Fruits: benefits and 100 examples

Fruit is a popular term generally used to identify an edible, sweet-tasting fruit. This term, which has no botanical value, is also used to identify structures that are not considered real fruits, such as strawberries, but with characteristics of fruit. Fruits are used by man in different ways and can be consumed, for example, in nature, dried and in the form of juices, jellies and sweets.

→ Difference between fruit and fruit

Fruit and fruit are two distinct terms that should not be used interchangeably.Fruit is a popular term referring to some types of fruit and accessory fruit¹ that are edible and have a sweet taste. the term fruit is a term used in Botany in reference to structures that are often inedible and do not even have a sweet taste. Therefore, not every fruit can be considered a fruit.

¹Fruits accessories: have a fleshy portion developed (largely or totally) from tissues that do not correspond to the ovary.

Avocado is a fruit and is also considered a fruit.

The term fruit is used in reference to a structure

present only in the angiosperms which corresponds to one or more ovaries developed. This ovary begins to develop, usually after the fertilization process, which originates the seed and causes a series of changes in the ovary, generating the fruit. The function of the fruits is to guarantee the protection of the seed and to help its dispersion. It is noteworthy that some fruits appear without fertilization, being called, in this case, parthenocarpic fruits.

Read too:Ethylene and ripe fruits: what is the relationship?

Banana is a parthenocarpic fruit.

Fruits can be classified in several ways, and one of them divides them into fleshy fruits and dried fruits. You fleshy fruit are those with a succulent pericarp (part originated from the ovary wall). Examples of fleshy fruits are watermelon, orange and peach. You dry fruits, in turn, they are those that have a pericarp with a small amount of water, and are therefore not succulent, like the fruit of beans, jequitibá and poppies.

The poppy gives rise to a dried fruit.

→ Importance of eating fruit

At fruits have a large number of components that directly benefit health, such as vitamins, minerals and some bioactive compounds (flavonoids and carotenoids, for example). Flavonoids have a function antioxidant, anticancer and antimutagenic. Carotenoids, in turn, are related to the increased response from our immune system and prevention against cardiovascular diseases, cataracts and cancer.

Prunes are fruits rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin C.

Due to the large amount of benefits attributed to fruits, it is recommended that a person do the intake of 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits per day. A low consumption of fruits is related to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular problems and some types of cancer.

→ What are tropical fruits?

At tropical fruits are those from plants that have a better production in places of high temperature. In this group, we have plants that cannot withstand very low temperatures. We can cite as examples of tropical fruits guava, passion fruit, banana, mango and papaya.

→ What are berries?

At Red fruits are reddish colored fruits that stand out for having a large amount of antioxidants, which protect the body against damage from free radicals. The color of red fruits is linked to the presence of a flavonoid pigment called anthocyanin, which is responsible for the reddish or even bluish color of these fruits. As examples of red fruits, we have strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry.

Blackberries and raspberries are examples of red fruits.

Read too:Can you tell the difference between blackberries and raspberries?

→ 100 fruit names

On our planet there are thousands of plants capable of producing fruit. Some have a sweet taste and can be consumed by humans, being generically called fruit. Here is a list with the names of 100 fruits:

1. Avocado

2. Pineapple

Pineapple is a tropical fruit.

1. abyu

2. ackee

3. Açaí

4. Acerola

5. Plum

6. Almond

7. Blackberry

8. Arrack

9. Araticum

10. asshole

11. babassu

12. bacaba

13. Bacupari

14. Bacuri

15. Banana

16. Tootles

17. Buriti

18. Cocoa

Cocoa seed is used in the production of chocolate.

1. Cagaita

2. caja

3. cashew

4. Condensed milk dessert with cashews

5. cambuci

6. camu-camu

7. Khaki

8. Star fruit

9. Cherry

10. Cherimoya

11. Cider

12. Coconut

13. Cupuacu

14. Damascus

15. Dekopon

16. Durian

Durian is a fruit from Asia known for its aphrodisiac power.

1. Feijoa

2. Fig

3. India's fig

4. Raspberry

5. Earl fruit

6. breadfruit

7. Roast

8. Guava

9. Grenadilla

Granadilla is a variety of passion fruit.

1. Necktie

2. Soursop

3. gooseberry

4. grumixama

Grumixama has a sweet and slightly acidic taste.

1. Guarana

2. Inga

3. Jabuticaba

4. jackfruit

5. Jambo

6. jamelon

7. Jatobá

8. genipap

9. jua

10. Kino

11. Kiwi

12. Orange

13. Lychee

The lychee is originally from China and has a delicate aroma and flavor.

1. lime

2. Lemon

3. longan

4. Apple

5. bitch mama

6. Papaya

7. Mango

Mango is rich in carotenoids and vitamin C.

1. mangaba

2. mangosteen

3. Passion fruit

4. Quince

5. watermelon

6. Melon

7. Tangerine

8. Blueberry

9. Strawberry

10. Murici

11. Nectarine

12. Pear

13. Peach

14. physalis

Physalis is rich in protein and vitamins such as vitamin C and B.

1. Pitanga

2. Pitaya

3. Pitomba

4. pomelo

5. peach palm

6. Rambutan

7. Pomegranate

8. sapodilla

9. Sapucaia

10. Seriguela

11. Date

12. Tamarind

13. Grapefruit

14. Tucumán

Umbu is a typical fruit from the Brazilian Northeast.

1. Umbu

2. Grape

3. uvaia

By Ma. Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos