Have you noticed how more and more people are looking to eat better? Nowadays the search for healthy food is on the rise because the population is becoming aware of the importance of good nutrition to well-being. One type of food starting to be more valued are native fruits. We call “native fruits” those that have existed in our country for a long time, since before Colonization. These fruits have unique flavors AND are rich in bioactive compounds.
But, what are bioactive compounds?
Bioactive compounds are a group of substances that are present in small amounts in foods and that, although they do not have essential functions, that is, their absence does not cause diseases, they help to prevent them. They provide additional health benefits against chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, etc. Foods that contain bioactive compounds can be called functional foods. Some examples of bioactive compounds are carotenoid groups, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, the famous vitamin C, and others. Most of them have antioxidant activity.
Varieties of bioactive compounds are found in all fruits, but especially in native fruits which, therefore, are a great option for those looking to improve their diet. Unfortunately, some of these fruit trees are found exclusively in forests, and with increasing deforestation, they are becoming extinct. Some of these fruits are already well known, such as jabuticaba, açaí, pineapple, passion fruit, cashew, pitanga, and many more. However, there are others that have not gained so much popularity, such as cajá, pequi, grumixama, uvaia, cagaita, guabiroba, araçá... Have you ever tasted any of them?
Yellow or orange-colored fruits, such as taperebá, guabiroba, buriti, pequi, cajá, and mango, are rich in carotenoids, which are substances that have antioxidant and photoprotective capacity. Vitamin C is present in most fruits, but camu-camu stands out for its concentration 20 times greater than acerola. Of course, it's pretty sour, but it's great in juices, jellies, and ice cream! Many native fruits are rich in a wide variety of phenolic compounds (which have even greater antioxidant activity). Among them we can mention cambuci, cajá, camu-camu, açaí, taperebá and soursop. Finally, anthocyanins can be found in purple or dark violet-colored fruits, such as açaí, jabuticaba, wild strawberry, black pitanga, and grumixama.
You can see that native fruits have many benefits for our body, right? In addition to being rich in vitamins and fiber, they are rich in bioactive compounds. The sweet exotic and delicious flavors are still a bonus! And they can be consumed raw or used in various ways in cooking, such as in the preparation of juices, desserts, marinades, and even sauces. How about a suggestion for a meal made up of a native fruit? Pork loin in jabuticaba sweet and sauer sauce with potatoes in the pot. Potybá offers our fruit pulp vinegar in two flavors: passion fruit and jabuticaba. This meal will surprise your guests with a new flavor and health benefits! Try and discover the vast flavors of these delicacies that we have in our lands!
Tell us which Brazilian native fruits you like the most, which ones remind you of your childhood and which ones you miss the most!
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