Contents:
- Medical Video: Why You Should Eat Orange Peels - Healthy Nutrients and Great Benefits
- Are peels always healthier?
- Eat fruit peels high in fiber content
- Fruit skin contains high antioxidants
- Fruit skin contains pesticides
- What fruits can be eaten with the skin and which are not?
Medical Video: Why You Should Eat Orange Peels - Healthy Nutrients and Great Benefits
There are two types of people in this world: those who are fond of eating fruit with their skin and those who have to peel it before eating it. Even so, other fruits turn out to be better if eaten without peeling. So, which way to eat fruit is the best? Peeled or eaten whole with the skin?
Are peels always healthier?
Actually, whatever your favorite way to eat fruit is not too much of a problem. The important thing is that you still eat fruit as much as possible every day. Even so, peeling the skin of the fruit can make you lose a number of nutrients that are important to the body.
Yes. Most people assume that fruit flesh is the most nutritious part. This assumption is not right, you know! In fact, the most beneficial vitamins, minerals and other compounds are stored in the skin of the fruit. By peeling the skin, you will actually lose about one third of that nutrient.
For example, apple. One whole apple with its skin can contain more than 332% vitamin K, vitamin C more than 142%, 20% more calcium, and up to 19% more potassium than peeled apples. Why can the two nutritional values be different, even though they are still apples?
This is caused by the water content in the fruit flesh which can evaporate after peeling. The loss of water content can disrupt the pH balance of some fruits, so it can eliminate the nutritional content. Some vitamins and minerals that cannot stand the heat can also evaporate after the fruit is peeled and cut, such as vitamin C.
Besides having more complete nutritional content, there are still many more benefits that you can get from eating fruits still with the skin.
Eat fruit peels high in fiber content
Fruit skin contains more fiber than in meat, especially types of fiber that are not water soluble. One whole apple, for example, contains up to 2.4 grams of fiber. Half of that amount is contained in the skin.
Intake of insoluble fiber can help prevent and treat constipation. Moreover, the high fiber content in the skin of the fruit can make you feel full longer than eating peeled fruit. This feeling of fullness ultimately reduces the calorie intake you consume so that it has an impact on weight loss.
Fruit skin also contains a high portion of water soluble fiber. Pectin, one type of water soluble fibercan help lower cholesterol levels and control blood sugar. You can find Pectin in apple skin, berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), peaches, cherries, grapes, and oranges.
Fruit skin contains high antioxidants
Research shows that the antioxidant content in fruit is more concentrated in the skin. A study found that antioxidant levels in fruit skin can be 328 times higher than in fruit flesh itself.
The antioxidant itself plays a role in fighting free radicals in the body, which is the culprit of arthritis, heart disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, hypertension, stomach ulcers, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.Research has found that eating apples with their skin is more effective at killing cancer cells than those already peeled.
But apparently ...
Fruit skin contains pesticides
Fruit skin does contain many benefits, but it should be noted that pesticides are also contained in the skin of the fruit. But this is nothing to worry about.
Keep in mind that the level of pesticides on the surface of fruit and vegetable skin is not high and dangerous. Therefore, for those of you who still want to eat fruit with their skin do not need to worry because this will not have a negative effect on the body.
The easiest way to get rid of pesticides on fruit skin is to wash them. Research shows that about 41 percent of the pesticides attached to the fruit will be lost if the fruit is washed with running water. Don't forget to rub the surface of the fruit with your hand or a soft brush.
Also make sure to clean the base of the fruit such as the stalk and the hidden ends where the germs usually gather. You also need to pay attention to the part of the fruit that looks bony or damaged. Clean and cut the part because bacteria can develop in it.
However, one thing you cannot do before washing fruit is to wash your hands first.
What fruits can be eaten with the skin and which are not?
Indeed, some fruits, such as salak, rambutan, watermelon, pineapple, or durian, obviously cannot be eaten with the skin (unless you are brave). But basically, you can eat most of the fruit directly with the skin. For example: apples, kiwi, bananas, berries and pears.
Back again, eating fruit with or without skin is the choice and taste of each. However, if you can get abundant benefits from eating fruit with the skin, why not try it?
