Ready for a taste adventure that’s good for you? Apples, bananas, and oranges are tasty and healthy, but you can get many of the same health benefits from more exotic fruits.
- Fresh figs are chock full of potassium — six figs have nearly 900 milligrams of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. In fact, six figs have almost twice as much potassium as the average banana does. Figs are also a good source of calcium — a six fig serving has as much calcium as a half a cup of milk.
- Lychee nuts are an antioxidant bonanza — one serving has fifteen percent more polyphenols than red grapes. Recent studies from Sichuan University in China found that the antioxidants in lychee may also help prevent the growth of breast cancer cells.
- One serving of guava has almost five times as much vitamin C as one medium sized orange — how’s that for a health boost? Foods that are chock full of vitamin C can help fight wrinkles — vitamin C is essential for collagen production, and collagen is one of the things that keeps your skin elastic. Guava deserves a place on the superfood list — it has as many antioxidants as other superfoods like blueberries and broccoli. This fruit may also help protect against food-borne pathogens, according to studies from Bangladesh.
- Papaya is a great source of lycopene and beta-crypoxanthin — two things that can help protect your body against different types of cancer. It also contains an enzyme called papain, that can aid in digestion. Applied topically, papaya may help speed healing from burns.
- Asian pears are chock full of fiber — twice as much in one Asian pear as there is in one apple! Studies have shown that people who eat the most fiber have the lowest levels of bad cholesterol. A diet high in fiber has also been linked with lower body mass index and waist circumference.