Interesting facts about vegetables. Interesting facts about fruits and vegetables

Fruits make our life better. They tend to be sweet, refreshing, and delicious. But what is actually a fruit? Tomatoes are fruits. Just like cucumbers and avocados. But you usually don't put them in that category. As it turns out, scientifically speaking, a fruit is just a part of a plant or tree that contains seeds. So if it has seeds, it's a fruit. But then what is a vegetable? Well, “vegetable” is not really a scientific term at all. This is a culinary term. This means that a real scientist would separate the parts of plants into fruits, roots, stems, leaves, etc., while your grandmother would most likely separate plants into fruits and vegetables (fruits are the sweet part, and vegetables all the rest). So, now you know everything about fruits and vegetables, and you can impress your friends with your new knowledge in this area. But get ready to learn a lot more. We invite you to learn 12 interesting facts about fruits!

Fact number 1. Bananas are slightly radioactive.

Fact number 2. Not all oranges are orange. If the weather is not cold enough, the chlorophyll in the skin is not destroyed and the fruit remains green.

Fact number 3. There are more than 7000 various kinds apples grown all over the world.

Fact number 4. There are multi-fruit trees that can grow 3 to 7 different fruits on one tree. This is achieved through the grafting of two or more plants so that they grow and function as one single plant.

Fact number 5. Did you know that tomatoes have more genes than humans?

Fact number 6. Grapefruits are known to have lethal interactions with certain prescription drugs.

Fact number 7. Cucumbers are actually fruits.

Fact number 8. The color orange was named after the fruit, not the other way around. Before that, it was called "geoluread", which means "yellow-red".

Fact number 9. The Seychelles palm is responsible for the largest fruit in the world, which weighs about 42 kg.

Fact number 10. Apples, peaches and raspberries are all members of the rose family.

Fact number 11. Oranges actually have less vitamin C than many other fruits, including guava, lychee, kiwi, strawberries, and pineapples.

Fact number 12. Coffee beans are not actually beans, but fruit pits.

Always that of our tables - potatoes - can be equated in value to gold. After all, the cost of all the potatoes mined in a year on the planet outweighs the cost of the precious metal mined. Even if you add to the gold also all the silver received annually.

The potato came to Europe in the 16th century. At first, it was perceived as an ornamental plant, then they tried to make jam from "tops" - berries. And much later we looked at the tubers. Even two centuries later, by the beginning of the 19th century, this vegetable remained a rarity. Today, a person who brings a string of potatoes as a gift will be looked at as a miser or a madman. And in those years, potato tubers were a very expensive and desirable offering.

For many centuries, Europeans and Asians replaced potatoes with turnips. The Persians treated this "simple" vegetable from our fairy tales with great respect. And they even believed that people descended from turnips: following the example of how we tell our children that they were found in cabbage.

Carrots may well claim the title of the most ancient vegetable in the history of mankind. It was these dried vegetables that archaeologists discovered during the excavation of piled buildings of the Stone Age. And Roman poets and prose writers devoted laudatory works to carrots, calling it the "queen of vegetables."

No less magnificent name, but for corn, and not for carrots, was invented in a time closer to us - the period of Khrushchev's rule. Corn, as we remember from history lessons, was called the "queen of the fields."

In the Roman Empire, they were very kind to the bow. The Romans considered this vegetable to be sacred and believed that our Universe is arranged just like an onion. Onions were eaten by everyone: from the plebeians to the patricians.

The first carrots were not orange, which we are used to seeing in garden beds and in supermarkets, but purple, close to purple. The red vegetable was bred only in the 17th century in Denmark.

Parsley in Ancient Greece was of mourning. As a sign of grief, the Greeks wore wreaths woven from this greenery on their heads.

It would seem that there can be nothing in common between a domesticated horse and the same “homemade” cabbage that is familiar to us. But parallels can be drawn: both the horse and the cabbage are big water drinkers. The amount of water that a head of cabbage absorbs during the day is equivalent to the amount of water drunk by a horse.

