The humble guava is the healthiest Humble guava packs healthiest punchfruit for the human body, while the pineapple is at the bottom of this index. The first-of-its-kind research to evaluate the amount of natural antioxidant levels of 14 fresh fruits commonly consumed in India has come up with surprising revelations. Guava came in at the top, followed by the Indian plum. Mango, pomegranate, custard apple and apple are among the other fruits that offer the highest amount of antioxidants.
The study - conducted by Hyderabad's National Institute of Nutrition - found that pineapple, banana, papaya, water melon and grapes had the least amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants play a crucial role in preventing cellular damage - the common reason for aging, cancer and several degenerative diseases.
In a study published in the journal "Food Research International", lead author Dr D Sreeramulu from NIN's endocrinology and metabolism division found that the antioxidant activity ranged from as high as 496 mg/100 grams in guava to as low as 22 mg/100g in pineapple.
Sreeramulu told TOI, "The findings came as an eye-opener. We usually believe expensive fruits are the richest source of nutrition. But our extensive research shows that fruits that are rich in antioxidants help scavenge free radicals that destroy tissues." Modern lifestyles, he adds, lead to an excess of free radicals.
Fruits of Life
Fruit Anti-oxidants
Guava
496 mg
Plum
330 mg
Custard Apple
202 mg
Mango
170 mg
Pomegranate
135 mg
Apple
123 mg
Grapes
85 mg
Chiku (Sapodilla)
55 mg
Papaya
50 mg
Source : Times of India Mumbai edition dated 12.10.2012
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