Not even a century has passed since the time when only quite wealthy people could enjoy fresh fruit, and not always, but only in a certain season. It is now difficult to imagine that in the winter there were no fresh strawberries or tender peaches and bananas were known only to the inhabitants of the regions where the fruit grew.
In medieval Europe, for example, pineapples were very rare, and those that can be seen in the paintings of old masters were most likely borrowed either to decorate the table at a feast or for a still life.
Today, everyone knows about the benefits of fruit, and it is recommended to include it in the diet of children and adults. But scientists continue to research, and new factors are being discovered about the effects of fruit on human health, physical and mental. Read about it in this The First Doc. article.
“Eat the apple, my light!”
The fruit is known to contain a host of healthful things. This is fiber, which is so lacking in an average modern person, and an excellent set of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants that help the body to resist the aging process.
Almost every fruit is sure to have something worth putting on your menu for.
Take, for example, the simple, inexpensive and beloved apples. Eating just one apple a day makes it easier to achieve significant reductions in “bad” cholesterol levels, according to a study published in 2013 in the Journal of Functional Foods.
And other studies from different years report interesting facts about apples. For example, those who regularly eat fresh apples generally have higher levels of intelligence, are more likely to lead healthy lifestyles, and are less likely to get lung cancer.
Some fruits and berries have a strong reputation for helping with a variety of health problems. For example, blueberries are said to improve eyesight, cranberries are attributed anti-inflammatory properties, watermelon is an excellent diuretic, and bananas are a well-known source of potassium.
But, as it turns out, that’s not all.
More fruit, less depression
According to a 2022 study from Aston University, the more often a person eats fruit, the higher their level of psychological health and the less likely they are to experience cognitive impairment as they age.
Scientists have spent much more time studying the effects of fruit diets on weight loss and digestive processes. Meanwhile, there is also a strong link between fruit in the diet and psychological health. Our group decided to try to fill this gap.
The study involved 428 healthy adults, the average age of the participants was about 40 years old. Analysis of questionnaires completed by the participants showed that the more often a person includes fruit in their diet, the fewer symptoms of depression they have. The more important factor was not the total amount of fruit consumed, but the frequency of consumption.
Polish scientists in 2020 published a paper also claiming that higher levels of consumption of all types of fruit are associated with higher levels of optimism and overall psychological well-being. “Fruit eaters” are more likely to rate their quality of life and satisfaction with it higher, and are less likely to report sleep disorders, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
In 2018, German researchers analyzed data from more than 22,000 elderly people from 11 countries and concluded: frequent fruit consumption helps slow the aging process and age-related cognitive changes and improves the physical and mental health of the elderly.
And American scientists made an important addition in 2022: It turns out it’s important not just to eat fruit more often, but to choose fruit with bright colors. The plant pigments that provide fruit with attractive colors are exactly what help preserve cognitive function in old age.
And at the same time – reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, ie contribute to the preservation of vision. But here’s the interesting thing: it turns out that a diet with lots of bright colors works great for women, but not so well – for men. For some of them, increasing the amount of fruit in their diet, on the contrary, worsened their mood and overall psychological state.
So, wishing to meet the autumn of life in sound mind and solid memory, try to diversify your fruit diet. Rospotrebnadzor recommends eating 300 g of vegetables and at least 250 g of fruit per day.
Fruit and joints.
American scientists at the University of Oklahoma published a paper in 2018 in which they presented the results of a study of the role of fruits in preventing arthritis. They focused on berries and pomegranates, which are rich in polyphenols. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and pomegranates have shown promise in both experimental models and human clinical trials.
Mark Dreher, a nutritionist from the United States, wrote in 2018 about the beneficial effects of fruit on well-being and health throughout a person’s life. But it’s important to note that the scientist is talking specifically about whole, fresh fruit.
Juices, purees and all sorts of processed fruit, as well as fruit that has been stored for a long time, show much less impact. Dreher reminds us that low consumption of whole fruit poses a potentially greater global health threat than previously thought, especially in light of new research on the benefits of whole fruits and fruit fiber.
Are there contraindications?
Unfortunately, there are. Not all fruits are suitable for everyone, without exception.
For example, if you have diabetes, you have to exclude grapes, bananas, mangoes, watermelons, and melons from your diet. And those fruits and berries, which the endocrinologist will approve, it is better to eat for breakfast, so that the carbohydrates contained in them “burn off” for the day.
In some liver diseases apricots may be contraindicated, in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially with increased acidity – citrus and other acidic fruits, as well as melon. Sweet and starchy fruits should be avoided if they are prone to thrombosis, etc.
So, if you have any chronic illnesses, all dietary changes should be coordinated with your doctor and a nutritionist.
Read about the advantages and disadvantages of some diets in the article “Fruit Mono-Diet”.
Sources used
- Intakes of apples or apple polyphenols decease plasma values for oxidized low-density lipoprotein/beta2-glycoprotein I complex / Zhao S., Bomser J., Joseph E. L., et al // Journal of Functional Foods – 2013
- Role of fruits and vegetables in adolescent cardiovascular health: a systematic review / Collese TS et al // Nutr Rev. – 2017
- Consumption of fruits and vegetables: improved physical health, mental health, physical functioning and cognitive health in older adults from 11 European countries / Gehlich KH et al // Aging Ment Health. – 2020
- Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review / Głąbska D, Guzek D, Groele B, Gutkowska K. // Nutrients – 2020
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