Blog

Hello, dears! As promised last week, here is what fruits are good to eat during the autumn and, more importantly, why it is good to eat them; stick to those gifts of nature and you should be just fine aaaaall the way through the golden monthsJ

Apples

Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenolics. The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g apple fruit is 5900 TE. Some of the important flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2. They contain good quantities of vitamin-C and beta-carotene and are a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).  Apples also contain a small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Pears

Pears are a good source of dietary fiber, 100 g fruit provides 3.1 g or 8% of fiber per 100g. They contain good quantities of vitamin C. Fresh fruits provide about 7% of RDA per 100 g. They are a moderate source of antioxidant flavonoids phyto-nutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin and a good source of minerals such as copper, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium as well as B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). Total measured antioxidant strength (ORAC value) in the fruit is 2941 µmol TE/100 g. Plums

Total antioxidant strength of plums measured in terms of ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity) is 6259 µmol TE/100 g. They are a moderate source of vitamin A and beta carotene. Also good in health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, cryptoxanthin and zea-xanthin in significant amounts. Plums are plentiful in minerals like potassium, fluoride and iron. Moderate sources in B-complex groups of vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid. Grapes Grapes are rich in polyphenolic phytochemical compound resveratrol. Resveratrol is one of the powerful anti-oxidant, which has been found to play a protective role against cancers of colon and prostate, coronary heart disease (CHD), degenerative nerve disease, Alzheimer’s disease and viral/ fungal infections. Anthocyanins are another class of polyphenolic anti-oxidants present abundantly in the red grapes. These phyto-chemicals have been found to have an anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, as well as anti-cancer activity. Grapes are a rich source of micronutrient minerals like copper, iron and manganese and also a good source of vitamin-C, vitamin A, vitamin K, carotenes, B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamin. Blackberries Blackberries compose significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, tannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. They are an excellent source of vitamin-C (100 g of berries contain 23 mg or 35% of RDA). Further, blackberries contain adequate levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K (16% of RDA/100 g) and in addition they are rich in much other health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, and ß-carotene in small amounts. Blackberries have an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a measure of anti-oxidant strength) of about 5347µmol TE per 100 grams. Blackberries contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. They contain moderate levels of B-complex group of vitamins. Figs

They are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidantsood in poly-phenolic flavonoid anti-oxidants such as carotenes, lutein, tannins, chlorogenic acid…etc. Their anti-oxidant value is comparable to that of apples at 3200 umol/100 g. Figs contain adequate levels of some of the anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin A, E, and K. Further, they contain good levels of B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine, folates, and pantothenic acid. Figs are also an excellent source of minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, iron, selenium and zinc. 100 g of dried figs contain 640 mg of potassium, 162 mg of calcium, 2.03 mg of iron and 232 mg of potassium. Cranberries

They have significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals called pro-anthocyanidins (PAC’s). Antioxidant compounds in cranberries such as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC’s), anthocyanidin flavonoids, yaniding, peonidin and quercetin may prevent cardiovascular disease. Cranberries are also good source of many vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, ß-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin, and folate and minerals like potassium, and manganese. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC (measurement of antioxidant strength of food items) demonstrates cranberry at an ORAC score of 9584 µmol TE units per 100 g. Pomegranate

It is a rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA). Total antioxidant strength of pomegranate fruit measured in terms of its oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is 2341 µmol TE/100 g. The fruit is an also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 17% per 100 g of daily requirement.  Regular consumption of pomegranate has also been found to be effective against prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), diabetes, and lymphoma. It is an also good source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), folates, pyridoxine and vitamin K, and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese.