Do you often feel dizzy, weak or tired as a result of lack of energy? Do you envisage a quick and easy-to-get energy booster? Okay, maybe you might want your energy booster to be 100% natural. Well, let's find out the possibilities of obtaining a natural energy booster from fruits.
Energy production in human body is very paramount and is often associated with nutrition, exercise, stress level, body relaxation and the body hormones etc. Apart from boosting the body energy level with pills and medications, researchers agree that certain fruits act as energy boosters.
Certain fruits are rich sources of carbohydrates which are the energy building blocks of the human body. Carbohydrates provides energy for the muscles, promotes fat metabolism, prevents protein from being used as energy as well as fuels the central nervous system.
To a large extent, some fruits boost the energy levels as well as stabilizes the blood sugar levels. Human body needs energy for effective and efficient functioning of the body hence eating the right food, in this case; selecting the right fruit that contains disaccharides is very vital in boosting the energy level and stabilizing the blood sugar.
Disaccharides contain sucrose which breaks down into fructose and glucose thereby lowering the insulin level. Fruits with high content of vitamin B, vitamin C, fiber, carbohydrates, water and potassium are great energizers thus, increasing the intake of these fruits is a great way of boosting our energy levels as well as improving our general body wellbeing.
10 energy boosting fruits
1) Peaches: According to a review by NHS UK, iron deficiency can lead to low energy levels, tiredness, fatigue, faintness and poor concentration. Human body requires iron for haemoglobin production and oxygen transportation to the body cells to generate energy. Peach fruit is a rich source of iron hence, regular intake is highly recommended for energy production to the body.
2) Apricots contain at least 85% of water content and is also a rich source of iron which is needed for energy production as iron deficiency can lead to low energy levels, poor concentration and fatigue. Apricots supply the body with iron which is needed to produce haemoglobin for energy.
3) Oranges contain up to 85 percent water content and is also rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy to the body which is stored in the form of sugar known as glycogen. Glycogen is burnt for energy when an individual engages in physical activities thus eating fruits in this case, oranges which are rich in carbohydrates greatly helps to replenish our glycogen levels thereby keeping us energised. Additionally, the simple carbohydrates present in oranges easily breaks down into glucose to give our body a quick energy boost.
4) Lemon is a rich source of vitamin B1, B6, C, iron, carbohydrates and with an energy value of 121 kJ (29 kcal). These constituents, make lemon a great energy booster. Read more about the health benefits of lemon here.
5) Limes are of citrus family just like lemon and as supported by Ezeigbo et., al. (2013), these fruits are characterised by high content of energy boosting vitamins such as vitamin B1, B6, C, iron, carbohydrates (glucose and galactose) as well as energy value of 126 kJ (30 kcal) thus, are graded as natural energy booster. . The vitamin C content of limes are higher if they are still immature and tend to decline as the fruit reaches the peak of ripeness. Read more about the health benefits of limes here.
6) Bananas are rich source of carbohydrates and Vatanasuchart et., al. (2012), agree that fruits rich in carbohydrates are of great value to the human body since carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose), are stored in the body in the form of sugar referred to as glycogen which are broken down into blood sugar for fuel. Eating bananas replenishes the glycogen levels thereby keeping an individual energized.
Additionally, bananas are relatively low in calories, as well as rich in antioxidants. Due to the constituent of fiber in bananas, they tend to be easily digestible thus their sugar enters the human body more quickly for a prompt energy boost. Since banana is a good source of energy, replacing it with pills or medication can help a weak or tired individual to rapidly regain strength and energy.
7) The dates fruit of the date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. is a rich source of vitamin B1, B2, B6, C, iron, with an energy value of 1,178 kJ (282 kcal) and a high amount of carbohydrates (total sugars, 44/88%), as agreed by (Al-Shahib and Marshall 2003; Agboola and Adejumo 2013). All these energy producing vitamins present in dates, makes them an energy boosting fruits.
8 ) Apples contain at least 85 percent water, vitamins A and C, and also high in carbohydrates thus highly regarded as energy boosting fruits. Read more about the health benefits of apples here.
9) Papaya is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamin C and carbohydrates and regular intake of this fruit helps to boost our energy levels. Relaxing with a plate of papaya after a day's work or having them for breakfast is never a bad idea, since the nutritive and energy content of this wonder fruit is a great way of starting off and ending the day. This supports Maisarah et., al. (2013) statement that taking papaya helps to reduce stress, boost energy as well as keep the heart healthy.
10) Pineapple: According to Hemalatha and S. Anbuselvi 2013), pineapples contain at least 85 percent of water, vitamin C, antioxidants and vitamin C and including this fruit in our diet greatly helps to boost our energy levels.
REFERENCES
Agboola O. S. and Adejumo A. L. (2013), Nutritional Composition of the Fruit of the Nigerian Wild Date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera, World Journal of Dairy & Food Sciences, 8 (2), p. 196.
Al-Shahib w. and Marshall R. J. (2003), The fruit of the date palm: its possible use as the best food for the future? International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Vol. 54, no. 4, p. 247.
Ezeigbo O. R., Okike-Osisiogu F. U., Agomoh N. G., Anosike E. O. and Asogu G. O. (2013), Determination Of Relative Levels Of Vitamin C In Different Citrus Fruits Cultivated In Nigeria, The International Journal Of Science & Technology, Vol 1 Issue 4, p.6.
Hemalatha R. and S. Anbuselvi S. (2013), Physico Chemical constituents of pineapple pulp and waste, Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 5(2), p.240.
Maisarah A.M., Nurul A. B., Asmah R. and Fauziah O. (2013), Antioxidant analysis of different parts of Carica papaya, International Food Research Journal, 20(3), pp.1043-1044.
NHS choices (2014), The Energy Diet.
Vatanasuchart N., Niyomwit B. and Wongkrajang K. (2012), Resistant starch content, in vitro starch digestibility and physico-chemical properties of flour and starch from Thai bananas, Maejo International Journal of Science and Technology, 6(02), p.260.
