthy molecules, causing serious damage. Free radical activity is believed to cause cancer, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and atherosclerosis, for instance. Antioxidants prevent this unhealthy oxidizing by free radicals to take place. Fruits particularly high in antioxidants (Vitamins C, A and E, melatonin, flavonoids, polyphenols) are: the acai berry from the Amazon (very popular now), blueberries, promaganate, purple grapes (including in pure juice and red wine), kiwi, cranberries, cherries, kiwi, and apples. These are just a few of the favorites.
• Kidney stone help -- Ever had a kidney stone problem? They happen when crystals then stones form, because the urine becomes too concentrated. And are very painful. Here are interesting fruit nutrition facts: Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that fresh oranges can help prevent or dissolve kidney stones. It was previously thought that cranberry juice was effectice, but studies have shown orange juice to surpass this.



• Vision enhancers -- Fruit nutrition facts are included in studies about foods important for occular nutrition, such as macular degeneration nutrition. Because of the high content of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, fruits are recommended in the AREDS diet to help prevent vision loss. My father, who has serious macular degeneration, was instructed by his retinal specialist to eat several portions of high antioxidant fruits per day. Also see our article on Macular Degeneration Nutrition.


• Anti-aging and skin rejuv -- Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of the well-known book, “The Perricone Prescription,” has found that inflammation at the cellular level causes many of our health problems, including aging and skin ailments. He includes many fruit nutrition facts in his book. Fresh fruit with its antioxidants is a part of his famous food plan. (I did do his five-day program to try it out, and let me tell you…did I notice a difference in my skin quality …and no puffy eyes!). Cherries are particularly good for reducing inflammation. So for aging and skin rejuvenation, fruit is great.

Weight loss -- Because fruit is high in water content (about 80%) and fiber, it fills you up, not out. And because it helps regulate your blood sugar, elimination, and energy, it is easier to achieve and maintain an ideal weight for your particular body with a diet high in fresh fruit. Remember, fruit can detoxify. So if you lose weight too quickly, toxins stored in fat will be released very quickly, and you may have the side effect of feeling ill..

• Immunity boost -- All of the above fruit attributes help our systems to heal themselves, and thus enhance our immune systems.



If you look at FDA fruit nutrition facts I previously referred you to, you will notice that all the fruits listed are low in calories, have low or no sodium, are low in fat and carbs, low in sugars, and high in vitamins (especially C and V – good antioxidants), plus minerals such as calcium for bones, and iron. Potassium is indicated on this chart because it is vital for regulating blood pressure, water balance, heart function, strengthening the brain, metabolizing sugar. Most fruits do contain protein as well. They also have no or low cholesterol.

The most serious down-side from our summary of fruit nutrition facts would be the sugars, and that is only if you are sugar sensitive, such as with diabetes. Some people, of course, may have particular allergies; to strawberries, for instance. Aside from that, fresh fruits and natural fruit juices without added sugar are extremely beneficial. It is recommended that we eat several servings of fruit per day, preferably fresh, to obtain the vital nutrients that we need.

We have many more nutrition pages to round out the picture:



Elderly Nutrition Problems -- Learn about specific elderly nutrition problems, why they happen, and what to do.
Elderly Nutrition Food Safety -- What the USDA tells us to watch out for and why; and the particular dangers to the elderly.
Elderly Dietary Problems, and Changes in Eating Patterns -- Elderly dietary problems can be brought on by simple, everyday changes in eating habits -- but have big-time health effects, including malnutrition, one of the common elderly issues.
Why Is Nutrition Important? -- Eating correctly makes a huge difference for overall health, mental health, memory, emotions, quality of life. Our elderly have a high incidence of malnutrition. Read this important information.
Nutrition Food Values, and Food Groups -- Read our concise guide to nutrition food values, and why “you are what you eat,” as they say. Exactly how you eat can make or break your health and quality of life. More fruit nutrition facts are included in this discussion of food groups.
Healthy Snack Recipes -- Healthy snack recipes are becoming almost a rage these days. And we’ve got some super-delicious, super-easy, super-healthy ones for all ages. Don’t miss these!
Delicious Healthy Dessert Recipes -- Our healthy dessert recipes are delicious and fresh. Lots of ways to modify and use them too, including for low salt or sugar ideas. Check these out!
Macular Degeneration Nutrition -- Studies on macular degeneration nutrition show surprising finds. What works? Learn the best foods and supplements, and how much.



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