Fruits are the succulent fruits of trees or shrubs that a person can eat. Their diversity is simply amazing. There are more than 100 types of fruits on our planet in the traditional sense of the word. All of them differ in size appearance, quantity useful substances in the pulp and locality of growth.
- temperate fruits. This includes the familiar apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots and quince.
- Subtropical fruits. These are grapes, figs, dates, pomegranates, avocados, kiwi, lychee, passion fruit, feijoa, peppino, persimmon and many others. This category also includes representatives of the citrus family - lemons, tangerines, clementines, pomelo, grapefruits, oranges, sweets and kumquats.
- Tropical fruits: coconuts, bananas, papaya, pineapple, guava and mango are the most famous among them.
A healthy diet necessarily includes the consumption of fruits in raw or baked form. It is generally accepted that exotic fruits better for diets. But temperate fruits are also very useful, so they should not be neglected. Ordinary apples, for example, contain approximately 87% of structured "living" water and 13% of nutrients. They contain a whole complex of vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C), organic acids, potassium, sodium, iron, iodine and calcium. Apples, in terms of the amount of certain nutrients, are many times ahead of the fruits of a tropical and subtropical climate. For example, they contain half as much vitamin A as oranges. Regular use apple helps protect against infections, maintains vision and improves memory.
Pear pulp contains potassium and iron ions, which are necessary for the synthesis of healthy blood cells. And the increased amount of fructose makes this fruit indispensable for people with impaired pancreatic function.
Peaches and apricots have a mild diuretic and laxative effect. They also help improve digestion, due to the presence of useful organic acids and essential oils in the pulp.
All citrus fruits are famous for their high content of vitamin C. Juices from fruits of this family activate the metabolism, and also have a tonic effect on the body as a whole. Vitamins A and B, potassium, magnesium and calcium, which are present in large quantities in all citrus fruits, are useful for hypertension, obesity, atherosclerosis and liver disease.
Kiwi contains the well-known enzyme actinidin, which promotes the breakdown of proteins and the rapid digestion of food. The fruits of this fruit have an antioxidant effect. 100 g of kiwi contains a dose of vitamin C, which is 4 times the daily human requirement.
Pineapple fruits also contain many different vitamins (among them B1, B2, B12, A, PP). Due to the presence of the enzyme bromelain, this exotic fruit promotes the breakdown of fat. That is why pineapple is part of many weight loss products, but it should not be abused for two reasons:
- due to the risk of allergic reactions;
- our body, unfortunately, after a while forms a habit of bromelain, and this enzyme stops its action.
All fruits are very useful for our body. But, if you are watching your weight, nutritionists advise limiting your intake of bananas, persimmons and grapes. These fruits contain a large amount of sugar, so they do not have a very favorable effect on our figure.
The use of fruits has a positive effect on the condition of the skin, contributes to the normalization of digestion and other processes in the body. An apple, orange, peach or apricot will be the best light dessert for you.
In the summer, in the country house or in the market, we collect or buy such familiar vegetables as carrots, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, but we don’t even know what amazing facts they are fraught with! Curious information about them, it turns out, is very, very much - just have time to read and memorize. Let's get acquainted with amazing facts about your favorite and healthy vegetables!
Such different carrots
Where do you think carrots came from? From Afghanistan! Since it contains beta-carotene in its composition, it (carrot) gave it its name (from the Latin carota - carrot).
Previously, many types of carrots were grown everywhere: yellow, black, and red ... And the classic orange carrot was brought to us from the Netherlands.
Cucumber crispy, fresh, alluring
Cucumber also has something to surprise you with. For example, did you know that a monument was erected to him in the Moscow region? The monument to the Lukhovitsky cucumber-breadwinner is a barrel with a fairly large figure, in fact, a cucumber, which is about to take off from the "powder keg".
Cucumber is loved all over the world. Moreover, he even has his own holiday - July 27, and this is International Cucumber Day. For the first time, the Cucumber Festival was held in Suzdal.
Well, of course, how can you ignore the topic of the largest cultivated cucumber? Of course not. We show and tell: this handsome man, quite edible and useful, grew up in Israel with Idzak Yadzapana. Its length is as much as 118 centimeters!
And what can you say about such a half-cucumber-half-melon? And this is not an artificial hybrid at all, but an edible fruit carefully created by Mother Nature called Kiwano (African cucumber). They say it tastes like banana and cucumber. Simultaneously.
But this handsome man calls himself a serpentine melon (Armenian cucumber). It is used as a regular cucumber.
Sweet tomato, like first love...
Basically, a tomato is Golden Apple". We don’t know why, but this is how the original Italian pomo d’oro is translated, from which the name came. Tomato - also very, very different vegetable: most big fruit was noticed and immediately weighed - 2.9 kg, and the smallest in diameter hardly reaches 1.5 cm.
The curious European Union does not get tired of recognizing vegetables as fruits, so, like carrots, a tomato also fell under the distribution. You can probably make jam from tomatoes too ...
And the tomato is a close biological relative of tobacco and potatoes. Why? All three of these plants belong to the nightshade family.
Cabbage is the head of everything
Why? Because the name refers to the ancient Roman word "caputum", which translates as "head". And what, the shape and size are generally similar ...
By the way, sauerkraut not only tastier and longer stored, but also healthier than fresh: it saturates the body with vitamins all year round. Only pickled without salt, of course. Just cabbage, carrots and water.
Unfortunately, the homeland of everyone's favorite cabbage is unknown. Italy, Georgia and Greece have been arguing for centuries about which of them is worthy of this title, but they have not come to anything.
Are you interested in such facts about vegetables?
Agriculture is the foundation of all human civilization. Once people were able to constantly grow their own food, they were able to abandon their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle. When we no longer had to chase migratory herds and pick roots from the mud to survive, we were able to develop culture, language and music. Below you will find 10 strange and amazing facts about the food we love so much.
10 Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed was real person, but so much mysticism surrounds his name that he moved into the realm of legends, like Daniel Boone (Daniel Boone) and Davy Crockett (Davy Crockett). He roamed the Pennsylvania frontier between Ohio and Indiana between 1700 and 1800. He planted 258,999 square kilometers of apple orchards, some of which have survived to this day. He walked barefoot, dressed in burlap, and was often fun for people who always rejoiced at his arrival. He quickly found a common language with the Indians, children and animals.
However, this man was not a saint, and growing apples was big business. It seemed that he knew where the new settlement would flourish, and managed to get to that place in advance. When the first settlers arrived, he sold his trees for a few cents each and moved on. Because of this, he died a rich man.
If you think that Johnny's apples went into pies and casseroles, then we hasten to disappoint you - at that time, apples were not very valued as a source of food, and they were grown to produce strong cider and apple vodka. After all, what was the point of conquering new territories if you couldn’t sit down in the evening to watch the sunset while drinking delicious cocktail.
9. Celery containing negative calories
There is nothing in the world more loaded with ridiculous, questionable and dangerous advice than dieting. One of the most dubious claims was that there were foods containing "negative calories". These foods were allegedly so low in calories that the process of chewing and digesting them took more calories than this product actually gave. The most commonly cited example was celery, which contains about six calories per stalk. Dozens of fairly reliable sources claim that celery will actually help you lose weight.
However, the digestion process is quite efficient and burns few calories. If you look at it from the point of view of a survival mechanism, then this is easily explained: in an age when there were no eateries on every corner, people often had to expend huge amounts of energy for food. If the process of digesting what they managed to snatch was also energy-intensive, they would most likely starve to death. Celery is not a substitute for exercise, but it can be eaten to your heart's content. To set the desired calorie intake per day, you need to eat more than 300 celery stalks.
8 Banana Extinction
Our ancestors may have suffered from the Great Depression, and they certainly didn't have iPads to pass the time, but they did have what we don't have, much better bananas. Until the 1950s, the most widely grown banana variety in the world was the Gros Michel. Unfortunately, this type of banana has almost completely disappeared due to a fungus called Panama Disease.
Today, we enjoy a similar version of banana called the Cavendish. Cavendish is smaller, more brittle and less tasty, but it does have resistance to Panama Disease. However, just like Gros Michel before him, Cavendish is in big trouble now. Recently, a new strain of Panama Disease has emerged, most scientists believe that the Cavendish, which is susceptible to this strain, will soon disappear, and it is only a matter of time. It will disappear in practical terms, because there is even a type of "Gros Michel", but it is not enough to meet world demand.
7. Toxic potatoes
The common potato is a member of the nightshade family and a close relative of belladonna. Just like belladonna, potatoes produce a large amount of substances called glycoalkaloids, among which there is one particularly unpleasant strain called solanine. This poison is the potato's defense mechanism, and is designed to prevent the plant from being eaten. This substance is concentrated in leaves, stems and shoots. Any presence of greenery on the skin of a potato is a sure sign of the presence of solanine. Most potatoes sold are carefully cultivated to contain as little poison as possible, but there is always a chance that high solanine potatoes will slip through, and there have been cases of people dying from eating high solanine potatoes. Heat treatment potatoes, of course, can reduce the content of solanine, but each potato eaten contains a small amount of this substance.
6. Grape plasma
Simple grapes can be turned from solid to gas and then to plasma by briefly heating in microwave oven. These changes carry a high degree of danger associated with a critical change in the state of matter, in addition, the microwave oven may not survive this trick. There is also a remote chance that you will set fire to your house, so it is better not to do this at home.
The process itself is very simple. Take a grape, cut it 90 percent, almost in half, that is, so that the halves dangle on a small strip of skin. Remove the turntable from the microwave, place a grape in it, and set the timer to no more than ten seconds. After a few seconds, the moisture contained in the grapes will appear as a gas, and the discharge between the two halves will turn the vapor into a small electric light show. If you place a clean glass beaker over a grape, it will hold the plasma a few moments longer.
5 Cannibal Tomato
The cannibal tomato native to Fiji is actually an eggplant. The plant closely resembles a tomato and has been used by the Fiji natives, who have practiced cannibalism for thousands of years, to create a sauce that appears to be the perfect condiment for human meat. Some modern cannibals who had a chance to taste human flesh compared its taste and density with veal, so the natives considered it a good idea to serve marinara to human flesh.
4 Designer watermelons
The watermelon originated in the Republic of South Africa, and quickly spread throughout the world, testifying to the existence of complex trade routes in ancient times. The Egyptians have been eating it since the time of the pharaohs. It reached China in the 10th century and Europe in the 13th century.
Given its easy adaptability, it's no surprise that watermelon has become a natural target for the Japanese appetite for novelty. Farmers have discovered a way to grow watermelons inside glass boxes so that the watermelons grow in the shape of a cube for easy storage in refrigerators. Other shapes have also been created, such as the shape of a pyramid. Even more outlandish are the prices of the delicacy Densuke watermelon. They are grown only on the island of Hokkaido (Hokkaido Island). The first few pieces, collected at the very beginning of the season, are sold for thousands of dollars. On average, the price for Densuke watermelon varies around $250.
3. Purple carrot
Also, as in the case of watermelon, the migration of carrots can be traced, but there are different theories about its origin. It is believed that for the first time it began to be cultivated on the territory of modern Afghanistan, then it came to Europe along the Middle Eastern trade routes. Of course, we would hardly recognize the ancient carrot - it looked rather ragged and was either white or purple. In the skillful hands of the Netherlands, carrots acquired their modern and familiar orange color. Although most of us have never seen carrots of any color other than orange, such carrots exist and are sold in high-end grocery stores, or convenience stores. healthy eating. It is usually sold in "rainbow packs" that include white, yellow, purple, and even black carrots.
2. Spinach, iron vegetable
Spinach has a bad reputation. Many people, especially children, turn up their noses at this vegetable. And then there is Elzie Segar, a cartoon character who, under the name of Popeye the Sailor (Popeye), received inhuman strength from a can of spinach. It's hard to describe the profound impact that Popeye the Sailor has had on the world's spinach consumption, but monuments have been erected to him in some spinach-growing communities. Canner Allens Vegetables even produces the Popeye brand.
Legend has it that Segar chose spinach based on a false scientific report from the 1800s that misplaced the decimal for the iron content of spinach. This story turned out to be a myth, and new claims are that Segar chose spinach because high content it has vitamin A. Spinach is quite healthy, but many people prefer to boil it - which usually takes away most of the nutrients.
1. The most hated vegetable in the world 
Unfortunately for our expanding waistlines, vegetables are the least preferred food. President George H. W. Bush hated broccoli so much that he made headlines when he banned the vegetable from the White House. According to statistics, the least favorite vegetable in the UK is celery. However, around the world, Brussels sprouts take the leading place in the list of the most disliked vegetables.
These little cabbages are very healthy and contain over a dozen vitamins and minerals, but their bitter taste repels most gourmets. In fairness to this vegetable, it is worth noting that certain methods of its preparation significantly improve the taste. Vegetable lovers say that smaller cabbages are usually sweeter. To remove the bitterness, you need to cut them in half, boil and then immerse in cold water, in addition, they can be doused with something sour, for example, lemon juice or red vinegar.
Tomatoes are both vegetables and fruits, kiwis have more vitamins than oranges, apples and roses have a lot in common! These are just some interesting facts about fruits and vegetables! Read on for others. Turns out we don't know much about them!
bell pepper is a fruit
Surprised? Scientists define fruits as plants that develop from a flower and contain seeds. So, peppers - zucchini, cucumbers and pumpkins - are fruits. Perhaps this information will make you reconsider the recipe for your favorite fruit salad.
Bananas are berries
A real berry is a fruit that develops from one flower and one ovary. The ovary is the female part of the flower. This means that grapes, kiwis and bananas are berries.
Steamed broccoli is the best choice
If you're trying to lower your cholesterol levels, steamed broccoli will be your go-to. Raw broccoli contains elements aimed at fighting cancer cells. Compared to the stems, the cabbage florets themselves are much healthier. And cabbage leaves, which are often just thrown away, contain some nutrients that are not found either in the stem or in the inflorescences.
Avocado is a fruit
An avocado contains seeds, which automatically makes it a fruit. It contains many healthy fats that lower cholesterol levels. Avocados also help the body absorb nutrients from other foods, such as tomatoes.
Potatoes are a storehouse of potassium
Potassium is needed by our body for muscle strengthening and control blood pressure. Bananas are considered the main source of this element. Not many people know that a potato contains much more potassium than a banana. It has no fat and is a good source of vitamins and iron.
Tomatoes are fruits and ... vegetables
Tomatoes are fruits. But, in accordance with the law, and vegetables too. Juicy backstory: In 1800, in the Port of New York, all vegetables were taxed, but fruits were not. The importer, wanting to cut costs, went to court to claim that his tomatoes were fruits. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that tomatoes are often served with meat or fish and are a vegetable. Thus, the tax on tomatoes still had to be paid.
Figs vs milk
Trying to replenish your calcium stores? Instead of another glass of milk, turn your attention to fruit. Figs contain high amounts of calcium. A glass of dried figs equals the same amount of milk. Unlike a cold drink, figs are also a great source of fiber. But don't overdo it. Figs are “stuffed” with sugars and calories.
Blackberries are not exactly a berry.
In the plant world, blackberries, raspberries, and even strawberries are not berries, but inflorescences of tiny individual fruits that have grown together. But even under other names, they are still just as tasty and sweet.
Kiwi or orange?
Kiwi can deliver a nutritional punch to any of the fruits. It contains twice as much vitamin C as oranges, and in terms of potassium levels and low salt content, it can create an alternative to bananas. Kiwis are packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
Apples and roses - what do they have in common?
Apples are a good source of fiber and vitamin C. And they are so fragrant! Have you ever thought about it? Apples, pears, cherries and plums are just some of the fruits that share a common ancestry with roses.
