These are the 7 healthiest fruits in the world

When you think of healthy foods, fruits and vegetables immediately come to mind. After all, they're all mega healthy, right?

A study has now looked at the healthiest foods, which are all plant-based. The scientific study tested the products for nutrient density, mineral density, fibre and more. The interesting thing? Fruit doesn't appear much in the winners – among the results there wasn't a single fruit, only vegetables.

The surprising thing is this: the healthiest fruit in the world only comes in at number 28. And in total, only six other types of fruit appear in the 41 foods studied.

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The fact that fruit is further down the rankings is mainly due to the fact that the food group contains fewer vitamins, fibre in relation to the number of calories, in comparison to the vegetables studied. Just one foodstuff achieved 100 percent of the nutrient requirement with 100 calories – the healthiest foodstuff in the world.

Many fruits did not even meet the criteria to be included in the study. Seven fruits, however, took spots in the top 41.

These are the healthiest fruits in the world

• In 28th place, and thus in first place among the fruits, appears the lemon. It scores with 53mg of vitamin C per 100g and also contains calcium, magnesium, potassium and fibre. Vitamin C is important for our immune system and is needed to build collagen.
• As the second healthiest fruit, the strawberry follows in 30th place. With 62mg per 100g, strawberries contain even more vitamin C than citrus fruits. In addition, there is folic acid, iron, magnesium and calcium. Iron contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and supports oxygen transport.
• The third place among the fruits is occupied by the orange (ranking at number 33). It is well known that oranges are true vitamin C bombs, but they also contain plenty of calcium, potassium and magnesium. Magnesium is a vital mineral that regulates a large number of biochemical reactions and cellular functions in the body.
• Number 4 is the lime. In addition to vitamin C, limes contain phosphate, potassium and calcium, which serves as a building material for bones and teeth.
• In 5th place is a citrus fruit, red and pink grapefruit. Three grapefruits can cover the daily requirement of vitamin C. In addition, the vitamin A and beta-carotene contained in grapefruit are both particularly important for the visual process and the immune system.
• Sixth place is occupied by a berry – the blue-violet blackberry. Among other things, blackberries contain calcium, potassium and magnesium, iron and manganese. The pigments they contain are called anthocyanins, which give blackberries their dark colour.
• Last place in the ranking at number seven among the fruit varieties is the white grapefruit (in the overall ranking on place 41). The white layer contains mesocarp, containing lots of fibre, which is important for intestinal health and digestion.

This is the best way to enjoy the healthiest fruits

What is striking about the study is that there are an extremely large number of citrus fruits that are definitely an acquired – and sour – taste. However, the British royals apparently love to eat half a grapefruit in the morning. Maybe it's worth giving it a try? And oranges are delicious not only as juice, but also as slices in salads or muesli.

It's more difficult with lemons or limes, where you'd rather extract the juice. Particularly popular – even with many stars – is the famous lemon water in the morning, which not only provides vitamins, but is also supposed to have detoxifying properties. Otherwise, the following applies: Citrus fruits or their juice can be perfectly used for:

• Salad dressings
• In smoothies or juices (mixture of orange and grapefruit juice or orange and lemon juice)
• To refine all sauces
• In fresh desserts like sorbets

And the other two types of fruit? Of course, they can be easily integrated into everyday life. Berries like strawberries or blackberries are wonderful as a snack between meals, added to mueslis or processed as a smoothie with vegetables. Add a squeeze of lemon – delicious!

In winter you can rely on frozen strawberries and blackberries. Studies show that the greatest proportion of nutrients is retained if you pop them in the freezer.

This story originally appeared on Glamour Germany.