Soft fruit: boost for your health

1. Two pieces of fruit every day, because that is healthy. But why? Here you can read what stone fruits (nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots) and soft fruits (strawberries, berries, blackberries and raspberries) do for your health. So enjoy these fruits while they are there.

Strawberries

1. They taste like summer and they are bursting with vitamin C: strawberries are unexpected powerhouses. They even contain more vitamin C (good for the immune system) than an equal portion of oranges. And not only that. Of all fruits, strawberries are the richest in folic acid, a substance needed to prevent anemia. With a portion of 100 grams of strawberries you get more than 60 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and more than 30 percent of the folic acid. And that while strawberries contain on average half the calories than other fruits.

Apricots

1. Apricots owe their sunny color to beta-carotene, a healthy antioxidant that also turns carrots orange. Apricots contain on average 25 times more beta-carotene than other fruits. Beta-carotene acts like a sunscreen from the inside out: it helps to protect the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight. A nice bonus, but you should also apply sunscreen, because the protection of beta-carotene is comparable to factor 1. Beta-carotene is partly converted in the body into vitamin A. We need this vitamin for the resistance and also to be able to see well.

Berries

1. From blueberry to red currant and from black currant to blueberry: who doesn't love these delicious snacks? Berries, especially red ones, are high in potassium. This substance has a blood pressure lowering effect. Eating 2 ounces of red currants per day can lead to a drop in the top pressure by 1 mm Hg and the negative pressure by 0.5 mm Hg. This is about 10 percent of the blood pressure reduction from drugs. Scientists are particularly intrigued by blueberries because of their high content of certain antioxidants with a blue / purple color: anthocyanins. Incidentally, blueberries look like blueberries, but blueberries are a lot larger: up to 2.5 cm in diameter! Over the past thirty years, blueberries have been the subject of approximately two hundred scientific publications. The conclusion: blueberries are beneficial for the blood vessels and for the memory.

2. From blueberries to red currants and from black currants to blueberries: who doesn't love these delicious snacks? Berries, especially red ones, are high in potassium. This substance has a blood pressure lowering effect. Eating 2 ounces of red currants per day can lead to a drop in the top pressure by 1 mm Hg and the negative pressure by 0.5 mm Hg. This is about 10 percent of the blood pressure reduction from drugs. Scientists are particularly intrigued by blueberries, because of their high content of certain antioxidants with a blue / purple color: anthocyanins. Incidentally, blueberries look like blueberries, but blueberries are a lot larger: up to 2.5 cm in diameter! Over the past thirty years, blueberries have been the subject of approximately two hundred scientific publications. The conclusion: blueberries are beneficial for the blood vessels and for the memory.

Blackberries

1. You can buy them in mini containers from the greengrocer or pick them yourself in buckets at the same time. It is best to wash those self-picked blackberries before putting them on the table. The RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) even recommends that blackberries and other wild forest fruits be cooked as well, for example by making jam. Wild fruits can be infected with tapeworm through fox faeces, although this infection is quite rare in the Netherlands. Just like blueberries, blackberries contain anthocyanins and especially many minerals. They are the richest in calcium of all fruits and also provide a lot of magnesium and iron. These minerals are necessary for the bones, muscles and blood. Blackberries also contain the most vitamin E of all fruits. One serving of 100 grams provides 20 percent of the RDA of this protector of body cells.

2. You can buy them in mini containers from the greengrocer or pick them yourself in buckets at the same time. It is best to wash those self-picked blackberries before putting them on the table. The RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) even recommends that blackberries and other wild forest fruits be cooked as well, for example by making jam. Wild fruits can be infected with tapeworm through fox excrement, although this infection is quite rare in the Netherlands. Just like blueberries, blackberries contain anthocyanins and especially many minerals. They are the richest of all fruits in calcium and also provide a lot of magnesium and iron. These minerals are necessary for the bones, muscles and blood. Blackberries also contain the most vitamin E of all fruits. One serving of 100 grams provides 20 percent of the RDA of this protector of body cells.

Raspberries

1. Raspberries are the caviar of summer fruit. They are expensive, delicate and have an exquisite taste. They also have something unique to offer for your health: they contain unique antioxidants with the chic name ellagitannins. Since that substance was discovered by Wageningen researchers in 2006, the sale of raspberries has been on the rise. Except in raspberries, ellagitannins are only found in very small amounts in strawberries and in medicinal herbs. Ellagitannins have interesting cancer-inhibiting properties in test tubes, but it is unfortunately not yet known whether it works in the same way in the body.

2. Raspberries are the caviar of summer fruit. They are expensive, delicate and have an exquisite taste. They also have something unique to offer for your health: they contain unique antioxidants with the chic name ellagitannins. Since that substance was discovered by Wageningen researchers in 2006, the sale of raspberries has been on the rise. Except in raspberries, ellagitannins are only found in very small amounts in strawberries and in medicinal herbs. Ellagitannins have interesting anti-cancer properties in test tubes, but it is unfortunately not yet known whether it works in the same way in the body.

Nectarines

1. Carrots and apricots are good for your eyes, but nectarines are even better. In addition to beta-carotene, nectarines also contain two family members: lutein and zeaxanthin. Both substances (which are also in maize and egg yolks) are important building materials for the eyes. They mainly end up in the so-called 'yellow spot' on the retina of the eye: the place that ensures sharp vision. Many elderly people have to deal with macular degeneration, a nasty eye disease in which the function of the yellow spot deteriorates and you see less sharp. Once you are affected by it, there is unfortunately little that can be done about the disease. But research has shown that extra intake of lutein and zeaxanthin directly leads to a higher level of it in the eyes. This reduces the risk of macular degeneration. And if you already have it, it slows down the course of the disease.

Peaches

1. Peaches are the polder model among summer fruit: they are not the best, but they contain a very healthy mix of substances such as beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, fiber and potassium. The convex peach is also a relatively slender fruit. Per 100 grams, peach contains on average a third less calories than other fruit. A

Plums

1. Fruit is a good fiber source anyway, but plums take the cake: they provide an average of 30 percent more fiber than other fruits. Fiber is good for bowel function and bowel movement. Fibers from fruit and grain products are also beneficial for cholesterol levels. Is the plum season over? No worries. Prunes can be enjoyed healthily until the new harvest next year. The fibers are retained during drying; the content is even super concentrated. As is known, prunes are an ideal remedy for constipation. Research shows that ten prunes per day (50 grams) are better than a laxative.