Great Summertime Fruits: Get Them While they Last!

Summer is a great season to partake in the numerous delicious seasonal fruits. Not only do these summertime fruits taste great, but they also give you many nutritional benefits. According to MSNBC, electrolytes and water are readily available in foods such as fresh fruits. Summer offers a wider selection of yummy and juicy fruits than any other season making it super easy to get your daily helping of fresh produce.

Some fruits to enjoy before the season ends include:

Berries- Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries and more are high in fiber and vitamin C. In addition, the phytochemicals in blueberries, strawberries and blackberries all boost immunity, and protect against heart diseases and circulatory problems. Cherries are another summer ripe fruit that contain these wholesome nutrients as well.

Peaches and plums- Full of vitamin C and beta carotene, peaches and plums help to eliminate free radicals from the body. Purple and red plums also contain fiber and the skins contain anthocyanidins, potent antioxidant phytochemicals.

Papayas and mangoes- Irresistibly mouth-watering summer fruits, both papayas and mangoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene and fiber. Papayas also contain potassium and folate. Folate prevents developmental defects in fetuses and supports cardiovascular health.

Figs- Summer is the season for fresh figs. Fresh or dried, sweet figs are one of the highest fruit sources of fiber, and they also contain significant amounts of minerals potassium (great for replenishing losses in sweat), calcium and iron.

Melons- You can't forget about ice-cold, refreshing watermelon! All the melons, including cantaloupe, casaba, and honeydew, are summer fruits. Cantaloupe with its peachy-orange flesh is rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. Juicy watermelon is a rich source of beta-carotene and vitamin C, and a good source of lycopene. Lycopene, most popularized in tomato products, is an antioxidant carotenoid that has been shown to prevent prostate cancer.

There's nothing quite as tasty or nutritious as beating the heat with the thirst-quenching and nutritious fruits of summer- make your summer a savory experience.