Healthy Detox Tips - Fruits and Antioxidants
It is hard to believe but one of the ways to help prevent certain cancers relies on the compounds found in a number of plants that are known to have antioxidant properties. These phytonutrients are able to protect us from other illnesses as well as many diseases. So far scientists have catalogued over nine hundred phytonutrients (phytochemicals); with these discoveries (and more to come), scientists believe the face of healthcare is changing, hopefully forever. To date a large number of health giving benefits of these phytonutrients have been found, making them ideal candidates to include in your healthy detox diet; the anti-aging power of blueberries and the effect that cherries have on reducing joint pain, are just two of the benefits found so far.
The humble blueberry (famous for homemade pies) has very low sugar content whilst having many antioxidants that are good for our health. For many people eating fruit does not come easily but drinking the juice is much more pleasant and an efficient way to get the goodness from the fruit into our systems; regular consumption can help our circulation and increase our ability to combat illness. Not content with helping to prevent illness, these antioxidants also help fight disease and infection. Even the humble apple is not immune with properties to help ward of heart problems.
Citrus fruits can be helpful because of the phytochemicals they contain. Tart cherries for instance have a number of properties which work together to help people who have arthritis, gout and fibromyalgia. Other substances, vitamins and minerals for instance, are also being studied more carefully even though their benefits are well documented. Blackberries, mulberries, and especially blueberries are rich in powerful antioxidants like resveratrol.
The benefits of these extend too many of the conditions which are found to be more prevalent as we age like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, blood pressure and stroke. The benefit of tomatoes has been in the news recently with the hopes that it contains anti-cancer properties as well as those that can help prevent heart disease. The best way to concentrate these antioxidant properties has been found when we use tomato sauce, puree and juice. In the heat of summer, a watermelon can be one of the most refreshing of fruits but it has also been found to have a range of the most important phytonutrients so far discovered. The health benefits of plants are still in the early stages but why wait to appreciate the benefits this whole range of fruits can bring.