Start and end your day with fruits .

Have you ever considered changing your breakfast to a bowl of fruits? Not only is it easy to prepare, it is sweet to the taste buds and it is readily available. Though most are aware of the many nutritious wonders of fruits and vegetables, they are yet to tap into it.

Fruits are naturally grown and produced edible foods that help the body fight almost all diseases by boosting its immunity to combat infections and afflictions. But the question is, do you see fruit as an optional meal or a snack you take every other day or month? If the answer is yes, experts say a diet lacking in fruits makes one vulnerable to sickness and diseases.

According to them, a diet rich in fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancers, lower the blood sugar, as well as risk of eye and digestive problems.

Consultant Nutritionist, Dr. Segun Oluremi, says unlike what was believed in the past, fruits are not meant for people who are obese, looking to lose weight or persons who are sick. He says rather, fruits are for those who want to live long and stay healthy.

Oluremi says fruits contain healthy fibre that helps cleanse the body system, thereby freeing it of wastes and other toxic chemicals that may affect one’s quality of life.

He says, “Fruits help the digestive system do its job. They contain fibre that triggers regular bowel movements, relieves or prevents constipation, leaving you feeling light and healthy, instead of bloated and sluggish.

“Fruits have natural cleansers that flush built-up toxins and waste out of your body, leaving you feeling better than ever before,” he says.

He adds that fruits such as watermelon, cucumber and tomatoes have high water content which flushes impurities out of the body system, thereby helping both the kidneys and the bowel to maintain their normal functions, and effectively eliminating waste.

Oluremi notes that fruits contain substances that lower blood pressure significantly, especially when eaten several times a day. He states that since fruits do not contain artificial flavours and preservatives — substances that have been found to spike blood pressure levels — therefore they have a calming effect on the blood vessels and other metabolic processes in the body.

He says, “Diet has a major role to play in your risk for hypertension (high blood pressure). Fruits can be eaten in a natural state. They do not have to be cooked or processed; it means you get the nutrient in a wholesome manner, which the body loves most.

“Also, the digestive system does not expend a lot of energy digesting it and converting it to nutrients. The process of fruit digestion has no pressure on the body. That is why we recommend it always, even before we give drugs.”

Also, there is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower one’s risk of heart disease and stroke. The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years, showed that the higher the average daily intake of fruits, the lower one’s chances of developing cardiovascular diseases.

The study showed that those in the highest category of fruit intake were less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

The researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and concluded that individuals who ate more than five servings of fruits per day had roughly a 20 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with individuals who do not eat fruits.

Also, numerous studies show that there is a strong link between eating fruits and protection against cancer. The Harvard study shows that men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables had increased levels of antioxidants — nutrients that protect against certain cancers.

Scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, in a joint study, say coloured fruits like carrots, onions, tomatoes, water melon and apples can protect against cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus and lungs.

They note that coloured fruits contain lycopene and carotenoids, compounds that may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer.

The experts add that increased consumption of lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer.

To get the best out of fruits, Oluremi recommends that it should be eaten for breakfasts and alongside other meals throughout the day. That way, one would have eaten fruits at least three to five times a day. It can also replace your late-night snack.