A nutritional scientist has spoken about a ‘vilified’ food which can help people with inflammation, high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Dr Federica Amati, the author of Every Body Should Know This, spoke out on her Instagram page after some of her followers had criticised fruit as it contains sugar. The head nutritionist at Zoe – the health science company founded by Tim Spector – responded by saying that evidence was “so clear” that it does good that there “is no room for contest”.
She said among vitamins including C, it also contains polyphenols, which is a substance which is very good for the stomach microbiome. This reduces inflammation in the body – and can assist in avoiding dementia, arthritis and diabetes. In addition, she said that lots of vitamin C can reduce blood pressure, heart disease and dementia.
She said: “Is eating fruit even good for you? Well, let me tell you, the evidence is so clear that there is no room for contest. People have vilified fruit because they contain sugar, but that’s absolutely not a problem. There are so many other things that are good for you in fruit. It’s high in fibre. It’s high in colourful chemicals that are great for your health called polyphenols.
“It contributes to lots of micronutrients and vitamins, and it also tastes delicious. We don’t eat enough fruit, and it’s contributing to more death and disease. It is one of the leading causes of diet-related diseases. So whether you love a banana or an apple, your favourite. Or perhaps you love Berries and they can be frozen and be just as nutritious and good for you, we need to make sure we’re eating more fruits every day at every age. The key is to enjoy them whole. Try to avoid fruit juices or fruit smoothies as your primary source of fruit, and really go for the whole fruit chopped up or enjoyed whole as it is, fruit is definitely good for you.”
And in her post, she added: “We don’t eat enough of it and a diet low in fruit is a contributing factor to death and disease so whatever your favourite is, the key is to enjoy them whole (either chopped up or enjoyed as is). Frozen fruit is also just as nutritious. Try to include fruits every day at every age.”
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