Scurvy in 18th-century Russia was much more common among aristocrats than commoners. And all because they did not include cabbage, onions, carrots and other “low” vegetable foods in their diet.

Beets came from Byzantium to Russia under their Greek name - "sfekeli". The vegetable quickly got used to it: it was not only eaten raw or boiled, but beetroot broth was used as a disinfectant.

Until the 18th century, sugar in Russia was made from an imported product - sugar cane, so it was very expensive. When sugar beet was mastered, imported raw materials were abandoned.

Of the fruits, watermelon is considered the most “watery” (92%). In the world of vegetables, the palm belongs to pumpkin and cabbage: they consist of 90% water.

All people almost every day eat vegetables, fruits and rarely nuts.

These products have been part of our lives for a very long time and we can no longer imagine it without them. God made them not only delicious, but also very useful. They contain many vitamins, micro and macro elements.

Many people, vegetarians, do not eat anything other than vegetables and fruits. I would like to know what interesting and curious these products are fraught with.

If you eat broccoli every day, you can slow down the aging process a little.

In kiwi, unlike citrus fruits, the largest amount of vitamin C

The smaller the chili pepper, the hotter it is.

The peel of an apple contains much more nutrients than the pulp.

There are about 15,000 varieties of rice in the world, while there are seven thousand apples and five thousand tomatoes.

Some vegetables are completely different from what we used to think of them, for example, strawberries are nuts, and pumpkin, melon and watermelon are berries.

Strawberries, wild strawberries - type of fruit "multi-nut" - dry seeds such as nuts are located on an overgrown receptacle. Unlike achenes (dandelion, sunflower), which develop from the lower ovary, nuts develop from the upper ovary. If you go deep into botanical definitions, then a strawberry is a nut, or rather a complex nut fruit. Although there is a lot of controversy on the Internet on this topic!

The almond belongs to the peach family.

A peanut is actually not a nut at all, but a bean, as well as a Brazil nut, not a nut, as they used to think of it, but a grain.

Banana is an herb, not a fruit. In other words, it is the tallest and most durable grass of the orchid family, and the banana is its berry.

Cabbage contains 90% water, watermelon 92%, and carrots 87%.

Apples are much more energizing than coffee because the natural sugar found in apples is better than caffeine. Therefore, in the morning it is better to eat an apple or drink a fresh one. apple juice than drinking coffee.

Thanks to celery, you can lose weight, because there are only 10 calories in its stalk, while the body needs several times more calories to digest.

Tomatoes are best stored at room temperature because they will lose their flavor and nutritional value in the refrigerator.


You can not store potatoes and onions in the same basket, as they will quickly begin to deteriorate.

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, usually the price is about $700 per 1 kg of the spice.

Peanut butter is the most popular among Americans, they eat it every day.

Pomology is the science of growing fruit.

Remember the myth of the hedgehog that stores mushrooms and apples belongs to Pliny the Elder. It was he who said that the hedgehog "consciously" pricks fruit on himself. In fact, it is physically impossible!

Kiwi fruit, which was brought there from China, became the symbol of New Zealand. Therefore, it is also called the Chinese gooseberry.

Banana is recognized as the tallest herbaceous plant. Sometimes it reaches a height of 15 meters.

The ancient Romans were afraid of the lemon like fire. They believed that this fruit was deadly poisonous. The lemon nevertheless found its place - with its help they fought against moths.


Properties of fruits and vegetables for the body

In this article, we will talk about the medicinal properties of fruits and vegetables. There are a lot of them, and they all carry a lot of vitamins, but we will list the most basic ones. So, medicinal properties vegetables and fruits.

Cucumber- as a rule, we use this product, almost every day. Of course, especially he will useful if it is grown at home, with my own hands. What are the beneficial properties of such a common vegetable? Let's figure it out.

