What are the benefits of citrus fruits? Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, tangerines, mandarin oranges, pineapples and even tomatoes are all those fruits that come to mind, the moment we hear citrus fruits. All these fruits are very rich sources of Vitamin C, which is a very vital vitamin for a healthy body, as well all know. The fruits mentioned above are also known as antioxidant fruits as they counter the harmful effects of free radicals.

What are the nutrients that are found in citrus fruits?

• Vitamin C
• Folic acid or Folate
• Potassium

Vitamin C helps protect the body’s immune system and is very vital to safeguard it from common cold and flu. Folic acid prevents neural cord defects such as spinal bifida during pregnancy and potassium helps in regulating body fluids.

Citrus fruits are very important for a day to day healthy lifestyle. You can have the citrus fruits either whole or in the form of juices, making them among the highest antioxidant fruit juice known to mankind.

Benefits of citrus fruits can be classified as:

• Skin care – Antioxidants such as flavanones, anthocyanins, polyphenols and vitamin C are found in citrus fruits and as they counter the harmful effects of free radicals they help your skin stay healthy and young.
• Strong bones – Vitamin C helps in absorbing calcium in the human body, which is necessary for strong bones
• Protects heart – Citrus fruits like oranges are known to reduce bad cholesterol.
• Helps in digestion – Lemon water which is acidic has been found to aid in digestion. Orange peels have also been known to be very effective in aiding digestion.
• Protects eyesight – A diet rich in citrus fruits has been found to prevent cataracts.
• Enhances mood – Citrus fruits are known as great mood enhancers.

Include citrus fruits in your everyday diet and reap big health benefits.  Go grab an orange!

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Want to learn more about one of the super fruit wolfberry? The health benefits of wolfberry are amazing and have been written about as far back as 230 A.D. Commercially, wolfberry is known as goji berry and often there are over-exaggerated claims of the benefits of the goji berry. One internet site claims that a Chinese man consumed the berry everyday and lived to be well over 200 years old. Often times these claims, made injunction with pyramid sales opportunities make it difficult to weed out what the true benefits are. Science is studying this super fruit, and they have come up with some concrete evidence that wolfberry have benefits.

Wolfberry

Wolfberry has been linked with immune health. It is found in studies of both animals and a group of seniors in China that using wolfberry increased antibody production in the T-cell, thus, improving the patience immune system.

Another claim is that wolfberry reverses the aging response. While it is difficult to believe that it reversed it so much as to allow a human to live to 200 it does seem to reduce the signs of aging. In a study in China it was found that there was an increase in antibody agents in the blood of those that took it.

Cancer prevention has also come up. While not cure, long term acute cancer patients in China reported that while taking Wolfberry, they had a longer remission between reoccurring cancer and showed signs of cancer regression. It is thought that Wolfberry would also be very effective in helping patients with Liver Cancer because of the ability to heal damage to liver cells. It also helps with the patient?s immune system and allows them to have a higher success rate with radiation therapy.

China also performed a study with cell growth and noted that while patients took Wolfberry cell growth increased stem cell proliferation.
Lastly, wolfberry has been known to help with vision. There are very few foods that contain zeaxanthin, wolfberry is one of them. Zeaxanthin is a sister pigment with Lutein. They are known to protect the retina by neutralizing free radicals caused by sun damage. Wolfberry also contains a high level of beta-carotene which helps strengthen eye function as well.
While the scientific study of wolfberry is relatively new, there is no doubt that there are many health benefits of wolfberry. Wolfberry may not allow you to live to 200 but there is certain biological evidence that it can give your body much of what it needs to function the best that it can.

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Many people wonder what the true wolfberry nutritional value really is. They hear of the health benefits of wolfberry. They hear about the cardiovascular health wolfberry improves. What proof can science offer to back up these claims that wolfberry is truly a super fruits?

Commercially, the wolfberry is known as goji berry. The Chinese have used wolfberries for years as a food laden with many health benefits. This fruit has recently hit Europe and America with many websites touting the benefits of goji berry and selling the health drinks marketed as goji juice. It is important to note that many of these juices are not made strictly from wolfberries but a blend of many different fruit juices. The juice is still very healthy but might not be the miracle juice that some of the marketing suggests.

The wolfberry itself contains many of the human bodies daily macronutrient needs. The seeds are high in both omega 3 and omega 6 which is important for heart health. Wolfberry also contains at least 11 essential minerals, 22 trace minerals, 7 vitamins and 18 amino acids.

A 100 gram serving of Wolfberry contains 8-10% of our daily calcium requirements that help with bone and teeth development. It also contains 24% of daily potassium, crucial in lowering high blood pressure and managing electrolytes and enzymes. Also, its amazing iron content is thought to be almost twice that of soybeans which is often regarded and one of the highest iron rich foods. Wolfberries will give 20% of daily Zinc requirements that helps with cell growth and repair. It takes care of almost all of a daily dose of Selenium that helps element free radicals. It also takes care of our whole daily requirement of Riboflavin that synthesizes other vitamins and enzymes. Lastly, Wolfberry compares to fresh oranges, blueberries and soybeans with its vitamin C content.

