Top 5 Fruits

An apple a day just doesn’t cut it anymore, and too many apples could make you fat. That’s the advice of Iva Young, a nutritional expert who warns that the wrong kinds of fruits can actually do more harm than good. “We really should be smart about the fruits we consume,” said Young, author of “Healthy Mom,” a book about health, nutrition, and exercise. So, which fruits offer the biggest health boost? Young named the following fruits, all of which are comparatively low in sugar, as her top five:

1. Raspberries. An excellent source of fiber, offering 30 percent of our recommended daily value. Raspberries are a source of vitamin C, with about 50 percent of our daily value. They rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength.

2. Blackberries. Notable for their high nutritional contents of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, and manganese. Blackberries are well-ranked for having strong antioxidant levels, and they contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

3. Kiwi. Rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K, which is a natural blood thinner. It’s a good source of potassium, just slightly less than that of a banana. Potassium is one of those nutrients that’s absolutely essential for heart health, yet many people don’t get nearly enough.

4. Strawberries. Low in calories compared to many other fruits, and are a good source of fiber. They are a source of vitamin C and flavonoids, promoting lots of antioxidant activity in the body.

5. Oranges. An excellent source of vitamin A and C, along with powerful antioxidants. Oranges provide a good source of fiber when the pulp is consumed. The white pith of the orange contains flavonoids, and some doctors are even using extracts from the pith to help fight certain types of cancer.

Young continued: “Remember that fruits are very similar to breads, pastas, rice, and other high carbohydrate-rich foods in that fruits are high in carbs. That is one reason why we should only consume a certain amount, and choose the fruits that are lower in sugar.”

—Iva Young was born in Munich, Germany. She holds a degree in Kinesiology and is the author of “Healthy Mom”.