Mangos have yellow, green or reddish orange skin and a deep orange interior. The fruit, grown in tropical climates around the world, has been part of the human diet for more than 4,000 years, according to the National Mango Board. Mango juice contains vitamins and minerals essential for good health. Look for mango juice that does not contain added sugar to get the most health benefits.
Vitamin C
Consuming enough vitamin C can help you prevent colds and flu. Vitamin C encourages your white blood cells to work more efficiently at destroying germs and bacteria. An 8-ounce serving of mango juice contains two-thirds of your daily recommended vitamin C requirement.
Beta-Carotene
A serving of mango juice supplies one-quarter of the daily recommended beta-carotene intake. The deep orange color of mangos supplies beta-carotene. Your body uses beta-carotene to make vitamin A, which keeps your eyes healthy. Vitamin A and beta-carotene also work in conjunction to promote good skin and skeletal health.
Potassium
Mango juice contains potassium, a mineral that helps your heart, nerves and muscles function properly. Potassium also regulates blood pressure and the balance of fluids in your body. One cup of mango fruit supplies about 325 milligrams of potassium. A serving of mango juice, without added water or sugar, contains about 300 milligrams of potassium.
Iron
Mangos supply a notable amount of iron. Iron produces healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout your body. Adding mangos to your diet can increase your intake of the essential nutrient, if you suffer from an iron deficiency. An 8-ounce glass of mango juice supplies about two percent of your daily iron needs.
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This tropical fruit is actually considered a type of berry, according to botanists. It is the fruit of the?Passiflora?vine, a type of passion flower.
It has a tough outer rind and juicy, seed-filled center.
There are several types, which can vary in size and color. The most commonly available are the purple and yellow varieties.
These are:
- Passiflora edulis:?Small round or oval-shaped fruits with purple skin.
- Passiflora flavicarpa:?Usually slightly larger than the purple variety, these are round or oval-shaped with yellow skin.
This is what passion fruit looks like: Although they are a tropical fruit, some varieties can survive in a sub-tropical climate.
Because of this, they are grown all over the world and crops can be found in South and North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.
Passion fruit is a good source of nutrients, especially?fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.
A single purple passion fruit of about 18 grams contains (1):
- Calories:?17
- Fiber:?2 grams
- Vitamin C:?9% of the RDI
- Vitamin A:?8% of the RDI
- Iron:?2% of the RDI
- Potassium:?2% of the RDI
This may not seem like much, but these are the values for a single, small fruit that contains only 17 calories. Calorie for calorie, it’s a good source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.
It’s also rich in beneficial plant compounds, including carotenoids and polyphenols.
In fact, one analysis found that passion fruit was richer in polyphenols than many other tropical fruits, including?banana, lychee, mango,?papaya?and pineapple (2).
Additionally, passion fruit contains a small amount of iron.
Your body doesn’t usually absorb iron from plants very well. However, the iron in passion fruit comes with a lot of vitamin C, which is known to enhance iron’s absorption (3).
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an incredibly delicious and healthy tropical fruit.
It originated in South America, where early European explorers named it after its resemblance to a pinecone (1).
This popular fruit is packed with nutrients, antioxidants and other helpful compounds, such as enzymes that can fight inflammation and disease.
Pineapple and its compounds have been linked to many health benefits, including aiding digestion, boosting immunity and speeding up recovery from surgery, among others.
Here are 8 impressive health benefits of pineapple.
Pineapples are low in calories but have an incredibly impressive nutrient profile.
One cup (5.8 ounces or 165 grams) of pineapple chunks contains the following (2):
- Calories:?82.5
- Fat:?1.7 grams
- Protein:?1 gram
- Carbs:?21.6 grams
- Fiber:?2.3 grams
- Vitamin C:?131% of the RDI
- Manganese:?76% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6:?9% of the RDI
- Copper:?9% of the RDI
- Thiamin:?9% of the RDI
- Folate:?7% of the RDI
- Potassium:?5% of the RDI
- Magnesium:?5% of the RDI
- Niacin:?4% of the RDI
- Pantothenic acid:?4% of the RDI
- Riboflavin:?3% of the RDI
- Iron:?3% of the RDI
Pineapples also contain trace amounts of vitamins A and K, phosphorus, zinc and calcium.
They are especially rich in?vitamin C?and manganese, providing 131% and 76% of the daily recommendations, respectively.
Vitamin C is essential for growth and development, a healthy immune system and aiding the absorption of iron from the diet. Meanwhile, manganese is a naturally occurring mineral that aids growth, maintains a healthy metabolism and has antioxidant properties (3,?4).