Carrot sticks or baby carote
Those cute little carrots in the grocery store aren't "baby" big carrots. They are cut from large varieties that are sweeter and thinner than traditional carrots. In addition to being a convenient size, they are rich in vitamins, just like their full-sized versions.
Fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet. Therefore, we often miss quite interesting facts about what exactly we eat. We take it for granted that orange-colored oranges and one apple a day will help to avoid a visit to the doctor. You may not even know that we have been eating the same bananas for 50 years. Have you ever wondered how much the perfect fruit can sell for? The answer may surprise you. Below are 10 weird facts about nature's candies.
10. Aphrodisiatic properties of durian
Durian is a Southeast Asian fruit well known for its toxic smell. It smells so bad that it has been banned from consumption in many public places in Asia, and just because you carry it with you, you may be asked to leave a certain area. Less well known, however, is the long-standing belief that the foul-smelling fruit is a powerful aphrodisiac.
Durian is known as the "King of Fruits". There is a rather specific belief among the people of Java that eating durian has a powerful and lightning-fast effect on a person's libido. The very eating of the silky and smooth flesh of the fruit is said to be a sensory experience, and the effect is made even more powerful by its rich and complex flavors. As the Javanese proverb says, "When durians fall, sarongs rise."
The legend took root after people watched many times how after eating durian, mating inevitably followed animals, and as it turned out, there is some truth in this myth. Durian is high in tryptophan, which the body converts into the happiness hormone, serotonin. The presence of serotonin in the body, in turn, makes pleasant experiences even more pleasant. When researchers in India set out to test the effects of durian in mice, they found that male mice that were fed durian regularly for two weeks experienced an increase in libido and fertility.
9. Bananas are too perfect
Genetic diversity is the key to the longevity of a species. Unfortunately, this is something that bananas no longer have. While there are over 300 various types bananas, there is one species that accounts for the vast majority of demand in Europe, Canada and the United States: the Cavendish. These bananas are delicious, convenient, and they grow all over the world, from the Hawaiian Islands to Thailand to Central America.
The problem is that every Cavendish banana, no matter where it is grown or imported, is genetically identical. This means he is vulnerable. In the absence of genetic differences, a single fungus or disease can wipe out all of the world's most popular banana plantations - and it has already happened once. The Gros Michel variety was one of the world's most popular bananas until a fungal disease wiped out almost all Gros Michel banana plants, dealing a devastating blow to the economies of banana-producing countries such as Honduras. Billions of dollars have been poured into the banana industry to find a replacement for the lost Gros Michel variety.
Despite efforts to create a hardier, more genetically diverse variety of bananas, the Cavendish still faces the same head-to-head extinction as its predecessor. Part of the problem is that bananas are not reproducible from seeds, as they have long been bred from fruit for flavor and convenience. Instead, bananas are mostly hand-pollinated, and fruiting bushes grow stems and cuttings for many years, limiting the amount of genetic diversity in the crop. The origin of bananas is also problematic: virtually all modern banana mutations are derived from a handful of only about 10 plants that were originally cultivated on the African continent.
8. The perfect fruit can be very expensive.
In Japan, fruits are often given as gifts between family members, friends, colleagues, and business associates. They are seen as a luxury, and the more perfect the gift, the more memorable the gift. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that in Japan there is a store called Senbikiya, which specializes in only the most perfect fruits. The fruits sold in the store are not only free of stains and wormholes, they are also perfectly shaped, and most of them are so big and delicious that they look artificial, especially in the eyes of someone who is not used to seeing the pinnacle of fruit perfection.
A box of 12 strawberries sells for about $83, while three melons will set you back about $419. You pay not only for excellence, you pay for huge amount labor that is invested in the cultivation of these fruits. Fruit grown in Japan is more highly valued than imported fruits, and greenhouse workers work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure that their plants are grown from only the best and strongest seedlings. They work tirelessly to make sure that each plant has the right amount of nutrients and that the temperature in their greenhouses is constantly kept at the right level. In some cases, all of this effort is focused on one vine or plant that produces one fruit. Some of these plants even have small hats attached to them to protect them from sun exposure and provide a perfect, uniform outer color.