If that is not enough to convince you that Wolfberry is very healthy it is also know to have dozens of phytochemicals, such as Beta-Carotene, Zeaxanthin and Polysaccharides. These are important in helping your body function and cell development and repair.

If one can get beyond many of the marketing ploys and pyramid schemes that surround this fruit you will find a healthy alternative too many of the fruits on the market. It may not make you live to be 252 like one such marketing ploy suggests but you will certainly feel better and might just be healthier

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Good Belly Probiotic Fruit Drink

So, I’ve tried the Blueberry Acai GoodBelly ToGo and Mango GoodBelly ToGo, but now it was time to try the family sized Cranberry Watermelon.  The flavor alone was excellent.  It tasted just like I was drinking watermelon.  It is excellent.  As I stated in earlier posts, the folks at GoodBelly sent us coupons, so we could go buy the product at our local supermarket and try it out.

Cranberry Watermelon GoodBelly in glass

GoodBelly is named that way because drinking it consistently will help you achieve a balanced digestive system.  How?  GoodBelly probiotic fruit drinks have 20 billion live and active probiotic cultures that help to improve your digestive health and strengthen your immunity.

GoodBelly is dairy-free, soy-free, wheat-free and vegan.

How Does It Work?

GoodBelly gives your body good bacteria that it needs in order to balance the bad bacteria in your system.  As a result, it does wonders for your digestive health.  GoodBelly uses Lactobacillus plantarum299v (Lp299v) and Bifidobacterium lactis (Bi-07), chosen to prove digestive health, regularity and immunity.

GoodBelly by the quart is made with natural and organic fruits and juices.

I really like GoodBelly, especially because I do not care for yogurt.  Finally there is an alternative way of getting my probiotics rather than in yogurt.

GoodBelly is sold at Whole Foods and is priced between $2.00-$5.00/quart.

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Good Belly Probiotic Fruit Drink

On a warm Saturday afternoon in Boulder, Colorado, I went into Whole Foods. I was going in to find a few items and came across the Good Belly drink. It was on sale (2 for $5), so automatically that caught my eye.

Also, with a student budget (I’m a Sophmore at the University of Colorado), it is important for me to watch what I spend and how much use I am going to get out of the product. I am a big mango fan so I was naturally drawn to that particular flavor. I was a little skeptical in trying it because I have had health food drinks in the past that have tasted so awful. But surprisingly, the Good Belly drink tasted really good.

It was a little tart at first, but after another glass, it became a drink that I craved. It comes in a variety of flavors: Cranberry Watermelon, Mango, Black Currant, Blueberry Acai and Pomegranate Blackberry. I am eager to try more of the flavors. It also comes in two types of packaging. The first is a quart container and the other is a to-go style in yogurt looking containers (But, I assure you, it is nothing like yogurt and the consistency is like a drink). I highly recommend this product not only to maintain a healthy digestive system but also because it is great for your health in general.

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GoodBelly TOGO Mango

I decided to try the Mango GoodBelly ToGo product today.  It was quite tasty. 

GoodBelly’s ToGo product has 20 Billion probiotics, clinically proven to improve core digestive health and strengthen immunity, and 500mg of Vitamin C!  Probiotics: Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v; Bifidobacteriaum Lactis Bi-07; Lactobaccilus Acidophilus.

GoodBelly TOGO Mango in Water Bottle - Not Shaken Up

As with the Blueberry Acai Flavor, it comes in a convenient package. Since it is a probiotic, it’s goal is to improve core digestive health and to strengthen immunity.  No doubt that doesn’t happen overnight, therefore I cannot comment on the effectiveness of my immunity or digestive health.

The directions on the package state, “Add contents of packet to 6 ounces of water or juice and enjoy.”  As with the Blueberry Acai Flavor, I added it to 16.9 ounces of water.  You’ll notice how it sinks to the bottom (see the photo to the right).  Once you have shaken it up, then it evenly distributes throughout the bottle.  If you do not drink it somewhat quickly, then it will re-settle to the bottom of the bottle.  So we do recommend having a screw top bottle to use when drinking the GoodBelly ToGo packets, so that you don’t have to chug it, if you don’t want to.

GoodBelly TOGO Mango in Water Bottle - Shaken Up

The taste of the Mango flavor  is more favorable than that of the Blueberry Acai.  The point of these probiotics, however, is not that they taste good but that they help your digestive system! 

So if you are looking for an alternative to past methods and drugs you’ve taken for your immunity and digestive health, then you might be interested in trying GoodBelly Probiotics – there are links to purchase it below.

The GoodBelly To Go is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.

Buy GoodBelly ToGo:

Case Quantity is $67.50 (there are 6 boxes in a case, each box contains 8 individual packets, or about $1.41/packet)

Box Quantity is $12.50 (each box contains 8 individual packets, or about $1.56/packet)

Suggested Use: One Packet per Day

GoodBelly is a division of NextFoods out of Boulder, CO.

Have you tried this product?  Do you want to try this product?  If so, please tell us about it by leaving a comment below!

