Varieties of fruits and their features

 Varieties of fruits and their features

We can not imagine our life without fruit.Sweet juicy fruits bring us pleasure and are a valuable source of trace elements and vitamins.

In this article, you will learn many new things about fruits: how do they differ from vegetables, what are their harms and benefits, which varieties are found, which fruits are the rarest and sweetest, and which are the fruits.

Special features

Distinguish fruits and vegetables we are taught in early childhood. Any child in kindergarten will answer you unmistakably that cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash are vegetables. Apples, pears, plums, oranges - fruit.

Science looks at the issues of the difference between fruits and vegetables completely differently. From a botanical point of view, fruits are fruits that grow on trees, shrubs and multiply by the seeds contained in their flesh. Vegetables - "tops and roots" of plants.

The picture is very unusual. In the discharge of fruit automatically go:

  • zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, cucumbers, tomatoes;
  • pepper, peas, corn, beans, olives;
  • nuts and various cereals.

The true representatives of vegetables remain:

  • beets, carrots, cabbage;
  • onions, Jerusalem artichoke;
  • various types of greens and salads.

From a culinary and dietary point of view, this does not change anything for us. We are accustomed to consider fruits that have a neutral, pungent, bitter or sharp taste of vegetables and use as a side dish. Fruit remains a delicacy, dessert, or light snack that has a refreshing sour, sweet, or astringent taste.

If you want to show off erudition, remember a simple rule: any fruit with seeds can be safely called a fruit.

How are they useful?

Undoubtedly, vegetables are no less important and beneficial to our health, but not all of them are edible raw, unlike fruits.

Fruits contain a large number of macro-and microelements important for the body, and also contain:

  • vitamins A, B, C, E, F;
  • magnesium, manganese;
  • potassium, calcium;
  • phosphorus, iodine, zinc, iron;
  • bioflavonoids and acids;
  • pectin, coarse fiber, vegetable protein.

Sweet fruits have a positive effect on all biological processes in the body, including:

  • help regulate digestion;
  • improve metabolism;
  • promote immunity;
  • have a positive effect on the nervous system;
  • have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels;
  • possess enveloping and bactericidal properties;
  • resist cancer;
  • slow down the aging process;
  • excreted toxins and toxins.

    Areas in which the beneficial properties of fruits are applied.

    • Dietology. Fruits quickly satisfy hunger due to fructose and are well digested. Even high-calorie fruits are beneficial in dieting. The calories contained in them are not deposited in the form of fat, most of them are spent for the processing of coarse dietary fiber. Sweet fruits help to get rid of the addiction to flour confectionery.
    • The medicine. They make many preparations from fruits, teas, tinctures, widely used in traditional medicine.
    • Cosmetology. Based on fruit acids make shampoos strengthen hair. Create facials: nourishing, whitening, slowing the aging process. Fruit bones are used to create scrubs.

    Harm to health

    In some cases, fruits are dangerous to our health.

    Plants tend to absorb from the soil all trace elements present in it, including those that are hazardous to health. Pesticides and nitrates, penetrating into the body, cause us considerable harm:

    • destroy the liver;
    • disrupt the work of the digestive organs;
    • adversely affect the central nervous system;
    • contribute to the development of cancer;
    • affect the human reproductive system.

    Acute poisoning with these substances can cause serious consequences. Only a small amount of nitrates is excreted naturally: from 15 to 200 mg per day. The allowable daily intake of nitrates in an adult’s body in the Russian Federation is about 312 mg.In spring, when an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and greens appears on the shelves, this figure increases to 500 mg.

    Manufacturers are required to check their products for the content of hazardous substances in accordance with the established standards - GOST 29270-95. However, due to unscrupulous farmers, the fruits on the shelves of shops can still be dangerous.

    Check the amount of harmful substances help special devices. To determine that the fetus is crammed with nitrates, it is possible by eye on several grounds

    • ripe fruit, perfect shape, bright, resembles a dummy;
    • the presence of white streaks in the flesh of melon and watermelon;
    • fruits are ripe in appearance, but completely unsweetened or having foreign flavors;
    • unnaturally large sizes of fruits.

