If You Eat Fruit Every Day, You May Be Missing Out on These Health Benefits

How often do you eat fruit? If your answer was often, you may be missing out on some significant health benefits. Fruits are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals and reduce risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. If you eat fruit every day, here are the added health benefits you can enjoy beyond what you may already know about them being delicious and nutritious snacks.

Fruits and vegetables are antioxidant powerhouses

Eating fruits and vegetables is one of your best bets for preventing a wide range of health problems. Antioxidants are an important part of keeping your body in tip-top shape. They help prevent cell damage and have been found to reduce inflammation and even slow down cognitive decline. Luckily, fruits like apples and strawberries pack a powerful punch when it comes to antioxidants. Fruits are also high in fiber—another important element in reducing inflammation. Fiber has also been shown to keep cholesterol levels at healthy levels by encouraging better digestion and less bloating.

Fruits and vegetables contain fiber

The fiber found in fruits and vegetables is incredibly good for your heart health. If you eat fruits every day, there’s a good chance you have lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your body—two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Fruits and vegetables also help keep blood sugar levels stable because they’re low on the glycemic index. Eating fruit can make an especially big difference if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Fruits and vegetables fight cancer

In addition to improving your eyesight and increasing your energy levels, eating fruit every day may also reduce your risk of certain cancers. According to a recent study, women who ate more than 3 cups of fruit per day had a 19% lower risk of developing breast cancer. In fact, women who ate at least 2 servings of vegetables every day were 20% less likely to develop any type of cancer than those who ate very few fruits and veggies.

Fruits and vegetables help with heart disease

This would happen to your body if you only ate fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables every day is a great way to keep your heart healthy. Studies show that people who eat more fruit have lower cholesterol levels than those who don’t eat fruit regularly. The nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help prevent blood clots from forming—preventing a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke. The antioxidants in some of these foods may also slow down aging and oxidative stress, which can reduce risk for disease later in life.

Fruits and vegetables support weight loss

Most people think that all fruits and vegetables are equal when it comes to weight loss. While many fruits can help you lose weight and keep your waistline in check (watermelon is a good example), some are more helpful than others. Star fruit has been shown to decrease cholesterol levels and thus protect your heart, while passion fruit has been proven to reduce blood pressure (topping it off as one of our favorite fruity superfoods). Other health benefits of passion fruit include protection against diabetes and cancer.

Fruits and vegetables improve skin health

All types of fruits and vegetables provide some sort of benefit to your skin. In fact, one study found that people who ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables had more healthful skin than those who did not. But some fruits and veggies do more for your skin than others.

Fruits and vegetables can reduce inflammation in the body

While both star fruit and passion fruit are delicious eaten raw or cooked in a curry, both can also do amazing things for your health. Star fruit contains an antioxidant called lutein that has been shown to reduce inflammation in certain parts of your body. Passion fruit also contains lutein but along with other antioxidants like zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. Each of these nutrients has been linked to reducing some of the effects of long-term inflammation in our bodies such as chronic pain.