7. Most berries are not.
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries - there are not many foods that can be easily identified. However, according to the botanical definition, many fruits that we think of as berries are not actually berries. A berry is a fruit that has a fleshy flesh and outer skin, and consists entirely of the ovary of the plant. This means that grapes, avocados, eggplants, Bell pepper, tomatoes, and even chili peppers are botanically classified as berries.
Cranberries, blueberries, and gooseberries are what are known as "false berries", meaning that they form from the ovary of the plant, but not from the upper ovary, which would make them classify as true berries. These berries are also partially formed from a tube attached to the ovary, which further contributes to their exclusion from the classification of true berries. Raspberries and blackberries are essentially drupes, which means they have fleshy, thin-skinned fruits that contain a few hard-shelled seeds. They are also compound fruits, meaning that more than one fruit can develop from a single flower. Strawberries are false fruits, scientifically called pseudocarps, which means that they are formed from a combination of ovary and non-ovary plant tissues and have structures known as achenes located on their skin.
6. Oranges are not usually orange. 
The color orange may have been named after the English word "orange" for oranges, but the irony is that oranges are not usually orange. The color orange was not defined until 1542, when it was formed along with a word previously used for fruit. Its first form was the Arabic word "Naranj" and the Persian word "Narang", both of which are derived from the Sanskrit word "naranga".
However, oddly enough, most oranges that are imported from tropical countries are not orange at all. In their natural, ripe state, in the warmer countries where they are grown, the outer skin of oranges is rich in chlorophyll, making them green. In colder areas, chlorophyll is destroyed by cold weather and, as with leaves on deciduous trees, the orange color of the flesh inside shows through. green color. In fact, green oranges are ripe, and those that have already turned orange are on their way from their peak ripeness period to rotting. Our associations don't help either: many people in the United States and Europe believe that green fruits are immature, so some orange crops are artificially dyed orange by freezing or ethylene gas to get rid of the chlorophyll in their skins.
5. Dogwood who tricked the devil
Cornel edible grows on decorative tree, which is closely related to the dogwood genus, and is one of the most ancient fruits with a long history. When dogwood is mentioned in ancient Greek, Roman and Persian texts, it is described as a kind of cherry. Due to the fact that dogwood fruits are incredibly sweet, they are commonly used to make syrups, jams, jellies, and confectionery, rather than consuming them directly, like the better-known types of cherries. In Eastern Europe, they are often used to make wine and vodka, and are also pickled along with olives and used in the same way. Dogwood was popular throughout Russia, Asia and the Byzantine Empire.
Dogwood is also part of the Turkish legend of the devil. According to this story, when Satan first came to Turkey, the first things he saw were dogwood trees that were in full bloom during the springtime. He thought that because these trees were the first to bloom, they would also be the first to bear fruit. He sat down under a tree and waited while the other trees around him blossomed and bore fruit. By the time he realized that the fruits of the dogwood tree were the last to ripen at the very end of summer, he was incredibly angry. Since then, dogwood has been called "Seytan alditan ağacı", or "the tree that deceived Satan".
4. Watermelons have long been considered a source of water.
While today we think of watermelons mostly as delicious treat on a hot summer day, they were originally cultivated for very practical reasons. One of the earliest references to the cultivation of watermelons can be found in Egyptian hieroglyphs that date back over 5,000 years ago. References to the cultivation of watermelons are also found in various cultures throughout Africa, India and the Mediterranean. However, it was David Livingstone who confirmed the watermelon's origin when he discovered fields of wild watermelons growing in Africa.
