With much of the country enjoying excellent weather, it is the season for adventurous road trips into the mountains or long, relaxing days on the beach. If you're staying closer to home, it's also prime time to hit your local farmer's market, which will be overflowing with summer fruits for the next few months. These are not only refreshing and delicious but provide multiple health advantages too. Let's look at how several flavorful favorites can help you hydrate, improve your sleep, decrease disease risk, and more.
Watermelon
This is the one fruit on our list that can feed your whole family and give you plenty of leftovers. Watermelons also provide a bang for your nutritional buck. As they are up to 92 percent water, they have potential for keeping you hydrated in the summer heat, particularly if you sprinkle a little salt on them or combine them with sodium-rich foods. “When looking to adequately rehydrate, carbohydrates, fluid and sodium are key,” dietician Gabriela Barreto told CNET. “Carbohydrates are important for optimizing water and sodium absorption in the body.” She recommended combining watermelon and cucumber with lime, mint, and feta cheese.
Watermelons are a rich source of lycopene, and it’s distinctive red-pink hue is provided by a unique variation that is more readily absorbed by the body. A study by Pakistani scientists noted that lycopene from watermelons can help counteract heart disease, chronic eye issues, and diabetes. The nonessential amino acid citrulline is found in higher concentrations in watermelons than in any other fruit or vegetable.
It has been found to promote blood flow and muscle oxygenation, potentially improving exercise performance and recovery. Watermelon’s unique combination of phytochemicals have potential for treating “various ailments, such as cardio-vascular diseases, aging related ailments, obesity, diabetes, ulcers, and various types of cancers” according to one review.
Strawberries
Every type of berry contains a bevy of micronutrients that are beneficial for health. Yet research shows that strawberries have up to between two and 11 times more phenolic antioxidants than other fruits, even when compared to nutritional superstars like kiwis, oranges, and grapefruit. A paper published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that eating strawberries as part of a berry blend improved HDL cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, and led to favorable changes in platelet function, leading the authors to suggest that regular consumption could help prevent heart disease.
These cardioprotective effects and others that have been observed in lab conditions – such as reducing stiffness of arteries – might be due to the high levels of ellagitannins in strawberries. These break down into urolithins, which one study suggested also can insulate the brain against age-related decline, protect DNA, protein, and cells from stress-induced damage, and improve gut health (the fiber in all these fruits does likewise). Another reason that strawberries might safeguard your heart is that they contain folate, which is involved in red blood cell production, regulating homocysteine, and controlling cellular metabolism too.
Strawberries are also rich in vitamin C, providing over 90 percent of your recommended daily amount per serving. This mighty micronutrient supports both the innate and adaptive immune systems, per a paper in Nutrients. It does so by increasing the amount and differentiation of the T and B cells that decide how your body responds to infection, cleaning out the dead cells left behind after you neutralize it, and killing bacteria. Vitamin C is also one of the most potent antioxidants, helping provide protection from the damaging effects of free radicals.
Cherries
Long summer evenings are a prime time to relax, particularly when a little of the day’s warmth still lingers. But not so much for those who have trouble sleeping. While no food is going to be a cure-all, a Journal of Medicinal Food article showed that drinking tart cherry juice before bed helped people with insomnia drift off faster, improve sleep quality, and stay asleep for up to 84 minutes longer. This is probably because they contain both rest-inducing tryptophan and slumber-regulating melatonin.
While tart cherries are usually used for sleep studies, research shows that sweet ones can also be beneficial. As they contain serotonin as well, cherries can help stabilize mood and emotional control. The health benefits don’t stop there. A review of 29 previous studies stated that “Results from published animal and human studies suggest that consumption of cherries may reduce the risk of several chronic inflammatory diseases, including arthritis, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and cancer.”
The authors went on to suggest that three bioactive compounds are responsible: hydroxycinnamates, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins. The latter provide cherries with their vibrant color but do far more than that in your body. They have one of the most potent anti-inflammatory actions of any plant chemical, reducing levels of CRP, IL-6, and IL-8 after exercise and decreasing indicators for diabetes and heart disease, according to the same review.
A team of British exercise scientists found that cherry juice helped marathoners recover muscle function and strength and reduced muscle soreness by combating post-run inflammation. It is so potent as a non-pharmaceutical painkiller that it can even provide relief to arthritis patients.
Peaches
It can be tricky to pick the right peach, but the effort is worth it for your overall wellbeing. Like carrots, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers, peaches are rich in carotenoids. The main one is beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. This is crucial for eye health, cardiovascular function, cell creation, repair, and regeneration. An additional carotenoid found in peaches is caffeic acid, which a paper published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences stated can tackle viral and bacterial infections, Alzheimer’s disease, and even certain cancers. It also contains vitamin K, which is involved in would healing and, when combined with vitamin D, promotes calcium absorption to support strong, robust bones.
A study by South Korean researchers found that the antioxidants in peach juice (and several other fruits) started tackling reactive oxygen species 30 minutes after consumption. This reduced the oxidative stress that can cause disease to flourish. A separate trial concluded that peach polyphenols suppress the proinflammatory mediators and cytokines that increase the frequency and severity of physical illness and the likelihood of degenerative brain conditions when elevated. Other plant chemicals in peaches have antifungal and antimicrobial properties and might also mitigate the effects of an allergic reaction.