1. The main benefit of cucumber is to cleanse the body. It removes toxins and harmful substances that are in our body. Ask why? The answer is simple. Cucumbers contain ninety-five percent the purest water.
2. Due to useful trace elements, namely: potassium, calcium and magnesium, the functionality of human organs is being improved.
3. All the girls on earth know about cucumber masks, and so, it is these masks that can rejuvenate the skin and give it a healthy and beautiful view.
The tomato is also the most common food item. We add it to many different dishes. Let's see what beneficial features has this product.
1. Well, of course, it contains many vitamins and microelements that are able to support our body.
2. This vegetable contains a substance that prevents cancer and cardiovascular disease.
3. A very interesting fact. Tomatoes can relieve stress and improve mood. So if suddenly your mood is spoiled, or you are very tired, then eat more tomatoes, because they are so healthy.

Cauliflower- a very useful vegetable that is necessary for human health. At the same time, it is very tasty and easy to prepare. Beneficial features:

1. Good for first feeding to children, non-allergenic, and does not cause heaviness in the stomach.
2. It is good to use for those who want to get rid of excess and unnecessary weight.
3. People who have diseased organs: liver, gallbladder and heart, be sure to use this product.
4. Used for cancer prevention.

Potato- Well, this vegetable has been known to everyone for a long time. Previously, they ate only them, which is probably why life expectancy was much longer than it is now. It is very nutritious and has beneficial properties.

1. Oddly enough, but it is potatoes that can slow down the aging process in the body.
2. Making potato compresses can cure burns.
3. Potato inhalation, a very common procedure that is used at home in the treatment colds especially bronchitis.
4. Prevents the appearance of cancer.

Prunes- very useful fruit. It can be used for feeding children, as a preventive measure. intestinal diseases.
1. If you eat prunes seven pieces a day, then your digestion will improve, as well as kidney function.
2. It is this fruit that fights cancer very well.
3. Cholagogue fruit, which helps the gallbladder.

Nectarine- one of the most delicious fruits. You can eat a lot of it. It contains enough number of good and useful properties.
1. It has the property of preventing aging of the body, namely, it prevents the appearance of wrinkles.
2. Removes fluid, therefore, contributes to the normal functioning of the kidneys.
3. Helps with constipation, cardiovascular diseases, as well as gastritis with high acidity.

A pineapple is a tropical fruit variety. Some experts argue that the fruit helps the nation where its origin originated. For example, an apple is grown in Russia, which is why this fruit is very useful for Russians, but for other peoples of the nation, it is just an ordinary fruit. But this has not yet been proven. So let's go through the beneficial properties of pineapple.
1. Helps for those people who want to lose weight
2. Has many vitamins.
3. When using this product, pressure drops, which is good for hypertensive patients.
4. It removes excess fluid, therefore, it is very useful for pregnant women in order to prevent edema.

Of course, these are not all fruits and vegetables, but we use them very often. Therefore, we should know what we eat and how it affects our body.

What is the healthiest fruit? Especially for the readers of the Healthy Lifestyle, we have identified the most useful fruits. We have also identified fruits that are useful for women, including those who are pregnant or losing weight.

Also, we have collected Interesting Facts about these fruits. Want to see blue bananas? Then you have come to the address 😉

Friends, below you can find the most useful fruits. What is the healthiest fruit? It is not so easy to answer this question. It should be borne in mind that the distribution of places in our rating is relative. After all, a person may need something specific (for example, getting rid of a disease or some vitamin), and, accordingly, a fruit that occupies not the first place in the overall utility rating, but, for example, the tenth one, will be the most useful for him. . Therefore, it is best to carefully familiarize yourself with how each fruit helps the body, what diseases it treats.

So what are fruits good for? First of all, the benefits of fruits lies in the fact that they are real. Counting vitamins and fiber, micro and macro elements in these gifts of nature, scientists often forget about the most important thing - about enzymes.

Enzymes (enzymes) - this is what is in every fruit that has not undergone heat treatment (heat treatment destroys enzymes). Enzymes take part in almost all body functions, guarding our health. If we take the body for a battery, then enzymes are our recharging, recharging every cell in the body.

Well, everyone has heard about the beneficial properties of fruits due to the vitamins, fiber, pectins, organic acids, micro and macro elements they contain. Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves. So, let's check out the most useful fruits.

