Fruits and Melons

Ripe fruits are high in vitamins and enzymes and contain ample amounts of phytonutrients, minerals, and amino acids. They are easily digestible and contain super-hydrating purified water. I start each day with fruit as my first meal.
An interesting fact about fruit and perhaps all natural foods is that the tast e of two identical pieces of fruit can vary greatly, even if the trees that they were picked from were the same varieties and grown side by side in the same conditions! I have experienced this phenomenon many times while blueberry picking. If you have an aversion to a variety of fruit, I encourage you to try it again. Perhaps the last time you tried it you got a bad one.
The following list of fruits and their medicinal qualities is by no means complete. To list all the known fruits and their health benefits would take volumes. In addition, there are numerous varieties of common fruits. For example, more than 1,400 varieties of apples grow around the world. I have listed the fruits that are commonly available in North America and some of the medicinal qualities.

Apples: Canadian scientists found that both unpasteurized fresh apple juice and unpasteurized fresh apple sauce can "knock the heck out of stomach flu and polio virus" (Heinerman pg. 4). Apples have been clinically shown to decrease dental cavities and help prevent both diarrhea and constipation. I suggest making your own apple juice and sauce because pasteurization destroys much of their nutritive value.
Avocados: In a study done at the V.A. Hospital in Coral Gables, Florida, avocados were shown to lower blood cholesterol. People ranging in age from 27 to 72 years old consumed from V2 to 1% avocados per day. Fifty percent showed a definite decrease in serum cholesterol ranging from 8.7 to 42.8 percent (Heinerman pg. 16). Research in Israel has shown that eating avocados cut detrimental (LDL) cholesterol about 12 percent in men. These results are thought to be the result of cholesterol-lowering phytosterols that avocadoes have an abundance of. In South Africa avocados are eaten as an aphrodisiac (Ross pg. 243).
Bananas: Plantains are a type of banana that many people fry before eating while the fruit is unripe. The plantain is wonderful eaten raw provided that it is ripe. Ripe plantains are soft and in some varieties the skin needs to turn black before they are edible uncooked. There are numerous varieties of bananas; I seek out the small varieties or the red ones. An interesting medicinal property of the banana is that , "Antifungal and antibiotic principles are found in the peel and pulp of fully ripe bananas. The antibiotic acts against mycobacteria." (Morton pg. 45)
Berries: The Journal of Food Science, volume 41 (1976) showed that polio virus was inactivated by strawberry extract. Several other fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, and wild cranberries helped to inactivate other intestinal viruses, including herpes simplex virus (Heinerman pg. 45). Because of their high potassium content, a major medical journal stated that an extra serving of fresh fruit, such as berries, may decrease the risk of stroke in humans by as much as 40 percent regardless of other known risk factors (Heinerman).
Cherry: The number one remedy for gout is to consume raw cherries. Eat about V2 pound of sweet cherries or drink about 3 tablespoons of cherry juice concentrate per day (spread their consumption out during the day). One also needs to stop consuming foods containing uric acid such as beef, chicken, and other meats to relieve the gout.
Cranberry: These berries prevent unfriendly bacteria from adhering to bladder cells and acidify the urine. Cranberries contain compounds that have antimicrobial activity. They are known best for fighting infections of the urinary tract. More on cranberries under the heading, Berries.
Durian: This football-sized fruit has large spikes protruding from it (picture on front cover) and is available at oriental markets. The smell might put some people off, but the taste is heavenly. Medical anthropologist John Heinerman explains, "Different folk healers with whom I closely worked beat the ripe durian flesh to a juicy pulp and had their patients afflicted with malaria drink and eat this stuff in adequate quantities. I never knew them to fail curing cases of malaria, even when regular prescription drugs failed to eradicate the problem" (Heinerman pg. 135).
Fig: A component of the fruit of the fig tree has been found by a team of Japanese scientists to fight cancer. The July 1978 issue of Lloydia, a scientific journal, found that benzaldehyde taken from figs reduced tumors by 39 percent. A subsequent follow-up study with 57 cancer patients showed a 50 percent regression of tumors with the benzaldehyde from figs according to Cancer Treatment Reports for January 1980 (Heinerman pg. 144). Figs are also known to be an excellent laxative and a powerful energy-imparting food.
Grapefruit: Dr. James Cerda, professor of gastroenterology at the University of Florida in Gainsville, found that when medium to high-risk patients took 15 grams of grapefruit pectin every day for four months, their serum blood cholesterol levels decreased by almost 10 percent. In 50 percent of the patients tested, the ratio of good to bad cholesterol improved as well. These benefits happened without any other dietary or lifestyle changes (Heinerman pg. 203).
Grapes: In Ottawa Canada, two microbiologists working with the Canadian Health and Welfare Agency discovered that grape juice [probably unpasteurized],y raisin tea, and red wine (wine is a raw product) showed strong antiviral activity against polio virus, herpes simplex virus, and reovirus (an apparent cause of meningitis, mild fever, and diarrhea) (Heinerman pg. 209).
Kiwi: The kiwi contains high amounts of potassium and Vitamin C. People looking to lower their blood pressure find that kiwis' high potassium content works well and it is delicious too! Kiwi also contains substantial amounts of Vitamin E and niacin.
Lime: During the seventeen and eighteen-hundreds, the British navy had its sailors eat limes to prevent scurvy, (a fatal disease caused by a Vtamin C deficiency) because of its high Vitamin C content. Some sources claim that the cause of scurvy was known one hundred years before the authorities acknowledged this fact and many sailors may have died needlessly from this preventable disease. This scenario sounds very much like what is happening in modern times. Because of political policies, powerful corporations and other factors related to economics, the public is poorly informed when it comes to proper nutrition.
Lychee: These berries are sometimes mistakenly called nuts. Available in Asian markets, most commonly in the dried form, these berries have a sweet and satisfying taste. Traditional Chinese medicine has used the lychee as a tonic to strengthen the liver and kidneys (which purify the blood) and to improve the performance of the respiratory system in cases of asthma and bronchitis.
Olive: The fruit of the olive tree is high in tannins which makes it very bitter. The tannins are usually removed before eating. There are several methods of removing the tannins. The method that I use when curing olives is an ancient one. The olives are soaked in brine (salt water) for more than a month. By osmosis, most of the tannins are drawn out of the olive into the soak water and then discarded. This method takes a long time, so the commercial olive industry devised a method of curing olives that takes about 3 days. They soak olives in lye (a harsh chemical). This quickly removes the tannins but may leave a residue of lye to be eaten by the consumer. Another factor to be aware of if you are seeking raw olives is that when you purchase olives in jars or cans in the USA they are usually pasteurized (unless they state that they are raw). I buy my olives from a bulk source, such as from 5 gallon buckets, because they are still raw.
Orange: The human brain has concentrated Vitamin C pumps. The next time you find yourself unable to think clearly, try eating a fresh juicy orange loaded with Vitamin C and bioflavonoids and see if your mind becomes a bit clearer. In China, oranges are used to stimulate digestion, and thus can help alleviate constipation (Ody pg. 48).
Papaya: The seeds of the papaya fruit taste somewhat peppery and make a great substitute for black pepper when ground. They can be used to spice foods or as a medicine to rid the intestinal tract of parasites such as hookworms and roundworms. The fruit pulp of papaya contains an enzyme called papain that is commercially used as a meat tenderizer because it digests protein. John Heinerman explains that papain from papaya is superior to trypsin, and that in animal experimentation, venom from poisonous snakebites was not deadly to animals injected with the enzyme trypsin if the enzyme was administered a short amount of time after the bite. Heinerman says, "...it only stands to reason that ti [papain] should be taken orally when an individual is accidentally bitten by a poisonous snake." (Heinerman pg. 470). Unripe papaya is higher in papain than ripe papaya. Unripe papaya salads are commonly eaten in Thailand, Mexico, and other countries. Although I am a strong believer in eating ripe produce, papaya is the exception to the rule. Papaya is very beneficial to the digestive system because of the papain. When preparing green papaya, be aware that the papain can cause temporary irritation to the skin and should be washed off your hands immediately after preparation.
Passion fruit: Ripe passion fruit will help with insomnia, restlessness, neuralgia, muscle spasms, convulsions, and epilepsy (Heinerman pg. 468).
Peach: This fruit originated in China several thousand years ago. The peach was then known as the fruit of immortality (Heinerman pg. 343).
Persimmon: There are two varieties of persimmons commonly available. The Hachiya is shaped like an acorn and needs to be ripened to the point of having wrinkled skin before it is consumed. The Fuyu is shaped like a tomato and is ready for eating while it is firm. In Thailand the persimmon is used for getting rid of intestinal worms, particularly hookworms (Heinerman pg. 368).
ineapple: Scientific research has shown that the bromelain found in ripe pineapple can thin human blood and prevent blood clots from forming while increasing circulation (Heinerman pg. 471).
Plums: When dried, the fruit of the plum tree is called a prune. Prunes have long been used as a safe and powerful laxative. Prunes are also high in antioxidants. Be sure to purchase non-sulfured prunes. Sulfur dioxide is commonly used to preserve non-organic dried fruits and may aggravate asthma or have other unwanted side effects.
Pomegranate: This fruit is spoken of with great regard in the Old Testament of the Bible and also by modern researchers. "Pomegranate juice enters into preparations for treating dyspepsia and it is considered beneficial in leprosy." (Morton pg. 355). The seeds are said to expel tapeworm from the intestines. Researchers say that antioxidants are highest in the bright colors of fruits and the pomegranate has bright red juice.
Tamarind: In the West Indies, the fruit pulp is eaten for its laxative properties (Medicinal Plants of the World by Ivan A. Ross). In the USA, the pods are usually sold in Asian or specialty food/produce markets. Just peel off the shell of the pod, separate the pulp from the seeds and fibers and eat. The taste is rather pleasant.
Tangerine: Scientific research done in 1965 found that tangerine juice contains an ample amount of synephrine. Synephrine is a well-known decongestant. One glass each morning is suggested to clear mucus out of the lungs (Heinerman pg. 446).
Tomato: The tomato is in fact a fruit and not a vegetable. Vine ripened and organically grown tomatoes are what we will be discussing here, not genetically modified tomatoes that are picked green, cold stored for long periods, and gassed with chemicals to achieve a red color. The tomato contains phytonutrients that have been directly linked to the prevention of breast and prostate cancer (Hippocrates Newsletter pg. 6). Factory workers in the Soviet Union who have been exposed to toxic chemicals are prescribed tomatoes by doctors to detoxify their livers. There is also some clinical evidence that fresh juice from vine-ripened tomatoes can help the liver regenerate or reproduce a part if another portion has been destroyed or surgically removed (Heinerman pg. 458).
Watermelon and its sprouted seeds: These have diuretic properties and are used to flush the kidneys and bladder (Hippocrates Newsletter pg. 6). The rind is high in minerals. Eat watermelon on hot days to reduce body temperature and replace electrolytes lost through sweating.