The Nutritious Blemishes

When we buy fruits and vegetables, we closely examine them and pick the ones with perfect skin. I was surprised when I read in one article that the blemishes we see on fruits and vegetables mean these produce are more nutritious.

The dark dots on green bell peppers mean they have more vitamin C than a green pepper without spots. Instead of thinking that the green pepper is past its prime, the small dark dots mean the vegetable is sweeter and less acidic. Dry cracks on tomatoes mean they have more vitamin B. A tomato with healed cracks near its stem does not mean it is old. It grew in dry conditions that made it twice as high in B complex vitamins than spotless tomatoes.

Bananas that are yellow with little brown speckles are richer in magnesium than the flawless looking ones. The small brown spots on papayas mean they have more lycopene. These small oval brown marks reveal that the fruits is, sweeter, tastier and healthier. In fact, a spotted papaya contains higher percentage of antioxidant lycopene than an unblemished one.

So, the next time you buy fruits and vegetables, don't ignore the spotted ones. ^_^