When eating freah fruits, usually we just ‘concentrate’ on getting to the flesh. Most of us would just peel away the skin of fruits or throw away the piths. Have you ever thought of munching on the skins of fruits? Or perhaps the harder inner core of a fruit? A bit difficult, right, as we are not used to it .

But do you know that eating the skins of some fruits could boost your nutritional intake of vitamins, combat cancer and increase your energy levels?

An article in Britain’s Mail Online (dated 2 November 2010) mentioned Dr. Marilyn Glenville, a former president of Food And Health Forum at the Royal Society of Medicine, as saying that – All fruit and vegetables have a ‘bio-synergy’, which means the nutritional benefits of each part are reinforced by the others.

Here are 4 Fruits in which their skin and other parts has immense nutritional benefits:

1. Bananas

Researchers in Taiwan discovered banana peel extract can ease depression as it is rich in serotonin, the mood-balancing chemical. The skin was also found to be good for eyes, as it contains the antioxidant lutein, which protects eye cells from exposure to ultraviolet light which is a leading cause of cataracts. the research team advises boiling the peel for 10 minutes and drinking the cooled water.

2. Oranges and Tangerines

The peels from these fruits are high in powerful antitoxidants called super-flavonoids, which can signficantly reduce levels of bad LDL cholesterol, and get this, without lowering the good HDL levels. The antioxidants obtained from the peel were found to be 20 times more powerful than those from the juice, according to a US study. Actually all citrus fruits share this potent characteristic. Furthermore, the white pith in them contains high levels of pectin, a component of dietary fibre known to lower cholesterol and colonise the gut with beneficial bacteria.

3. Pineapple

Along with fibre and Vitamin C, a pineapple’s real benefit lies in a group of protein-digesting enzymes called bromelain, which breaks down food that lingers in the digestive system. The core of a pineapple contains twice the bromelain concentration of the surrounding fruit.

4. Kiwi

Its hairy skin is high in antitoxidants and thought to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties. The skin contains 3 times the antitoxidants of the pulp and could fight off nasty bugs such as Staphylococus and E-coli, which are responsible for food poisoning.

NOTE OF ADVICE

Some people might be allergic to kiwi skin hair. For safer eating, wash the fruit 2 times with lukewarm tap water as the 2nd washing is highly beneficial in removing most pathogens on the surface of the kiwi. Gently rinse the fruit with water from the tap, allowing the chlorine in the water to kill bacteria on the kiwi. Then gently brush with a fruit brush as this will remove soil, debris or insects before rinsing again.

As for pesticides, washing all fruits (and vegetables too) with cold running water will usually eliminate over 90% of pesticides. If the produce is high in pesticides or has waxy coating, spraying with a solution of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar may help reduce pesticides slightly more than plain water itself.