Fruits and Nutrition

Any fruit is better than a piece of cake, at least from a nutritional point of view. But all fruits have little protein or fat and many have significant amounts of sugar. Compared to most vegetables, fruits do not provide as many micronutrients per calorie. But fruits are not all equal. Some of the most commonly eaten fruits are some of the least nutritious - in terms of Vitamin A, C, and ORACs. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. This is a good stand in for anti-oxidant capacity. There are many anti-oxidants besides Vitamin A and C. We're still discovering them all. They all have different properties and capacities.

Here's a site with the ORAC value of many common foods on a Web page maintained by Greg Watson, one of the CR Society members:
http://optimalhealth.cia.com.au/OracLevels.htm

Taking A, C, ORACs and fiber into account, the very best fruits are berries. All berries are high in all of these components. Berries are also relatively low in calories.

Yellow fruits are also high enough in A to overcome their often high sugar content. So mangos, peaches, and cantaloupes are all well worth eating.

Likewise, citrus fruits and cranberries are so high in Vitamin C and ORACs that they are a good choice for breakfast, snacks or dessert.

Watermelons and plums are both fairly high in both A and C, as well as fiber - so eat them without guilt.

Grapes and cherries have high ORACs and moderate amounts of A and C, still acceptable in a calorie restricted diet in reasonable quantities.

Apples, bananas and pears are some of the least nutritious fruits, with relatively lower levels of vitamins and ORACs. While there are many worse things to eat, they should be considered a treat, more than a nutritional component.

Here's my heirarchy of fruit goodness:

Best
Strawberries Blackberries Raspberries Mangos Cantaloupe Kiwi

Very Good
Blueberries Peaches Apricots Oranges Grapefruit Tangerines Watermelon Honeydew

Good
Plums Grapes Pomegranate Cherries

Poor
Apples Pears Bananas