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Evidence-minded articles on the nutrition and health benefits of everyday ingredients — vegetables, fruits, seafood, spices and more.

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All ingredients | Ingredient Health Benefits

All ingredients

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Evidence

All Strong evidence2 Moderate evidence14 Early research11 Nutrition data1

11 ingredients

Fruits — See the category page

Fruits

Early research

Papaya

A phase III, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 219 patients was published in 2026. Platelet recovery was faster in patients whose counts had fallen from chemotherapy. But what it used was papaya leaf extract, and this entry is about the fruit.

Fruits

Early research

Goji berry

There is a trial in which eating goji berries raised macular pigment optical density. It had 27 participants, no masking, and calls itself a pilot. And the zeaxanthin said to explain the result is not listed in this food's composition table at all.

Fruits

Early research

Mango

A 2026 trial in JAHA improved endothelial function. But the intervention was one avocado and one cup of mango together, and the comparator was low-fat, low-fibre food. How much of it belongs to mango cannot be read from this design.

Fruits

Early research

Figs

Two randomised trials have actually fed people figs, and both improved bowel measures. But in the four-month trial the severity of abdominal pain and CRP did not move, and in the pregnancy trial adding walnut was no better than fig alone.

Fruits

Early research

Dates

Several findings suggest eating dates in late pregnancy shortens labour and reduces the need for induction. But the same paper states that "the overall evidence quality was unacceptable, and risk of bias was high in most studies". And 66.5 g of every 100 g is sugar.

Fruits

Early research

Elderberry

A 2021 systematic review that GRADE-assessed five randomised trials concluded it may not reduce the risk of catching a cold. It may shorten duration and severity, but the evidence is uncertain. And raw, it will make you ill.

Fruits

Early research

Mulberry

A meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials found post-meal glucose down at 30, 60 and 90 minutes. But fasting glucose, HbA1c, HOMA-IR and all four lipid measures showed no difference. And what those trials mostly used was the leaf, not the fruit.

Fruits

Early research

Persimmon

A trial feeding 9–15 g a day of persimmon tannin fibre for 12 weeks lowered total cholesterol. But that was not eating persimmons — it was a fibre fraction extracted from unripe fruit, baked into bars. And there is a separate caution about astringent persimmon on an empty stomach.

Fruits

Early research

Pineapple

Bromelain tablets after third-molar surgery improved pain and quality-of-life scores. But there was no evidence for swelling or trismus, and what was given was an isolated enzyme, not fruit. Pineapple's own strengths are 47.8 mg of vitamin C and 0.927 mg of manganese.

Fruits

Early research

Aronia (chokeberry)

Aronia sits at the very top of fruits for anthocyanin content. The problem is that it is too astringent to eat plain.

Fruits

Early research

Jujube

Fresh jujube beats orange on vitamin C. Dried, most of that is gone and what remains is concentrated sugar.