Are exotic fruits any better for me? (2024)

In some respects, yes.

"Exoticfruitstend to be higher in vitamin C, higher in potassium, and lower in calories than typical American produce," says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh medical center. Plus, they taste great and attract an international crowd (read: hot women).

Below are your best bets.

1. Star Fruit: Protects Your Heart

Native to Asia, starfruit-- also known as carambola -- is low in calories and high in vitamin A, fiber, and potassium. It's also a great source of polyphenols, antioxidants that fight cardiovascular inflammation. Plus, it's unusually delicious -- the flavor is best described as that of an ultrasweet tropical plum.

It's in season from July through September. You can eat star fruit whole -- skin included -- or slice it into little stars and feel like a kid again.

Serving size: 1fruit

Calories: 28

Vitamin A: 56 international units (IU)

Vitamin C: 31 milligrams (mg)

Fiber: 2.5 grams (g)

Potassium: 121 mg

2. Papaya: Keeps You Regular

Feeling a bit, ahem, stopped up? Eat more papaya, says Stephanie Suzanne Brendle, R.D., a San Francisco registered dietitian and nutritionist.

Native to Central and South America, papaya is the best known source of papain -- an enzyme so efficient at breaking down protein that it's used commercially to tenderize meat.

Available year-round, papayas are packed with fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin A. Cut the fruit in half and scoop out the juicy flesh, or grind up the seeds and use them as a black-pepper substitute.

Serving size: 1/2 fruit

Calories: 59

Vitamin A: 1,663 IU

Vitamin C: 93 mg

Fiber: 3 g

Potassium: 391 mg

3. Guava: Boosts Your Immune System

Not only is the South American guava high in vitamin C (70 percent of your recommended daily intake) and immune-boosting carotenoids, it's also a great source of fiber.

Pick it up from October through December and spoon out the pulp the way you do with a grapefruit, or peel and eat it like an orange.

Serving size: 1 fruit

Calories: 37

Vitamin A: 343 IU

Vitamin C: 126mg

Fiber: 3 g

Potassium: 229 mg

Go to the next page to learn which fruits lower cholesterol, fight colds,and prevent cancer...

4. Passion Fruit: Lowers Cholesterol

This South American fruit is packed with vision-protecting vitamin A and more cholesterol-lowering fiber than your average textile mill -- a single serving has 15 grams, or roughly half your daily requirement. Available year-round, passion fruit also boasts more potassium per serving than a banana.

Brendle suggests cutting the fruit in half and eating the pulp with a spoon, or cutting it into little pieces and tossing them on ice cream. Make sure you eat the seeds -- they're the fiber.

Serving size: 8 fruits

Calories: 140

Vitamin A: 1,832 IU

Vitamin C: 43 mg

Fiber: 15 g

Potassium: 501 mg

5. Uniq Fruit: Fights Off Colds

First found in Jamaica and thought to be a naturally occurring grapefruit-tangerine hybrid, uniq fruit is loaded with cold-fighting vitamin C and carotenoids. Its flavor is intense: sharp, tart, citrusy.

It's in season from December through April and is often called by the trade name Ugli fruit. Eat it just as you'd eat a grapefruit or tangerine, but have plenty of napkins on hand -- it's messy.

The USDA hasn't done a nutritional analysis of the uniq, so the numbers below are estimated.

Serving size: 1 fruit

Calories: 45

Vitamin A: 67 IU

Vitamin C: 51 mg

Fiber: 2 g

Potassium: 173 mg

6. Açaí: Helps Prevent Cancer

Native to the rain forests of Central and South America, this fruit of the Amazonian palm is like a tasty multivitamin. "It's loaded with B vitamins, iron, fiber, omega-9 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants," says Aliza Green, author of Field Guide to Produce.

The berry looks and tastes like a cross between a blueberry and a grape but has twice as many cancer-fighting antioxidants as the former and 10 times as many as the latter.

Because the açaí is so fragile -- it must be consumed, processed, or frozen within 24 hours of being picked -- you'll find it only in frozen-pulp or smoothie form in the United States. That means it's always in season or never in season, depending on how you look at it.

Serving size: 100 g frozen pulp

Calories: 130

Vitamin A: 554 IU

Vitamin C: 36 mg

Fiber: 4.5 g

Potassium: 93 mg