Apple

“He who eats an apple a day does not visit a doctor” - there is such a proverb, and it is undoubtedly worth listening to.

Apples increase immunity, fill the body with quick energy, improve digestion. The benefit of apples lies in the fact that their regular use contributes to longevity and rejuvenation of the body. Apples reduce the risk of heart attacks and prevent the development of diabetes, Alzheimer's disease. And they even lower the level of cholesterol in the blood: studies have shown that apples are much better than other fruits in this. Also, this fruit is rich in fiber and promotes rapid satiety. However, apples are low in calories, so they are used in many weight loss diets.

Attention! Do not peel the apple peel: it contains many useful substances.

Did you know that banana is a herb? It turns out that bananas do not grow on palm trees. Banana is a herb that reaches 15 meters in height. Truly, the world of nature is wonderful!

Well, banana fruits are called berries. These berries come in green, yellow, orange, pink, red and even blue. There are also black and striped bananas. The largest banana is the Kluay (or Rhino) variety, it reaches 35 centimeters in length. And the smallest bananas are from 2.5 to 5 centimeters in length (but they are considered the sweetest).



Banana has long been called the fruit of cheerfulness and positive. If you need to quickly restore energy or cheer up, then eat bananas.

Firstly, this fruit is very satisfying, as it contains enough calories (70-100 kcal per 100 grams). An interesting fact: in an unripe banana (which will turn yellow, but still greenish) there are more calories (about 110 kcal per 100 grams). Even athletes to recruit muscle mass eat bananas.

Secondly, the banana contains tryptophan, a protein that is processed by the body into serotonin (the hormone of joy and happiness). If you eat bananas regularly, then depression will be forced to part with you.

What else are bananas good for? This fruit helps with gastritis and peptic ulcers, even during an exacerbation. Eliminates heartburn. Eating bananas regularly lowers blood pressure and prevents cardiovascular diseases (including hypertension). Also, according to former smokers, bananas help to overcome the effect of nicotine deficiency, it will be easier to quit smoking with them.

The American state of California has a rather strange legislation that prohibits the use of oranges in the bath. This is considered a breach of public order.

Well, okay, let's leave the Americans alone and figure out how this orange fruit is useful. Orange cleanses the blood, tones and energizes the body. Has a rejuvenating effect. Orange is useful for women, as it contains folic acid, and this is the main female vitamin. The inclusion of oranges in the diet contributes to the normal course of pregnancy. Orange is also useful for men, as it increases potency and promotes the transfer of healthy genes to offspring. This fruit effectively strengthens our immunity, protecting against viral and inflammatory diseases. And even for weight loss, this fruit is indispensable, because it has a diuretic property and helps to speed up metabolism, activating metabolic processes in the body.

Grape

There are over 10,000 grape varieties. This is much more than any other culture. An interesting fact: in ancient times, grape pickers were not allowed to work without a signed will. The fact is that grapes were usually planted next to trees so that it curled along them. Over time, the trees died and served only as a dried support for the bushes. So climbing for grapes was pretty dangerous, but that didn't stop anyone.

Grapes are loved by many for their rejuvenating properties. With regular use of grapes, you can forget to forget about heart problems, high blood pressure and insomnia. Grapes purify the blood and help to cope with bronchitis. Separately, it is worth noting that the wine berry contains as many as twenty antioxidants that repel free radical attacks. In other words, grapes prevent cancer. Drinking the juice of this berry improves immunity and tones the body. However, it is the grape skin that is the most beneficial part for human health.

The Chinese consider the pear a symbol of immortality. Another interesting fact: even before Columbus brought tobacco to Europe, Europeans smoked pear leaves. So the absurd habit of inhaling poisonous smoke (and any smoke is poisonous because it contains combustion products) has existed for quite a long time, although it was not widespread on such a scale as it is now.