Watermelons thrive in dry areas and have long served a very important purpose beyond a simple product healthy diet. Watermelons are approximately 92 percent water, and in many dry areas of Africa, the fruit has long been used as a source of water by both humans and animals. The evidence found even made it possible to establish that they were taken with them on the road by researchers as a kind of bottles of water found in nature. Another advantage of watermelons is that after their use there is no waste left, and the whole fruit can be eaten. In addition to the juicy pulp of watermelon, its seeds can be roasted, and even the peel can be salted in barrels. In some areas, it is pickled in jars or salted to preserve it for the winter. sweet juice watermelon is used to make beer in Russia, and it can also be used as a base for syrups.
3. Mom was right about apples
We've all heard the saying, "One apple for dinner and you don't need a doctor." In fact, we've heard it so many times that it's easy to brush it off and write it off as old wives' tales repeated over the centuries. However, there is a lot of scientific evidence that supports the fact that this saying is absolutely true, and eating apples on a regular basis can provide a range of health benefits that even mom probably didn't know about.
A Florida State University study found that eating only a small amount dried apples within six months led to a dramatic drop in bad cholesterol, and the same study showed a correlation between apples and weight loss. We all know that apples are full of good things like vitamin C, but what does that mean in the long run? Long-term studies have shown that people who eat apples have a reduced risk of stroke, experience improved respiratory function, and are more likely to maintain a healthy weight. Apples can also cut the risk of certain types of cancer by as much as two times, improve brain function and cellular health, prevent the development of dementia and related diseases, and reduce a person's risk of developing diabetes.
Plain, boring apples sometimes take a back seat in the presence of more trendy super fruits, but the history of apples shows that their health benefits have been known for centuries. Remains of apples have been found in prehistoric settlements dating back to 6500 BC, and we can still taste some of the same varieties of apples that our ancient ancestors ate.
2. Chimpanzees Appreciate the Forbidden Fruit
We are all familiar with the biblical story of Adam, Eve, and the forbidden fruit, but as it turns out, the idea of the forbidden fruit is also a lure for the chimpanzee. Researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland studied chimpanzee courtship rituals in the wild and found that female chimpanzees responded very positively when a male brought fruit to them.
However, females do not like all kinds of fruit, and in most cases, favor was shown to those males who brought them fruit stolen from nearby human farmland. The study looked at the behavior of chimpanzees living outside a village in the Republic of Guinea. The males, nervously heading to the city, stole papayas, and returned with them back to their girlfriends. As a reward, they were expected to have a high probability of grooming and intercourse, which females offered them instead of fruits.
Researchers believe that females appreciate not only the food itself, but also the rebellious behavior of males, although in fact, they are not in any danger from their chimpanzee-revering human neighbors. When males find food in the forest, they are less likely to return with it as an offering to a ready and willing female, and stolen fruit is a highly valued loot. While males are most likely to bring papayas, they have been shown to have a preference for pineapples and oranges.
1. The legendary history of guarana
If you look at the content of any energy drink, chances are that guarana will be listed as one of the main ingredients. This is seen everywhere these days, and most of us drink drinks without thinking about it. However, this fruit has a long and rather legendary history and mythology.
According to legend, an exceptionally creepy looking fruit grew from the eye of a murdered boy. Such a legend about the origin of the fruit is quite understandable, given that it looks like a large, bulging and bloodshot eyeball. You may have heard that guarana is used as an aphrodisiac, usually in the form of a drink along with other ingredients such as nuts and bird eggs, but this is actually a fairly recent use of this fruit, almost like its appearance in energy drinks. European missionaries from Brazil in the 17th century recorded how the natives used this fruit, noting that it not only gave them energy, but also allowed them to live for several days without feeling hungry. The fruit became a commodity for the colonial trade and was credited with protecting the body from disease, but eating too much of it was known to cause insomnia.
The caffeine found in guarana fruit is thought to be different from the caffeine found in coffee. Guarana contains chemical compounds known as tannins, which are believed to have a longer lasting effect than caffeine from other sources. For centuries, guarana seeds have been powdered or smoked in a long process that is done by hand. Drinking properly prepared guarana can take center stage at formal occasions and gatherings where groups of people pass a bowl around, quite different from swallowing energy drinks, which today is carried away by most of the world.
