Wellness

10 BEAUTIFUL FRUITS FOR BEAUTIFUL BODIES

Fruits you are probably not used to eating can probably make your body a lot happier. We’ve got a platter full of juicy exotics that are full of new surprises.

1. KIWANO

With an eye-catching orange outside and rich contrast from its inner green pulp, Kiwano is rich in beta carotene. This fruit helps protect the surface of your eye and aids with your night vision, perfect for seeing beauty at all times of the day.

2. RAMBUTAN

The Rambutan offers a stunning visual display with its red skin, green hair fibers, and white center. Another fruit rich in vitamin C, this fruit also contains important bioflavonoids, high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to keep your body in top shape.

3. BUDDHA’S HAND

Like the dragon fruit, Buddha’s hand contains a high amount of vitamin C to help protect your eyes and vision. This fruit is host to a series of alluring finger-like appendages and acts as a good luck charm to some cultures.

4. MANGOSTEEN

The beautifully dark, round outside of the mangosteen contrasts delightfully with its white inner core. Eaten like an orange, this fruit is full of nutrients including complex B vitamins, helping to protect the retina and reduce macular degeneration for women.

Dubbed the "queen of fruits,” the mangosteen is native to Malaysia and Indonesia, although it is now found throughout South-East Asia. The taste is quite sweet, but with a hint of sourness.

The mangosteen is one of the richest sources of chemical compounds called Xanthones, which seem to have anti-aging benefits.

5. DRAGONFRUIT

The beauty of dragon fruit catches the eye at first glimpse. Boasting pink skin and bright green streaks, the dragon fruit is full of vitamin C to help protect your eyes.

6. JACKFRUIT

Beautiful by its simple nature, the jackfruit is another source filled with vitamin C. In addition to protecting the surface of your eyes, vitamin C may even reduce the risk of vision loss, helping you see the beautiful world for even longer.

Its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching as much as 80 pounds (36 kg) in weight, 36 inches (90 cm) in length, and 20 inches (50 cm) in diameter. It is said to taste like a combo of apple, pineapple, mango and banana.

7. GUYABANO

The guyabano, also known as a soursop or custard apple, is not only rich in vitamins C and B, but also contains lots of potassium. This fruit can help reduce fluid under the skin, reducing puffy eyes and blurred vision so you can see the intricacies of the world with more clarity.

On top of the fruit’s aid to vision, the guyabano fruit has been praised for its ability to reduce skin infections and diseases, increase energy, and even allegedly aid in curing cancer.

8. DUKU FRUIT (LANGSAT)

Duku Fruit is a fruit that looks and tastes a lot like Longan Berries. Because Duku Fruits have lots of fiber, it’s proven to help prevent colon cancer and to promote good bacteria in the gut. The peel and seeds of the Duku also help to relieve digestive ailments such as diarrhea and intestinal parasites. Chock full of antioxidants these fruits help ward off cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer.

9. LONGAN BERRY

The Longan Berry, also known as the Dragon’s Eye, is a yellowish-brown berry with a leathery protective shell that helps neutralize poisons in your body. It’s been used as an antidote to snake bites for eons.

The Longan is native to China, is related to the lychee fruit.

It is also said to have anti-cancer, antioxidant, and liver-protective properties. The longan contains high levels of iron, potassium, and large amounts of vitamins A and C.

10. ORANGE AND BANANA PEELS

There is no question that fruits are beautiful to look at, but they also contain a plethora of nutrients and vitamins to help nourish the mind and body. Despite the common tendency to throw away banana and orange peels, the outside of these fruits can be just as nutrient rich.

Studies have shown that orange peel can dissolve cholesterol and triglycerides. It also has a flavonoid known as hesperidin, which is said to be effective against colon cancer and osteoporosis.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Fruits in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 07.20.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!