    Of course, you can heat-treat the fruit: pour boiling water over it, immerse it in hot boiled water, but after that most of the valuable trace elements and vitamins in them will collapse. Jams, jams, compotes, which we close for the winter, do not contain any harmful substances, and retain the useful ones.

    There are more benign ways to get rid of nitrates and pesticides in fruits.

    • Before use, wash the fruit well and immerse it in a bite and water solution at a ratio of 1: 3 for half an hour in enamel or plastic dishes. This will help remove more than 10% of harmful substances.
    • To remove pesticides, mix 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda in a glass of water. Wash the fruit in the mixture.
    • Peel the fruit.
    • Do not purchase spoiled fruit.
    • Sour-milk products help cleanse the body of nitrates. Use them in sufficient quantities.

    Many brightly colored fruits, especially citrus fruits, are dangerous for people with allergies. It is undesirable to use them and those who suffer from fructose intolerance. The use of melon, grapefruit, mango, durian along with alcoholic beverages leads to negative consequences for the body.

    Most popular in the world

    Fresh juicy fruits - welcome guests on the table in any country of the world.

    Pineapples, bananas, coconuts, mangoes, avocados, papayas, kumquats are brought to Russia from Israel, Spain, and Turkey. Compared with domestic crops, these fruits are expensive. Our native fruit is cheaper, but not at all inferior in popularity and excellent taste to foreign guests.

    Apples, pears and plums are cultivated in almost all regions of Russia. In the southern regions peaches, apricots, dogwood, and sweet cherry grow superbly. Anapa and Gelendzhik are famous for their grapes and figs. The largest and most delicious watermelons and melons are in Astrakhan.

    Not only persimmon, quince, nectarines, pomegranates grow in Armenia, but also kiwi. In Georgia, there are mulberry, feijoa, tangerines, oranges, lemons and fruits with the strange name Zizifus, which means "Chinese date".

    Tropical fruits

    Trying exotic fruits at home is not always possible. Not all fruits are exported to other countries. Many are not able to withstand a long flight, as quickly deteriorate. There are copies prohibited for export outside the countries of origin.

    Going to rest in hot tropical countries, you have a unique chance to taste the fruits that have never eaten.

    • Durian His Majesty durian grows in Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The fruit is prickly and large, with a thick peel. It weighs more than 5 kg. It has a wonderful creamy taste, but not everyone decides to try it. The reason - the disgusting smell of rotten potatoes and dirty socks. The ripening season is from April to September. The export of fruit abroad is prohibited.
    • Jackfruit. Grows in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia. The largest fruit in the world, growing on a tree. It has a strong peel of gray-green with spikes. In Thailand, it is considered a symbol of well-being. Unripe fruits are eaten as vegetables, boiled and stewed, and the tender and juicy yellow pulp with the taste of pineapple and pears is consumed raw. Ripe fruits can be purchased from late December to August.
    • Lychee. The small red spherical fruits covered with small pimples. Lychee pulp is tasty, white, crunchy, sweet. Eat the fruit fresh, put in compotes and jams. Sold in the summer. It is found in Thailand, Vietnam.
    • Guava. Small green fruits with pink or yellow flesh. The taste is not pronounced, slightly sweet, and the aroma is simply gorgeous and is a mix of raspberry and banana scents. Unripe fruits are eaten with pepper and salt. Guava grows in Egypt, Malaysia, Tunisia, Thailand, India, Vietnam all year round.
    • Rambutan Cute small fruits of red color with green long hairs resembling curved eyelashes. The hairy fruit has a sweet translucent white flesh. You can meet him from early spring to late autumn in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, Cuba.
    • Longan. Fruits are like young small potatoes. The flesh is jelly-like, pink or white, sweet and juicy. The only round convex bone in the middle of the fruit makes it look like a fantastic animal's eye. Hence the second name of the fruit - "dragon eye". Cultivated in Thailand, Vietnam, China, fruits in summer and autumn.
    • Mangosteen. Externally, the fruit looks like a persimmon: a round shape, similar to the leaves at the base. Only the color of the fruit is different - blue-violet. The rind is dense, and the flesh is tender, white and juicy, consisting of slices resembling mandarin. You can taste mangosteen in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, India, and Sri Lanka from mid-spring until the end of October.
    • A pineapple. Honored by all fruits, especially diet lovers. Bromelain, contained in pineapple, helps to burn extra calories and cleanse the blood vessels. The fruit grows year-round in Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, Australia.
    • Tangerine. This is a Thai mandarin yellowish green, green or bright orange. It has a sweet taste with sourness and a special aroma. It tones and cools in the heat, is a source of vitamin C, A, B. It ripens in late autumn. Growing in Thailand.
    • Tamarind. Indian date, which belongs to the family of legumes. Large oblong pods have a pleasant sweet-sour flesh. In dried form, tamarind is used as sweetness, and in raw form it is used as seasoning and spice for various dishes. Ripens in October. It is found in Thailand, Cameroon, Australia, Sudan, Panama.
    • Sapota It is called woody potato. Fruits resemble potato tubers externally. Under the thin skin the nutritious and tasty orange pulp hides, resembling at the same time persimmon and apricot, but with a spicy caramel flavor. Growing in Southeast Asia, Mexico, USA.
    • Pepino. Melon pear - a delicious treat. To taste, the fruit resembles a sugar melon. Berry weight - about 1 kg. The skin is thin, cream-colored with purple or crimson stripes. The shape of the fruit is round or oval. It grows in New Zealand, South America all year round.
    • Carambola. Greenish-yellowish fruits similar to small airships. In the cross section of the carambola has the shape of a star. The flesh is crispy, perfectly refreshing. Eating these fruits for people with chronic kidney disease is dangerous.

