Fruits provide significant protective effects by reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, thanks to their rich content of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These compounds, particularly antioxidants and phytochemicals, work together to support overall health, boost the immune system, maintain a healthy gut, promote a healthy weight, and combat inflammation.
How Fruits Protect Your Health
- Antioxidant Power: Fruits are packed with anti-aging antioxidants, like vitamin C and phenolics, which protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals, a key factor in chronic disease development.
- Anti-inflammatory Properties: Many fruits contain anti-inflammatory compounds that can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
- Dietary Fiber: The fiber in fruits helps regulate digestion, promotes a healthy gut, and contributes to maintaining a healthy weight by helping to control appetite.
- Nutrient-Rich: Fruits are excellent sources of essential vitamins (like C, A, and folate) and minerals (such as potassium), which are vital for proper immune function, cell health, and reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
- Complex Mixtures: The protective benefits of fruits come from the complex combination of various phytochemicals, rather than a single compound.
Key Protective Effects
- Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases: Regular consumption is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers (including those of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach), type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
- Enhanced Immune Function: Antioxidants and vitamins in fruits support a strong and healthy immune system.
- Improved Gut Health: Fiber promotes healthy digestion and can prevent constipation.
- Healthy Weight Management: Fruits are nutrient-dense and low in calories, which can help with weight management and reduce the risk of weight gain.
- Better Brain and Eye Health: Fruits contribute to preventing age-related functional decline, such as cognitive decline and eye conditions like cataracts.
Eating More Fruit May Protect Lungs from PM2.5
According to research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, eating more fruit could help to protect our lungs from air pollution, particularly for women. The team of researchers suggests that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound obtained from eating fruit could be behind the protective effect against harmful airborne particles.
“Over 90% of the global population is exposed to air pollution levels that exceed WHO guidelines, and ample research shows that exposure to higher air pollution levels is associated with reduced lung function, “ explains Pimpika Kaewsri, a PhD student from the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester, UK. who presented the study at the Congress in the Netherlands.
“Separately, a healthy diet — particularly one high in fruits and vegetables — has been linked to better lung function. We wanted to explore whether a healthy diet or specific food groups could modify or partly mitigate the known adverse effects of air pollution on lung function.”
This study utilized data from around 200,000 participants who were enrolled in the UK Biobank to compare dietary patterns with their lung function and their exposure to PM2.5 fine particulate matter air pollution, which was done taking into account various factors such as height, weight, and socioeconomic status.
Protective Effect of Fruit Against Air Pollution
The analysis revealed that for every increase in exposure to PM2.5 of five micrograms per cubic meter of air, a reduction of 78.1 mL was observed in the amount of air participants in the low fruit intake group exhaled in one second, compared to only a 57.5 mL reduction in the high fruit intake group among women.
“Our study confirmed that a healthy diet is linked to better lung function in both men and women, regardless of air pollution exposure. And that women who consumed four portions of fruit per day or more appeared to have smaller reductions in lung function associated with air pollution, compared to those who consumed less fruit,” said Kaewsri.
“This may be partly explained by the antioxidant and anti-inflammation compounds naturally present in fruit. These compounds could help mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation caused by fine particles, potentially offsetting some of the harmful effects of air pollution on lung function.”
It was noted that the men in the study population generally reported lower fruit intake than the women did. “This difference in dietary patterns may help explain why the potential protective effect of fruit against air pollution was only observed in women,” added Kaewsri.
“This study confirms the potential respiratory health benefits of a healthy diet, especially rich in fresh fruit intake,” said Professor Sara De Matteis, Chair of the European Respiratory Society‘s expert group on occupational and environmental health, based at the University of Turin, Italy, who was not involved in the research.
“However, access to a healthy diet is not equally distributed in the population and, even if the authors adjusted for socioeconomic status, some residual confounding cannot be ruled out,” added Matteis. “A healthy plant-rich diet should be promoted in the population starting from primary school, not only for preventing chronic diseases, but also to reduce the carbon-footprint of meat-rich diets.”
“This does not exempt governments from continuing with environmental policies to reduce air pollution to as low as possible, given there are no safe exposure levels, and it does not transfer their accountability to individuals whose diet choices are often constrained by economic needs.”
Summary
Eating fruit is healthy because it provides essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, support healthy digestion, and contribute to healthy weight management. Fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories, making them an excellent low-calorie way to get beneficial nutrients into your diet.
The findings from this study suggest that incorporating more fruit into one’s diet could be a simple way to help mitigate the health risks associated with living in polluted areas. The researchers plan to conduct further studies to understand how diet impacts changes in lung function over time.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
