5 Fruits You Shouldn’t Peel Before You Eat
Garden Egg
Also known as Eggplant, the skin of the garden egg has high levels of the antioxidant nasunin in its skin. Not much research has been done on this compound but a research published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health suggests that it could play a significant role in the maintenance of healthy brain tissues. More so, nasunin belongs to a family of antioxidants known as flavonoids which when consumed in high quantities can help to stop you from adding weight over time.
Carrots
Carrots contain a high level of polyacetylenes. They are thought to have antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. This chemical is also of significant interest as researchers are actively studying its ability to kill human cancer cells. Polyacetylenes are mostly concentrated below the skin of carrots so it’s best you scrub off only a thin peel of the skin or you leave them on as you eat. More so, some species of carrots have more benefits than others. Purple carrots have been known to have high levels of anthocyanins, an antioxidant compound which gives them their exceptional colour.
Apples
Peeling off the skin of an apple fruit will not reduce the amount of vitamin C available to you but you will lose out on another important nutrient – pectin. Pectin helps to slow digestion, which reduces your cravings for snacks to a minimum. Pectin is also a soluble fiber which plays a significant role in regulating and lowering low density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol and blood sugar.
Grapes
Grapes require a lot of pesticides during their growth process if they are to survive but that is not to say you should completely peel off the skin. The skins of red grapes contain resveratrol, a phytochemical which is highly beneficial to the brain and heart. Research also shows that it can slow down the growth of cancer in cellular and animal studies.
Cucumbers
When a cucumber is peeled, minerals and vitamins including magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin K consumed from the fruit are lower as opposed to when the full, unpeeled fruit is eaten. Moreover, almost all of the fiber from the cucumber fruit comes from the skin as most of the insides of the fruit is water.