Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of shapes, colours, textures, and flavours that provide you with positive health benefits. People expect a varied diet that can bring a healthier change, so most households acceptably consume red fruits like apples, strawberries, etc. They provide a significant nutritional value, a distinct taste and flavour, and nutritional characteristics but they are also recognised as dietary sources of bioactive compounds.
Being bioactive, these fruits are quite beneficial as they are nutritious and therefore help you with your overall well-being. They contain various healthy compounds like phenolics, sugars (fructose, glucose), and organic acids. They also contain ellagic acids, quercetin, hesperidin, lycopene, fibre, vitamin C, and vitamin A. These fruits stimulate an anti-inflammatory reaction in order to combat pathogens, infections, and bacteria.
Top Red Fruits and Their Health Benefits
It’s crucial to learn about the benefits of eating fruits and consume a diet that contains a variety of colours. Owing to their diverse composition, red fruits increase the nutritional element in your routine. Each red fruit or vegetable is naturally low in sodium and calories. As mentioned above, these fruits are a great source of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives the red colour to these fruits. This carotenoid may support in lowering the risk of oesophageal, colon, lung, breast, and skin cancer.
Let’s have a look at some of the best red fruits and learn about the various benefits:
1. Strawberry
Strawberries are enriched with nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties, helping improve the function of the immune system and reduce the levels of bad cholesterol. As compared to other fruits, strawberries have more vitamin C in a single serving.
2. Raspberry
With a sharp taste and a defined texture, raspberries have a unique composition. This fruit will serve several benefits no matter how it is being consumed. Rich with antimicrobial agents such as quercetin, ellagic acid, vitamin C, and gallic acid, this red colour fruit is advantageous for your heart health and may even possess cancer-preventing qualities.
3. Cherry
The deep red colour of cherries highlights the nutritional value that they possess. They get their nutritional value from anthocyanins that keep your body safe from the harmful effects of free radicals and being exposed to the toxins that may speed up the ageing process and result in the death and damage of cells.
4. Watermelon
Watermelons help you with your well-being as they contain important nutrients like copper, calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.
This red fruit is rich in lycopene and this is why it may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke as it helps lower the levels of LDL cholesterol. The risk of serious diseases like prostate cancer and macular degeneration may also get reduced with watermelon intake. It also helps reduce blood pressure levels, strengthen athletic stamina, improve circulation, and aid in weight loss if consumed frequently. Apart from that, as the name suggests, this fruit also increases hydration on sunny days.
5. Pomegranate
Low in fat and calories and rich in fibre, minerals, and vitamins, pomegranates contain anti-microbial properties, helps ensure cardiovascular health, support ureteral health, aids in enhancing exercise endurance, etc. Pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants, aiding in cancer prevention (specifically prostate cancer). Its anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce inflammation throughout the body while protecting against the oxidative stress or damage.
6. Red Apple
Sodium, cholesterol, and fat are low in apples. Although this fruit does not contain protein but it is rich in fibre and vitamin C. Red apples are also a good source of antioxidants and flavonoids. As we all know, the presence of antioxidants ensures lower risks of cancer, high blood pressure, heart-related issues, and diabetes.
7. Cranberries
One of the best benefits of cranberries is preventing urinary tract infections as it defends the urinary tract walls from bacterial attacks. It also protects against Helicobacter pylori, which is a bacteria that attaches itself to the inner wall of the stomach, leading to ulcers. It happens due the presence of proanthocyanidin, an antioxidant present in cranberries that helps prevent stomach cancer and gastric ulcers.
Components of Red Fruits That Make Them Beneficial
Here are some of the most beneficial nutrients found in red fruits which make them one of the healthiest fruits. Take a look:
1. Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances with high antioxidant properties that our bodies cannot produce in adequate concentrations but are required for proper development. The red fruits name, strawberries, cherries, red raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, and red grapes, are high in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which also act as powerful antioxidants. You can enjoy the vitamins A, C, and E in most of red fruits.
2. Minerals
Red fruits are high in minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and copper, in addition to vitamins. Blackberries and cherries have the highest mineral concentrations of the fruits studied. Cultivation techniques and conditions also have an impact on the mineral concentration of these red colour fruits.
3. Sugar and Organic Acids
The main sugars found in red fruits are fructose and glucose, while the vital organic acids in this type of fruit are citric and malic acids. Each red fruit has a distinct sugar and citric acid content, which is also affected by external factors such as climate and cultivation conditions.
4. Dietary Fibres
Fruit-rich diets with high fibre content have been linked to a lower incidence of several diseases. A fibre-rich diet helps to improve digestive function, decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, lower total and LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, and reduce the risk or symptoms of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The cranberry has the highest fibre content of any red fruit, followed by raspberries and blackberries.
5. Lipids and Fatty Acids
When red fruits are ingested raw, they have lower fat levels. When contrasted to other fruits, these red-coloured fruits had variations in lipid percentage and fatty acid composition. Red fruits’ lipid fraction is high in unsaturated fatty acids, particularly polyunsaturated fat which can be exceptionally sourced from small red fruit berries like raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and blueberry.
Fruit lipids are important in metabolism because they are found in cell membranes and boost immunity to viral pathogens and catarrhal diseases. The low lipid content is linked to low cholesterol levels in red fruits making these fruits greatly regarded by consumers. Red fruit is rich in omega-6 linoleic acid, omega-9 oleic acid, and omega-3 linolenic acid.
6. Polyphenols
Phenolic compounds are present in other types of fruits but are abundantly found in red fruits. They are among the most extensive reasons red fruits are considered healthier for secondary metabolites due to their anti-proliferative, anti-diabetic, anticancer, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, as well as their strong antioxidant ability. Even though these fruits are similar in many ways, each species of red fruit offer a distinct profile.
7. Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are widely regarded as the most abundant and important phenolic group in red fruits. Anthocyanins are water-soluble compounds which are also one of the components, which are responsible for the different colours in fruits, such as blue, purple, red, or black, including red fruits. Anthocyanins are primarily found in the skin of berries, where they influence the ripening stages of the fruits.
8. Aroma and Flavour Components
Because of so many medical benefits of small red fruits, there has been an expansion of studies into the flavour quality of berries. Small berry volatile compounds are diverse and convey distinct flavours compared to various fruits. The fruit flavour is also determined by taste, which provides sweetness and sourness, as well as, low or no astringency and a variety of aromas based on the amount of volatile organic compounds.
Conclusion
For a balanced diet of multiple colours, it is essential to add different coloured fruits as they provide multiple benefits of eating fruits. They provide you with a delicious snack that can offer nutritional balance for a healthier change. Each intake of these red fruits and vegetables contains less than 100 calories and is high in other effective nutrients. These flavour sensations, whether fresh, frozen, or canned, will maintain your wellness for the long future.
Red fruits have enriching nutritional values that benefit your heart, stomach, brain, eyes, and bones. It prevents the risks of many life-threatening diseases like tumours, cancer, aids, etc. Typically, small fruits are high in bioactivities, such as vitamins and phenolic compounds, which have been linked to multiple health advantages.
