Fruit Food Group Nutrition
Why does your nutritionist tell you to eat more fruit? See the benefits from fruit food group nutrition.
Food Group Nutrition
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends dietary patterns built around 6 main food groups. Because each group provides different essential nutrients that allow us to balance our food and drink intake. Creating the foundation for individual eating patterns. So here, I look at some important benefits from fruits.
Fruit Food Group Nutrition
All authorities recognize fruits as a rich source of beneficial nutrients…
potential health benefits include: protecting colonic gastrointestinal health (e.g., constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, and diverticular disease); promoting long-term weight management; reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome; defending against colorectal and lung cancers; improving odds of successful aging; reducing the severity of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; enhancing psychological well-being and lowering the risk of depression; contributing to higher bone mineral density in children and adults; reducing risk of seborrheic dermatitis [skin inflammation involving sebaceous glands]; and helping to attenuate autism spectrum disorder severity. Low whole fruit intake represents a potentially more serious global population health threat than previously recognized, especially in light of the emerging research on whole fruit and fruit fiber health benefits.[1]
USDA include subgroups in this total fruits and fruit juices group:
- Intact fruits (whole or cut) of citrus, melons, and berries
- Intact fruits (whole or cut); excluding citrus, melons, and berries
- Fruit juices, citrus and non-citrus
So there are some studies that focus on identified subgroups. However, I will focus on individual fruits as examples of health benefits. Especially Powerhouse Fruits…
Health Benefits of Lemons
There are several studies on the health benefits of lemons. For example, one study highlights:
- Anticancer
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Anti-tumor
The extracts and phytochemicals obtained from all parts of C. limon have shown immense therapeutic potential because of their anticancer, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory nature, and also serve as an important ingredient in the formulation of several ethnic herbal medicines. These properties are mediated by the presence of different phytochemicals, vitamins and nutrients in the citrus fruits. […] Most of these compounds possessing antioxidant properties would be implicated in offering health benefits by acting as potential nutraceuticals to humans with special reference to disease management of health and disease.[2]
Health Benefits of Strawberries
Strawberries contain many nutrients. So these help fight many health diseases, including:
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Hyperglycemia
- Inflammation
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Microbial infection
- Neurodegenerative Disorders
- Obesity
- Reactive Oxidant Species (Antioxidant)
their high nutritional and phytochemical contents, such as vitamins, anthocyanins, ellagitanins, quercetin, and catechin. The extraordinary content of bioactive constituents seems to be responsible for medicinal and therapeutic effects on human health. In this review, we highlighted the antioxidant, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antiobesity, anticancer, antimicrobial, and neurodegenerative effects of strawberries and the attenuation of metabolic syndrome after strawberry intervention, evidenced mainly from human studies.[3]
These are just a sample of the benefits from fruits. So see individual food pages for more information.
Your Fruit Food Group Nutrition
You’ve learned about fruit nutrition. So now it’s time to choose which dietary pattern is best for you. Or, if you’ve already decided, then browse the Fruits and Fruit Juices List.
Are you still concerned about the impact of fruit nutrition on your health and wellbeing? If so, you should consult your doctor or suitably qualified nutrition professional. But if you need help to prepare for that consultation, please see the feedback links below.
Leave Fruit Food Group Nutrition to browse other Dietary Pattern Food Groups.
Fruit Food Group Nutrition Feedback
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Fruit Food Group Nutrition References
- Dreher, M.L., 2018. Whole fruits and fruit fiber emerging health effects. Nutrients, 10(12), p.1833.
- Singh, N., Yarla, N.S., Siddiqi, N.J., de Lourdes Pereira, M. and Sharma, B., 2021. Features, pharmacological chemistry, molecular mechanism and health benefits of lemon. Medicinal Chemistry, 17(3), pp.187-202.
- Afrin, S., Gasparrini, M., Forbes-Hernandez, T.Y., Reboredo-Rodriguez, P., Mezzetti, B., Varela-López, A., Giampieri, F. and Battino, M., 2016. Promising health benefits of the strawberry: a focus on clinical studies. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 64(22), pp.4435-4449.