Fruits of Summer

 

Consuming healthy summer fruits in our daily diet is best way to boost our health in this season. Summer fruits are not only fresh, sweet and highly nutritious with an abundant supply of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, which can help boost your metabolism,strengthen your immune system, protect you from cancer and improve your overall health.

Here we are presenting the 5 vitamin provider fruits of summer:

 

Strawberries

Botanical Name: Fragaria x ananassa

Strawberries are aggregates accessory fruitcomprises of several small fruits. The strawberry got its name originally from the Anglo-Saxon word “streawberige”, which means “spreading berry.” The strawberry is conically shaped, Red and juicy, a member of the rose family. Strawberry is the only fruit with seeds on the outside.

Nutrition value and Health benefits: 

• Strawberries are delicious as well as nutrient-rich fruit.
• Strawberries are extremely high in vitamin C
• Strawberries are high in fiber, vitamins A, E, B-class vitamins, manganese and essential flavinoids that protect you from cell mutations and cancers.
• It efficiently prevents the oxidation process in the body for free radicals.
• It also handles the heat, tighten the skin and prevent leukemia.
• A powerful antioxidant that gives you natural sun protection and prevents you from getting colds, flus and other infections.

Strawberries are mostly grown in California or Florida from January through November. Peak season is April to June. Its characteristics are: aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is used either fresh or as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milkshakes, and chocolates. Many industrial food products uses artificial strawberry aroma.

 

Mango – The King of Fruits

Botanical Name: Mangifera indica

Mango fruit is one of the most trendy, nutritionally rich fruit with distinctive flavor, fragrance, taste and heath promoting qualities.They are seasonal fruits that begin in the month of April and lasts until August.

Nutrition value and Health benefits:

• It is a very rich source of potassium, vitamin A, C and E
• A very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin-C and vitamin-E
• Mango fruit is rich all the essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, sugar, dietary fiber, vitamins, iron, calcium, minerals,pre-biotic dietary fiber, and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds.
• Mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers due to the polyphenolic anti-oxidant compounds present in it.

The mango is native to South Asia. It is the national fruit of India , Pakistan and the Philippines Mango is the national tree of Bangladesh. India is the largest producer of mango. Mango leaves are considered to be auspious and used in puja and weddings. Mangoes are widely used in cooking. Sour, unripe mangoes are used in preserves such as moramba, amchur (dried and powdered unripe mango), pickles and chutneys, or may be eaten raw with salt, chili, or soy sauce. A famous summer drink called Aam panna made from mangoes. Aamras is a popular thick juice made of mangoes with sugar or milk, and is consumed with pooris mainly in Gujarat. The pulp from ripe mangoes is also used to make jam calledmangada. Mangoes are also used Mango is used to make mango shakes, juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, desserts and pies. There are around thousand varieties of mango are available all over the world which includes Kesar, Chaunsa, Badami, Alphonso.

 

Lychee Nut

Botanical Name: Litchi chinensis

Lychee is brightly colored strawberry shaped fruits with thin leathery skin, fragrant and sweet.   The actual season for lychee fruit is fairly short from May to mid-July. Lychee fruits are low in calories and contain no saturated fats or cholesterol.

Nutritions value and Health benefits:  

• The Litchi contains vitamins B and C, minerals, calcium, iron, carbohydrates, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, and magnesium.
• Health benefits are:
• Litchi has anti-cancer properties due to flavonoids.
• Maintain healthy bones
• Aids digestion
• Help in weight loss, hair problems, ageing problems
• Eating lychee fruit may reduce the risk of cancer.

It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to China, the Philippines and India. Lychees are a delicious fruit which will add flavor to fruit salads The season for Lychee is fairly short which is from May to mid July.

 

Grapes

Botanical Name: Vitis vinifera

Grapes are small round or oval brightly colored berries of the deciduous woody vines. Grapes are a non-climacteric type of fruit, generally grow in clusters of 15 to 300, and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, white and pink. Grapes ripen in the late summer where they grow best; the harvest continues into fall. They can be eaten raw or fresh and can be used for making wine, jam, juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins (seed less grapes), vinegar and grape seed oil.

Nutritions value and Health benefits:

• Grapes are high in water content and hence good for hydration.
• Grapes contain nutrients, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins A, B, C, E and K.
• Grapes help minimize the risk of heart attacks because they increase the levels of nitric acid in the blood which prevents blood clots.
• Grapes help relieve migraine.
• Helps in prevention of cancer, high blood pressure and constipation.
• Grape also acts as a sunscreen and protects skin from UV rays if we apply grape seed extract on our skin.
• It also helps heal sunburned skin.
• Grapes are rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin – known for maintaining good eye sight.

 

Watermelon  

Botanical Name: Citrullus lanatus

Watermelon fruit is very large, smooth,neutral flavored (tastes somewhat plain-sweet like light sugar syrup) and the edible part is usually red pinkish color.Color of the flesh can be red, orange, white and yellow. It was originated from southern Africa and spread to all over the tropical and subtropical regions.

Nutritions value and Health benefits:

• It consists of 91% water and 6% sugar by weight.
• It is a source of vitamin C , A and B and manganese.
• It is a good source of potassium thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases. It contains more lycopene, an antioxidant that may help to reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases.
• Watermelons are very low in calories (just 30 calories per 100 g) and fats while rich in electrolytes and water content, melons are nature’s gift to beat the scorching summer heat in tropical regioins. Thus Watermelon is the most refreshing, thirst quenching fruit of all.

Watermelon juice can be made into wine.