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Have you heard? A new study by the Texas AgriLife Research center has decided that mangoes may have the ability to stop cancer cell lines from growing not only in the colon but also in breast tissue. This is hopeful information that there may be ways to prevent folks from developing these diseases. And, of course, it adds mangoes to fruit fighting cancer.

If you’re good at maintaining an alkaline diet of fruits and veggies combined with whole grains, then you might be interested in adding mangoes to your diet.

The food scientists at Texas AgriLife Research say that mangoes are often overlooked for being a fruit rich in antioxidants, like pomegranates or blueberries.  They tested the five different varieties that are found in the United States – Kent, Francine, Ataulfo, Tommy/Atkins and Haden.  “[The Mango] has about four to five times less antioxidant capacity than an average wine grape, and it still holds up fairly well in anticancer activity, [i]f you look at it from the physiological and nutritional standpoint, taking everything together, it would be a high-ranking super food,” noted researcher Dr. Susanne Talcott.

While the fruit showed fighting capabilities against lung, leukemia and prostate cancer, it seemed to be most effective in fighting colon and breast cancer lines.

This study along with others was commissioned by the National Mango board in order to help determine the nutritional value of the fruit.

Read more about it here: http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1686

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The raspberry is pretty well-known across the world.  They are grown for local grocery stores and fresh food markets as well as for processing for frozen fruit, dried, pureed fruit and juice.

Because raspberries need an ample amount of sun and water to develop, they are usually a mid-summer crop, depending on where you are located in the world. 

In addition to their great taste and fun texture, raspberries as with all antioxidant fruits, have numerous health benefits.

• Polyphenol antioxidants
• Anthocyanin pigments
• Dietary fiber
• Vitamic C
• Manganese
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Folic Acid
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Copper
• Iron

Because of their deeper color, raspberries are near the top when compared to other fruits based on their antioxidants when it comes to their dense amounts of ellagic acid, quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicyclic. 

Raspberries have an ORAC Value of about 4900 per 100 grams, which falls under blueberries (they’re 9000 ORAC units) and above apples at 2800.

The health benefits that some have experienced with raspberries are listed below.  Please be aware that this isn’t proof that they work, but that they are known to help.

• Reduces Inflamation
• Helps to Eliminate Age-Related Cognitvie Decline
• Prevents Cardiovascular Disease
• Reduces Allergies
• Helps to Prevent Degeneration of Eye Sight with Aging
• Reduces Pain
• Prevents Cancer

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry

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GoodBelly ToGo

The folks over at GoodBelly sent us some product to try.  We will be covering the product over the next couple of weeks.   Good Belly makes probiotic fruit drinks.

Their ToGo product is packed with 20 Billion probiotics, clinically proven to improve core digestive health and strengthen immunity, and 500mg of Vitamin C!  Probiotics: Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v; Bifidobacteriaum Lactis Bi-07; Lactobaccilus Acidophilus.  

First is their GoodBelly To Go.   I tried the Blueberry Acai Flavor.  As you can see, it comes in a very convenient package and even has an area where you can tear it open – eliminating the need for scissors on the go. Since it is a probiotic, it is supposed to improve your core digestive health and strengthen your immunity.  My guess is that I am not going to see results with that aspect all that quickly as I assume it is something that needs to build in your belly overtime!

What GoodBelly ToGo in Water Bottle

The directions say “Add contents of packet to 6 ounces of water or juice and enjoy.”  So I added it to 16.9 ounces of water, and then screwed on the top and shook it up.  I think you really need to have a top to screw on for this To Go product.  It all sinks to the bottom and you need to occasionally shake it back up!

I do not mind the taste, but also do not like it, if that makes sense.  I mean I wouldn’t think of going back to it immediately.  But I think my taste is a matter of opinion, and someone else might quite like it.  Regardless, if it’s purpose is for probiotics, then it is absolutely easy to drink and convient to drink for that purpose.

The GoodBelly To Go is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.

They sell it on their website by the case or by the box:

Case Quantity is $67.50
(there are 6 boxes in a case, each box contains 8 individual packets, so that about $1.41/packet)

Box Quantity is $12.50
(each box contains 8 individual packets, so that’s about $1.56/packet)

Suggested Use: One Packet per Day

GoodBelly is a division of NextFoods out of Boulder, CO.

Have you tried this product?  If so, please let us know what you think about it by leaving a comment below!

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If you have a fruit related blog or if you would like to promote your product or fruit farm, we want to hear from you!

We believe folks that have something to sell (like a fruit juice product) have almost always done the proper research in their industry to be able to promote the product accordingly.

Actually, if you are one of those people that created a juice drink from scratch and are now selling it in gallons, then you obviously have figured out a great formula.  We want to hear about it.  We know that you know your product and that we all have something to learn from one another.

Please do contact us before you submit a guest post.  We would like to approve the topic and the idea ahead of time.

Some things to consider:

• Post should be at least 400 words
• Post should have something to do with antioxidant fruits
• Post shouldn’t be salesy, but educational and explain the benefits of your product and why its so great.

We will also welcome a guest post if you are just interested in doing a little research and then writing about it.  We will give you credit and provide a link to your website or blog, if you’d like.

Please leave a comment below with your idea of a guest post, or contact us and let us know what you’re thinking.

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