    Rare species

    Among tropical fruits there are a lot of rare and amazing fruits in appearance and taste.

    • Lime Finger A longish fruit of brown-green color, the flesh of which looks like caviar of expensive types of fish. By color there are green, pink, red fruits. During the meal, the eggs burst and secrete juice similar to lime.
    • "Wonderful" berries. The name of the fruit speaks for itself: they really have unique properties to turn off the taste buds that are responsible for the bitter and sour taste. Whatever you try after tasting the magic berries, everything will seem sweet for an hour.
    • Melotria rough. These fruits are miniature copies of watermelon. Only the taste pumped up: the fruits resemble cucumbers, seasoned with lemon or lime juice.
    • Zhabotikaka. Fruits grow right on the trunk of a tree. Externally and to taste resemble black grapes. They are unique in that they are actively used in the treatment of bronchial asthma.
    • A cream apple, or cherimoya. The inside of this fruit is tender, like cream or sweet fruit yogurt with a slight sourness. Fruits are large, covered with a tuberous green dense skin.
    • Sugar apple. Sugar apple, or Noiana, has an amazing taste if the fruit is ripe. It is cut into two parts and the sugar pulp is eaten straight with a spoon.

    The list of rare types of fruits will be incomplete, if you do not mention the durian and jackfruit already familiar to you.

    The sweetest

    Among all the fruits it would be wrong not to select those that contain the most sugar in the composition. These include the following types.

    • Dates. Superiority for sweets on our planet won dates. The amount of sugar in them reaches 80%, and the caloric content is 271 kcal.
    • Sugar apple. It is remarkable not only because it is one of the rarest fruits on the planet. The sweetness of this fruit is undeniable. The name speaks for itself. The calorie content of the fruit is 101 kcal per 100 g. To burn them without a trace, you need to run intensively for 8 minutes. The fruit has a positive effect on the microflora of the stomach.
    • Mango. In the mango is 36% sugar, or 76 kcal. Despite the sweetness, the fruit helps to normalize blood sugar levels, which is valuable for people who are overweight.
    Dates
    Mango
    • Persimmon. The sugar content in it is 25%. It has tonic properties, improves performance, mood.
    • Uzbek grapes. Those who have tried the real blue Uzbek grapes celebrate its special sweet taste. The amount of sugar in the “Husayne North”, “May Black” varieties is from 27 to 30%, the caloric content is about - 63 kcal. Juicy grapes perfectly toned the body and treat chronic fatigue.
    • Figs Per 100 g of fig accounts for 15 to 23 g of sugar. Calorie content of the fetus - 74 kcal. Culture has many advantages. Figs are especially useful for the treatment of bronchial asthma.

