Fighting disease with fruits

• Everyone is trying to get us to eat more fruits by touting their abilities to help us lose weight, fight cancer and even prevent the common cold.
• Antioxidants in fruits (and vegetables) may prevent the harmful oxidation that leads to disease and signs of aging.
• And they're powerful cancer fighters, said Dr. Mehmet Oz, a professor of surgery, the director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University and a co-author of You: The Owner's Manual (HarperCollins, 2005).
• "Ninety percent of the population has cancer at any given point; it's just that our bodies are constantly fighting it off, which is exactly why cancer-fighting foods are so important," Oz said.
• And because fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and water, you get a lot of food for relatively few calories.
• Nutrients: Packed with vitamin C and fiber, oranges also contain thiamin, folate, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), potassium and calcium.
• Health perks: Researchers have found more than 170 phytochemicals in oranges.
• Karen Collins, a registered dietitian and nutrition adviser to The American Institute for Cancer Research, said, "Oranges are among the few major sources of a group of flavonoid phytochemicals called flavanones."
• These flavonoids help prevent DNA damage from cancer-causing substances and decrease inflammation throughout the body.
• Why: They come in hundreds of varieties, they taste wonderful, and they're very low in calories.
• Apples aren't bursting with vitamins, but boast disease-fighting ability and portability.
• Nutrients: Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber.
• Health perks: Fresh or frozen blueberries protect against heart disease, weak eyesight, cancer and aging.
• A Tufts University study found that the antioxidant activity of blueberries consistently outscores other fruits and vegetables.
• Blueberries also contain potassium and vitamin C, which play a role in lowering blood pressure.