There are just some fruits and vegetables that seem to love hiding their light under a bushel.
Other fresh produce, for a variety of reasons, isn’t well known, so you might well bypass it each time in the store because you’re not too sure about it.
Perhaps it isn’t widely available in your area, and you would have to go hunting in specialist stores to find it.
Whatever the reason, you could be missing out on some seriously power-packed produce. Here are some unusual fresh produce, and the benefits they can provide for you.
#1 – Aloe Vera
A member of the lily family well known for soothing and healing the skin. It is a powerhouse of nutrients, containing more than two hundred active components.
Aloe vera has been proven in research as a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial. Aloe also helps reduce blood sugar, constipation, dental plaque and helps to heal mouth ulcers.
Using the natural plant is best; chop off a two-inch section chunk of leaf and scrape out the gelatinous contents. It has a strange eaten alone, but can be blitzed with orange juice for a barrel load of health benefits (source).
#2 – Noni Juice
The noni fruit is related to coffee, and most commonly associated with Tahiti. This is a strange fruit that doesn’t taste great, but it’s packed full of health and vitality.
Noni has been shown to contain powerful nutrients with excellent antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties, help improve eye health and wound healing and reduce diabetes symptoms and signs of aging.
Noni fruit also helps to boost the immune system, reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Although research is in its early stages, the effect of noni on some cancers is looking promising.
Noni doesn’t taste too pleasant. A small amount of it – around a quarter of half of one fruit is best mixed in with some strong tasting ingredients – like pineapple, lemon, and ginger (source).
#3 – Karela
The karela, or bitter melon, originates from Asia. It contains few calories and is loaded with all kinds of beneficial nutrients and compounds. One of these compounds, momordin is responsible for the bitter flavor, but karela also contains a substance called charantin which similar to insulin, and helps to reduce blood sugar levels (source).
Other research also indicates the nutrients and compounds in karela can halt the growth of cancer cells, boost liver function, reduce cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, help improve skin conditions like psoriasis, and help with weight loss by mobilizing fat cells (source)
The bitterness can be reduced by soaking karela in salt water for around twenty minutes. It can be added to a salad with other strong flavors like cilantro, or blended with sweet fruit flavors to mask the taste.
#4 – Amla
A small round berry, light green or yellow in color, amla berries can be added to curries and stews, but the cooking process destroys many of the nutrients, so is best consumed raw for maximum health benefits.
The nutrients in amla berries have been indicated in research to help reduce peripheral nerve damage linked with poorly controlled diabetes, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and fight cancer.
They not only contain a high level of antioxidants, but also a broad spectrum of different kinds of these compounds that absorb free radicals.
For maximum raw power, blend a half to one cup of amla berries with strong flavors like mint and lemon, mango or mixed berries to benefit from all this tiny little power-packed berry has to offer (source).
#5 – Tomatoes
Ok, so this is a regular, everyday produce that features regularly in many people’s diets, but we often take the humble tomato for granted. In fact, tomatoes and overflowing with beneficial nutrients.
Tomatoes contain one of the widest ranges of different compounds of any fresh fruit and vegetables. These compounds have been shown to reduce inflammation, decrease blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, help fight cancer and improve skin health and provide protection against sunburn.
The nutrients are most effective when tomatoes are consumed raw, so try to eat some raw tomato – either in a salad or blended into a juice – every day.
So we can see that while it’s great to search out new foods that can have a huge positive impact on our health, there are also some everyday little health powerhouses right under our noses, and we should make the most of them too!
Guest Blogger
Helen Sanders is the chief editor at HealthAmbition.com. Established in 2012, Health Ambition has grown rapidly in recent years. Our goal is to provide easy-to-understand health and nutrition advice that makes a real impact. We pride ourselves on making sure our actionable advice can be followed by regular people with busy lives.