    Sweet fruits strengthen the heart muscle, remove harmful cholesterol from the body, raise the mood. They are contraindicated for patients with diabetes mellitus and people sitting on a low-carb diet.

    Figs
    Persimmon

    Unusual species

    Fruits are capable not only to please us with their diverse taste, but also to surprise with their appearance and unusual properties.

    Many tropical fruits have an unusual appearance.

    • Kivano. Another name for this fruit is horned melon. The fruit is like a melon, studded with tubercles resembling horns. The pulp of the fruit is similar to cucumber. It strengthens the immune system, beautifully tones.
    • Feeding. "Dragon Fruit" - an amazing plant. This is the fruit of cacti. It is found in several varieties and colors: with rich raspberry peel, with bright green scales, white flesh with lots of black grains, and yellow with green tint and whitish inside. The rind of the fruit is inedible, and the flesh is eaten. Feeding is beneficial to the thyroid gland.
    • Pandanus This is the fruit of the helical palm tree. It looks like a rubber ball with a kind of square protrusions. The fruit is edible and tasty. It normalizes sleep, calms the nerves.
    • "The hand of Buddha", or citron palmate. The fruit truly resembles the hand of a magical being with many fingers. Kindred familiar to us tangerines, which is popular in Japan and China, where we especially admire. Excellent remedy for nausea.
    • Akebia The fruit is very beautiful soft purple color. The shape is similar to mango or papaya. It grows on the island of Honshu. When ripe, the fruit opens slightly, providing the opportunity to feast on the white flesh, reminiscent in taste of raspberries. Diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.
    • Cashew nuts. Few are familiar with cashew fruits, and nuts — the bones of these fruits — have seen everything. The fruit resembles a pear or an elongated persimmon, from which a nut sticks out. Ripe fruits are red-orange color.It is impossible to pick them up with bare hands. The bones are covered with phenolic resin, burning the skin. It disappears after heat treatment. The stalk itself has a fibrous and juicy flesh, from which Indians prepare the national alcoholic feni.
    • Salak. Palm fruit, growing in clusters right on the trunk of a tree. The rind of the fruit is very similar in appearance to the serpentine scales. The inside is like gigantic garlic cloves. The flesh is sweet and juicy. Growing fruit in Bali. It perfectly removes toxins from the body.

    Poisonous fruit is also worth noting.

    • Mancinella. This fruit is the fruit of the most poisonous tree on our Earth. Homeland plants - Caribbean. Since ancient times, fruits with a delicate aroma attracted travelers to themselves and became the cause of their death. "Fruits of death" look like small tangerines covered with glossy green peel with a gray tint. The poisonous juice of the fruit and the tree itself causes burns and inflammation when in contact with the skin. When eating fruits in the mouth and stomach of a person, ulcers are formed, causing death in terrible agony. Even rain and dew, dripping from the mancinella trees, are fraught with mortal danger.

    So that people do not come close to the treacherous tree, the trunks of the Mancinella are tied with red ribbons and set up warning signs.

    • Chilibuha. It is found in tropical forests of India, Asia and Australia. The plant is poisonous due to strychnine and brucine in composition. The fruits cause a sharp and strong increase in blood pressure, muscle spasms, cardiac arrest, central nervous system paralysis. The first sign of plant poisoning is relentless vomiting. Therefore, the second name Chelibukhi - "vomit". Externally, the fruits of Chelibukh resemble ordinary apples, bright and very fragrant. Inside the jelly whitish flesh are brown seeds, shaped like flattened discs covered with sparse brown hairs.

    Fruits are used in pharmacology, but tourists should remember that consuming chelibukh is dangerous for health.

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    Information provided for reference purposes. Do not self-medicate. For health, always consult a specialist.

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