Why you need to include fruit in your daily diet

Photograph by Chris Hill/Flickr

Fresh fruits can go a long way in improving your metabolism and health much more than any other diet can. If you’re getting at least five portions of fresh fruit (not juice) every day, your fibre intake is at its optimum. This means better digestion and a variety of vitamins for your system.

While citrus fruits provide Vitamin C, pomegranate seeds and berries include antioxidants that flush out toxins and fruits such as banana and papaya keep the digestive system healthy. Most importantly, eating fruits at regular intervals prevents unhealthy snacking.

Five kinds of fruit can seem like a lot if you don’t keep track of portion size. For small fruits such as peaches or plums, one or two fruits constitute a single portion. For fruits such as cherries and berries, one portion equals 13-14 of them. For medium-sized fruits such as apples, oranges and pears, one portion would be one fruit and for large fruit such as papaya, pineapple and watermelon, a single portion would be a single slice.

Pick seasonal fruit over the imported variety as fresh fruit always has more nutrients than the kind that has spent days being transported. Both dried fruit candy and store-bought juices contain an overdose of sugar and are also no substitute for fresh fruit.

A daily intake of fruit is known to prevent ailments such as diabetes, heart stroke and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Nutritionists have also suggested eating one kind of fruit at a time instead of a fruit salad for easy digestion. So stock up on fruits and you’ll never need any kind of vitamin or dietary supplement.