The Healthiest Fruits

The Healthiest Fruits
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The wonders of berries.

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So yes, watermelon is a healthy fruit. Healthier than we used to think, but there’s healthier still. Greens are the healthiest vegetable. But what are the healthiest fruits? A few years ago, I talked about the studies suggesting that eating a single serving of berries every day could add an extra year to our lifespan. Wait a second—tastes great and we get to live longer? That’s really what plant-based eating is all about.

More good news this year on cranberries and blueberries. In general, berries are packed with wonderful phytonutrients, with nice names like petunidin. That’s another difference between plant- and animal-based foods. In plant food, there’s teanines in tea, gingerols, rosemarinic acid; limonoids, like limonin and tangeritin. Whereas in animal-based foods, there are substances with names like putrescine in turkey muscle; this is from the Journal of Nutrition. Dietary putrescine doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Nor would I want it, frankly, to touch my tongue at all.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Image thanks to LexnGer via Flickr.

So yes, watermelon is a healthy fruit. Healthier than we used to think, but there’s healthier still. Greens are the healthiest vegetable. But what are the healthiest fruits? A few years ago, I talked about the studies suggesting that eating a single serving of berries every day could add an extra year to our lifespan. Wait a second—tastes great and we get to live longer? That’s really what plant-based eating is all about.

More good news this year on cranberries and blueberries. In general, berries are packed with wonderful phytonutrients, with nice names like petunidin. That’s another difference between plant- and animal-based foods. In plant food, there’s teanines in tea, gingerols, rosemarinic acid; limonoids, like limonin and tangeritin. Whereas in animal-based foods, there are substances with names like putrescine in turkey muscle; this is from the Journal of Nutrition. Dietary putrescine doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Nor would I want it, frankly, to touch my tongue at all.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Image thanks to LexnGer via Flickr.

Doctor's Note

More on the antioxidant and phytonutrient benefits of berries:

And check out my other videos on fruit. 

Also see my associated blog post, Eating To Extend Our Lifespan.

If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my videos for free by clicking here.

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5 responses to “The Healthiest Fruits”

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    1. Dear Dr. Greger: In 7 minutes, I can’t find where you respond to my previous question about quantities and daily timing of eating blueberries!! 2nd attempt! Please guide me, & thank you, John S

      Reply

      1. Hello JohnSwallow,

        According to our records, Dr. Greger hasn’t answered your question just yet, but I answered some of it. Please check out this video for my response.
        http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/improving-memory-through-diet/

        Also, in regards to when to eat blueberries, it is a known fact that when you are asleep, the most bodily repair takes place so one would assume eating them before bed would be beneficial, but you can never have too many antioxidants throughout the day.
        http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/maxing-out-on-antioxidants/
        Also, be sure you eat some sort of fat with your berries, like a couple walnut halves or some seeds as to ensure proper nutrient absorption.
        http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/forego-fat-free-dressings/

        Reply

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