Pear improves the functioning of the heart and gastrointestinal tract. Helps to maintain the right level of sugar in the blood, promotes good digestion. Pears are very useful for women, including during pregnancy, as they contain a lot of folic acid. Also, many varieties of pears are rich in iodine.

The first apricots were found in China. About four thousand years ago, these fruits were discovered on the slopes of the Chinese mountains. Apricots are a very healthy fruit. Even on the moon, the Apollo astronauts ate dried apricots, as they contain up to 40% sugars and a lot of energy.

Contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Apricot is good for eyesight, as well as for maintaining youthful skin - and all this is due to the beta-carotene that it contains. Apricots help to improve the functioning of the heart and brain, as well as the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems in general. By the way, this fruit is very useful for women, as it has a combination of those vitamins and substances that contribute to rapid growth nails and hair. Regular consumption of apricots prevents oncological diseases and helps with anemia. And in the cold season, apricot can be replaced with dried apricots, which also has all the properties described above.

The sour taste of this fruit is familiar to each of us. Once this was used by ill-wishers who wished to disrupt the concert of the brass band. To do this, they put children in the audience hall on the first row, who chewed lemons for show. The musicians were unable to suppress increased salivation and therefore could not play their pipes, the concert did not take place.

Other interesting story: the famous navigator J. Cook was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Society not for his geographical discoveries, but for the fact that he came up with lemons to protect sailors from scurvy. Because of this, in the 17th century, British sailors were often referred to as "lemons".

Lemon is the #1 fruit for boosting immunity and fighting colds. It is also an excellent fat burner, while reducing appetite. Lemon contains a large amount of vitamins, but first of all it is praised for its high content of ascorbic acid or vitamin C (up to 150 mg per 100 grams). Regular consumption of lemons helps to remove free radicals from the body and prevent aging.

Attention! Lemon is contraindicated in peptic ulcer and hyperacidity gastric juice.

This sweet orange berry has an unusual taste. Persimmon belongs to the trees of the genus Diospyros, which in ancient Greek means "fruit of the gods". China is considered to be the birthplace of persimmon.

Persimmon perfectly satisfies hunger without prejudice to the figure (therefore, it can be included in the menu for those who want to lose weight). Helps to improve the functioning of the digestive tract and urinary system. Persimmon has a rich chemical composition, surpassing apples in the amount of vitamins. In addition to a large number of vitamins, it contains many amino acids and antioxidants, which have an amazing effect on the entire human body. Persimmon cleanses the body well, removing all toxins and toxins. Persimmon is also useful for vision and skin due to the high content of beta-corotin.

Peach

It is a delicious, juicy and fragrant fruit that contains many health benefits. The peach tree is often referred to as the tree of life. Contrary to popular belief, the homeland of peaches is not Persia, but China.

Peach is considered a very valuable product in the human diet. This fruit is especially useful for women, as it helps to preserve the natural beauty. Peach makes the skin smooth and supple, and for this reason it is often used in cosmetology. And this fruit is a natural aphrodisiac. Despite its sweetness, peach contains few calories (only 30-35 kcal per 100 grams), and therefore it can be eaten by those who are losing weight. Eating this fruit is good for the digestive system, muscles, bones and heart. Also, this fruit has a positive effect on the condition of the hair, making them strong and lush. In Hungary, peaches are called "fruits of tranquility", as they help get rid of bad mood and anxiety.

China is considered the birthplace of kiwi. There it is called "monkey peach" because of the shaggy skin that covers this fruit. The name "kiwi" was only given to it in the 1950s, when New Zealanders began exporting the fruit from China to the United States. So it could be called because of the similarity of the shape of the fetus with the body of the New Zealand kiwi bird, which, by the way, is a symbol of this country.

Also, New Zealanders were unwilling to pay huge export duties on the fruit formerly known as "Chinese gooseberries", so a change in "brand" was simply necessary for doing business.

Kiwi is a real vitamin bomb. Kiwi contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) more than citrus fruits such as orange and lemon. Because of its low-calorie content, kiwi is recommended for weight loss, since, firstly, it cleanses the body of toxins well, and secondly, it strengthens the immune system. Kiwi effectively burns fats and thins the blood, relieves blood vessels from blood clots and cholesterol plaques. Helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system, normalizes the digestive system (relieves constipation and heartburn).

