When eating most fruit, it’s natural to immediately peel off the skin to make it easier to eat. In fact, some fruit needs to have the skin removed to be more edible. However, there are actually many benefits to leaving the skin on your fruit.
Antioxidants
Fruits already have a high number of antioxidants. These antioxidants help to protect your body from potential risks including heart disease, cancer, and more. They protect your body by fighting what are called “free radicals.” High levels of free radicals can negatively impact your health which is why you need to include antioxidants in your diet. Getting plenty of antioxidants in your body can help you to stay healthy. To increase your antioxidant intake, you need to eat your fruit with the skin on. The outer layer of fruit is much higher in antioxidants than the rest of the fruit.
More Fiber
Getting plenty of fiber in your diet is beneficial for several reasons. First, fiber is actually helpful for your oral health. Fibrous fruits like apples and kiwis are great for cleaning your teeth. The fiber helps to scrub away debris on your teeth and the skin of fruits is rich with fiber. Taking plenty of time to chew the skins can give your teeth a nice and clean appearance. Additionally, fiber helps you to stay full longer. It takes your body longer to digest and process and since this process takes longer, your body feels satiated for much longer. Eating more fiber helps you not feel as hungry.
Higher in Vitamins
In addition to having higher levels of antioxidants, the skin of fruit also contains more vitamins than the flesh of the fruit. For example, apple skins contain a higher level of vitamin A and vitamin K. The skins as a whole are very nutritious and can give you more benefits than you might expect. There are also certain fruit skins that you might not expect to be edible. Kiwis, for example, are often peeled. However, the skin of a kiwi is very high in vitamin C. As you eat your fruits, it’s worth determining whether or not the skin can provide more nutrition for you.
It’s common to peel most fruits and focus on the flesh instead. However, the skin can benefit your body in a lot of ways. Take some time to learn what fruit skins can be eaten and how they can help you stay healthy.
Check out this article on how to create a healthy and balanced meal at home!