An interesting fact: the kiwi skin is edible, so the fruit can not be peeled, but washed thoroughly and eaten whole. But this, of course, is not for everybody.

The king of all fruits - this is what the crowned pomegranate is called in the East. And this fruit is called a pomegranate for a reason: when an overripe fruit explodes, the berries-grains flying in all directions resemble the action of a real combat grenade.

Pomegranate is one of the most valuable fruits, it is used to improve immunity, prevent and treat various diseases. Regular use of pomegranate removes toxins and radiation from the body, slows down the development cancer cells. Pomegranate is also useful for colds: it helps to reduce high temperature and relieves cough. Pomegranate is also useful for heart diseases, in particular, with high blood pressure. Regular consumption of this fruit prevents the occurrence of atherosclerosis, anemia and diabetes. Pomegranate activates the digestive system. Also, this fruit is very useful for pregnant women due to its high iron content, and this, as mentioned above, prevents anemia.

CONCLUSION

Each fruit is good in its own way, and this component healthy eating. What fruits do you think are healthy? Please write your answers in the comments. Stay with us, eat fruits and be healthy!

about vegetables

  • Vegetables is a culinary term that refers to the edible part of a plant, as well as any plant-based solid food, with the exception of cereals, fruits, mushrooms, and nuts. The culinary term "vegetable" can also be applied to edible fruits, which are botanically berries ( , ).
  • In the 2000s, a monument was opened in the city of Minsk.
  • Potato museums exist in Belgium, USA, Belarus.
  • Seeds found in Europe and Asia have been dated to the Mesolithic (approximately 10,000 years ago). Fossilized remains of carrots were found in buildings near Bern in Switzerland. Experts believe that it has lain there for at least 3-4 thousand years. Carrots are perhaps the most ancient of all cultivated root crops!
  • Only and can argue with carrots. Their culinary, medicinal and religious uses began as early as 6,000 years ago.
  • The images of carrots found on the walls of Egyptian tombs caused bewilderment among archaeologists: the vegetable was painted in lilac or purple. An interesting fact: until the XVII century. people didn't know orange carrots! It is believed that purple root vegetables were brought to the West, where they were crossed with yellow mutants and led to the appearance of carrots of red, raspberry and, finally, orange.
  • It has been scientifically proven that substances that cause the taste, smell of onions and tears from processing them can fight cancer cells.
  • People have long noticed that many of the fruits of the earth not only satisfy hunger, but also prevent certain diseases. No wonder our great-grandfathers said: “yes, onions, yes - they won’t let the dashing go.”
  • today it is somehow not customary to eat, and yet two hundred years ago it was the main and, often, the only vegetable crop for the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Russia. In many countries, for example, in France, England, America, India, Japan, unlike Russia, turnips are still loved by culinary specialists and often appear on the dinner table.
  • began to grow tribes of local Indians in South America about 8-9 thousand years ago. Tomatoes were brought to Europe by the Spaniards and the Portuguese in the 16th century. In the language of the Indian tribe in their homeland, they were called "tomatl", which means "large berry". That's where the name "tomato" comes from.
  • was in such high esteem in ancient Rome that it was collected as a tribute from subordinate Germans. At that time, the root crop was thin and long, like a carrot. The rounded form of the root crop, known to us today, appeared only in the 16th century.
  • During the Roman era, beets were used as an aphrodisiac.
  • In sauerkraut, cabbage is much healthier than fresh! Sauerkraut contains lactic acid, which keeps beneficial bacteria in the gut.
  • among vegetable crops is one of the richest sources of protein. After lentils, it ranks second in the amount of protein per 100 grams. product.
  • In Russia, cucumbers with a tuberous surface have always been loved, considering them to be “real”. Europeans, on the contrary, prefer smooth fruits, and those that have “pimples” are called cucumbers in a “Russian shirt”.